Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Interesting take. I think it’s the weakest on this album, but the debut has some real clunkers. This song has a very weak chorus but at least it has some sweet riffs and solos…
Symphony X
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Allow me to get this 21-minute ball rolling. The Divine Wings of Tragedy is Symphony X's first of two 20-plus-minute epic pieces, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. This is my favorite Symphony X song, and possibly my favorite of all time. It is dark, epic, grandiose, depressing, beautiful... you name it. This piece is split into seven sections, and I will be doing the review in chunks.
I. At the Four Corners of the Earth (00:00)
II. In the Room of Thrones (01:42)
The vocal intro is played on tape (for obvious reasons), with the main difference being current bassist Michael Lepond replacing Thomas Miller. The latter was a more proggy bassist, while the former changes a few lines to fit his bluesier style. This is mostly evident in the first verse and bass solo in Part IV.
I. At the Four Corners of the Earth (00:00)
- This entire section is comprised of only five heavily-reverbed Russells and a subtle keyboard pad. If church was anything like this, I wouldn't have stopped going all those years ago!
- There isn't much to say in detail here, other than how amazing Russell and his four clones sound. It's definitely a unique way to begin a metal song!
- Lyrically, this entire piece seems inspired by Lucifer's banishment from Heaven, him trying to stir shit up and becoming Satan, and his eventual descent into Hell and humans regaining the paradise that is Earth. I think. I don't really get this biblical stuff. As such, this entire piece is a sequel to Symphony X's seventh album, Paradise Lost.
- Someone actually transcribed all the voices in this section. Check it out below.
II. In the Room of Thrones (01:42)
- This instrumental section opens by quoting Gustav Holst's Mars, the Bringer of War from his famous Planets suite. It's in Cm, and it sounds pretty killer played "metal style" with heavy, crunchy guitars! Synth brass and strings soon enter, making the whole section sound even more ominous.
- We soon travel to F#m, where Romeo's guitar provides the melody before the "orchestra" returns.
- The piece briefly moves to Abm for a reprise of the main theme, and a bass triplet groove.
- This groove switches to C#m with more embellishments, with the rhythm section really standing out here. Pinnella's pad enters and continues the foreboding feeling of the previous sections. I love this groove.
- The groove switches to a straight-eighths feel, with Rullo's kick really hammering the chug home. This is a setup for the solos.
- Romeo's solo here is played over a groove in Dm, but the riff is actually subdivided into four measures of 3/4 and two of 2/4. Rullo keeps a 4/4 beat rolling the entire time, so it's difficult to discern unless you hear that the riff isn't quite lining up "correctly." The solo itself is pure scalar wank, but it's difficult to dislike since it captures the chaotic nature of the piece so well. 9/10.
- The polymetric groove moves up to Em, but this section isn't a solo. Instead, Romeo bashes some staccato chords while Miller's sweet bass is doubled by Pinnella's piano. I'm not sure why the band didn't jump right into the next solo, but I like this section, so no harm done. A little fill leads into the keyboard solo.
- Pinnella's solo is played over the same groove as before, now up to F#m. Like many of his solos, this is comprised of mostly scalar runs with a sawtooth patch, but it serves nicely to break up the more violent, jagged tone of Romeo's solo (the instrument tone, not the note choice, which is similar). Much like Romeo's solo, this is very chaotic. 8/10.
- This solo ends with the band moving up to Abm for a syncopated groove before settling back on its tritone, Dm. This leads us into the next section.
- The tone of the piece switches gears here to a beautiful clean guitar motif in D that becomes one of the major themes of the entire track. This motif (in a different key) is actually used at the end of the last track on Paradise Lost - Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia) - further hinting that this song is a direct sequel to that album.
- Romeo's clean passage is soon echoed by Pinnella's piano one octave higher, in sort of a "call-and-response" type thing. The band uses this technique a few times throughout their discography, and I love it since it displays the beauty of two instruments at roughly the same time.
- Once the motif sets in, the section is best written as 6/8 + 4/4 + 6/8 + 9/8. Soon Miller's bass makes its entrance, complimenting the main theme with a difficult-to-play upper-octave riff. He occasionally hits the open low D for depth. Needless to say, I love this entire section.
- Once the drums enter and the groove begins, the meters don't change - but their subdivisions do. Rullo plays 4/4 + 3/4 + 4/4 + 7/8, changing the rhythmic feel a tad. It's reasons like this that make me love this band. Dream Theater may have more classic emotion in their songs, but they don't do stuff like this and make it sound as natural as Symphony X does.
- The verse is absolutely beautiful and is one of my favorite moments of the piece. Russell is in top form here as his mid-range, breathy crooning fits the music like a glove. Musically, Romeo and Pinnella play a simpler variation of the previous motif, but the section is led by a bluesy bass groove that ends each phrase with a neat little fill.
- The next section (a bridge) starts in Bb and has Russ wailing a bit as Romeo enters with distortion. This is a simple section that can be written in 4/4, but it's better divided into 3/4 + 5/4 based on the beat and chord changes. Interestingly, Romeo switches chords to the 2nd twice while the bass underneath continues to play the root, something the band does again in Accolade II. A brief fill leads us into Part IV, so this is where I'll stop for now.
- Romeo's clean passage is soon echoed by Pinnella's piano one octave higher, in sort of a "call-and-response" type thing. The band uses this technique a few times throughout their discography, and I love it since it displays the beauty of two instruments at roughly the same time.
