SYMPHONY X Is ‘Ready To Start Writing’ A New Album

BLABBERMOUTH.NET

SYMPHONY X bassist Mike LePond was asked in a new interview with Metal Nation if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to begin writing material for the follow-up to their 2015 album "Underworld". He responded (see video below): "Well, what we decided is as soon as the virus thing kind of slows down a little bit, we're gonna get together and write a new record. We've told [our record label] Nuclear Blast that we're ready to start writing, so they know. So the wheels are gonna start, I would say, within about a month or so." SYMPHONY X was recently forced to postpone its previously announced "25th Anniversary North American tour 2020" due to the coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe. The 28-date trek, which was originally scheduled to kick off in Englewood, New Jersey on May 14 and and conclude on June 17 at The Masquerade in Atlanta, will now take place in 2021. Support on the trek will still come from PRIMAL FEAR and FIREWIND. Heavily inspired by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, "Underworld" drew on the themes from the "Divine Comedy", most notably the part on "Inferno". As homage to Dante's use of the number 3 and its multiples, the band utilized the motif in both lyrical and melodic context. The first song on the album is a three-syllable, three-note melodic phrase and in the verses, there are three references to three songs on the band's third album, "The Divine Wings Of Tragedy". SYMPHONY X completed an extensive tour behind "Underworld" in 2016, including a U.S. run of shows with OVERKILL and a pair of headlining performances in Australia. In July 2017, SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen and his ADRENALINE MOB bandmates were involved in a crash that killed the group's bassist, David Zablidowsky. Last fall, Allen — who has toured with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA since 2013 — was injured during the rehearsals for TSO's annual winter trek and was unable to make the tour.