Romeo is quite a private person, so it's a real pleasure to watch a 30-minute chat with him, especially when he talks about the roots of the band, which is rarely mentioned. Thanks Ola, and long live Symphony X!
He's not underrated as a guitarist,he's a very good guitar player and nobody said the opposite...You wanted to say he's not a worldwide celebrity? Then I agree
@@FS-rm1yg yes, he is. Read again, talking about the general guitar public. The fact YOU and our tinny bubble appreciate MR's greatness, doesn't make him less underrated.
@@BrofUJuyeah I think you’re right. Saw them in Paris at that time I think, opening for Dream Theater for their Chaos in Motion tour, they played the Odyssey that night. It was incredible to witness that live
Wow! I couldn't click this fast enough! Best band in history. I met them in 2002 in Chicago. My brother was supposed to go, but ended up in the hospital. When I stood with Jason and Michael Lepond, I told them how bummed he was. They were like, 'That sucks. Let's call him.' Total class act.
I love MR! He looks and sounds like the average New Yorker (my best friend was born and raised in Brooklyn), the guy that works down at the tire store. If you met him on the street, you'd never suspect that he's one of the premier prog metal guitarists on the planet.
I love the fact that he keeps his live rig so relatively simple. The Quad Cortex with his ENGL profiled, a chorus, a delay, an overdrive & I think he also uses a wah and that's pretty much it. ''I'm fine.." I've actually seen SX live a couple of times over the years and his live tone was always amazing. ...and then you have people online, spending more time obsessing about pedals, amps, pre-amps, pickups and what not, instead of actually playing.
This is a treat. Michael is a hero and Symphony X is one of the first totally mind blowing bands I heard. Saw them live and they were flawless. So so good.
I first listened to Symphony X circa 2003/04 while I myself started playing music in a prog rock band. the guitarists in my band were huge fans of SX, but I was already neck deep into DT at that point, so finding out about SX was such a refreshing experience, it was also metal, also proggy, but that element of neo classical touch to it made my mind go crazy! I've been a fan ever since! Anyway 2007 rolls around and they finally toured Mexico, I was so freaking stoked, they were so obscure in my eyes that I thought, no way they would ever step foot and play shows in my country, but then it happened and they played at the Cafe Iguana in Monterrey and I HAD to be there! As you can probably guess the show was amazing, and I was right, there was a lot of people that attended the show but it wasn't a sold out show, but I was so happy I finally saw them live, never thought it would happen! the show ends, and I was still so pumped and I remembered a friend of mine that used to work as a receptionist in a hotel downtown Monterrey, which was a several blocks from where Cafe Iguana is, told me earlier that day "hey I think Symphony X is staying at the hotel across the street from where I work! you should come check!", so I thought to hell with it let's go! I walked all the way to the hotel like a 15 min walk to get there and I enter the lobby and saw it was a bit dark but I asked for them if maybe someboy in the lobby knew or had seen them.... then as the receptionists were talking to me, from afar I hear someone yell "HEY !! OVER HERE!!" so I walk over to where I heard that and it was none other than RUSSELL ALLEN who had uttered those words, I WAS BEYOND STOKED, and sitting across from him was MICHAEL ROMEO ha! they were just chilling there just chatting but they were SUPER welcoming, I remember RUSSELL saying "come on man! sit have a beer with us!!" and I actually sat down with them and one handed a beer to me (funny to point out the dang beer was warm as hell lol!) but I still popped it open and took a few sips so I tell them my story about how I started listening to their music and that I was in a band inspiried by them and so on and they were all open ears and said "well we're glad you enjoyed the show man!" another funny bit that happened is that I had bought a Symphony X shirt but it wasn't from their official merch, you know how it is in Mexico, the hustle people do outside of concerts, there were a TON of bootleg merch with the band logos and such, so I had bought one of those, instead of the official merch. Then MICHAEL goes "lol! what is that you're wearing!!" and I innocently said "oh! I bought it just outside the venue!!" and they burst laughing lol! then I proceeded to ask for a photo and an autograph, said thank you and left! I was soo damn happy that night! me writing all of this to point out that both MICHAEL and RUSSELL were such a down to earth and real humble people and I will never forget that interaction! bonus: I HAD NO IDEA how the band actually started! what a cool chat Ola thank you for this !
