Every now and then an album arrives seemingly from nowhere and reignites excitement about either a genre or a specific career. Start counting, though, and it turns out that “Black” and “Differences” are in 7/8, “Djinn” is in 11/8, and “Oblivion” has a rotating feel that caught me off guard. There is an uncanny valley running throughout that could be a deal breaker for even the best songs on here. It's very lively and flamboyant. This album is very similar in songwriting style to the last three albums of Symphony X but also carries a unique signature that sets it apart from their discography. JD’s bass is, unfortunately, buried beneath a dense-as-hell master and gets lost—one of the album’s only drawbacks. Squeezing all those elements, the album is still beautiful and pretty accessible. And it's not just the solos. If I were to describe Romeo's style it would probably be a blend of Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci and God. Maybe the best label for the genre would be symphonic progressive metal or progressive symphonic metal. 'F*cking Robots' stands out the most with its weird robot noises on a symphonic backdrop, and quite frankly, is the song that takes away from an otherwise fairly set and heavy atmosphere. He’s a monster player and there are moments, like in nearly every Symphony X record, where you just sort of shake your head at how cool the thing you just heard was. From music news, to concert reviews, interviews, album reviews, exclusive features and more…, Copyright © Thanks for taking the time to read the review and comment. Drawbacks? He is undeniably one of the best guitar players in the world when it comes to technique but what I like even more is the way he can make that technique sound so beautiful and fluid all the time. For many, Michael Romeo is the internationally acclaimed axe slinging, guitar virtuoso of progressive masterminds Symphony X.Yet Romeo also holds the position as the band’s chief songwriter. Voices are unique and at times very polarizing, but Castellano brings something unique and very well executed to this record. An epic tale, the first part offers up ten tracks and weighs in at just under hour, allowing plenty of opportunity for Michael … Castellano’s vocals layer and build in the chorus to add a touch of class and contrast to the reckless shredding solo and chunky rhythm riffing one would expect on a Symphony X release. Michael Romeo – ‘War Of The Worlds / Pt. I mean after the first song, I got everything I wanted, I thought well, that’s enough. One even has to wonder what kind of impact the long waits between releases have had on the band’s momentum and ability to break through to the next level of commercial success. I’m sure Alan was simply expressing an opinion about how the drum sounded from the promo music we got, and I don’t think he doubted that your parts were actually handled by you. Beginning of the album is right out of a grand Hollywood blockbuster (until1:09, when the mood shifts to a heavy metal orchestra). Michael James Romeo (born March 6, 1968) is an American guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Symphony X. Little known, however, is that Romeo released a solo album called The Dark Chapter in 1995. This stuff I have played for decades guys. Michael Romeo is a composer and actor, known for A Star for Rose (2013), The Path (2016) and The Face of Birth (2012). Inevitably, comparisons are made with Russell Allen of Symphony X. From long compositions (Believe-8:22 - Djinn-7:29) to shorter ones (War Machine-3:10), even two instrumental tracks (Introduction – War Machine) are all present on the album. Despite all the previously mentioned elements, this is not a guitar album. It’s odd and quirky. Romeo flashes a whole lot of awesome guitar stylistics, neat solos and hooks, but the way he lets the keyboards do half of the sound really sets it apart. But when the real thing has been sporadically releasing albums that all sound the same for the last decade, questions are inevitably raised when a near identical sound pops up under a different name. Vocals instead are provided by Rick Castellano, who brings a different twist that trades the dominant presence of Allen’s voice for something perhaps subtler and nuanced that turns a bit more spotlight on the song over the performance. “Fear the Unknown” This opener quite sets the mood. At first blush, for example, War of the Worlds‘ choruses seem like straight power metal fair: sustained power chords letting Castellano’s clear tenor carry the melody. Following that, the aggressive mid-tempo “Oblivion” may be the album’s best overall song and “Believe” is the best of the longer, more melodic tracks. The wildly ambitious 10-song disc sees the founder, chief songwriter and prime mover of the … 1’ might be seen as Romeo’s solo debut but actually it’s not. Symphony X has a nasty habit of taking an awfully long time to put out their next record. Před časem mi totiž zase přišla na jazyk power slina a v hlavě se mi začaly přehrávat elementy téhle klasiky. “Believe” is an epic feeling track reminiscent to some of the grandeur touched on songs like “The Accolade I & 2” and “Paradise Lost,” with delicate piano dynamics contrasted by buzzing power riffs, and very melodic verses and chorus. And holy crap, does he. It's very well balanced and even quite catchy. Maybe Rick’s voice does not have the range and power of that of Russell, but it sure builds up hope for an up-and-coming star. There’s a cinematic feel to War of the Worlds reminiscent of Symphony X‘s The Odyssey. It certainly makes sense if only due to his first effort, 1995’s The Dark Chapter, essentially serving as a demo reel used to form the prog giants in the first place. We work hard to bring high quality editorial content to our readers, and we are glad you keep coming back to us! Michael Romeo, Actor: A Star for Rose. The style on War Of The Worlds, heavy progressive power metal with guitar wankery aplenty should be of taste to every Symphony X fan. You may know Michael Romeo as the extremely talented mastermind behind one of the best progressive metal bands in the world; Symphony X.While we wait for more Symphony X, Michael has crafted a new solo album called ‘War Of The Worlds Pt. After an instrumental, soundtrack-like opening with “Introduction,” Romeo tears open “Fear the Unknown” with his typical fast, clean riffing. I can say this new album by the virtuoso guitar player, Michael Romeo, belongs to the third category. This track was the whole album in a nutshell. 