When you think of Symphony X, what comes to mind? Yngwie noodling? Dio's twin? Epic mythologies? 20 minute songs? What about
theater? To me,
"The Edge of Forever" is one of the most emblematic songs in their discography when it comes to their knack for theatrical productions masked as prog epics. Speaking of which, this is their second attempt at an epic, after the... so-so "A Lesson Before Dying", and it's a pretty big step up from that previous song. Oh hold on, the play's about to start. Go find your seat, sit back, and enjoy the show. We'll meet up again after the performance to discuss it together.
"The Edge of Forever"
Written and performed by Symphony X
Cast:
Lead vocals: Russell Allen
Guitar: Michael Romeo
Keyboard: Michael Pinnella
Drums: Jason Rullo
Bass: Thomas Miller
Backing vocals: Symphony X
- ACT I -
Scene 1: The curtain rises and we are instantly met with an acoustic guitar, playing a nostalgic-sounding melody with just a hint of sadness. It is not alone, however, as both drums and bass are there to keep it company, almost like old friends there to comfort it in its time of despair. Gradually the drums become more and more present, until we actually have a decent beat going on. But then, almost out of nowhere, the melody changes. There is no nostalgia in this, just pain and depressing, enclosing darkness.
Scene 2: Now the bass takes center stage. The bassist is, of course, a Mr. Thomas Miller, and in previous productions by the Symphony X touring group he's been playing some very intricate characters but never got a chance to shine in front of the other stars. Now he's really making his presence known in this one. Our acoustic friend has left and in its place comes an electric guitar, waiting in the wings, just vibing until it gets its chance to out front and center.
Scene 3: And now there it is! Michael Romeo steps out of the shadows with his guitar and leads us into the song's main motif. Michael Pinnella emerges just behind him with his piano, and it's a really beautiful piece coming together in front of us. Beyond the rhythm guitar, Mr. Romeo starts to shine with a nice lead piece that is layered wonderfully atop the piano. He's an overperformer, certainly, but when he applies himself he can do more in less than he thinks. This has such a nice groove and an exquisite melody, - wait, now things have changed. Things are icy now. The motif spins to be sailing towards darker waters and you can't help but feel worried for the characters.
Scene 4: Now the lights are lowering, and all the actors remove themselves from the stage bar the piano. Pinnella leads an introduction to the fifth actor in tonight's show. He's been waiting for so long to make his appearance, and this is his first year with the Symphony X group. He's got something to prove. Slowly he walks across the balcony, with his face turned from the audience. He is like a shadow. You can tell from his performance that he's young, and he's going to go to some great places but isn't
quite there yet. But still, the utter passion he's bringing to it makes up for any inexperience. The previous performer didn't have that at all. Now they've finally found someone who will take them to the top.
Scene 5: Mr. Romeo reenters the stage and after a moment of reflection, we hit action territory. This is a metal play, after all, and now we're finally seeing it come together. Mr. Pinnella and Mr. Romeo have a moment of what one could label as a 'duel', but really they're just playing off of each other and it certainly isn't a competition. It's synths / guitar / synths / guitar as they show off their skills as performers in the theater tonight. Once this comes to a close, the curtain falls. The first act is over.
- ACT II -
Scene 1: There's no intermission in this play, just some set changes, and while that happens we get a return of the piano before the acoustic guitar from Act I, Scene 1 makes its soulful reappearance. The piano is replaced with some lovely atmospheric synths (also performed by Mr. Pinnella) as the curtain rises once more and we open to a dimly lit room. There are two people in this room. One is a woman, but we (the audience) are unsure if she's an actor too or just an illusion that the group is beaming into our minds. The other person here, however, is very much a real actor. We still haven't seen his face yet. In this scene his back is turned on us. He clasps the woman's hand in his own. His entire posture is of a man bleeding from within over some terrible emotion too great to state outright. As he sings you are moved greatly, and when he utters the line, "You never make a sound," chills run up your spine. Holy shit.
Scene 2: Now the rest of the troupe didn't exit during that scene, and indeed, they were providing us with some really nice, lush instrumentation, but now they're back to show us their skills. Mr. Romeo leads us into a pretty nice guitar solo as things are shifting back to heavier territory.
Scene 3: Then, almost from out of nowhere, that actor we've only seen in the shadows leaps into the center of the stage and addresses the audience head on as the chorus begins. It's taken over half the play to finally see our main character, and in this chorus the rest of the group coming together to back the powerful presence of Sir Russell Allen. Now that he's properly introduced himself to us, they're going to milk him and that chorus for everything it's worth. And to that I say: respect! What we at first think is a bridge is actually another verse of the play leading back to a second run of the chorus. In this one Sir Allen really gives it his everything. The amount of passion in this performance is almost unthinkable when we consider how much it was missing in the group's debut. Incredible.
Scene 4: Now in this play everyone gets their chance to shine. While he's been hiding behind the rest up till now, Mr. Jason Rullo has been keeping things intricate behind the drumkit and letting his performance speak for itself. Now he gets a glimmer of the spotlight as he gives us the transition we need via a drum fill, which sounds great and actually works better in my humble opinion than others may give it credit for. But now it's Mr. Romeo's turn to really show what a brilliant performer he is... and he manages it decently, but again, his penchant for over-acting nearly gets the better of him. That guitar solo gets quite noodly, yet still drives the point across, so overall it's a success, I would say.
Scene 5: A guitar fill from Mr. Romeo, and then Sir Allen returns for the grand finale's chorus. And then, as we reach the outro and await the curtain's final fall, something completely shifts the narrative. Sir Allen sings out to his love a calling to live again -- and then sprouts a pair of wings from his back and flies off into the night! Suddenly what was a touching story about lost love becomes something twistedly interesting, and as the curtain closes on the final scene, and the actors take their bows, we are left in shock, realizing that what we just saw was actually a completely different take on
Dracula. Wow.
~ F I N ~
Wow! What a performance! Definitely a bit rough around the edges, and I'm sure these lads are going to get even better from here, but it's a terrific early success for them. Sir Allen brings so much more to the table than whoever the fuck they last had (let's just forget he ever existed, alright?) and is filled with a youthful energy so few harness well into their careers. Mr. Romeo definitely likes to steal the spotlight, but it's Mr. Pinnella, Mr. Rullo, and Mr. Miller that really hold the show together.
Now I know my theater critic friend
@MrKnickerbocker loves this play a lot, and I really enjoy it myself, but I don't feel the same way for it that he does. Still, it's a really powerful set of performances all working together to bring across a really touching story, and if you aren't moved, then I can't help you there. From me? Two thumbs up for sure.
A wonderful precursor to future successes.
My interest in these types of musical nerd facts must be what sports fans enjoy about stats.