The vocal intro is played on tape (for obvious reasons), with the main difference being current bassist Michael Lepond replacing Thomas Miller. The latter was a more proggy bassist, while the former changes a few lines to fit his bluesier style. This is mostly evident in the first verse and bass solo in Part IV.
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Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
"The Divine Wings of Tragedy"
"If light were dark and dark were light
The moon a black hole in the blaze of night
A raven's wing as bright as tin
Then you, my love, would be darker than sin."
~Ross A. MacDonald
"De calcaria in carbonarium..."
"...out of the frying pan and into the fire."
CANTO I 1
He wished to have it all, and yet lost everything
His vanity wrapped up in a dream unachievable
His name struck from the annals of the universe
But his song shall always linger on...
⟩ On the edge of paradise
Tears of woe fall cold as ice
Hear my cry...2
When shall we four meet again?
In thunder lightning, or in rain?
When the battle of Heaven is done
And won... not lost... but for one...
Four angels stand upon the stage
Each at a corner of the realm of man
Uriel is the guardian of the North
Raphael of the East, Gabriel of the West
And the archangel Michael watches over the South
From their eternal realms they've seen
Some of the darkest things
That have transpired in the heavenly mire
Strip back the veil
As they recount the tale...
The tale of Lucifer's struggle against the light
And his plunging into Endless Night...3
"If light were dark and dark were light
The moon a black hole in the blaze of night
A raven's wing as bright as tin
Then you, my love, would be darker than sin."
~Ross A. MacDonald
"De calcaria in carbonarium..."
"...out of the frying pan and into the fire."
CANTO I 1
He wished to have it all, and yet lost everything
His vanity wrapped up in a dream unachievable
His name struck from the annals of the universe
But his song shall always linger on...
⟩ On the edge of paradise
Tears of woe fall cold as ice
Hear my cry...2
When shall we four meet again?
In thunder lightning, or in rain?
When the battle of Heaven is done
And won... not lost... but for one...
Four angels stand upon the stage
Each at a corner of the realm of man
Uriel is the guardian of the North
Raphael of the East, Gabriel of the West
And the archangel Michael watches over the South
From their eternal realms they've seen
Some of the darkest things
That have transpired in the heavenly mire
Strip back the veil
As they recount the tale...
The tale of Lucifer's struggle against the light
And his plunging into Endless Night...3
I. At the Four Corners of the Earth
1. The opening to "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" is nothing short of gorgeous. I struggle to believe this is just Russell, multi-dubbed over himself. He is such a versatile singer. The way his voice weaves in an out of the first section of Part I nearly brings me to tears. It's just beautiful.
2. The lyrics of this intro segment are really quite fascinating. We know that the song is about Lucifer and his war against Heaven and fall from grace, but who is singing "At the Four Corners of the Earth"? Given the title, my first guess would be the four angels of the four corners, as outlined above. Things get tricky from here, though. "Renounce have you thy name / Eternal is my pain." Who are these pronouns referring to? Is there more than one narrator here? I think the first line is definitely addressed to Lucifer, as he gave up his title of 'most beautiful angel' in his war against Heaven, trading in his original name - meaning 'light-bearer' - for Satan, which means 'adversary'. He left his high place in Heaven to become the villain of God's story. That's some poetic [Lin-Manuel Miranda] shit right there. But whose pain is it in the next line? Lucifer's, since he, well, lost? Or God's? The Bible does say that God loves all his children, so that would include Lucifer? Or maybe this really is the angels singing, because they are pained by the path of their former comrade. My best guess would be the latter. Pay close attention, though, to the fact that the song never actually explicitly states that what Lucifer did was bad. It's a story, not a judgement call, which helps make it all the more powerful.
3. The second section of Part I sees the introduction of light keyboards as Russell starts zig-zagging with his many apprentices. Narratively, I think that this part is definitively Lucifer singing, because he is being lead 'to temptation'. What is this pain? Lucifer's name does mean 'light-bearer', after all. Was he the first to realize that there was more to God than the benevolent Creator image that he established for himself? Is the revelation of that façade the pain that drove him to declare war upon the Heavens? Is this all just a metaphor for a person's moving past their religious upbringing? I cannot give you any answer, so I shall merely say once more... godDAMN can Russell sing!!!
CANTO II 4
The Heavens stand silent
Then like the steady beating of a drum 5
The skies begin to darken
Torrents of rain begin to run
Down from the sky 6
Something wicked has stopped by
A beam of light illuminating
Shines down upon the figure 7
He turns his head towards it
Enter Lucifer
There is a gleam in his eye
Something within him has died
The other angels unknowing
Of his deadly temptation
They go on without a care 8
As he contemplates the situation
And heaves a mighty sigh
And lifts his head up to the sky
Heaven is darker now
Than it has ever been here
Lucifer folds his wings
Ready to destroy all he held dear
The hour is nigh
Something wicked this way flies 9
The Heavens stand silent
Then like the steady beating of a drum 5
The skies begin to darken
Torrents of rain begin to run
Down from the sky 6
Something wicked has stopped by
A beam of light illuminating
Shines down upon the figure 7
He turns his head towards it
Enter Lucifer
There is a gleam in his eye
Something within him has died
The other angels unknowing
Of his deadly temptation
They go on without a care 8
As he contemplates the situation
And heaves a mighty sigh
And lifts his head up to the sky
Heaven is darker now
Than it has ever been here
Lucifer folds his wings
Ready to destroy all he held dear
The hour is nigh
Something wicked this way flies 9
II. In the Room of Thrones
4. Right off the bat, can I just say that I high-key disagree with Symphony X's naming of this section of the song? This just doesn't feel like it takes place in a throne room. To me, a better title for this would be "Lucifer's Overture", because that's what it feels like. This is a cinematic entrance for the antihero of the song. I'll try to put into words the images I see in the sections below this.
