Arguably the album that brought me straight into the world of progressive metal . I had previously been in contact with the genre through friends and band-mates, but artists like Dream Theater and Symphony X didn't resonate with me at that time.
Then I stumbled upon this album while browsing some unholy part of the internet. Immediately it struck a chord (pun intended?) with me. The song-writing is very bold and never hesitates to put in something peculiar into the arrangements. It reminds me of the more odd pieces by queen. The music has a brave outset to never compromise with ideas, no matter how crazy they may seem. To me it differed from the usual "hey, look everyone! we know how to play hard stuff" music compositions.
It's important to note that this band that has rarely (ever?) played live. This gives a musical artist more expressional freedom in a studio setting. Section X is a prime example of this phenomenon. Being a concept album it weaves a story together, from the strange computer voice in the intro track, to the bombastic orchestral arrangements mixed with heavy guitars and drums, and cryptic lyrics touching on subjects concerning the fallacies of the relationship between the human psyche and the subconscious.
The song-writer is clearly inspired by movie-soundtracks. Everything from fantasy, horror to sci-fi is arranged to co-exist in a harsh metal environment. The vocals are on the rough side of the high-pitched power spectrum, with very aggressive choruses. Some songs are more downbeat and showcase more subtle and soft vocals. Contrast is of course always a big element in progressive music, but in some respects perhaps even more-so with Beyond Twilight.
In conclusion; this is not music for everyone. It's a very specific niche of dark progressive metal storytelling. With one part of a track sounding nothing like the next. Like a roller-coaster of dark arrangements. We all know rides can be fun, but for a lot of people it can become too much to handle.
Though take note; I for one love roller-coasters!
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