Symphony X

At the beginning of 1994, Michael Romeo recorded a demo titled The Dark Chapter on which he performed a few pieces of his own composition. He then put together a band with Thomas Miller on bass, with whom he had already collaborated in the past. Together, they would enlist Jason Rullo on drums, Rod Tyler on vocals and Michael Pinnella on keyboards to form the first line-up of Symphony X. Their first album, Symphony X, was recorded the same year and released in Japan under the Zero Corporation Label. This album received a very positive reception there as well as in some European countries. The album concludes with a 12-minute piece. Their second album, The Damnation Game, came out just six months later. Rod Tyler, due to a lack of motivation, was replaced by Russell Allen, who clearly influenced the band (medieval side).