As I’ve gotten older my tastes, interestingly enough, have become more and more extreme and oftentimes are polar opposites of each other depending on my mood.  Sometimes I want to relax with something a bit more “out there” and atmospheric, and other times I’m in the heads down bullrush mode and want to bang my head to the most insane sounding stuff.  But dang it all, there are still those times where I fall somewhere in the middle and want to here something more melodic with its own sense of beauty.  “Without You” from Symphony X absolutely falls in this latter category.

I can hear the guffaws and hardy har har hars from some of you that are familiar with this great band and their material:  THIS SONG???  ARE YOU KIDDING???  It’s too mellow and soft!  There are waaaay better songs than this!  To that I say…  you’re right, but it depends on what I want to listen to at a given time.  Symphony X is an extremely talented band, exhibiting more musicianship than some of their fellow progressive counterparts (Dream Theater, Kamelot, etc) but the key diff is the versatile pipes of Sir Russell Allen.  Allen’s vocal talents are reminiscent of prime Ronnie James Dio during some of the heavier cuts but I actually prefer the timbre and tonality of his voice when he’s less aggressive and actually sings.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love those headbangers but his style is more unique and powerful during the band’s more melodic moments and his voice has become even stronger and confident over each passing album.

As a whole, “Without You” is one of those moments, an unparalleled bit of majestic beauty that ranks as a high watermark of melody in their lengthy catalog.  After kicking off with a few introductory power chords underlain with an acoustic pattern, Allen starts off with a beautiful vocal during the verse before the heavier chords kick in come chorus time.  The song continues to build in the second verse, eventually pushing the sonics into another atmosphere with a fantastic guitar solo from Michael Romeo.  And did I mention majesty and beauty?  Take a listen to that short passage immediately after the solo- just a beautiful symphonic tradeoff between piano, keys, acoustic guitar, and bass that lays a perfect bed of emotion for Allen to sing over and carry us back once again into the chorus as the band gradually segues to a close.

Take one part dramatic vocal, add a healthy dollop of heroic guitar rock, and toss in some tasty melody and symphonic moments in the mix and you’ve got a winner.  “Without You” does this in spades and then some.  Think Kansas/Foreigner mixed with Yngwie Malmsteen/Dream Theater/Rainbow and you’re in the ballpark.  Fantastic stuff.