The Divine Wings of Tragedy
| The Divine Wings of Tragedy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Symphony X | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Recorded | Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey; Symphony X Dungeon | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal, neoclassical metal | |||
| Length | 65:23 | |||
| Label | Zero | |||
| Producer | Steve Evetts, Eric Rachel | |||
| Symphony X chronology | ||||
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The Divine Wings of Tragedy is the third studio album by progressive metal band Symphony X, released in 1997 through Zero Corporation (Japan) and Inside Out Music (Europe);[1] a remastered edition was reissued on September 13, 2004 through Inside Out.
Musical and lyrical references
The album's title track contains excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach's Mass in B Minor (1749) and Gustav Holst's The Planets (1914–16).[1] Its lyrical theme was inspired by John Milton's Paradise Lost (1667) and Paradise Regained (1671), and also includes a reference to Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Inferno.
The intro of "The Witching Hour" cites Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 1 in C Major, K 279 (1774).
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Rock Hard | 9/10[2] |
Robert Taylor at AllMusic gave The Divine Wings of Tragedy four stars out of five, saying that "it was this release that propelled [Symphony X] to the forefront of progressive metal bands." He went onto say "While this recording may not be quite the classic that it is often heralded to be, it is a noteworthy addition to the annals of progressive metal." Praise was given to each musician for their technical craft, but Russell Allen's vocals were criticized as "a bit grating, often sounding too much like Ronnie James Dio."
In 2005, The Divine Wings of Tragedy was ranked No. 433 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Of Sins and Shadows" | Thomas Miller | Michael Romeo, Michael Pinnella | 4:58 |
| 2. | "Sea of Lies" | Russell Allen | Romeo, Pinnella, Miller | 4:18 |
| 3. | "Out of the Ashes" | Allen | Romeo, Pinnella, Miller | 3:40 |
| 4. | "The Accolade" | Allen | Romeo, Pinnella, Miller | 9:51 |
| 5. | "Pharaoh" | Allen | Symphony X | 5:28 |
| 6. | "The Eyes of Medusa" | Miller | Romeo, Pinnella, Miller | 5:26 |
| 7. | "The Witching Hour" | Allen, Romeo | Romeo, Pinnella | 4:15 |
| 8. | "The Divine Wings of Tragedy"
|
.
| Romeo, Miller, Pinnella | 20:42 |
| 9. | "Candlelight Fantasia" | Miller | Romeo, Pinella | 6:45 |
Total length: |
65:23 | |||
Personnel
- Russell Allen – vocals
- Michael Romeo – guitar, choir arrangement (track 8)
- Michael Pinnella – keyboard, choir arrangement (track 8)
- Jason Rullo – drums
- Thomas Miller – bass
- Steve Evetts – engineering, mixing, mastering, production
- Eric Rachel – engineering, mastering, production
- Stephen Rajkumar – engineering assistance
- John Abbott – engineering assistance
References
- 1 2 3 Taylor, Robert. "The Divine Wings of Tragedy - Symphony X". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- ↑ Rensen, Michael. "Review". Rock Hard. Holger Stratmann. Issue 120. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- ↑ [...], Rock Hard (Hrsg.). [Red.: Michael Rensen. Mitarb.: Götz Kühnemund] (2005). Best of Rock & Metal die 500 stärksten Scheiben aller Zeiten. Königswinter: Heel. p. 36. ISBN 3-89880-517-4.
External links
- The Divine Wings of Tragedy at symphonyx.com
- In Review: Symphony X "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy" at Guitar Nine Records
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