The Latest News [updated 8 Apr - confirmed summer Euro dates]

[Jax]

Time for a new sticky news thread again now that there's enough happening that there are things to be announced relatively regularly.

Today's news:

Symphony X: MTV 2 premier and Mike Romeo on Headbangers Blog

The new video from Paradise Lost by Symphony X, “Set the World on Fire”, will begin airing on MTV 2’s Headbangers Ball this Saturday, January 19th. In addition, guitarist Mike Romeo has made his own contribution to Headbangers Blog which will be published soon.

[Jax]

A couple of updates..

~The London show will have just Epica opening, & for those concerned about Simone's current health problems, we've been assured that she will be fit and ready to perform.

~The show on 4/22 has been moved to The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA due to the other venue closing.

[Jax]

A video of the making of the Set the World on Fire video can be seen on Headbanger's Blog: http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2008/...world-on-fire/

Complete with written commentary from Mike Romeo..leave a comment & let MTV know that you support the band!

Also, here's the Set the World on Fire video itself (which is now on SPV's YouTube page), for those of you who weren't able to see it on the MTV site:

You Tube

[Jax]

Setlist Poll results, the band's reaction, and more:

Jan. 24: I have spent MANY hours over the past few days tallying all of the setlist poll responses..holy cow, the turnout was awesome, thanks so much to everyone who responded (you can bet the next poll will be automated..LOL)!! In the interest of brevity, I'm not going to list all of the results, but rather, the top 5 requested songs from each cd; for the record, the song with the most votes overall was Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies).

Also, there have been comments all over regarding the Accolade songs not appearing in the top fives list, so I thought I'd let you know that the Accolade votes were done a bit differently since there were people voting for each separately, as well as people asking for both together. Because the point was to let the band know what ya'll want to hear (as compared to just providing a top five list for each cd), 'both Accolades together' was a separate category..if the votes had been split up between the separate songs, both would've been in the top five on their respective cds.

~Symphony X
Masquerade
Rapture or Pain
Absinthe and Rue
3-way tie for 4th: Premoniton, Shades of Grey, and Thorns of Sorrow

~The Damnation Game
The Edge of Forever
The Damnation Game
Dressed to Kill
A Winter's Dream - The Ascencion (Part II)
A Winter's Dream - Prelude (Part I)

~The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Of Sins and Shadows
The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Sea of Lies
Out of the Ashes
Candlelight Fantasia

~Twilight in Olympus
Smoke and Mirrors
In the Dragon's Den
Through the Looking Glass
Church of the Machine
Lady of the Snow

~V: The New Mythology Suite
Evolution (The Grand Design)
2-way tie for 2nd: Communion and the Oracle, and Egypt
Fallen
A Fool's Paradise
Rediscovery pt. II - The New Mythology

~The Odyssey
Inferno (Unleash the Fire)
The Odyssey
King of Terrors
Wicked
Awakenings

~Paradise Lost
Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies)
Paradise Lost
Eve of Seduction
Domination
The Serpent's Kiss

------------------

Jan. 26: I spoke to MJR yesterday, and he actually asked me about the poll before I had a chance to tell him about it; he was very interested to hear what the results were. He was on his way out the door to meet up with some of the other guys, & took a few minutes to write down the top fives so that they could discuss them; just like the last poll, he was surprised by some of the songs you all asked to hear. You'll be happy to hear that he said that they will definitely be using some of the songs that ya'll asked for. He also asked me to pass on the band's thanks to all of you for participating, so thank you from the band!

Also, Set the World on Fire will be played on Headbanger's Ball again tonight; I think that this is a VERY good thing, that it wasn't just a one time event.. exciting stuff for the band and their fans!

One more thing: Fan club members, stay tuned for an e-mail regarding the new membership structure, renewals, and the next fan club cd (which is going to be AWESOME)!

[Jax]

Symphony X Podcast

Interview with MJR, video, live footage..check it out!