OMFG, THANK YOU OLA! To this day, MR is the most humble guitarist i have ever met. 17 year old me met him at a fan greet during Gigantour, Holmdel NJ 2006...Naturally, being a jersey kid, he was "our" guy, y'know? Sayreville was only 20 minutes away, and i had been trying to land lessons with him for years. When i finally met him, my exact words were "DUDE YOU ARE LIKE JASON BECKER AND YNGWIE COMBINED!" He actually blushed a little, just smiled, laughed and said " Man, i am nowhere near as good as those guys." That was such a pivotal learning moment, beyond humbling, exactly what i needed to hear from someone i practically worshipped. I knew i wasn't alone, even my heroes had difficulty accepting their own talents, as i did with mine. More importantly, i learned that people who are the best at their jobs have very little ego and are kind and forgiving towards their "inferiors." I needed that lesson, really bad... Thank you, Mr Romeo. You helped me become a better person with that small moment of humility. I hope to run into you again someday.
Symphony X is my safe place since the last 15 years or so. Everytime I put ANY of their records in my car, for example, I'm marveled beyond words, no matter how many times I listen to it, and that's not an easy thing to do. Their sound is a bold wall and so concise and full of brutal beauty. Michael Romeo is usually referred to as the guy who writes neoclassical stuff, but I belive that what this guy is giving to MODERN metal is even bigger. His solo stuff... In a time when matal is dying, he keeps evolving and delivering amazing modern sounds that any 'new' riffy metal band out there could not mimc or replicate. Thank you Michael Romeo for changing my life and my perspective for music.
Oh maaaaan I loved this guy more after this video ! THANK YOU OLA! I admire him since an eternity but It's the first time I hear him talking! Not only an awesome guitar player, and also so natural dude !!
Man, I'm 11 again!!!!! Thanks, Ola! That Inferno (Unleash the Fire) first riff changed my life and the way I see guitar. The Odyssey was their first album I listened to. Then I spent the rest of my teenage years with Symphony X on loop.
Thank you so much for this interview! Michael Romeo is my all time favorite musician, and just seems like the nicest guy, i remember buying "The Damnation Game" CD from a import CD company out of a magazine, best $45 dollars i ever spent!!!!
So glad that Ola got him on. Mike is a huge influence on me. That era from 94 - 2002 is some of my fav music ever written & performed. I wish this interview was 2 hours and Ola got to geek out and ask Mike all kinds of questions.
What a privilege to have been able to attend a couple of SX concerts in Costa Rica. Probably the best concert experience was enjoying The Odyssey song live and meet the guys. MR is such a nice and humble guy.
I don't usually watch Ola's interviews but damn... MICHAEL ROMEO!? Saw Symphony X in London back in 2019. I'd been waiting 14 whole years to see them live at that point, and it was such a treat to see one of my favourite guitarists live. The things I would do to simply tell him how much I appreciate him as a musician. :')
Michael Romeo is one of my main influences. He is out of this world. Personally, I would have asked him more about cinematic writing music. But it's a really good interview. Thanks you Ola
I haven't even started watching this video yet and my jaw dropped when I read this title. Michael Romeo is SOOO underrated and under appreciated. You rarely see him or Symphony X get any kind of exposure and it's amazing to see him here. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Symphony X is everything Dream Theater ever wanted to and thought they would be. plus taxes. Michael Romeo is the greatest musical genius ever to walk this Earth after John Williams. Divine Wings and V are the two greatest masterpieces ever created in the history of modern music.
I’ve been looking forward to this for so long! I watched those Guitar Chapter videos so much back in the day and Symphony X was always on repeat, his solo albums War of the Worlds showed he still has it🤘🏻this interview has answered so many questions I’ve had since first hearing his playing. Thanks for organising it Ola 🍻
WOW!!! Michael Romeo!!! That's like finding a unicorn in the wild!!!! Thank you so much for this interview with him. It's incredibly rare for him to give interviews like this.
Met Romeo on The Odyssey tour and he was one of the most humble genuine guitarist ever. Talked for 30 mins or so about influences, bands, touring etc. Such a cool dude.
So glad you got Michael Romeo on, this guys guitar playing basically got me into metal back in 2005 and started me on a massive journey ever since. Hugely underrated songwriter too, Symphony X has an astounding collection of albums.
Damnit Man.....that interview was SOO WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!! Michael is just as Humble a Man, Musician and Gear Genius as there ever was in Our Guitar World!!! THANK YOU OLA FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN SIR!! 🤘🤘🤘
I've been a fan of this guy since 2004, and I've always thought Romeo was like a hybrid between Shawn Lane and Yngwie Malmsteen. Funny thing is, I got into his solo work before hearing Symphony X, which made me think, "Hey, I think I've heard this somewhere before!" I still have The Dark Chapter (1994) CD and a few Symphony X albums. Thanks, Ola, for the gift!
