Symphony X is often compared to other progressive metal bands such as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Shadow Gallery. Their music includes complex timings and odd meters while incorporating elements of heavy metal and progressive rock. Their early albums in particular contain strong neo-classical elements reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads, and others. The band have been categorized as progressive metal, power metal, and neoclassical metal, though the band themselves dislike genre labels with Romeo stating they can be "misleading sometimes ... at the core of it all we're a metal band".
Romeo explained the band's name in a 2008 interview; "So, you know, the music we were coming up with had the keyboard thing and the guitar, and some classical elements, so the word 'Symphony' came up and, so the dramatic thing, you know? So then, somebody said 'Symphony X' and we were like, 'yeah, that's cool' it is that kinda thing, and the 'X' is the unknown and all the other stuff we do."
The albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite were partially recorded in The Dungeon, Romeo's home studio. The Odyssey, Paradise Lost, Iconoclast and Underworld were fully recorded there and produced by Romeo himself.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_X
Studio albums
Symphony X (1994)
The Damnation Game (1995)
The Divine Wings of Tragedy (1996)
Twilight in Olympus (1998)
V: The New Mythology Suite (2000)
The Odyssey (2002)
Paradise Lost (2007)
Iconoclast (2011)
Underworld (2015)
Smoke & Mirrors
Symphony X Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking dead we are
Victims of misfortune and lies, and tortured bringers of demise
Circling above like vultures
They reap the harvest that we sew and take, like trusting fools
Promising charade
All days now disappear from weeks to months, from months to years
Forever bound, shackled to the wall
The night calls, I feel the midnight as it slowly cloaks my eyes
Touched by the kiss of the sunrise
Live with shadows and fears--behind smoke and mirrors
Try to turn back the years--living inside smoke and mirrors
Sacred and serpentine, a hypnotizing twisted theme
Weaves our souls to roar
Like candles in the wind, our echoed cries above the din
Fade into this faceless sculpture
In the wheel of chance and fate, spinning as we watch and wait
A mystery to us all
On the edge of sanity, we tread the seas of destiny
Forever bound, silent voices call
The night falls, I've seen 1000 moons rising in the sky
The night calls, I feel the midnight as it slowly cloaks my eyes
Touched by the kiss of the sunrise
Live with shadows and fears--behind smoke and mirrors
Try to turn back the years--living inside smoke and mirrors
Live with shadows and fears--behind smoke and mirrors
Try to turn back the years--living inside smoke and mirrors
Ohh.....the night calls
The lyrics to Symphony X's song Smoke and Mirrors describe the deceptive nature of life and the struggles of being trapped in a never-ending cycle of misfortune and lies. The idea of hidden truths and the illusion of control is represented by the metaphor of smoke and mirrors, which creates a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty. The singer feels like a victim, powerless against the forces circling above like vultures, and unable to break free from the chains binding them to this existence. The imagery of a thousand moons rising in the sky and the kiss of the sunrise suggests the passage of time and the cyclical nature of life, while the repeated refrain of living with shadows and fears reinforces the sense of helplessness and despair.
Overall, the lyrics to Smoke and Mirrors are a commentary on the human condition and the struggle for meaning and purpose in a world that seems to be beyond our control. The song suggests that we are all caught up in a web of destiny and fate, spinning endlessly on the wheel of chance, and that our lives are ultimately shaped by the choices we make and the actions we take.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all perpetual dreams, this hidden life ain't what it seems
The reality of life is obscured by illusions and deceptive appearances.
Walking dead we are
We all live in a state of detachment and apathy, lacking any real connection to the world around us.
Victims of misfortune and lies, and tortured bringers of demise
We are subject to the negative consequences of fate and falsehoods, and are responsible for the pain and destruction we bring upon ourselves and others.
Circling above like vultures
Negative forces, including those within our own minds and external circumstances, linger and prey upon us like scavengers.
They reap the harvest that we sew and take, like trusting fools
Those who seek to take advantage of us use our trust and vulnerabilities against us to further their own agendas.
Promising charade
These deceptive influences create the illusion of hope and positivity, when in reality it is all a façade.
All days now disappear from weeks to months, from months to years
The passage of time causes life to blur together, making it difficult to differentiate between the mundane and the significant.
Forever bound, shackled to the wall
We are trapped by our own limitations and the expectations of society, unable to break free from our own self-imposed boundaries.
The night falls, I've seen 1000 moons rising in the sky
Time continues to pass, with countless nights and moons that come and go unnoticed.
The night calls, I feel the midnight as it slowly cloaks my eyes
The darkness of night and the silence it brings emphasizes the loneliness and isolation of the individual.
Touched by the kiss of the sunrise
The brief moments of beauty and light in life, despite their fleeting nature, have the power to impact and give hope to those who experience them.
Live with shadows and fears--behind smoke and mirrors
The reality of life is obscured by illusions and fears, creating a world that is difficult to navigate and understand.
Try to turn back the years--living inside smoke and mirrors
Despite the hardships of life, we still hold onto a desire for the past and a sense of nostalgia, longing for a simpler, more straightforward world.
Sacred and serpentine, a hypnotizing twisted theme
The mystique of life creates a kind of enchantment that is both beautiful and dangerous, pulling us ever closer to its seductive sway.
Weaves our souls to roar
Life's intensity echoes through our being, causing us to speak out and make our own voice heard.
Like candles in the wind, our echoed cries above the din
Despite the fragility of life, our existence has a profound impact that rings out above the chaos of the world.
Fade into this faceless sculpture
Individuality is lost within society, causing us to blend into the crowd and become yet another anonymous figure in the world.
In the wheel of chance and fate, spinning as we watch and wait
Life is constantly in motion, moving forward regardless of our own desires and expectations.
A mystery to us all
Despite our efforts to understand and navigate life, it remains a profound mystery that eludes our comprehension.
On the edge of sanity, we tread the seas of destiny
Despite the confusion and uncertainty of life, we continue to move forward, navigating through the unknown waters of our own fate.
Forever bound, silent voices call
The echoes of those who have come before us linger, impacting our own path and influencing the way we navigate our own lives.
Ohh.....the night calls
The darkness of night, with all of its mystery and beauty, continues to draw us ever deeper into its embrace, leading us ever closer towards the unknown.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DIFFIE, HIGGINS, MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jada
on Children of a Faceless God
so cool but to much rock in the back round.