You Tube

[Jax]

Check out the latest MJR interview here.

[Jax]

New interview with Russ..

[Jax]

MJR's long awaited Signature Model Caparison, the Dellinger-MJR Pro.White, will go on sale in October; photos and more info can be found here.

Also, check out Caparison's web page or MySpace page for dealer info, guitar forums, and more!

[Jax]

World Management would like to announce that on Nov. 4, 2008, Symphony X will release a special 5.1 Edition of their critically acclaimed release "Paradise Lost". The double disc package will include a DVD 5.1 mix by Jens Bogren of the whole album as well as two enhanced quality videos "Set the World on Fire" and "The Serpent's Kiss". The album can be pre-ordered on amazon.com .

In addition, Newbury Comics will have an exclusive edition of the 5.1 version of 'Paradise Lost', which will feature an autographed booklet signed by the entire band. There are only 500 signed copies available and they can only be bought from Newbury Comics, so click here to reserve your copy now!

In connection to this release the band is also playing 5 shows in the Northeast US:

19 November 2008 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
20 November 2008 - Wantagh, NY - Mulcahy's
21 November 2008 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
22 November 2008 - Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero
23 November 2008 - West Springfield, VA – Jaxx

[Jax]

It's a Girl!

Ava Christine Allen was born on at 5:43am on Nov. 2nd 2008, weighing 5lbs 10oz.

Mom and baby are doing good

Ava was 4 weeks early..Russ says "I got home (from South America) just in time it seems.."

[Jax]

You have now entered the 'the band is writing the new cd' zone. Posting constant 'Where's the new cd? What's the band doing? Why is there no news?' threads won't get you any new info until the band's ready to tell you something new, so suffice it to say, the latest news is exactly that..

The band is writing the new cd.

More info as it becomes available.

[Jax]

Coming soon..

..a new website!

..a new label!

..a new cd!

Yep, it's a good time to be a SymX fan.

[Jax]

World Management and Nuclear Blast are extremely proud to announce the signing of Metal / Prog Gods Symphony X !!!

“As lifelong fans of the band, it is with great pride that Nuclear Blast announces the signing of US Metal / Prog Gods Symphony X!!!
Symphony X exemplifies the technical sophistication of progressive metal while transcending the genre by writing amazing songs with masterful musicality and great hooks!
This New Jersey-based super group effortlessly creates a balancing act between solid, accessible arrangements and song structures with highly technical, challenging instrumental work and unbelievable melodic vocal harmonies. This embrace of polyphonic lead vocals, combined with their classical-sometimes even Queen-like- choruses create a powerful, in-your-face mixture. With elements of thundering metal, rock, solos with unstoppable guitar shredding and intense keyboards - this potent group has grown with every release and is poised to compete with the commercial success of top groups in all genres!
Symphony X is currently creating their next masterpiece, anticipated in the spring of 2010!
Together, we will bring this talent to a new level! We hope you are ready for the ride!”

“We are happy to be the part of the Nuclear Blast Family and look forward to working with them for many years to come,” says Michael Romeo.

Jaap Wagemaker / A & R

[Jax]

Just got off the phone with MJR; he wishes everyone a Happy New Year and reports that the writing of the new cd is progressing well. He says that the riffs are written and all the ideas are there, they're just trying different arrangement ideas right now. We talked about how we're back to the usual routine of trying to find new ways to say the same old 'the band is writing the cd', and he said "It's hard to say. Every day is different, we're just doing our thing & trying to make the tunes cool. You put something together one day and then come back the next day & listen to it; sometimes it's cool, & sometimes it sucks & you have to change things around." They're still hoping to be done with the cd by spring.

