The exquisite part of Symphony X
sweepking | Mililani, HI | 10/16/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one great cd, but don't buy this expecting the same delivery as Symphony X. Michael Pinnella has already established himself as an incredibly talented keyboard player with his ridiculous displays of chops heard in SyX solos. On this cd, he certainly shows off chops, but it is his incredible compositional and arranging skills that are front and center. The music presented on this cd is a melting pot of styles of music performed on different keyboards and pianos with some drum and bass backing. The production is great and the songs are short and varied enough that the listener stays engaged throughout the presentation. Although it is not metal, one can certainly hear who provides the exquisite and refined textures in Symphony X. After hearing this cd, I hope Symphony X continues to balance the power and raw technical mastery of guitarist Michael Romeo with the grand touch that Pinnella clearly demonstrates on this cd. I would certainly put this cd up with anything that Rudess, Kuprij, or even Wakeman have done."