Although progressive metal heads Symphony X lacked the opening support of Epica's symphonic bursts and Into Eternity's mix of old and new metal during their first show on their North American tour, they musically triumphed. The band, who were in the same Hartford, CT venue less than a year ago in support of their 2007 album, Paradise Lost, returned for a second leg of the tour.

Vocalist Russell Allen stood on stage, kicking off the first song with the rest of the band in the background, his presence large, booming and sturdy, much like his vocals. He commented at the much larger turnout this time around for the venue, and seemed laid back for most of the evening, whereas last time around, the band seemed a lot more vibrant and itching to rock out. This time, Allen wore a sport coat over a t-shirt, whereas guitar virtuoso Michael Romeo, bassist Michael Lepond, and drummer Jason Rullo sported typical heavy metal attire: standard black shirts and jeans. Meanwhile, Allen asked the crowd to "fly with him" through the lyrics, raising hands in the air on tour and Paradise Lost opener, "Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies.)"

The band continued to play a set that was extremely similar to last summer's first leg of the tour. Though the set list was almost near identical, (they even played the same songs in the same arrangement, with most songs from the new album,) it was still a treat to hear and see the band play them. A bit more variety of the older material, particularly to their epic record V, which is another album they received praise for, would've been refreshing, but regardless, the band knew how to play for the crowd. The fans devoured the attention, with Allen and Romeo being playful and pitting the various sides of the fans against each other into the somewhat tiring but always enjoyable charade of "who can scream the loudest?" It seemed like a tie.

Allen's voice sounds crisp as the set rolled along throughout the new album, with the band playing several more tracks off of it, including the bass-heavy "Domination" (lyrics that show Allen breaking from the usual Bruce Dickinson-ish vocals to instead bellow for fans to "Get down on your knees!") Sexual innuendos aside, Romeo then whirls into a dizzying solo as his white Fender bounced off the lights, spotlight hitting him as he tossed a burnt out guitar pick aside. Romeo has much in common with Iron Maiden's Dave Murray in terms of stage presence-all smiles, and a very warm and talented guitarist who never repeats himself in terms of technique.

One area that was lacking was keyboardist Michael Pinnella's volume. The man could barely be heard except on tracks like "Domination" where at least one instrument had dropped out for a moment for his dark, brooding piano bashing. The down-tuned classical piano was then magically gone as Romeo's guitars masked over them. It would've been nice for a little bit more to come out of him, but that may also have to do with the material the band puts out. While it is heavily stuffed with keyboards, at times the guitar overpowered the keys. Hopefully the band can adjust in either their material or the mixing so we can hear more of Pinella, as he's underused in the band. A mix of crimson and cerulean stage lights matched the sci-fi war background of the 2007 album cover. While musically the band's never been tighter live, they seem distracted, maybe due to the fact that they had to have local talents be placed in front of them. The issue was briefly addressed by Allen, who apologized for the lack of opening bands, but applauded the local bands who played before them, having the crowd give one more round of applause for them. No explanation was given as to why Epica and Into Eternity weren't at the show.

One thing that is always odd about Symphony X is how they manage to hold their own in a headlining show. Granted, the band is very good and fantastic to listen to live, but visibly, they aren't exactly movers and shakers. Allen and Romeo goof off a bit, leaning on each other and smiling, but it all-at points-feels tired. Sure, they sound fantastic, but the band plays as if they're an old band. It'd be refreshing to move around a bit, but they fit the club feel very well. It's just a shame because they have the potential to do better and really bring their material to life for the crowds.

For example, Allen, removing his sport coat, said "Let's get to it," as the guitars jump-started into the next song. Harmonies danced across the walls and tickled fans ears as the New Jersey-based metallers played on, with Allen stating that he was "glad to be back in the United States." Allen's stage antics switch into high gear, as he glides across the stage awkwardly, pretending to be some sort of zombie Frankenstein. Moments like this that he delivers give the band a playful vibe yet sometimes it's just awkward to watch. This was a perfect example, and it's an obvious miss with a normally hit crowd.

"Of Sins and Shadows" was played and it was definitely a crowd favorite. The early material sounds amazing live, really vibrant and direct, whereas the newer material feels less thrash-like and more blues-catered. After one or two more songs, the band called it a night with an encore. The show was, for the most part, very solid, with just a few hiccups in mixing and stage presence. Musically, these men will always impress, but it's a wonder as to how far their live show will get them down the road-the last thing I'd want to see is Symphony X run out of gas.

| 04.03.2008 | Review by Michael Levy |