[Jax]

Spoke to Mike today, and he sounded really happy about the progress that the band's making on the new cd. "Technically, we could be done" he said. "I put together some pre-production mixes for us to listen to, and it's all solid. We have over an hour of really good stuff that we really dig; there's more than enough stuff there that we can choose the best songs to go on the cd..but all of the songs are really strong. And there are two almost-done songs that we're going to try to wrap up in the next few days as well, one is shaping up to be 10 minutes plus; it's really cool stuff that we gotta use." He and Russell have started working through lyrics, and the band plans to start tracking in early March. "I think everyone will like it" he said, "it has a little bit of everything."

[Jax]

Just got off the phone with MJR, & have a brief update to share.

Things are moving right along with the new cd! The music is all finished, and Jason arrived in New Jersey this week; they're starting drum tracks today. Mike has promised to get photos of the recording sessions, so we should have the first of those to share next week; stay tuned.

[Jax]

My apologies for the uber-delay in getting an update posted; we've had to coordinate MJR and me, band management, and multiple people at both the US label office AND the Euro label office spanning quite a few time zones in all. Hopefully it'll go more smoothly from here on out as we all adjust to working together, but for now, here's your very belated update!

~~~

Just spoke with MJR and here's the latest scoop! Mike said that the drums and most of the rhythm guitars are all recorded. At the moment, they are fine tuning the lyrics and melodies, during which time Russ will also be recording his vocals. Personally, I get more excited about this cd the more Mike tells me about it; I am quite secure in saying that it will be well worth the wait.

While the band is busy working on the cd, we'd like to keep you busy as well; the band needs your help, in two areas. Firstly: the existing FAQ on the band's website was put together when 'The Odyssey' came out; obviously that was quite a while ago and lots has changed since then, including some significant gear/endorsement changes as well as a label change. So that's where you come in: help us put together a new FAQ for the new website. What do you want to ask the band? PLEASE do not send in questions like 'when are you going to play [insert location]?' or 'when will you make a dvd?'; best to stick to general information questions if you want the band to answer them. Send in your questions to symxfaq[at]gmail.com with "FAQ" in the subject line, and they'll be sent to the band; who knows, your question may show up in the FAQ on the band's new site! For those who have been wondering, we're anticipating that the new site will launch around the same time as the new cd.

Secondly: what band(s) would you like to see tour with/open for Symphony X? Who do you think would match best with SymX, or bring in a good crowd? Send your suggestions to symxfaq[at]gmail.com and perhaps you'll get to see the band you choose on SymX's next tour.

That's it for now; hopefully now that we've gotten the update process all ironed out, our news updates will be a lot more regular again. Thanks for your patience!

Jax
SymX Staff

[Jax]

North America's progressive metal masters SYMPHONY X are pleased to announce their upcoming April 25th, 2011 show at the Metropolis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Also on the SYMPHONY X 2011 touring calendar are performances at the Best Buy Theater (formerly The Nokia) in New York on Friday, April 22nd and at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 10th.

V.I.P. tickets are available for all three shows and will include early entry, a Meet & Greet, and a free t-shirt. Purchase V.I.P. packages exclusively at EnterTheVault.com.

Lead vocalist Russell Allen checks in about the new release and the upcoming shows: “I just want to say how excited I am about the new album. It's gonna kill! The songs rock and the performances by my fellow band mates are simply amazing. We can't wait to see the fans! You guys know how much we enjoy performing live. So get ready, SYMPHONY X has returned.”

