Sons of Apollo are back after their excellent debut and subsequent tour. One of the many supergroups that have come out in the past decade. The band consists of Mike Portnoy (drums) and Derick Sherinian (Keys) of Dream Theater. The former has also been in an endless string of projects. Portnoy’s fellow bass player from The Winery Dogs, Billy Sheehan. Also, Bumblefoot (guitars) and Jeff Scott Soto (vocals) are on board. After their amazing first album, I wondered if they would ever return. Portnoy does have a tendency to move on from project to project. But Sons of Apollo seem to be here to stay, releasing their unreal sophomore effort that eclipses their first.
Yes, ‘MMXX’ surpasses their incredible debut album ‘Psychotic Symmetry.’ And it’s already a contender for best metal album of 2020. It’s chock full of excellent jams, complex arrangements, strong vocal melodies, addictive heavy grooves and sick sick solos. From both Derick Sherinian and Bumblefoot. And it’s top to bottom. Not one weak moment on the whole album. And like the most recent Dream Theater album, it’s not the longer, more prog oriented tracks that make the record special. It’s the four to six minute rockers that really stand out.
The longer tracks on the album: ‘Goodbye Divinity,’ ‘King of Delusion,’ and the epic ‘New World Today,’ are all amazing. ‘Goodbye Divinity’ opens the album with confidence and strength. While ‘New World Today’ closes the album mixing class and heavyness. Opening with a beautiful piano melody that evolves into a bad ass riff and jam.
But again, it’s the shorter tracks that really stand out. The second track ‘Wither to Black’ is one of the best songs the band has ever done. It just simply rocks. Particularly the bridge jam with a nasty key and guitar solo. It’s hair raising. But the momentum keeps moving with the next ‘Asphyxiation.’ Which makes bands like Disturbed look like amateurs; containing a jam that ends them all. What’s amazing is how the band stays in their ballpark throughout the whole album. Yet, they manage to make every song interesting. Even if it feels slightly repetitive. The two other shorter tracks, ‘Fall to Ascend’ and ‘Resurrection Day’ are two more wham, bam thank you m’ams. Particularly the latter which contains a killer middle eastern metal intro. Very powerful. Which is honestly how I would describe the entire album. Even the ballad ‘Desolate July’ shines through with quality. It’d be a major hit if it came out 15 years ago.
Overall, I’d say this album is a solid four out of five stars. The only reason there isn’t an added star is due to semi-typical lyrical content. But Sons of Apollo aren’t really about lyrics. It’s all about the music. And music it is.
