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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - 'M.M.X.X'
Artist - Sons of Apollo

For those not in the know, Sons of Apollo - former Dream Theater members, and prog legends Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-Guns N' Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth), and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force) - have just released (and on the back of their massive live album from 2019 Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony), their highly impressive new second studio album, M.M.X.X. (released January 17th, 2020 via Inside Out Music).

1. 'Goodbye Divinity'
2. 'Wither to Black'
3. 'Asphyxiation'
4. 'Desolate July'
5. 'King of Delusion'
6. 'Fall to Ascend'
7. 'Resurrection Day'
8. 'New World Today'

This quite boomingly magnificent album opens with the flag-bearing 'Goodbye Divinity', the first single released from the album and one that combines all the musicianship elements that make SOA the band they are.

Complete with Sherinian's synths and a killing riffs courtesy of Thal and Sheehan, that's backed by the heavy-hitting, Portnoy-awoken double pedal work on 'Wither to Black.'

Next up is the all out prog of 'Asphyxiation,' a track that incorporates both fantastic guitar solos and one hell of a catchy chorus, and that's followed by the powerful 'Desolate July' (which allows Soto's aching balladeering to meld beautifully with Sherinian’s piano playing.

'King of Delusion' is a seamless sidle from the last track because it opens with more piano work, but trust me when I say there's a darker side to it's classical underbelly once it begins to breathe life.

Then comes a fast-paced, heavy metal cut showcasing Portnoy’s immense drumming, 'Fall to Ascend,' which is backed by the group musicianship of 'Resurrection Day.' The album then rounds out with the longest track on the album (at nearly 17 minutes), the epic opus 'New World Today.'

A little history on this album and how it came to be is that keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Mike Portnoy agreed that the album would benefit from a bigger chemistry between members, and those who had already performed live together over 80 times by the time of the album production.

Both of them, joined by guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, met at Portnoy's home studio in Pennsylvania and wrote the whole album in around three weeks. The album was recorded in around eight months, with each member being able to work in their own home studios.

Vocalist Jeff Scott Soto wrote all the lyrics, with Sherinian helping him with some of the melody lines. He commented that he admired Soto's bluesy voice, which he thought contrasted with the more operatic vocals of other progressive metal bands.

Because the album was released in the beginning of a decade, Portnoy decided to name it "MMXX" (2020 in Roman numerals) and commenting on the cover, which was again created by Thomas Ewerhard, he said "For the first record, we had a mythological feel. This time around though, there's a much more futuristic style to what we've got."

"It has a very 21st century appeal. And the band crest is more polished, cleaned up and a lot more modern than last time, when it had an old fashioned look."

M.M.X.X. is now available as a standard CD package, Limited Edition 2 CD package with instrumental and a cappella versions, 2 LP + CD package, and digital download.

Amazon CD (Standard Edition) Purchase Link

www.SonsOfApollo.com

Sons of Apollo @ Facebook

Sons of Apollo @ Twitter

www.InsideOutMusic.com





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