The Divine Wings of Tragedy is the third studio album by progressive metal band Symphony X, released in November 1996 through Zero Corporation (Japan)[1] and March 1997 through Inside Out Music (Europe).[2] A remastered edition was reissued on September 13, 2004 through Inside Out, and again in September 17, 2012 as part of a double-LP vinyl release.
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).[2] 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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rock Hard | 9/10[3] |
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 on to 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.[4]
The album ranked #17 in the list "Top 25 Progressive Metal Albums of All Time" by Loudwire.[5] The same magazine named it in #8 on "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time."[6] ThoughtCo also named it on its list "Essential Progressive Metal Albums."[7] In 2020, Metal Hammer included it in their list of top 10 1997 albums.[8]
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" (moved to track 8 on the vinyl release) | 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]
- ^ a b c Taylor, Robert. "The Divine Wings of Tragedy - Symphony X". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-02-04.
- ^ Rensen, Michael. "Symphony X - The Divine Wings Of Tragedy". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ [...], 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.
- ^ Hill, John (August 2, 2017). "Top 25 Progressive Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (July 5, 2017). "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time". Loudwire. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ Marsicano, Dan. "Best Progressive Metal Albums". ThoughtCo. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
- ^ "The Top 10 best albums of 1997". Metal Hammer. Future plc. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
External links
- The Divine Wings of Tragedy at symphonyx.com
- In Review: Symphony X "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy" at Guitar Nine Records