Sons of Apollo are back with MMXX (that's 2020 for you non-Romans), the follow up to their debut Psychotic Symphony. I have to admit that while I did enjoy Psychotic Symphony the few times I listened to it, I just never really got into it like I did with a lot of other albums that year. That being said, I guess the best way for me to discuss MMXX would be to do so track by track, so here I go!
1) Goodbye Divinity
The first track starts off with a slow groove that reminds me of that iconic metal album buildup, kind of the way Dream Theater kicks off Train of Thought with As I Am. A simple but pounding riff kicks things into high gear before Jeff Scott Soto's rich voice weaves a melodic chorus with a hook meant to catch. Some flashy finger work by Derek Sherinian and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal take us through the middle section and back to the chorus.
2) Wither to Black
This song starts off with a moderate tempo snare-led drum beat with bass drum triplets. This is one of those songs where the guitar plays one long chord while the singer does some fast vocals for a few bars, then stops singing and the guitar does a fast riff for a few bars (I'm looking at you, Black Dog!). It's a straightforward rocker. Overall, this song doesn't do much for me, but Ron has a good guitar solo.
3) Asphyxiation
Syncoption + Dissonance = RAWR! It's what sounds to me like F and B at the same time haphazardly accenting a muted pedal on the low B string which can only be described as Korn attempting to play Blue Rondo a La Turk. I suppose I can't complain too much, I mean it could be a djent riff. And at least Ron has the good sense to play the riff without that diminished accent during the verses.
4) Desolate July
The faint sounding of a heavy bell...
Hey, is this For Whom the Bell Tolls or Hell's Bells? Nah, the bell is sounding B, not E or A...hmm...how are they gonna start this song?
A soft piano riff with a soft keyboard voice starts it off...so far so good. Jeff Scott Soto sings soft and deep and then lets out his signature howl to kick off the song. There is a short keyboard solo followed by a short guitar solo and Mike Portnoy gets a chance to shine on the drums a bit toward the end of the song.
5) King of Delusion
Another keyboard/piano intro, but the piano is much more proggy - a slow arpeggiated riff in 4/4 followed by a measure in 7/8. This is followed by a riff in 5/8 that trips you up with some 16th note triplets the first time they're heard, but the second time, they lift you up and carry you into the next part which sounds like it would be right at home in a Mozart piano sonata if not for the underlying dissonance.
It's one of the highlights of the album so far and it is a pure joy for the ear.
What seems like the heaviest riff of the album so far kicks things into high gear. The verse and chorus are good; they remind me of Symphony X, specifically the Iconoclast album.
A soft section interrupts things a while and Derek busts into his piano riff again, but things are much more hurried this time with a frantic drum beat. Another heavy riff, short keyboard and guitar solos bring us to one final chorus and Jeff ends the song with some wild screaming that feels a bit forced.
6) Fall to Ascend
Drum city! This intro reminds you that Mike Portnoy is still one of the best drummers in prog today. I read recently that he is less concerned about speed and crazy solos than writing good songs as he is getting older. About a third of the way through, a fast guitar riff followed by trading solos give the Sons a chance to have a bit of good old prog metal fun.
7) Resurrection Day
A fast guitar riff that takes advantage of the open E string as a pedal kicks things off nicely. This is another one that reminds me of later Symphony X for some reason, but that is definitely not a bad thing! Some good solos, including a couple by Billy Sheehan (finally); I feel like he's kind of been absent until now.
8) New World Today
The first track over 10 minutes and in fact almost 16 minutes is saved for last.
A nice sweet guitar melody peppered with some Eruption-esque flashiness starts us off. The song takes off with a hurried rhythmic riff with 3 measures of 5/8 and one of 7/8. It's of the sort we've come to know well from post 90s prog, and while it may seem dated to some, it will be nostalgic and comfortable for others, myself included.
The first section concludes and it's metal madness time! Highlights of this section include a stacatto keyboard lick leading us into another bass solo! A super fast guitar riff in a time signature that hiccups a beat keeps things interesting during this section and solos ensue. Things then slow down a bit and, yes, more solos ensue, including the best keyboard solo of the album.
The hurried rhythm of the beginning returns, but seems less hurried and more victorious this time.
So what is the verdict? There are undoubtedly some great prog metal moments on MMXX, specifically on the second half of the album which are all good tracks. Unfortunately, the great moments are too few and 4 good tracks doesn't make a great album. The songs are simply too forgettable.
Jeff Scott Soto's voice was so grungy that I had to stop and think about the fact that he was in Journey for a time. I wanted to go back and compare his voice now to Yngwie Malmsteen's first album Rising Force. As I was listening to it, I realized that I was enjoying myself more than I had been listening to MMXX.
I listened to all the songs on MMXX in Amazon HD a few times each, and perhaps more repeated listening might change my mind, but there is just better music out there right now. Sorry, Sons of Apollo!
Sons of Apollo - MMXX is available on Amazon Music HD, HDtracks.com in 44.1/24 bit, Qobuz in the same quality hi-res, Deezer, and Tidal.
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