Such a down to earth guy. Had the opportunity to sit down with the whole band back stage at a show in Quebec City. Took a bunch of time before the show started to talk to my friend and I and even let us try his guitar.
I've met Michael Romeo a couple of times at meet n greets. Ola's asking the same kind of questions, the compliments, the gear, and the nervousness....he's one of us, a fan, and I appreciate him for this.
Finally! This man is such a underrated guitarist. When it comes to neo-classic, everyone's talking about Yngwie, but Michael Romeo is just so much better in every possible way.
Love Michael Romeo . First Time I heard Sea of Lies it was just "Yngwie on steroids with killer speedy riffs" but its a lot more than that ! LOVE SYMPHONY X ! 🤘🤘🤘
Michael Romeo is the reason I became a musician. In a way, I am who I am thanks to his talent, that’s how impactful he is. And still is, V, the New Mythology Suite, for me the best metal album ever.
These Coffees with Ola have attracted huge rock stars for a while now, and rightly so: you keep getting better at interviewing them, you give them lots of room to express themselves without rushing them; your deep understanding of rock and metal composing enables you to ask intelligent and at times very detailed questions about the creative process, and you blend this with more general questions regarding their lives as musicians and/or just as fellow people, and your own personal opinions where it makes sense. They're a joy to watch Ola!
This is huge for me. I learned about Michael in 2006 when I turned 17. A guy in the early college summer school I was staying at showed me Divine Wings of Tragedy and Odyssey in his dorm. I had only been playing guitar for a year and a half, and it blew my fucking mind. From that day forth, the possibilities on guitar were never ending for me. And yet, Michael is still in the top 5 of greatest masters of this instrument for me.
Thanks Ola, what a great man and a great band, tell to Michael that there's still silly fans like me who still buy cds and vinyls, repress again your entire discogs Symphony X, it will be my pleasure to buy it to send you some bucks for your coffee! ;-)
Michael Romeo taught me all about his old school Line 6 Vetta back in lke 2002 haha..... I had to sneak into the Oddysey tour cause I was 20 and age was 21+. Thankfully, my buddy was opening for them and vouched for me. He was one of the most .... consistent and humble players I've ever met. His love for John Williams and his movie soundtrack style scoring is amazing. Would love to hear MR do a video game soundtrack
Too short! Please schedule a part 2 sometime soon. Thank you for having him on. He is the most underrated guitarist ever. Symphony X’s music is so addictive. Sorry to hear about all the struggles they endured, but I’m thrilled to hear they’ll be working on a new album soon. It’s been a really long time. Every album is a classic! I love the different motifs Romeo adds to his solos and the arrangement. I think Russell is the best rock singer out there for the last decade! Anyway, thanks again bro to both of you!
Mike Portnoy una vez lamentaba que Symphony X tuviera tan poco reconocimiento. Gracias Ola por rescatar a este genio. Ojalá que los años los acomode a la altura de lo grandes que son. Michael Romeo un genio simplemente.
Thanks for bring a true guitar hero! Every time Romeo speaks, he teaches you something. The key word for me in this interview was “concept”, a lot of guitarists play very good but no body tells a story like he does! Thanks romeo! I saw them live a couple of months ago and after all this years they still leave you with a big smile after a great show.
Man! I haven't played Symphony X for a while, I decided to listen to Damnation game, and this pops up as I'm listening!! Awesome that Ola got him of the show.
Great interview! MJR is THE man! Saw them two times in the Netherlands last month: jaw dropping! Huge influence on my playing, especially the songwriting. Keep up the good work Ola!
One of my iconic guitar influences during my high school years. I'm 38 yo old now. John Petrucci, michael Romeo and an underrated french guitarist named Patrick Rondat were my guitar heros and made me pract8ce guitar for 6 to 8 hours a day. I did good back then and enjoyed playing in underground bands although in my country which I love dearly it's pretty hard to make a career off of playing prog metal and whatnot...Thank you Ola for this amazing chat coffee time with this very talented, humble down to earth musician, composer and guitarist. Much LOVE from the Kingdom Of Morocco 🇲🇦♥️!!!
