SYMPHONY X – Live On The Edge Of Forever

To be a “russ” in my native language means to graduate from high school. Now I don’t know if Russ Allen ever was a russ, but he passes the test for a singer on a live record with impressive marks. Here he leads New Jersey’s finest progressive metal band through close to two hours of music, with a self-confidence and talent that most singers and front men will envy him. These live recordings sound very good, recorded during the European tours in 2000 and 2001. I doubt anything is taken from the show I saw in Cologne though, because it sometimes sounds like the band is playing huge arenas (and not a shitty club in Ruhr-gebeit, Germany). CD 1 consists roughly of material from the band’s latest studio effort, while CD 2 has all the old favorites among the die hards. One thing is certain, the whole release offers pleasure for people with preference for technical and impressive playing. There’s not much more to say, but I’ll just advice you to tell Santa Claus about Live On The Edge Of Forever.