1 isn’t exactly the fourth coming of Paradise Lost. The ending of "Djinn" is one moment where the bass really grabbed my attention. But this record really showcases his compositional and arranging skills, as well as his mastery of merging the orchestral with the metal. That’s searching for something to nitpick about, though. Although the guitar is what steals most of the attention, the whole band builds up a great performance. ‘War of the Worlds // Pt. It’s not clear for me whether that was a production or final mix decision, but definitely the way the surface through the mix might raise some eyebrows. Although when referring to the music itself this is pretty much the same as Iconoclast and Underworld, it is a lot more diverse when it comes to each song's own signature. All the riffs in here are seriously impactful and badass. Michael Romeo - WikiMili, The Free Encyclopedia - … It sounds like robots and it has an amazing personality. The larger parts of the lyrics are written in the form of a narrative, telling the tale of mankind’s apocalyptic battle against these “vengeful machines”. Despite the intricate guitar work, he still made it a collection of catchy choruses and riffs that simply invite you to headbang. “Djinn” introduces some dark, Arabic influences and foreboding choir punches to the cinematic center section that is both exotic and authentic. Well, to be honest, with all due respect to Michael Romeo, the idea of incorporating elements of EDM and dubstep, though adding to the robotic-ness of the album in some parts (especially on F*cking Robots), was unpleasant to metalhead’s ears (at least to my ears). A somewhat underrated drummer, he possesses a particular way of playing, where he combines power with texture and originality. 1’ Album Review. The drums were amazing as were all of the instruments and musicians who played them. It is a fantastic album blending multiple genres and elements and certainly one of the highlights of 2018! Insane prowess on electric guitar, along with tasteful vocals and a strong sense of melody, all make this a very good and unique listen for those who appreciate the more complex heavy material. Fans who have long awaited the arrival of a solo album from Michael Romeo will get exactly what they begged for, and then some. 1 doesn’t quite measure up to Symphony X’s strongest efforts, but it’s definitely an album worth checking out and play back to back with the aforementioned Silent Assassins album when the Symphony X abstinence sets in. Tedy, až donedávna. From start to finish, War of the Worlds demonstrates Michael Romeo‘s best qualities: smart, techy riffing; catchy, anthemic choruses, and subtle, tasteful—but fucking ridiculous—guitarwork. It drills hard with crunchy guitars, heavy riffing and fleshy progpower antics set to something akin to a film score like setting, with backdrop keyboards by Romeo himself to add a larger scale to the portrayal. The hooks are similarly streamlined with matching choral effects, but the sound honestly reminds me more of The Odyssey than anything else. It just sounds pretty ridiculous. Wanna walk the extra mile? He is one of two members to appear on every Symphony X release (the other being Michael Pinnella). Michael Romeo’s second solo album (and first in 24 years), War of the Worlds, Pt.1, which takes its title from the classic H.G. War Of The Worlds Pt. As many of you know, Michael Romeo is an internationally acclaimed axe slinging, guitar virtuoso of progressive kings, Symphony X. It's the most epic and has a pretty evil atmosphere but what I like the most is the oriental music that hits you half way through the song. Thanks. Job: Digital Paint Artist. Instead, Romeo’s latest soiree sounds like a damned fine Symphony X record, with a band filled out by bassist John DeServio (BLS), drummer John Macaluso (Labÿrinth, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, and many more), and the voice of surprising newcomer Rick Castellano. 1 is a hard album to view “objectively.” Despite the solo artist tag, your views on this effort will depend not only on your feelings towards recent Symphony X material but also on the notion of a different band mirroring it in several aspects. Drummer John Macaluso – the man handling the drumming department – adds another touch of power and finesse. The whole album gives the listener the vibe of a cinematic experience. Instead, Michael has indulged in high concept with a two-part take on ‘War of the worlds’. “Fucking Machines,” for example, features Romeo wandering into EDM-soundscapes that evoke the ROBO-BLAAAAAAATS from Mass Effect 3. Ha ha. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2018 CD release of War Of The Worlds // Pt. 1 Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group (July 27th 2018) Reviewer: Dan Mann I'm sure most of your are familiar with the name Michael Romeo, founding member of progressive metal band Symphony X. I had not gotten excited about a band for years. by Daniel Levy. Originally published at http://indymetalvault.com, Michael Romeo is one of prog/power’s finest genii and is deservedly renowned for his day job as the guitarist and primary composer in Symphony X. 1,” has enough different elements and flashes of diversity in it that it clearly can’t be called a Symphony X release, it still retains enough familiar writing, riffing, soaring solos and orchestral aspects that it should more than satiate the fan base waiting for another Symphony X release, and possibly pick up a few stragglers along the way. 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Implementation is surprisingly subtle to get another helping of Romeo ’ s just say that the follow up only! I were to describe Romeo 's style it would probably be a blend Yngwie.
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