Romeo is quite a private person, so it's a real pleasure to watch a 30-minute chat with him, especially when he talks about the roots of the band, which is rarely mentioned. Thanks Ola, and long live Symphony X!
@@TheGuitarWorkout hearing how he started it was hilarious! "Ya I got a band like that" starts calling people lol
Same thoughts. Really great interview with things I've never heard him discuss. Wtg Ola 👏
its crazy right? who knows, next thing we know we might get a pro shot of the band live! a man can dream...
Best Romeo interview to date imo
THE most underrated guitarist and songwriter in metal. A true genius. Humble, grounded and real. 🤘🏻
FACTS!
DOUBLE FACTS!
TRIPLED.
He really is a genius composer, an so skilled with the guitar!
He's not underrated as a guitarist,he's a very good guitar player and nobody said the opposite...You wanted to say he's not a worldwide celebrity? Then I agree
OMG! It's Michael Romeo. Didn't see it coming. Thank you OLA!
right :)
Agreed!
@@clarkbalte0329 exzctly the same
Same here
Romeo it's a beast👏
Mike is a prog metal god. Such an identifiable style and he's been banging out epic work for decades.
100% the most underrated underappreciated guitarist of all time by the masses. It's borderline criminal how "niche" Romeo and Symphony X are.
@@clarenceoveur9497 not underrated
@@FS-rm1yg yes, he is. Read again, talking about the general guitar public. The fact YOU and our tinny bubble appreciate MR's greatness, doesn't make him less underrated.
@@clarenceoveur9497 I have to agree with you. But I was thinking you were talking about our public rock metal fans.
I fiercly agree.
My only problem with this interview is that it wasn’t 5 hours long!
Thank you so much, Ola!
At least 5 extra minutes to "The Odyssey"...
Nobody is hardly ever talking to Michael Romeo! Thanks Ola for hunting him down and interviewing him. The guy is criminally underrated.
Hearing Symphony X The Odyssey for the first time was a life changing experience for me.
I was 14, so sick! Saw them play the whole song live in 2007 or something and it was so cool
@@BrofUJuyeah I think you’re right. Saw them in Paris at that time I think, opening for Dream Theater for their Chaos in Motion tour, they played the Odyssey that night. It was incredible to witness that live
My first album was Twilight in Olympus. And it's still a soft spot for me.
"Smoke and what...?"
@@adamwakeling same
Same
Ola asking for the guitar tone on "Divine Wings of Tragedy" daaaaaaamn.... this interview is straight 10/10, thank you Ola!
Wow! I couldn't click this fast enough! Best band in history.
I met them in 2002 in Chicago. My brother was supposed to go, but ended up in the hospital. When I stood with Jason and Michael Lepond, I told them how bummed he was. They were like, 'That sucks. Let's call him.'
Total class act.
That's so fucking cool!
I love MR! He looks and sounds like the average New Yorker (my best friend was born and raised in Brooklyn), the guy that works down at the tire store. If you met him on the street, you'd never suspect that he's one of the premier prog metal guitarists on the planet.
I could easily watch Ola praising him for 30mins straight :)
Guess we'd all do the same. Guy is a legend
same!!! i always think ass kissing or praising is cringe, but not this time.
WOW!!!! ROMEO IS SUCH AN AMAZING COMPOSER!! I'm really looking forward to this.
He’s such a bad ass player, seems like a nice guy too.
Holy sh, I can't believe that!
He's my guitar hero, and Symphony X, oh man...
This is the best interview ever.
Fucking Legend! Michael is a phenomenal player and underrated in my opinion. Doesn't get the recognition he deserves. Symphony X rule!
Romeo is the GOAT in my book. His playing is simply astonishing,
Finally someone worth having on the show , arguably one of the most talented guitarists of all time .
I love the fact that he keeps his live rig so relatively simple.
The Quad Cortex with his ENGL profiled, a chorus, a delay, an overdrive & I think he also uses a wah and that's pretty much it.
''I'm fine.."
I've actually seen SX live a couple of times over the years and his live tone was always amazing.
...and then you have people online, spending more time obsessing about pedals, amps, pre-amps, pickups and what not, instead of actually playing.
Michael is an incredible talent! In my view, the most underrated guitar player on the planet! One of the best!
This is a treat. Michael is a hero and Symphony X is one of the first totally mind blowing bands I heard. Saw them live and they were flawless. So so good.
Michael to me is the nicest guy in metal and the perfect player. I love him!
