‘Psychotic Symphony’, the first album by Sons of Apollo, was a more than solid debut, but I think this new effort represents the first real exams for Mike Portnoy (drums), Derek Sherinian (keyboards), Jeff Scott Soto (vocals), Ron ‘Bumblefoot’ Thal and Billy Sheehan (bass), on whether they can live up to the expectations created just by mentioning their names.
Upon listening to ‘MMXX’, the verdict is that, apparently, they can. The band seems tighter, like a sports team playing together for two seasons in a row that shows more confidence and chemistry – mainly the members other than the… Del Fuvio brothers, who had all that already. This is clearly a more aggressive record, as showcased by ‘Asphyxiation’ and ‘King of Delusion’. Meanwhile, ‘Desolate July’ is Sons of Apollo’s first power ballad, perfectly suited for Jeff Scott Soto’s voice.
Lastly, ‘New World Today’ is the beast of a song that Portnoy enjoys finishing his records with. By the way, it is worth seeing how this leader is guiding his bandmates in the writing session video that’s available on YouTube.
