Equilibrio

I've always been a fan of power and symphonic metal, and while the melody of this rock opera is certainly pleasing to the ear, the male singers sound just a little too...effeminate...I like my metal, when sung by dudes, to have a level of pounding bad-assery. Something that reflects...me, I guess. It should have a monstrous countenance. So my favorite parts were the growling vocals of George Oosthoek. Which is odd for me, because I usually steer clear of his style in other symphonic metal albums. Perhaps it was the apt placement of his vocals with the energy of the music that appealed to me this time.

I love Transiberian Orchestra, I really do, but their albums, sometimes tend to become boring and specially because of their extensive length. Thus, Xystus brought the perfect balance of power, charisma, drama, and musical brilliance. This is opera the way it is supposed to be done. With a high quality in the production department this album is simply amazing. Perhaps is sounds a little bit like Therion's Gothic Kabbalah in the music department. The inclusion of many characters, twists, and heavy metal music very balanced altogether creates a very organic, soulfull and creative piece of music. HIGHLY Recommended!

I'll be the first to say that there is nothing revolutionary about this album. The lyrics aren't particularly deep, and the story is your standard fantasy fare.Despite that, it's a great listen for those who enjoy symphonic metal. Where most metal groups write their music and then add orchestration, Xystus approached this as scoring for an orchestra that has a metal band in it. In fact, the orchestra dominates the sound of the album most of the time. But that is fine, as USConcert, "the oldest symphony orchestra in the Netherlands," performs with clarity and gusto. It's not a particularly heavy album, but there are definitely points where you will find yourself rocking out.The vocal performances are quite good, especially from Epica's Simone Simons and Michelle Splietelhof, who, as far as I can tell, is a Broadway-style musical theater performer. George Oosthock does a fine job being a grunty Death, and the two male leads, while I can barely tell their voices apart, both perform with good tone and expression.If you are the kind of person who likes Kamelot and Les Miserables, I think you will enjoy this album a lot.

A l'écoute de ce nouvel essai de métal symphonique, on ne peut qu'être incroyablement surpris par la qualité de l'ensemble.Une ouverture symphonique de toute beauté, à mi-chemin entre musique classique et musique de film suivi par des actes comme dans un opéra, ou une pièce de théâtre avec plusieurs chanteurs et chanteuses intervenant dans le rôle qui leur a été confié.On remarquera l'adhésion au projet de Simone Simons de Epica notamment dans le rôle de Lady Sophia.Après lecture du livret, on apprend d'ailleurs que près de 130 personnes ont travaillé sur ce spectacle pendant près d'un an et demi et que ce spectacle a été joué aux Pays-Bas notamment.La production du disque est impeccable et l'ensemble est vraiment surprenant par la qualité générale qui s'en dégage.Les partitions symphoniques collent parfaitement avec les riffs de guitare et les chants qui s'y greffent.Bref, une très belle surprise et une très belle réussite.

Molto bella questa rock opera anche se bisognaascoltarla molto attentamente. Infatti ad un primoascolto lascia un po' spiazzati. Comunque dopovari ascolti il concept si fa apprezzare nel suocomplesso. Ovviamente è consigliata ai fans delpower come del ghotic metal e anche della musicaclassica in generale. Non ho messo 5 stelle perchénel finale le canzoni si perdono un po' per strada.

Als audiophiles Gesamtwerk durchaus sehr spannend. Braucht Zeit und Ohr - und was dann so dahinter steckt. Wäre spannend, das Werk auf der Bühne oder als Video mit allem audio-Brimborium zu erleben. Hst durchaus das Zeug, eine "moderne Oper" abzugeben. Für mein Sound- und Musikverständnis ein klares: lohnt sich zu kaufen.