5. Is this Symphony X's most iconic incorporation of a classical piece into their music? It's certainly a contender for their best. The booming drum beats coupled with that thicc guitar are taken directly from Gustav Holt's opening section to The Planets, "Mars, the Bringer of War" (specifically, the part SX nick comes in around the four minute mark of the piece). It just sounds so fucking epic. What a brilliant addition to the song.
6. I love the symphonic build behind the guitar and drums. It provides some heavy build-up to the rest of the song, and really feels like darkness descending upon the heavens, clouds building, lightning striking, and thunder clapping all at once.
7. Seriously, I fucking love this whole piece. This section right here, where the symphonic bit has subsided a bit and Romeo's guitar cuts through the mix, is like a theatrical spotlight moving across the stage and finally hitting Lucifer for the most badass entrance ever. Something like in Jesus Christ Superstar, at the tail end of "Overture" just before the riff to "Heaven on Their Minds" kicks in, where Judas is illuminated outside of Jesus's clique. That's pretty much what this feels like. God, it's unbelievably cool.
8. We finally break into a steady beat as Rullo makes mean work of the ride cymbal. And can I just say that the ride cymbal is easily one of the best pieces of the drum kit? Maybe it stems from me being an Iron Maiden fan since Nicko uses the SHIT out of his, but it's such a cool mood shifter from the hi-hat. It can change the entire tone of a piece just by switching to it even if everything else stays the same and I love it. I love this little beat that stays with us for like, not any time at all because we're about to change gears again, but that's down to the beauty of Symphony X's song constructions and compositions. In this piece I can see the other angels dancing without any concern about Lucifer, like something straight out of a musical.
9. And here we break right into a guitar solo as the skies finally burst and the rain streams down upon us. We're in Noodleville all right, but it just works so well in the whole context of the piece that it doesn't fucking matter. The entire song is a lesson in excess and how to manage it. Speaking of which, Miller takes center stage for a brief respite from his bandmate's wankery to show you how it's fucking done!!! Chugging bass across the beating of Rullo's drums and the aggression of Romeo's guitar; damn it sounds so good. And then Pinnella finishes off Part II with a solo of his own and we bring the mood down for the advent of Part III.
CANTO III
The figure steps forward from the pillars 10
He looks Heaven right in its face
Then begins to sing to himself 11
⟩ There was a time
When nine choirs sang the endless melody of light 12
Music of the spheres
⟩ There was a place
Where mortals embraced thunder and majesty
Their fate lay in our hands 13
⟩ Feel my wings slowly fading
Forever lost in time
I cry... 14
The figure steps forward from the pillars 10
He looks Heaven right in its face
Then begins to sing to himself 11
⟩ There was a time
When nine choirs sang the endless melody of light 12
Music of the spheres
⟩ There was a place
Where mortals embraced thunder and majesty
Their fate lay in our hands 13
⟩ Feel my wings slowly fading
Forever lost in time
I cry... 14
III. A Gathering of Angels
10. What a beautiful motif that runs through the core of the song. That clean electric guitar is beautiful. The trade-offs with the piano, the entrance of the bass, the light flutters of drums, and then the return of distortion and a steady beat into the verse... *chef's kiss*.
11. Russell's voice is so beautiful. So much emotion. So much passion. Holy fuck.
12. "Nine choirs" refers to the hierarchy of angels that incorporates Seraphim, Cherabim, and Thrones in the highest orders; Dominions, Virtues, and Powers in the middle orders; and Principalities, Archangels, and Angels in the lowest orders. See On the Celestial Hierarchy by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.
13. Quite literally, since Lucifer / Satan, in the guise of a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve and fucked us all up. Speaking of which, I disagree with @Detective Beauregard 's interpretation that Paradise Lost is a prequel to "The Divine Wings of Tragedy". From my understanding of the song and Christian theology, Lucifer gathers his army of angels, declares war on Heaven, is defeated, and then after being cast out heads to Eden to meddle with mankind. I'd be very interested to hear what everyone else has to say about this though (@JudasMyGuide in particular). Additionally, even though this verse is a monologue by Lucifer to the audience, I think that between the lines this is him recruiting his angelic army as well.
14. I choose to view Lucifer's fading wings not as a physical loss of his appendages, but as a metaphor for the loss of his angel-hood. As soon as he crosses over the line, he can never again return to the way it was before. He can never again be content in Heaven. He's throwing all his money in now, and he'll accept whatever happens, regardless of the outcome. And Russell sings this beautifully.
CANTO IV 15
The angels gather around this tortured soul they once called friend
Hear me now! he cries - God's time on the throne has come to an end!
⟩ This burning conflict I'm feeling...
It summons me to descend into the other side... 16
There is only one who can lead you to your salvation
Follow along with God and you'll be a slave in heavenly damnation! 17
⟩ And just beyond the stars blazing
A beam of light from a blood velvet moon illuminates me! 18
Forsaking their past, they cast their lots with him
And the whole of Heaven is plunged into a world of sin 19
⟩ The mighty sword divides order from chaos in the kingdom below... 20
All of Heaven is darkness now 21
We have Fallen together 22
Now let us fly... 23
The angels gather around this tortured soul they once called friend
Hear me now! he cries - God's time on the throne has come to an end!
