V: The New Mythology Suite

V: The New Mythology Suite is Symphony X's fifth album, a grand progressive-metal work depicting mythological subject matter in a sweeping suite structure. It builds a story of Atlantis and lost wisdom as a concept album in which all thirteen songs tightly link together. It is the first album with bassist Michael Lepond, and citations from classical composers like Mozart, Verdi and Bach are woven throughout. Themed around the number five and the five senses, it was released in 2000 through Inside Out Music. Opening with "Prelude," the flow through the dramatic "Evolution (The Grand Design)," the tranquil "Communion and the Oracle," and on to the 13-minute closer "Rediscovery, Pt. II" is stunning. Short pieces called "segues" connect the songs, weaving a single story across the record. Russell Allen's singing and the virtuosity of Romeo and Pinnella blend into one — one of the band's signature works. Recorded across several studios including Trax East and The Dungeon, it is meticulously constructed.