Review by Rexorcist for Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1997)

Aside from the solo careers of Vinnie Moor and Yngwie Malmsteen, there weren't many people taking part in the more neoclassical side of metal.  Two bands can be thanked for bringing classical to metal: Blind Guardian and Symphony X.  Blind Guardian started as a thrash band and eventually evolved into a more classical one over the course of six albums.  Symphony X, however, started immediately.  But they needed practice in making it sound good.  By their third album, The Divine Wings of Tragedy, they had done it.

Divine Wings of Tragedy is a 65 minute blast of symphonies and and technical riffage that never once lets up.  The first and foremost aspect of the album is the art of the tune.  Yes, there are plenty of moments where the band goes off on hyper-technical construction where some might call it pretentiousness, but the truth of the matter as that every note, every progression and every effort to capture the essence of the Western Classical era is lived up to.  SOme of the most incredible guitars solos I've ever heard are on this album, and practically the whole album is incredible.  And their singer, Russell Allen, gives it his all.  His range is at full display as he knows when to sing like a rough and nasty metal artist, when to be more soft-spoken and to reach soaring heights.

There is one faint problem with the album.  The entire album takes right after the opener, "Of Sin and Shadows," which means despite being incredible, it's essentially predictable by the end because the pace itself isn't really changes and these songs don't really have their own identity.  But for some, that may not matter, because as a metal album, it's practically a perfect example of how to balance riffs, melodies, aethetic and meaning.  This is a very complex album in terms of structuring.  And it serves as a great entryway into the neoclassical genre that Symphony X redefined.