It was a warm May evening at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, Oregon, with standing room only for one of America’s finest Power Metal bands: Symphony X. At first entering the club it looked slow as the outer bar had one dude eating a slice of pizza with a beer, but when entering the main room it was easy to see that Portland was excited for this show, with the club at full capacity.
As “Overture” off the new album played, the intensity built to a frenzied peak. The band hit the stage with full power, opening with “Nevermore” and really bringing it home. Michael Romeo‘s guitar playing was stunning, as he effortlessly shredded with finesse and emotion put into every note. Russell Allen was spot on the vocals, and the crowd loved every moment of it. Next the band went right into “Evolution” off of V: The New Mythology Suite, giving fans what they craved. Mike LePond was as solid as ever on the bass, with Jason Rullo completing the more than tight rhythm section. Though Michael Pinnella was at the back of the stage, you couldn’t miss his sweet keyboards.
The band played 10 awesome songs in all, as they were the headliner out of 3 acts for the evening. Symphony X still has it, and they proved that on stage in Portland. If you get a chance to catch Symphony X live, don’t miss the opportunity.
Setlist
1. Nevermore
2. Evolution
3. Serpent’s Kiss
4. Sea of Lies
5. Without You
6. When All is Lost
7. Kiss of Fire
8. Run With the Devil
9. Set the World on Fire
10. The Odyssey
Symphony X is
Michael Romeo – Guitars
Russell Allen – Vocals
Jason Rullo – Drums
Michael Pinnella – Keyboards
Mike LePond – Bass
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