SYMPHONY X are currently recording their Nuclear Blast debut and follow-up to 2007’s Paradise Lost, which has sold over 60,000 copies in North America. Allen has finished recording his vocal tracks and the band is moving on to record keyboards, bass, and guitar solos. Guitarist Michael Romeo offers the following update: "We love the fans, and we know we haven't been as on top of things with the updates this year as we should have, but when it's down to the wire and we're going 24/7 trying to wrap things up, then that's what we're focused on. We really think the fans will like this album; it has been, by far, more work (and harder work) than any other album, period."

The SYMPHONY X camp adds: “We're pleased to announce that both drummer Jason Rullo and lead vocalist Russell Allen recently became fathers for the second time. Jason is now the proud father of a beautiful baby girl and Russell and his wife now have a beautiful baby boy. Congratulations to them both!”

In other band news, the SYMPHONY X Fan Club has been shut down and is currently being revamped. “We anticipate that it will be ready for new members around the same time as the new CD is released, if not a bit sooner. Existing/previous members should have either already received info on the change to a permanent membership setup and an invite to the new fan club mailing list or will be receiving it soon. If you are an existing/previous SYMPHONY X Fan Club member and have not received this notification, please contact Jax (jax@symphonyx.com) for more information.”

Fans are encouraged to submit questions for the band’s soon-to-be-updated FAQ section of their website. Send questions in to symxfaq@gmail.com with “FAQ” in the subject line.

Formed in 1994 in New Jersey, SYMPHONY X has seven studio albums and one live album to their credit.

Visit SYMPHONY X online at www.SYMPHONYX.com, www.myspace.com/OFFICIALSYMPHONYX, and www.facebook.com/SYMPHONYX.

[Jax]

POWER OF METAL Tour featuring:
SYMPHONY X (co-headlining)
NEVERMORE (co-headlining)
PSYCHOTIC WALTZ *reunion-tour*
THAUROROD
+ special guest

*TOURDATES
25.02.2011 DE - Stuttgart, LKA Longhorn
26.02.2011 DE - Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle
27.02.2011 BE - Antwerpen, Hof Ter Loo
28.02.2011 FR - Paris, Elysee Montmartre
01.03.2011 FR - Toulouse, Phare
03.03.2011 ES - Barcelona, Apollo
04.03.2011 FR - Lyon, Transbordeur
05.03.2011 IT - Florence, Viper
06.03.2011 CH - Pratteln, Z7
07.03.2011 IT - Milan, Magazzini Generali
08.03.2011 LU - Esch zur Alzette, Kulturfabrik
10.03.2011 SI - Ljubljana, Cvetlicarna
11.03.2011 DE - Munich, Backstage
12.03.2011 AT - Wien, Gasometer
13.03.2011 AT - Wörgl, Komma
14.03.2011 DE - Bad Arolsen, Outback
16.03.2011 DE - Frankfurt, Batschkapp
17.03.2011 DE - Hamburg, Markthalle
18.03.2011 NL - Amsterdam, Melkweg*
19.03.2011 DE - Geiselwind, Music Hall*
20.03.2011 NL - Tilburg, O13*
*Please note change of date/venue

[Jax]

SYMPHONY X ANNOUNCES HEADLINING NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

New Jersey’s progressive metal masters SYMPHONY X are pleased to announce their headlining North American tour featuring Boston‘s Powerglove, and Blackguard from Montreal. The trek will launch on April 21st in Philadelphia and wrap-up on West Springfield, Virginia on May 22nd.

Confirmed dates for SYMPHONY X’s headlining tour are as follows:

04/21/11 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
04/22/11 Best Buy Theatre – New York, NY
04/23/11 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
04/25/11 Metropolis – Montreal, QC – CANADA
04/26/11 Salle Albert Rosseau – Quebec City, QC – CANADA
04/27/11 The Opera House – Toronto, ON – CANADA
04/29/11 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
04/30/11 Blondie’s – Detroit, MI
05/01/11 Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
05/02/11 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
05/04/11 Ogden Theater – Denver, CO
05/06/11 Showbox – Seattle, WA
05/07/11 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
05/08/11 The Grand Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
05/10/11 House of Blues - West Hollywood, CA
05/11/11 Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
05/13/11 Trees – Dallas, TX
05/14/11 Scout Bar – Houston, TX
05/15/11 Backstage Live – San Antonio, TX
