SONS OF APOLLO: Psychotic Symphony (PROGRESSIVE METAL,Heavy Metal): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Hard to find a more impressive line-up than Sons Of Apollo. Coming from the friendship between Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, the birth of Sons Of Apollo managed to surprise the small world of progressive metal with a dream quintet and a signature by the prestigious InsideOutMusic. We won't insult you by introducing you to these five monsters because curiosity is too strong to delay one more second the detail of the content of "Psychotic Symphony".

As one could expect from the pedigree and the appetites of the members of Sons Of Apollo, "Psychotic Symphony" is a mix between the progressive metal and the melodic efficiency worthy of the best hard-melo signatures ('Signs Of The Time', 'Labyrinth'). These two atavisms are clearly found in the alternation of long and epic formats like 'God Of The Sun' and 'Labyrinth' and more compact and direct formats like 'Coming Home', 'Alive' or 'Lost In Oblivion' whose power has something of Adrenaline Mob. This crossbreeding also continues at the heart of the compositions and is completed by the conjugation of vintage and modern sounds.

The members of the group work with finesse, letting their personal musical identities speak for themselves as catalysts of this explosive chemical reaction. The alchemy emerges as if by miracle between the five virtuosos who already possess automatisms and an impressive complementarity (the Dionysian instrumental 'Opus Maximus' between the virtuosity of Liquid Tension Experiment and the esoteric gravity of Bozzio Levin Stevens). In particular Jeff Scott Soto, with his blues-soul nuances, providing emotion ('God Of The Sun', 'Alive'), vitality ('Divine Addiction') and distilling the melody in heady choruses, and Ron Thal, alien in all modes (jazz, neo-classical, metal) and sensibilities (crazy in 'God Of The Sun' and delicate in 'Signs Of The Time').

The progressive component, not surprisingly, bears the stamp of Dream Theater with sometimes the Symphony X label. To the thematic and rhythmic breaks are added dense and balanced instrumental parts without being excessive. The opening of the album is made with 'God Of The Light', impressive of mastery and energy that starts on an oriental tone, a bit like Dream Theater's 'Home', before evolving towards a melancholic middle passage leading to an asphyxiating technical sequence.

The other specificity of Sons Of Apollo's music lies in the vintage borrowings that colour and diversify an already well-filled recipe. Notably in the lively bridge of 'Coming Home' smelling like big rock built in the 80s by Mr.Big or Van Halen. The sound effects of the excellent 'Labyrinth', which gives the song a Haken feel, are taken from the same decade, along with Hammond organs and Sherinian's neo-classical keyboards for an astonishing and original result. Hammond and the legendary ambiences it conveys are in the spotlight in the interlude 'Figaro's Whore' and 'Divine Addiction' close to a Deep Purple boosted with amphetamines.

If everything isn't perfect in this "Psychotic Symphony" ('Lost In Oblivion' is a notch below the rest), Sons Of Apollo achieves to reconcile modernity and tradition in a technical progressive metal with a heavy ribbed technique and great melodic qualities. Whether you like the American's game or not, there is little failure when Portnoy decides to join a new band and with Sons Of Apollo the bet is once again a winner. "Psychotic Symphony" is a very convincing debut album which augurs well for the best if the band continues. - Official website

SONS OF APOLLO

PSYCHOTIC SYMPHONY

INSIDEOUT MUSIC

PROGRESSIVE METAL