An interview with Michael Romeo from Symphony X - September 2012

[@tc4245]

A great, humble, normal guy and an absolutely incredibly talented musician. A monster guitarist!

[@misterpatitucci]

I love his reaction at 5:36, when the interviewer asks him about having female vocals on a future album. "We do our thing. That's it." Love it!

[@Strato13]

I know, right? That shit was funny because Nightwish came to mind, and his reaction was priceless lol

[@jorgecatalanl.3735]

Michael Romeo gives me the enthusiasm to practice all days! I love him like a musician and as a person

[@AeroMetalMoe]

I just love getting to know the persons behind the music. It helps me great time to understand the music even more and it is just interesting to get all these background stories. Michael Romeo is such an down to earth guy, what a great band.

[@HipHopAn0n]

One of the best interviews I've ever seen!

[@Mam_2854]

Thanks for that greeeaaaat interview!!

[@LeithianOficial]

Maestro!

[@GuitarGuy84XX]

Outstanding interview, thank you!

[@tc4245]

Mike - You are by far the most talented guitarist to come out of Jersey since Al Di Meola. Your arrangements and compositions are pure genius - Danny Elfman can't tie your shoes. But when an interviewer asks if Blackmore / Rainbow was an influence (twice) and you say "no", one has to chuckle. Must've been tired of hearing the same question for the 1000th time....

[@tc4245]

He doesn't need to. Blackmore pretty much invented the shoe....

[@tc4245]

I know. He looks tired in this interview. Mike is really an awesome guy and just so incredibly talented, not just gifted. He works really hard. I'm sure he gets weary of the same questions over and over after 20 something years of it. It's 2am, it's after a show, you're 2000 miles from home, living the life of a "carny", then ya have to put on heirs for an interviewer. It's not easy. I'd love to hear more film soundtracks and acoustic things published by him as side projects. That is one unique talent he has over just about everyone.

[@LaObraDeMarteLODM]

Saint James Best Answer

[@DesignInNature]

SJI Blackmore is THE most overrated guitarist in the history of the six strings. I've been listening to all kinds of Rock music for over 30 years. I keep waiting to find a video that shows his "Amazing" guitar playing without any luck. The guy learned 20 seconds of ONE, AND JUST ONE Bach Bourre, which classical guitarists knew in its entirety in the first 6 months of instruction, and he suddenly became lauded as a classical virtuoso? Give me a break! Ritchie wrote some of the most awesome, hard driving riffs in the history of Rock music. No doubt about that. But again, RIFFS. But as a PLAYER, his contemporaries like Rory Gallagher in the blues, and Tonny Iommy in Metal, were light years ahead of him in soloing ability. Sorry if you are one of his cult followers, but it's true. And don't get me started on guitarists from other genres. Electric Jazz guitarists from as early as 1959 had sweep arpeggios, tremolo picking, and blistering solos down to a science. Oscar Moore, with the Nat King Cole trio comes to mind. Acoustic Jazzers like Django Reinhardt we doing it even earlier, and with just 2 working fingers! Nothing earth shattering about Ritchie's technique.

[@tarkus1056]

Yeah, basically every SX metal song is Gates of Babylon

[@EvilDragon666]

Such a great guy.

[@Marioguitar]

Great interview, you asked lots of things I wanted to know!!! :)

[@somewickedmusic]

thank you for giving away this interview, dude. Romeo is the man!

[@YonGuitarShred]

Excelente entrevista!!!. Es la primera entrevista en la que realmente se hablan cosas muy interesantes y en la que ademas Michael Romeo se sentía bien platicando con alguien sobre música, composición, tipos de programas, equipo, etc. Un saludo y muchas felicidades por esta entrevista.

[@caprise-music6722]

Great interview! Excellent sound

[@TheArkitecht]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@kamikazekrush3758]

Great interview, Rediscovery part 2 is also one of my favorite tracks!

[@TheArkitecht]

Thanks man. I know, right? It's incredible how neglected that track is by the band itself!

[@kamikazekrush3758]

@@TheArkitecht yeah it is, but they have so many great songs to choose from I guess

[@TheArkitecht]

@@kamikazekrush3758 Yeah, that's also true :)

[@MrGul]

"Well, you know, it's like, that stuff, yeah." x666 He's still a very epic composer, brilliant guitar player, excellent producer and a long-time hero of mine, despite his constant overuse of the same words. Long live King Romeo! =)

[@gwendon2973]

Hey ...Michael ...I will always listen to your Music ! band or no band !