⟩ This burning conflict I'm feeling...
It summons me to descend into the other side... 16
There is only one who can lead you to your salvation
Follow along with God and you'll be a slave in heavenly damnation! 17
⟩ And just beyond the stars blazing
A beam of light from a blood velvet moon illuminates me! 18
Forsaking their past, they cast their lots with him
And the whole of Heaven is plunged into a world of sin 19
⟩ The mighty sword divides order from chaos in the kingdom below... 20
All of Heaven is darkness now 21
We have Fallen together 22
Now let us fly... 23
IV. The Wrath Divine
15. Powerful, heavy guitars lead us right into Part IV, which doesn't feel terribly removed from Part III. At this point it gets harder to tell these parts apart, but I'll try. I'm sure @Detective Beauregard will prove me wrong in a couple places when he posts the next segment of his review.
16. Russell really leans into this shit, goddamn. Where he used clean vocals in Part III, now he's got some rasp to show off the protagonist's further descent into darkness. What a singer, man. What a voice.
17. Or, "better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven." If this song is a metaphor for leaving the cloak of religion, then sign me up with Satan.
18. What a great line with some really cool imagery. Lucifer has taken centerstage at this part in the 'play' and that line of 'blood velvet moon' is just gloriously dark and bloody so violently vivid.
19. I love the fact that the 'chorus' has some lighter music at first, and then hits that heaviness again with Russell wailing like a fucking banshee. It's awesome! And I love how the post-chorus piece returns to the motif of Part III, and then utilizes "Mars" again as a bridge to the second verse. Symphony X are some brilliant motherfuckers.
20. The angels are now separated into two camps - those still with God, and those now against. The showdown is about to begin.
21. Love the atmospheric synths backing the second 'chorus', it's so good.
22. The way this section progresses downward as if we're actually falling with the angels is killer. Killer, killer, killer. The guitars drop out for a bit and let the bass, drums, and synths vibe for a bit - and then they return, and this is what I consider to be the 'switch' of the piece. Now there's no turning back. The tide is turning towards war. And Symphony X have firmly planted themselves as some of the greatest writers in metal history.
23. Aaaaaaand did you seriously think we could go on without some more wankery? Pinnella starts off with a sort of solo overtop the guitars that mainly acts as a melody piece. Then he passes the torch to Romeo, who lays down another noodly solo. By itself - stealing @Detective Beauregard 's shtick - this solo is a 6/10, but in the context of the song it doesn't fucking matter it's a bomb ass song MAN! And then he trades back to Pinnella for some more noodles before we hit some turbulence - Part V incoming.
CANTO V 24
Hark! cried the prophet
And heed my call 25
The battle rages on in the sky
There is no escape
Be ye man or be ye beast
Ye all are part of Lucifer's feast
Hark the rising of the sun
The war for Heaven has begun... 26
Hark! cried the prophet
And heed my call 25
The battle rages on in the sky
There is no escape
Be ye man or be ye beast
Ye all are part of Lucifer's feast
Hark the rising of the sun
The war for Heaven has begun... 26
V. The Prophet's Cry
24. First things first. The riff to this section is badass. BAD. ASS. Just straight up heavy metal thunder riding the devil's express. BADASS! One of the most skull-crushing in their entire discography.
25. Second things second. This whole goddamn section is fucking amazing. Romeo's heavy ass guitars back up Russell just going straight for the jugular. I do not give a fuck if this is him going over-the-top angry and aggressive, it sounds cool as FUCK. All the rasp of Part IV was just an appetizer for this. He digs into his gut and just slaughters you like no tomorrow. And in the 'chorus' section of the piece he HITS some GODDAMN NOTES!!!!!!! Holy FUCK! What an actual LEGEND. JESUS CHRIST, he just belts it out like it's NOTHING. I LOVE IT. Easily one of the best singers of all time, and I'm sorry, this section alone thrusts him far above Dio. The apprentice has become the master.
26. Gotta admire the choir coming back for the second half of the 'chorus', too. Always gotta throw something back in!
CANTO VI 27
I.
It is the eve of sacrifice
Shedding our wings we fly into the night
To turn out Heaven's light... 28-31
II.
Much could be written of the battle
Yet sometimes silence speaks louder than words... 32-39
III.
Fallen stars we are
Shuddering in the depth of night
Our battle lost
Our story incomplete
Cast down from the Heavens...
We retreat... 40-41
I.
It is the eve of sacrifice
Shedding our wings we fly into the night
To turn out Heaven's light... 28-31
II.
Much could be written of the battle
Yet sometimes silence speaks louder than words... 32-39
III.
Fallen stars we are
Shuddering in the depth of night
Our battle lost
Our story incomplete
Cast down from the Heavens...
We retreat... 40-41
VI. Bringer of the Apocalypse
27. At this point, Symphony X eschew vocals and lyrics in an attempt to paint the scene merely through music. At this point I risk just giving you a song play-by-play, but I'll try to relate whatever it is that comes to my mind as I hear it. Again, I don't know 100% where each of these mini-sections begin and end but I'll do my best stab at dividing them up.
- Eve of Sacrifice -
28. A very classical-sounding, noodly intro to this section. I'll be curious to know if this is actually just a Symphony X piece or if it was taken from something else. Regardless, it's cool as hell. Love how it rises with every line.
