Symphony X at Progfreak.com

This album features Symphony Xs Dream Theater meets Pantera meets Dio meets Dragon Force style of power metal and kicks ass from beginning to end with its combination of in-yer-face guitar riffs, complex melodic figures, odd time signatures, double bass drum power metal drums, Dio-esque vocals and symphonic keyboards. Any power metal fan should enjoy this album!

Nothing much to say... I was blown away at the first listen. Songs mix orchestral power metal with symphonic prog metal, and the classical interludes really blend very well with the more aggressive songs. The vocals are amazing... sometimes really strong on the power parts, sometimes really melodic on the mellow parts. A must have in any music collection...

This is a really excellent metal album. The discussion about it being inferior to V or Divine Wings reminds me of the Dream Theater: Train Of Thought discussions. The albums are quite similar in their effects on fans and critics.

I think that while it is not as good as V or Divine Wings, The Odyssey is slightly better than Twilight in Olympus. There are no weak tracks, but apparently some are more prog and some more metal. The
epic, Awakenings and Accolade II are standout prog tracks, ALL of the other tracks are wonderful (power) metal songs.

The band is playing very tight, and - again very much like Train Of Thought - the keyboards not very prominent ... but they're there, it all  blends nicely into a power metal onslaught, culminating in a symphonic epic (sadly, the classical instruments are samples).

The limited edition also features the older track Masquerade as a bonus, re-recorded with Russell Allen vocals and a nice symphonic intro.