[@longinus101]

Great Interview!!!:)

[@Strato13]

@ 5:35 "Nah nahhhh man!" Classic!

[@MattWilson777]

YES YOU DO HAVE TO TELL US!

[@Shredder-KJ]

Symphony x was my first real professional concert 🎵 🥰 I was 16 😂

[@AtanasovPetar]

Divine wings of tragedy is their best record.

[@MrFreakybeer]

IM goin stick with this band until i die whatever they may do. this integrety and respect for the fans . They do their shit. They do it perfectly and thats it. Fuck. Yeah.

[@diegotafur2072]

Thanks man.

[@mattsdpell5029]

He said that they don't want to do a dvd just for selling: they want to create something really different, maybe with an orchestra too, something that could make them happy and us too.

[@badmoon722]

Hahaha dude asks "what do you listen to besides metal?" And Michael Romeo answers "meshugga"

[@SmokeAndMirrors2]

Honest guy

[@EgoShredder]

King Romeo uses Steinberg Cubase........I bet like me he has used this since the early Atari ST versions in the early 1990s. Great software made for creative musicians to get ideas down fast, but with a ton of flexible control.

[@TheArkitecht]

You're welcome! :)

[@Afterlifenet]

ROMEO YOU'RE SO FUCKING GREAT MEN! WE LOVE YOU!

[@TheArkitecht]

Thanks man!

[@kefenefet]

Michael Romeo + Cesar Huesca = End of the world

[@LenweWallace]

I was hoping you asked if there was any probability of they making another song like The Odyssey or TDWOT. :/ Esperaba que preguntaras si habría alguna posibilidad de que hicieran otra música como The Odyssey o TDWOT :/

[@TheArkitecht]

Thanks man

[@shredsixsixsix9218]

at 17:20 he asks ,"What else can the band be doing ,thaat they haven't done yet?" Answer OPEN a Pizza Parlour!

[@DomellicA]

Hey guys, I didn't understand the answer about the project to make a dvd.. I want a live dvd!!

[@MrDrako816]

Muy buena entrevista pero es muy dificil entender, vi que se hizo en mexico ojala alguien la pueda traducir

[@growingforboredom]

he uses a baked potato as a slide

[@IlPadroneDelleStelle]

you know, you know...

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

7:02 hahah wich program you use. then cut..... lol Personally i think like this, no angel helped me to find the gear and work flow that fits to my music now, sometimes i think that just on patreon i gonna tell. Personally i got fiber with this tech stuff, toke a lot of my time to figure out how to do things without much money

[@TheArkitecht]

Personally I think that tools don't make art, is people. Tools are just tools.

[@emanuel_soundtrack]

@@TheArkitecht i think that art and tools came from the same root in greek if i remember. TO do art you need a pencil, a paper, a piano, a software. Only poetry is totally free, thats the beauty. Btw he said he used Cubase

[@TheArkitecht]

@@emanuel_soundtrack I mean, I agree with that, but you don't need that specifi pencil or that paper to make great art, is in your craft. He totally uses cubase

[@ingetnamn8866]

To the interviewer: It's very annoying when you try to put words in his mouth. I want to hear what he has to say, not what you might think he's trying to say. I appreciate you did this interview but please try to stay out the answers as much as possible. It's understandable that you're excited but try to be a little bit more professional. Anyways, thank you for doing this. MJR and the guys from SymX are incredible!

[@vamos1112]

Nah, the interviewer was fine

[@danflak6363]

"Where else you.. erm.. make music?" LOL. Let's keep on topic.

[@gonzalobelatti]

PC rocks dude! that's right ROMEO!!! yeah! lol

[@EdwardFlores]

u know... u know

[@TheArkitecht]

lol

[@wurstgitarre]

Dude, don't fucking change anything :D

[@FernandoAgurto]

Sería bueno los subtítulos compas ahí un buen samaritano que sepa hacerlo bien.

[@lt7114]

You spelled architect wrong.

[@myewgul]

Haha I'm a PC guy too.

[@jaspergillgannon4991]

Why does he remind me so much of Adam Sandler in this vid?

[@TheArkitecht]

LOL!

[@EgoShredder]

The interviewer mentions trying guttural vocals or girl singers but these are just gimmicks and would take away quality from the actual music. For me SymX had the composition and style right with their V album, so I hope they do not degenerate into competing with lesser music out there in the Metal genre.

[@Anyi_Aracely]

:v

[@andreesj9589]

Maestro!!