29. Love the following riff with Pinnella leaning right into them organs and Romeo chugging away. Badass. Once again, badass.
30. Now things speed up a bit as Romeo keeps on chugging and Miller throws some bass fills in there for good measure. Every time Miller makes an appearance he makes it fucking count.
31. "Mars" returns again but in a higher key this time! The little nods to the song's prior movements are just great.
- Armies in the Sky -
32. Talking about nods to the past, now we've returned to that atmospheric section from Part IV. Once again, it's the switch up of the song. Now we've shifting right into war. Gotta love Rullo's fills here.
33. Where you expect things to lead right back into intensity, the band actually restrains themselves slightly as Romeo lays down a bit of a lead - and then heavier guitars file back in.
34. The band now slows down to a real chugging pace as Romeo's guitar sounds like clouds breaking apart as Lucifer and his army rides into battle. Miller is here to keep the flow steady - then it's back into chugging. Can we just appreciate Romeo's ability to chug them riffs? He's a bit overrated as a soloist, but underrated as hell when it comes to laying down awesome riffs. Oh but here's some spiral leads just for good measure anyway!!
35. Very restrained soloing from Romeo as Miller gets to shine big time with his bass. It sounds so cool when he reigns himself in and does what's necessary without overdoing it.
36. "Mars" returns again, sounding like a building cloud above Heaven - and we can see the chariots of the fallen ones riding through the sky as Pinnella and Romeo add in trumpeting atmospherics. Armies in the sky, for sure. It sounds like a painting you'd see in an old church. Awesome.
37. And now we speed up again with a fucking tank of a riff. I dunno if Lucifer used a tank on his attempted conquest, but that's a badass image all the same. Man, Symphony X use more riffs in this song than Iced Earth have in their entire discography. (And this battle is a lot more interesting than Schaffer's, nudge nudge wink wink.)
38. Oh yeah now we're getting noodly! Romeo and Pinnella trade off again and again. It's pure noodles but it sounds so good as part of the song.
39. This section is actually shorter than I remembered it. It took me a while to really fall in love with this song in its entirety, but man, writing this post has given me additional admiration on top of what I already had. It's so fucking good.
- Dies Irae -
40. The final mini-section of Part VI brings the mood down from the solos with a little merry-go-round theme of sorts. Then the atmosphere returns as choirs damn Lucifer and his fallen band, casting them from the Heavens. Never again will they be able to see the light.
41. Pinnella plays straight piano before his bandmates file in one by one and play a twisting, turning, serpentine kind of piece which feels akin to Lucifer taken on the cloak of serpent. (See Paradise Lost for more.) Also some solos for good measure, before things finish with our protagonist alone, standing in a desert plain, looking out at everything he now holds.
CANTO VII
⟩ Looking out on a blue sky
I can see a new world arising
Like a prisoner unbound
I feel the power and the majesty again
⟩ Looking up to the Heavens
I can see what I've left behind
Beneath the stars, moon and warm sun
And all I know is my Paradise has begun... 42
FIN. 43
⟩ Looking out on a blue sky
I can see a new world arising
Like a prisoner unbound
I feel the power and the majesty again
⟩ Looking up to the Heavens
I can see what I've left behind
Beneath the stars, moon and warm sun
And all I know is my Paradise has begun... 42
FIN. 43
VII. Paradise Regained
42. This is it. This is fucking it. I can't write anything to top this. This is, quite possibly, the single greatest moment in the whole of Symphony X's discography. Russell proves, once and for all, that he is a motherfucking singer. The emotion in his voice as he sings these two last verses is god-tier. You really feel Lucifer looking around at himself and his wasteland, and realizing that he is now free. Even if his freedom comes at a price, he can finally accept himself and his reality. He's found his place in the world. He's finally content. This is the moment that Russell went from 'Russell Allen' to 'Sir Russell Allen'. This is actually a contender for greatest performance in music history, no hyperbole. Can you come anywhere near close to this finale of "The Divine Wings of Tragedy"? Just holy shit, man. And the way he even hits the FALSETTO in the second verse. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.
43. We return once more to the motif of Part III, which leads us into a rapturous finale piece that sees "Mars" come back one last time in the most triumphant way possible, and then we're done. And may I just say, from the bottom of my heart. Hell. Yeah.
Post-script:
I know I said that "The Accolade" was my second favorite Symphony X song, but this one comes really goddamn close. It's just perfect, a masterclass in progressive songwriting and musical storytelling. It takes a bit of time to really get into it, but it builds on you more and more with each listen. I wouldn't change a thing about it. It's brilliant. The fact that the band will top this with another 20+ minute epic three albums down the road speaks to their incredible talent. Well done lads, well done. A triumph of progressive metal composition.
Suck it, DT.
Addendum: "The Divine Wings of Tragedy" features such a terrific display of vocal prowess and versatility that there is no question that it needs to be awarded a special honor. Therefore, it is my supreme honor to award it the coveted Russell Takes It to 11 award, Recipient #2. Just beautiful.
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Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
“The Divine Wings Of Tragedy”:
Oooh, I love this church choir style intro. Complex layered harmonies delivered well. This goes on for some time, but never wears out its welcome.
This breaks into some crunchy rhythm guitar that emerges as a take on Holst’s “Mars, Bringer Of War”. The rhythm part and synths are soon joined by some heavily harmonized Queen-style lead guitar. This riffs on “Mars” for a bit longer before rolling into a couple of more driving prog metal grooves, then a pretty awesome guitar solo.
