Review by Adam M on June 9, 2025.

This album was interesting in that it improved upon the first album greatly and displayed a very interesting and at times dark style.  The band builds upon blueprints it laid down by the likes of Tool and was a very interesting sound.  They make a large splash because they are not around often and have big albums to release.  This is a marvellously interesting album that pushes the genre of progressive metal forward.

The musicianship on the album is quite phenomenal.  The guitars are interesting and dynamic and give a moody feature to the work.  Drumming is mesmerizing and holds you over.  The singing is varied and stylish and makes for an entertaining aspect to the music.  All in all the instruments are interesting and add to the music.

In terms of flaws there is an already established sound in the likes of bands like Tool and this is not really improved upon here by any means.  It is a forward thinking album, however, and one that should go down in the annals of metal as being highly compelling  With a little more emphasis on the dark side of their sound the band should continually improve.

All in all, this was a dark and fun release that really got the juices  flowing.  Though by no means revolutionary, it was an effective and compelling work and is a high point for progressive music in general.  Fans of bands like Soen will find a lot to like here and eat this thing up.

7.8/10

Review by Allan on October 15, 2002.

One of the better bands in the progressive genre, in 2000 Symphony X offered up their fifth album, “V: The New Mythology Suite”. Being that “V” was one of the most anticipated releases of the year 2000, Symphony X weren’t about to collapse before their fans. They didn’t fail, and “V” has become many fans favorite Symphony X album. However, “V” is little more than the band making small refinements on their sound and playing the game safe.

Who can blame them? They’ve simply got their game perfected. You can’t quite go wrong just making minor adjustments to your sound with each album. But that’s my biggest problem with Symphony X. I don’t quite know where has the identity gone after so many records. A song from “The Divine Wings of Tragedy” could have easily made it on here and would have fit right in the whole scheme of things. However, “V” as a whole is probably the most consistent and even flowing album Symphony X has created. It follows a whole theme, and is really just a one-hour song divided into thirteen different parts. I guess those tiny adjustments do account for something eventually.

As always, Symphony X’s arrangements are full of many different characteristics. The classical arrangements range from truly professional and beautiful vocal sections, piano interludes, and some of the excellent varying guitar-work. Symphony X also creates a mixture of moods, ranging from melancholia to some downright sinister sections, and even some more uplifting moments. Yet even with the many changes Symphony X still manage to keep their sound free of any out of sync segments or displeasing segues.

The atmosphere of the album is fantastic, as always. The synths create a wonderful backdrop to Romeo’s ripping rhythm guitar, and also manage an interesting interplay when Romeo decides it is time to do a little shredding. As for Russell Allen, his vocals haven’t changed much. They’ve always complimented the music well, Allen not ever passing the sensitive barrier of cheesiness, nor trying to steal the show like the instrumentalists do, since it’s obviously theirs.

Bottom Line: Symphony X may have created the best album of their career, but it is a bit disappointing since it wasn’t anything unexpected. My advice is for them to quit playing it safe, experiment with their playing styles and the sound of the band which they’ve defined a countless amount of times.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.4 out of 10