The Divine Wings of Tragedy

Dream Theater set the template for progressive metal; Symphony X made it divine. Two Michaels, guitar shredder Romeo and keyboard king Pinella, form the backbone with their dynamic neoclassical interplay, while up front Russell Allen uses his bluesy Ronnie James Dio/Ian Gillan howl to keep things grounded. Although the production feels thin on their third album, their best songs live here, whether it’s the contained thrasher “Sea of Lies” or the head-spinning 20 minute title track.