A funkier off-rhythm groove with some cool low electric piano notes soon breaks into a sweet synth solo with some nice rhythm work underneath. A brief staccato guitar interlude then flows into a gentle but intricate guitar and piano trade-off reminiscent of the theme from The Exorcist. The bass joins in similar fashion, eventually building with power chords into verse 1.
Allen sounds great here, though the vocal phrasing gets a bit awkward in places. The verse soon blossoms into an uplifting pre-chorus 1, then a tasty guitar and synth interlude with nice neoclassical fills.
Now we get a strong verse 2 with Allen in more of a Dio mode, and a brief but effective pre-chorus 2. This leads into a variant of the Exorcist bit and another hint of “Mars” before rolling back through verse 2 and pre-chorus 2. More questionable vocal phrasing here.
Another synth and guitar interlude leads into a very tasteful bass solo, more synth and guitar goodness, and then an awesome series of synth and guitar trade-off solos.
This leads into a more driving, metallic verse 3. Allen starts to chew the scenery a bit here, but he still leans toward the enjoyable side of excess. This breaks into a more marching pre-chorus 3 that continues to build with more controlled vocals and nice backing choir accompaniment. Another round of verse 3 and then we get a sweet neoclassical guitar solo with pipe organs.
The staccato guitar part returns, now trading off with cool bass fills. Love the one with harmonics. Another hint of “Mars”, then a somewhat gentler interlude, followed by a series of odd-rhythm, almost jazzy instrumentals, which are pretty cool.
“Mars” returns briefly, then a series of breakdowns lead into a heavy variant of “Mars” itself. This breaks into a driving guitar and synth section, then another series of great guitar and synth trade-off solos that eventually merge into a duet.
A multi-part synth interlude leads into a very nice odd-rhythm guitar and bass section punctuated by guitar solos. A nice synth and guitar instrumental follows, leading into a vocal finale with some sweet falsetto notes. The Exorcist bit returns, building into an ascending guitar lead and a final reprise of the “Mars” riff to end the song.
Well, that was interesting. Lots of separate vocal sections, but no chorus or recurring vocal structure through the larger context of the song — it’s left to the recurring musical themes to tie things together, and they do a good job of that. Allen mostly sounds great throughout the track, and you really get a taste of his full range here, though he does ham it up a bit on the heaviest parts and there are some phrasing issues. Not sure exactly how I feel about the repeated callbacks to “Mars, Bringer Of War”, either, though it sounds good and it’s relevant to the lyrics, so I guess it works.
Really great musically, very strong performances, and I think it works well overall as a song despite its odd structure. The weaknesses are mostly nitpicky, so I think I can safely give this one a 9/10.
Oooh, I love this church choir style intro. Complex layered harmonies delivered well. This goes on for some time, but never wears out its welcome.
This breaks into some crunchy rhythm guitar that emerges as a take on Holst’s “Mars, Bringer Of War”. The rhythm part and synths are soon joined by some heavily harmonized Queen-style lead guitar. This riffs on “Mars” for a bit longer before rolling into a couple of more driving prog metal grooves, then a pretty awesome guitar solo.
A funkier off-rhythm groove with some cool low electric piano notes soon breaks into a sweet synth solo with some nice rhythm work underneath. A brief staccato guitar interlude then flows into a gentle but intricate guitar and piano trade-off reminiscent of the theme from The Exorcist. The bass joins in similar fashion, eventually building with power chords into verse 1.
Allen sounds great here, though the vocal phrasing gets a bit awkward in places. The verse soon blossoms into an uplifting pre-chorus 1, then a tasty guitar and synth interlude with nice neoclassical fills.
Now we get a strong verse 2 with Allen in more of a Dio mode, and a brief but effective pre-chorus 2. This leads into a variant of the Exorcist bit and another hint of “Mars” before rolling back through verse 2 and pre-chorus 2. More questionable vocal phrasing here.
Another synth and guitar interlude leads into a very tasteful bass solo, more synth and guitar goodness, and then an awesome series of synth and guitar trade-off solos.
This leads into a more driving, metallic verse 3. Allen starts to chew the scenery a bit here, but he still leans toward the enjoyable side of excess. This breaks into a more marching pre-chorus 3 that continues to build with more controlled vocals and nice backing choir accompaniment. Another round of verse 3 and then we get a sweet neoclassical guitar solo with pipe organs.
The staccato guitar part returns, now trading off with cool bass fills. Love the one with harmonics. Another hint of “Mars”, then a somewhat gentler interlude, followed by a series of odd-rhythm, almost jazzy instrumentals, which are pretty cool.
“Mars” returns briefly, then a series of breakdowns lead into a heavy variant of “Mars” itself. This breaks into a driving guitar and synth section, then another series of great guitar and synth trade-off solos that eventually merge into a duet.
A multi-part synth interlude leads into a very nice odd-rhythm guitar and bass section punctuated by guitar solos. A nice synth and guitar instrumental follows, leading into a vocal finale with some sweet falsetto notes. The Exorcist bit returns, building into an ascending guitar lead and a final reprise of the “Mars” riff to end the song.