05/17/11 The Club at Firestone – Orlando, FL
05/18/11 Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
05/19/11 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
05/20/11 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
05/21/11 Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
05/22/11 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA

[Jax]

Symphony X is excited to announce their first ever show in North Africa! Exciting news for the band; they will be appearing at 8eme Festival Meditérannéen de la Guitare which will be held at La Coupole in Tunis, Tunisia on March 26th, 2011.

It's always awesome to see the guys traveling to bring their music to places where they've never been; can't wait to hear all about this one!

[Jax]

World Management and Symphony X are pleased to announce the first batch of confirmed tour dates for South America 2011. The band will head to South and Central America. More dates tba.

June 1 – Santiago, Chile, Venue: Teatro Caupolican
June 4 – São Paulo, Brazil Venue: Via Funchal
June 5 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Venue: Fundição Progresso
June 7 – Porto Alegre, Brazil, Venue: Opinião Bar
June 9 – Montevideo, Uruguay,Venue: Lorente Casa de Espetaculos
June 11 – Buenos Aires, Argentina ,Venue: El Teatro Flores

[Jax]

North America's progressive metal masterminds SYMPHONY X are proud to announce the two artwork versions and track listings for their ninth studio album & Nuclear Blast debut, Iconoclast. It will be available in Europe on June 17th, in North America on June 21st, and Japan on June 22nd.


Illustrator and film concept artist Warren Flanagan (Watchmen, The Incredible Hulk, 2012) is the talent behind the album artwork. Here, he shares his creative process on the new album’s artwork:

“The idea was to create imagery that was a little darker in tone to previous SYMPHONY X albums and to represent the overall theme of Iconoclast into the artwork. The whole concept came from Mike [Romeo], who had a strong idea of what the cover should represent based off the music. I just ran with it. When the album’s title was decided on, I focused the image based on the meaning of it. I also wanted to use the band’s signature 'masks' but present them in a way that connected to the new album.”

SYMPHONY X founder & lead guitarist Michael Romeo has the following to say about Flanagan’s art:

"We worked with Warren on the last CD, Paradise Lost, and have a good relationship with him. When I talk to Warren about artwork ideas, a lot of times we end up making comparisons to films and movies. With the new CD, Iconoclast, the music and lyrics have a darker mechanical/technological theme, and I remember us talking about scenes from films like The Matrix and Terminator. From there, we sent him some song titles and lyrics (songs like 'Dehumanized,' 'Bastards Of The Machine,' 'Electric Messiah') and just let Warren run with the ball. He has a great imagination and style, and he totally gets what we are trying to convey with the music."

The track listing for the jewel-cased version of Iconoclast is:

01. Iconoclast
02. The End Of Innocence
03. Dehumanized
04. Bastards Of The Machine
05. Heretic
06. Children Of A Faceless God
07. Electric Messiah
08. Prometheus (I Am Alive)
09. When All Is Lost

The track listing for the 2-CD Special Edition digi-pak version of Iconoclast is:

CD 1:

01. Iconoclast
02. The End Of Innocence
03. Dehumanized
04. Bastards Of The Machine
05. Heretic
06. Children Of A Faceless God
07. When All Is Lost

CD 2:

01. Electric Messiah
02. Prometheus (I Am Alive)
03. Light Up The Night
04. The Lords Of Chaos
05. Reign In Madness

SYMPHONY X are currently on the Power of Metal tour in Europe with Nevermore and will hit North America in April. View all upcoming SYMPHONY X tour dates at http://www.symphonyx.com/tour_dates.html

Visit SYMPHONY X online at www.SYMPHONYX.com, www.facebook.com/SYMPHONYX, www.myspace.com/OFFICIALSYMPHONYX, and twitter.com/SYMPHONYX.

[Jax]

Please note: Soilwork and Nevermore are no longer part of the North American Tour. Also, the Los Angeles show on May 10 has been moved to House of Blues in West Hollywood.

[Jax]

"The End of Innocence" is now available for download at Amazon and iTunes. Go get 'em and support the band!