SYMPHONY X have confirmed that they have entered the studio to begin recording their long-awaited new album, currently titled "Paradise Lost II," a direct conceptual sequel to their acclaimed 2007 album "Paradise Lost" — the progressive metal retelling of John Milton's epic poem that many consider the New Jersey band's artistic peak. The announcement, made via the band's official social media channels on March 10, ends a period of considerable anxiety among the band's fanbase about the long silence following their 2015 album "Underworld."
Guitarist Michael Romeo, the primary composer and driving creative force behind SYMPHONY X, confirmed in the announcement that "Paradise Lost II" will pick up the narrative of the 2007 album while expanding the musical scope significantly — incorporating symphonic elements that are larger and more integrated than anything the band has previously attempted. "The story that we told in 2007 always felt like the first half of something larger," Romeo said. "The themes of loss, redemption, and the nature of evil that Milton explored deserve to be followed to their full conclusion. We're now in a position, musically and personally, to do that."
Vocalist Russell Allen, whose extraordinary tenor has been the voice of SYMPHONY X since their 1994 formation, confirmed that his voice has fully recovered from the vocal cord issues that limited his output in the early 2020s. "I feel like I'm singing at the level I was at during the 'V' and 'Odyssey' era," Allen said. "The material Michael has written is the most demanding he's ever given me, and I mean that in the best possible way." A target release of fall 2026 has been mentioned, though no official date has been confirmed.