Well, that was interesting. Lots of separate vocal sections, but no chorus or recurring vocal structure through the larger context of the song — it’s left to the recurring musical themes to tie things together, and they do a good job of that. Allen mostly sounds great throughout the track, and you really get a taste of his full range here, though he does ham it up a bit on the heaviest parts and there are some phrasing issues. Not sure exactly how I feel about the repeated callbacks to “Mars, Bringer Of War”, either, though it sounds good and it’s relevant to the lyrics, so I guess it works.
Really great musically, very strong performances, and I think it works well overall as a song despite its odd structure. The weaknesses are mostly nitpicky, so I think I can safely give this one a 9/10.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Excellent reviews, guys. I'll definitely post my next segment in the coming days, but man is this an undertaking!
@Diesel 11
I'm uncertain of what to make of Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia). Given the song's title and the ending theme, it is definitely tied in to The Divine Wings of Tragedy thematically. Whether it's a prequel, sequel, or just loosely referencing it to make old-school fans squeal with glee, I do not know. Lyrics are a difficult thing for me to analyze.
This song is so insanely good, though. Listening to it reminds me of the days when I knew the entire thing on bass - at least a decade ago. There's some tricky sections, but The Odyssey is tougher overall. Anyone who attempts either of these songs on guitar has my respect in advance.
@Diesel 11
I'm uncertain of what to make of Revelation (Divus Pennae ex Tragoedia). Given the song's title and the ending theme, it is definitely tied in to The Divine Wings of Tragedy thematically. Whether it's a prequel, sequel, or just loosely referencing it to make old-school fans squeal with glee, I do not know. Lyrics are a difficult thing for me to analyze.
This song is so insanely good, though. Listening to it reminds me of the days when I knew the entire thing on bass - at least a decade ago. There's some tricky sections, but The Odyssey is tougher overall. Anyone who attempts either of these songs on guitar has my respect in advance.
The Dissident
Ancient Mariner
I guess I know what the first ticket I'm buying for next year is!
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
Symphony X and Haken?!? Sign me the fuck up!
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
No way I'm missing this. Symphony X are my favorite band, and while I haven't heard much Haken, I love the songs Crystallized and Cockroach King.
Yeah, I can see myself at the Montreal show.
Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
“Candlelight Fantasia”:
Nice ascending acoustic opening, though the synth tone feels a bit cheesy. This leads into a surprisingly gentle vocal with some very nice falsetto work by Allen.
Airy synths and electric piano support a tasteful guitar interlude which gives way to an electric piano and vocal section with slightly awkward phrasing. This segues into a very nice dual guitar instrumental, which leads into an appealing pre-chorus with really cool effervescent guitar work throughout. This breaks into a strong melodic chorus that gradually builds until…
WTF? In mid-sentence during the chorus this suddenly takes a hard left turn into a pompous breakdown, followed by a mostly successful vocal bridge with some questionable delivery in parts. This leads into a strong extended synth solo, then a similarly strong guitar solo, before returning to a variant pre-chorus. This soon leads back to the chorus, which takes on some extra flourishes as the song slowly fades away.
There are a lot of really strong parts here, but some questionable songwriting choices and mild weaknesses in some of the vocal bits drag this down a little. Let’s say 7/10.
EDIT: Struck the part about bailing out mid-sentence in the chorus, since this appears to just be a technical glitch when playing the official stream via the iOS YouTube app. This did not impact my final score.
Nice ascending acoustic opening, though the synth tone feels a bit cheesy. This leads into a surprisingly gentle vocal with some very nice falsetto work by Allen.
Airy synths and electric piano support a tasteful guitar interlude which gives way to an electric piano and vocal section with slightly awkward phrasing. This segues into a very nice dual guitar instrumental, which leads into an appealing pre-chorus with really cool effervescent guitar work throughout. This breaks into a strong melodic chorus that gradually builds until…
There are a lot of really strong parts here, but some questionable songwriting choices and mild weaknesses in some of the vocal bits drag this down a little. Let’s say 7/10.
EDIT: Struck the part about bailing out mid-sentence in the chorus, since this appears to just be a technical glitch when playing the official stream via the iOS YouTube app. This did not impact my final score.
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Jer
A window to the west, a blazing star above
Pulling this all together…
Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (1996)
Weighted: 8.0/10
Another significant step up from the previous album, The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is the first album in the discography that I can truly say is great overall, largely on the strength of its two great openers and its two excellent epics.
The songwriting is definitely getting better, and Allen is able to more consistently make an emotional connection through his performance here. Some of the synth tones are still cheesy, and there’s occasional awkwardness in the vocal phrasing and delivery, but overall things continue to move in the right direction.
Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy (1996)
- Of Sins And Shadows - 8/10
- Sea Of Lies - 8/10
- Out Of The Ashes - 7/10
- The Accolade - 9/10
- Pharaoh - 7/10
- The Eyes Of Medusa - 6/10
- The Witching Hour - 7/10
- The Divine Wings Of Tragedy - 9/10
- Candlelight Fantasia - 7/10
Weighted: 8.0/10
Another significant step up from the previous album, The Divine Wings Of Tragedy is the first album in the discography that I can truly say is great overall, largely on the strength of its two great openers and its two excellent epics.
The songwriting is definitely getting better, and Allen is able to more consistently make an emotional connection through his performance here. Some of the synth tones are still cheesy, and there’s occasional awkwardness in the vocal phrasing and delivery, but overall things continue to move in the right direction.
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
Half a year might be what it takes to digest this song for a newb, but come on, haven’t you and @MrKnickerbocker already had like… twenty?
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Fair enough... I gotta get back on this!View attachment 18337
Half a year might be what it takes to digest this song for a newb, but come on, haven’t you and @MrKnickerbocker already had like… twenty?
Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
And nudge your brother to too, please.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Shades of Grey is probably tied with Light Up the Night as my least favorite, but if I had to pick, I'd listen to the latter.
The greater writer's soul within me wants to believe that the band is making a grand statement and pairing the two songs together in a serendipitously beautiful way that is meant to give you a greater understanding of the whole and the individual parts. However, knowing Michael Romeo and SX....they probably just thought it would sound cool to end the album that way.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I couldn't possibly achieve the greatness of what @Diesel 11 has accomplished here, nor what @Detective Beauregard began. So, thus, I shall simply comment in a stream of consciousness fashion as I listen to the song for the third time this hour...
The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Music: Romeo, Miller, Pinnella
Lyrics: Romeo, Pinnella, Miller, Allen
And yes, somehow, there is still a better epic to come.
The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Music: Romeo, Miller, Pinnella
Lyrics: Romeo, Pinnella, Miller, Allen
- The intro is simply chilling. Russell's work is beautifully nuanced and classically impressive. I don't know if Romeo had the notes programmed and Russell just sang along to them...I don't know if he's autotuned...regardless, as others have said, the fact that he is doing every part is beyond impressive. Far more impressive than a thousand high screams from literally any other metal singer who has ever been praised for being "the best".
- Romeo starts off the proceedings by blasting in with the whole band, but none of it would feel even half as foreboding without Pinnella's (still poorly synthesized) keyboards. It's just menacing as hell in the most classical way. The oddly harmonized riff that follows (and the orchestral pad) add to the uneasiness of this section.
- Rullo breaks into a brilliant jazzy ride cymbal section at 2:49 that somehow transitions perfectly into the more upbeat metal riffing at 3:04. The song is building greatly and HOLY FUCK THERE'S SOME NOODLING. Tasty, tasty noods. It's the break at 3:34 with the ominous piano that really makes these noodly bits work. Fantastic dynamics.
- At 4:12 the song proper begins and it is a work of art. The interplay between Romeo's clean tone (always droning those perfect notes) and Pinnella's occasional fills is just beautiful. When Miller and Rullo join in everything just starts...cascading into brilliance. The beat fucking drops and Russell enters. He is perfection defined in this section. Any other singer would sound disjointed. Not Russell, never Russell.
- Honestly, if there's one part I don't love about this song it's "forever lost in time...I cry!" I dunno. Seems weirdly placed within the melodic spectrum.
- Shit starts kicking into high gear as Lucifer knocks the table over, grabs a beer and snaps into a fuckin' Slim Jim. I love Russell's scenery chewing here (and it only gets better). We get the first stomping, Broadway musical-style section at 6:55 and it's a wacky little thing of beauty. The rhythm section interplay over Pinnella during the brief interlude is wonderful, too. More stomping at 7:53 and Russell probably needs to run backstage for a costume change.
- I love that we drop down into a subdued section with the Zelda keyboard patch and some beautiful bass and drum work. Miller fucking slays everything from 8:30 to 9:30. Just gorgeous jazzy playing.
- Someone hits a war drum (hint: it's Rullo) before we dive into another tasty fucking bowl of HOT ASS NOODS at 9:30! It's a little more restrained, mostly because Pinnella is soloing, but still pretty silly. Wonderfully, fantastically silly. Romeo does some Romeo shit and Lucifer's like, "I'm gonna do a kegstand while I entice the entire population into a world of evil!"
- Then Russell returns to split the scenery in two, devour both halves, vomit it up, lick up his own vomit, and then chew the shit out of that, too! The Broadway stomp hits its apex at 11:07 as Russell continues to quench his thirst for scenery by drinking the tears of every other singer that ever existed. And just when you thought he was done, Russell rips the fucking doggy bag out of your hand, shreds it to pieces, shoves it down his gullet, shits it out and...okay, that might be enough.
- The following instrumental is impressive and awesome, but I do think it's a bit too long. Miller and Romeo's interplay is astounding, as are the melodic and thematic callbacks, but I still feel like something could have been trimmed here. One thing that definitely doesn't need trimming? The jazz break that starts at 13:30. What a skillful, delicious piece of music.
- My favorite incredibly tiny musical detail in the song is the piano playing what sounds like a guitar harmonic triad at 13:56.
- The band weaves in and out of Holst callbacks, all of which are rad (but especially the full war that occurs around 15:15). I think the noodles from 16:00-16:37 are probably the only "fat" in the song. And even they are some pretty chewy fat globules.
- The final four minutes of the song are sheer perfection. A choir leads us back into a beautiful, melodic and melancholy piano driven section with perfectly placed accentuations from Rullo and Miller. Romeo unleashes a few, mostly noodle-free bluesy wails and some delectable harmonies before allowing Russell to emerge from his cave built upon the flesh of scenery forged by all metal vocalists past, present, and future.
- Russell elicits tears from every fucking eye in the house DON'T LIE including Satan himself by using his rare falsetto. The final line, "my paradise has be-ee-ee-ee-ehe-GUNN" is one of my favorite Russell deliveries of all time.
And yes, somehow, there is still a better epic to come.
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Diesel 11
As you scream into the web of silence...
WTF you talkin bout Willis, that line is just extra proof that Russell is perfect.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Russell, yes. Romeo's lyrical phrasing, not so much.
Still, it is a 9.5/10 moment in a 10/10 song, so I can't really complain.