Twilight in Olympus
Encyclopedia
Twilight in Olympus is the fourth studio album by progressive metal
band Symphony X
, which was released in 1998. It features eight tracks, two of which have become classics: "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Through the Looking Glass", the latter an epic based on Through the Looking-Glass
, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
.
The drums on this album were played by Tom Walling, due to Jason Rullo temporarily leaving the band for personal reasons.
The album is also the last with longtime bassist Thomas Miller, who left the band during the album tour for personal and health problems.
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Symphony X
Symphony X
Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
, which was released in 1998. It features eight tracks, two of which have become classics: "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Through the Looking Glass", the latter an epic based on Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There is a work of literature by Lewis Carroll . It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...
, the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
.
The drums on this album were played by Tom Walling, due to Jason Rullo temporarily leaving the band for personal reasons.
The album is also the last with longtime bassist Thomas Miller, who left the band during the album tour for personal and health problems.
Track listing
- "Smoke and Mirrors" – 6:08 (Allen, Miller, Romeo)
- "Church of the Machine" – 8:58 (Symphony X)
- "Sonata" – 1:26 (Beethoven)
- "In the Dragon's Den" – 3:59 (Symphony X)
- "Through the Looking Glass" – 13:06 (Miller, Pinnella, Romeo)
- "The Relic" – 5:04 (Allen, Miller, Pinnella, Romeo)
- "Orion - The Hunter" – 6:56 (Allen, Miller, Romeo)
- "Lady of the Snow" – 7:08 (Allen, Miller, Pinnella, Romeo)
Trivia
- "Smoke and Mirrors" cites J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor (Kýrie eléison) in the instrumental interlude after the second chorus.
- "Sonata" contains parts of the second and third movements of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written in 1798 when the composer was 27 years old, and was published in 1799. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky...
("Pathétique"). - "Orion - The Hunter" contains lyrics from Symphony X's debut albumSymphony X (album)Symphony X is the first album by progressive metal band Symphony X, released in 1994 through Zero Corporation and reissued in 1996 through InsideOut Music .-Track listing:-Personnel:*Rod Tyler – vocals, engineering, mixing, production...
. - According to Thomas Miller, "Lady of the Snow" was inspired by the popular JapaneseJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
mythological figure, Yuki Onna. According to Michael RomeoMichael RomeoSince 2005, Romeo has taken advantage of a new custom model, Caparison Dellinger II - Michael Romeo Custom, which he used to record the Symphony X album Paradise Lost...
, "the band was looking for a musical and lyrical theme to represent tonalities and scale ideas for a new song, and Tom suggested the Lady of the Snow story, [so] the music was written to reflect the lyrics." - Also notable is the absence of a title track, which appeared on Symphony X'sSymphony XSymphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey.Founded in 1994 by guitarist Michael Romeo, their albums The Divine Wings of Tragedy and V: The New Mythology Suite have given the band considerable attention within the progressive metal community...
two previous albums. Michael Romeo confirmed that the track was originally intended to be a long, epic song similar to "The Divine Wings of Tragedy," but was not finished in time due to deadlines. Rumors would later emerge saying the track would be included on one of their future releases. Instead, the song's riffs and melodies were broken up and used on the next album, V: The New Mythology SuiteV-The New Mythology SuiteV: The New Mythology Suite, a concept album, is the fifth studio album by progressive metal band Symphony X. The album deals with the story of Atlantis, ancient Egyptian mythology, and astrology. It is the first Symphony X album to feature bassist Michael Lepond...
, scattered throughout the songs. - As of 2011, the band has only performed four tracks from the album live: "Smoke and Mirrors," "Church of the Machine," "In the Dragon's Den," and "Through the Looking Glass." The track "Smoke and Mirrors" has regularly occurred in the band's set for years.
Personnel
- Russell AllenRussell AllenRussell Allen is the singer of the American progressive metal band Symphony X.-Biography:Before working with a rock band, he was a jouster at a Medieval Times Dinner Theater. He was introduced to the band Symphony X by former singer Rod Tyler...
– vocals - Michael RomeoMichael RomeoSince 2005, Romeo has taken advantage of a new custom model, Caparison Dellinger II - Michael Romeo Custom, which he used to record the Symphony X album Paradise Lost...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
, mini-harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Michael PinnellaMichael PinnellaMichael Pinnella is a keyboard player, most notably for the band Symphony X. He has also released a solo album, a mixture of classical and progressive-styled music titled Enter By the Twelfth Gate on the InsideOut Music label in 2004...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, knife and chainsaw jugglingJugglingJuggling is a skill involving moving objects for entertainment or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling, in which the juggler throws objects up to catch and toss up again. This may be one object or many objects, at the same time with one or many hands. Jugglers often refer... - Thomas Miller – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Thomas Walling – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....