Review: Symphony X, Bierkeller

Preposterously, there are three great metal gigs in Bristol tonight, so a decision has to be made. Sorry Finnish folk-metallers Ensiferum at the Marble Factory and Irish punk/metallers Therapy? aboard the good ship Thekla, but the Bierkeller’s prog-metal triple bill wins on points.

Any apprehension that the audience may be spread too thinly is quickly dispelled as the queue is still snaking all the way down to Nelson Street when France’s Melted Space arrive on stage. This puts them in the uncomfortable position of playing to an initially sparse audience as they struggle to fit on stage in front of the other two bands’ gear. That’s because this self-styled ‘opera metal’ act from scenic Troyes aren’t strictly a band but more of an Ayreon-style collective with a revolving membership and hordes of guests. At one point, they actually contrive to squeeze eight people on to the stage, including four vocalists (two male, two female) – each with different styles. Since B24/7 caught only a handful of their songs, it’s difficult to make a judgement, but their supercharged brand of symphonic metal certainly sounds suitably ambitious.

There are an awful lot of people here to see Tunisia’s Myrath on their very first UK tour, and they seem especially pleased to be here too. Zaher Zorgati has even learned an authentic local phrase (“Cheers, mate!”) for the occasion. Blending metal with Arabic scales and rhythms is nothing new – indeed, Oriental Metal is now a booming sub-genre of its very own. But with four albums under their collective belt, Myrath have honed this approach to perfection, with an exceptionally gifted guitarist in the form of Malek Ben Arbia, who founded the band at the age of 13. Most of tonight’s set is drawn from newie Legacy, which demonstrates an increasing boldness and sophistication in adapting the universal language of metal to the musicians’ own culture. While it would be wrong to describe Myrath as an overtly political band, songs like Get Your Freedom Back are clearly addressed to the Arab world. Believer and Duat are standouts, but it’s also great to hear the exquisite Wide Shut from Tales of the Sands. There are loud boos when their set is cut short through time constraints, probably robbing us of Merciless Times. Come back soon, rockin’ Tunisian fellas! Incidentally, if you can’t get enough of Middle Eastern metal, it’s just been announced that Assyrian black metallers Melechesh will be supporting Nile at the Bierkeller in April.

There’s certainly something strange about being lectured by an American bloke at a metal gig about how Homer’s Odyssey has a happy ending (“He comes home to sleep with his wife”) in comparison with that of Orpheus in the Underworld. But veteran New Jersey prog-metallers Symphony X have never been shy when it comes to mining literature and mythology for concept albums. Their new one, Underworld, updates the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, with a dash of Dante’s Inferno. But, hey, that’s practically punk rock next to Dream Theater, whose wholly original latest concept album runs to more than two hours and just entered the UK album charts ahead of the new one from indie darlings Bloc Party – which gives you some idea of how popular this grandiose stuff has become below the mainstream media radar.

Tonight, Symphony X play the whole of Underworld from start to finish, in a suitably theatrical production that requires frontman Russell Allen (who, brilliantly, began his performing career as a jouster in a fake castle at a Medieval Times dinner theatre) to sport two different masks during To Hell and Back. It’s certainly well structured for a live show, with the furiously paced yet melodic Nevermore serving as a perfect introduction and almost-ballad Without You adding cunningly timed light and shade. The underrated Allen is on extraordinary form, hitting every single note, while band founder, chief songwriter and guitarist Michael Romeo’s fretboard furiosity bounces skilfully off Michael Pinnella’s intricate keyboard textures, their combined huge sound barely being contained by the Bierkeller.

With Underworld (almost) done and dusted, there’s little time to revisit the back catalogue, but they start by plucking bonkers, time-changey instrumental The Death of Balance from The New Mythology Suite (think Gentle Giant go metal). Out of the Ashes reminds us that the spirit of the late, great Ronnie James Dio is never far away from Symphony X’s music. And just when we thought they’d left a bit off Underworld, they return to it for album closer and final encore, Legend, sending the perhaps surprisingly diverse audience home sated and more than a little deafened.

All pix by Mike Evans