I think some of the other reviewers were unfair in how they reviewed this album - especially those that approached it after hearing some of the later Symphony X offerings first. Now, I'm not coming on here as the die-hard down-from-the-start toolbar fan, because this wasn't my first Symphony X album, either. However, I think that it is an incredible debut. Although it lacks some of the sophistication and quality of later releases, it is still a thoroughly complex and masterful Symphony X album.

The first thing that has to be said is that the sound quality is extremely lacking on this album. The other thing is that, yes, Russell Allen isn't the vocalist on this album. However, I don't think the vocalist is as bad as what other poeple were saying. He's got a pretty solid voice - not quite as powerful as Allen's, but still works well with the music.

It may be a little difficult to try get into this album after hearing the more refined and better produced albums by Symphony X, but I think it's still a great album and one that I definitely put on a lot.

Being that this is Symphony X's first album, and looking at what they've become, it's really hard to get upset about the quality of this album. The production quality is not the best and the singing doesn't sound all that great, but I think it's just because they didn't balance everything right. My favourite thing about the album is the old version of Masquerade (you can find a newer & heavier version on the Odyssey album). You can really see how far the band has come by comparing the two.

Despite having been a big fan of Symphony X's work with vocalist Russell Allen, I had avoided their self-titled debut album up until recently. Somewhere along the line, I had heard some negative things about the debut: that it was "borderline hair metal", that it didn't really sound like the Symphony X I knew, or that original vocalist Rod Tyler was awful. Oh, foolish, foolish me. For the record, the rumors of this album's inferiority are greatly, greatly exaggerated.

In essence, all the basic elements of what Symphony X is about are present here, minus Russell Allen. 4/5ths of the line-up that recorded "The Damnation Game" and their seminal masterpiece, "Divine Wings of Tragedy", are present. Also present are the basic musical ingredients of what makes Symphony X great: neo-classical instrumental and compositional elements, tempered with a healthy amount of restraint when needed, a huge dose of melodic focus and catchy hooks, a profound sense of heaviness, groove and feel in the guitar and rhythm section, and a fair amount of offbeat prog-rock elements. Two of the main concerns I had going in were the album's reputation as far as inferior vocals and poor production. I'll say it now: although Rod Tyler isn't quite up to the standards set by his successor, he acquits himself well. If (using a comparison to Rainbow) Russell Allen can be said to channel Dio, Rod Tyler is more akin to Graham Bonnet: a bit pitchier, more tending to bellow, and less "in-control", but by no means awful. At worst, he's still better than Dream Theater's James LaBrie. As far as production, there's nothing unlistenable here. Michael Romeo's guitar leads are sometimes mixed too low, as if he's almost sheepish about his talent, but then again, that's one reason why these guys are good: talent in service of the listener's experience, rather than in service of the musicians' ego.

The songs themselves are pretty good, and in fact, are sometimes better than those on "The Damnation Game". Highlights include fan-favorite "Masquerade" (re-recorded as a bonus track on "The Odyssey"), the mini-epic "Absinthe and Rue" (where the band restrains its soloing until the last third, instead initially showcasing a mean-as-hell riff), the Queen-inspired "Raging Season", and extended prog-metal album-closer "A Lesson Before Dying". The chemistry between Romeo and keyboardist Mike Pinella is obvious from the start, and as always, Jason Rullo's drumming is tastefully restrained, but always on time. Thomas Miller's bass playing is strong, as well.

While the band's subsequent releases may be more confident, and in many ways better, the fact that an album viewed by the band itself as a glorified demo is as good as it is, warrants a 5 star review, especially given the lack of major label support. Don't make the same mistake as I did; if you like Symphony X's later material, check this one out.

I'll agree with one thing the reviewers said: dont make this your first Symphony X listening experience. I don't agree that Rod Tyler is a horrific vocalist...I just think that Russell Allen is so powerful and talented that he leaves everyone else in the dust. Absinthe and Rue is a really cool track, and you can see that Symphony X really rose from tracks like that. Shades of Grey is a nice tune too. Overall, a good album but definitely the least impressive from the band (makes sense...its a debut!). So if you like the other stuff, give it a look, overwise I'd say go with Divine Wings of Tragedy of the phenomenal Odyssey.

In contrast to some of the other reviewers here, I feel that this is a stellar album. I have been a fan of SX for several years and listened to all their other albums before I bought this one last week. With that said, I became accustomed to their later works, complete with fully developed and well-produced sound and admittedly better vocal performance. When I listened to this, I instantly fell in love with the raw underdeveloped sound. It truly makes it a treat for fans to hear SX in their first release, and somehow it adds a bit of awe to the music because the listener realizes that all their prowess is a result of great performance and not superb studio effects.

Now, this album is definitely more of a normal 80s metal album, say Malmsteen-style with the standard galloping double-bass drumming beat, than a prog album, but it's clearly metal with the SX neo-classical twist. And you can definitely hear the SX originality here. The characteristic complex layering, guitar solos straying from pure major scales, keyboard solos in all various instruments, and unexpected vocal twists and choruses are all there. Furthermore, this in my opinion is a very tight and very melodic album. Despite the innovative playing and creative bridges, there's not a lot of excess shredding and techno-solo-mumbo-jumbo that you find on later albums (or with other bands, notably the ever-excellent but technical Dream Theater). It's mostly just creative melodies with lots of sudden key changes and time changes that sound great. Also of interest, you can clearly hear some influences... I hear a lot of Rush, early Dream Theater (specifically When Dream and Day Unite), some early Queensryche. The only negative is the vocal strength of the singer. He's good, but not that great. The strength here is definitely the instrumental quality, not singing quality.

All in all, this album sounds a bit different than later works but is excellent in its own right. If you are not a stickler for production quality and appreciate it when bands put out slightly different styles in each album, pick this up.