V – The New Mythology Suite

Updated on Dec 08, 2023

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Length 62:41 Release date 10 October 2000 Label Metal Blade Records		Artist Symphony X Producer Michael Romeo

Released October 10, 2000 (2000-10-10) Recorded Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey; Mix-O-Lydian Recording Studio in Lafayette Township, New Jersey; The Dungeon V The New Mythology Suite (2000) Live on the Edge of Forever (2001) Genres Progressive metal, Symphonic metal, Neoclassical metal Similar Symphony X albums, Progressive metal albums

V: The New Mythology Suite is the fifth studio album by progressive metal band Symphony X, released on October 10, 2000 through Inside Out Music. It is a concept album dealing with the story of Atlantis, ancient Egyptian mythology, and astrology. The album is the band's first to feature its current and longest lineup, following the arrival of bassist Michael Lepond and the return of drummer Jason Rullo.

Overview

As well as being a heavier continuation of the band's established progressive metal style, V also includes a multitude of excerpts from classical composers, including Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem Mass in D minor; Johann Sebastian Bach's Concerto for Harpsichord in D minor, BWV 1052 and Cantata No. 188; and Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB 123.

Symphony X's 1998 album Twilight in Olympus was released without a title track; instead, the unfinished compositions from those sessions were later re-worked and distributed in fragments throughout V, particularly on the final track, "Rediscovery (Part II) - The New Mythology". Guitarist Michael Romeo has since confirmed this: "About half of ['Rediscovery (Part II)'] is the song 'Twilight in Olympus', maybe a little more".

Similarities to V by Spock's Beard

There are several notable similarities between V: The New Mythology Suite and V, an album by progressive rock band Spock's Beard. Both albums feature cover art bearing a near-identical desert background image; they were released within months of each other in 2000; they are both bands' fifth studio releases; they were released through the Inside Out label; and they are nearly equal in duration, differing only by eighteen seconds.

Critical reception

Robert Taylor at AllMusic gave V: The New Mythology Suite three stars out of five, saying "As a whole, V: The New Mythology Suite works and proves that Symphony X has chosen to expand, rather than repeat, history in a genre that appeared to have peaked both creatively and technically." Particular attention was drawn to Michael Romeo's guitar playing style, with Taylor likening it to that of Yngwie Malmsteen, but remarking that it "has proved to be both a blessing and a curse for this gifted guitarist. His chops are certainly comparable, but his sound and style are often identical to his idol." He also criticized some of the music and themes as being "all too familiar", as well as singer Russell Allen's "macho vocal style."