I first listened to Symphony X circa 2003/04 while I myself started playing music in a prog rock band. the guitarists in my band were huge fans of SX, but I was already neck deep into DT at that point, so finding out about SX was such a refreshing experience, it was also metal, also proggy, but that element of neo classical touch to it made my mind go crazy! I've been a fan ever since!
Anyway 2007 rolls around and they finally toured Mexico, I was so freaking stoked, they were so obscure in my eyes that I thought, no way they would ever step foot and play shows in my country, but then it happened and they played at the Cafe Iguana in Monterrey and I HAD to be there! As you can probably guess the show was amazing, and I was right, there was a lot of people that attended the show but it wasn't a sold out show, but I was so happy I finally saw them live, never thought it would happen!
the show ends, and I was still so pumped and I remembered a friend of mine that used to work as a receptionist in a hotel downtown Monterrey, which was a several blocks from where Cafe Iguana is, told me earlier that day "hey I think Symphony X is staying at the hotel across the street from where I work! you should come check!", so I thought to hell with it let's go! I walked all the way to the hotel like a 15 min walk to get there and I enter the lobby and saw it was a bit dark but I asked for them if maybe someboy in the lobby knew or had seen them.... then as the receptionists were talking to me, from afar I hear someone yell "HEY !! OVER HERE!!"
so I walk over to where I heard that and it was none other than RUSSELL ALLEN who had uttered those words, I WAS BEYOND STOKED, and sitting across from him was MICHAEL ROMEO ha! they were just chilling there just chatting but they were SUPER welcoming, I remember RUSSELL saying "come on man! sit have a beer with us!!" and I actually sat down with them and one handed a beer to me (funny to point out the dang beer was warm as hell lol!) but I still popped it open and took a few sips so I tell them my story about how I started listening to their music and that I was in a band inspiried by them and so on and they were all open ears and said "well we're glad you enjoyed the show man!"
another funny bit that happened is that I had bought a Symphony X shirt but it wasn't from their official merch, you know how it is in Mexico, the hustle people do outside of concerts, there were a TON of bootleg merch with the band logos and such, so I had bought one of those, instead of the official merch. Then MICHAEL goes "lol! what is that you're wearing!!" and I innocently said "oh! I bought it just outside the venue!!" and they burst laughing lol! then I proceeded to ask for a photo and an autograph, said thank you and left! I was soo damn happy that night!
me writing all of this to point out that both MICHAEL and RUSSELL were such a down to earth and real humble people and I will never forget that interaction!
bonus: I HAD NO IDEA how the band actually started! what a cool chat Ola thank you for this !
OMFG, THANK YOU OLA! To this day, MR is the most humble guitarist i have ever met. 17 year old me met him at a fan greet during Gigantour, Holmdel NJ 2006...Naturally, being a jersey kid, he was "our" guy, y'know? Sayreville was only 20 minutes away, and i had been trying to land lessons with him for years. When i finally met him, my exact words were "DUDE YOU ARE LIKE JASON BECKER AND YNGWIE COMBINED!" He actually blushed a little, just smiled, laughed and said " Man, i am nowhere near as good as those guys." That was such a pivotal learning moment, beyond humbling, exactly what i needed to hear from someone i practically worshipped. I knew i wasn't alone, even my heroes had difficulty accepting their own talents, as i did with mine. More importantly, i learned that people who are the best at their jobs have very little ego and are kind and forgiving towards their "inferiors."
I needed that lesson, really bad...
Thank you, Mr Romeo. You helped me become a better person with that small moment of humility. I hope to run into you again someday.
He's so god damn good at playing guitar!
Incredible composition and technique truly a generational talent. No flash all substance.
Symphony X is my safe place since the last 15 years or so. Everytime I put ANY of their records in my car, for example, I'm marveled beyond words, no matter how many times I listen to it, and that's not an easy thing to do. Their sound is a bold wall and so concise and full of brutal beauty. Michael Romeo is usually referred to as the guy who writes neoclassical stuff, but I belive that what this guy is giving to MODERN metal is even bigger. His solo stuff... In a time when matal is dying, he keeps evolving and delivering amazing modern sounds that any 'new' riffy metal band out there could not mimc or replicate. Thank you Michael Romeo for changing my life and my perspective for music.
Iconoclast what a work...thanks Michael
Thank you very much Ola for this coffee!! Symphony X made me the musician I am today. And Michael clearly belongs in my pantheon of guitarists.
Thanks a million Ola for bringing the legendary Romeo 🎸❤️🎸🎸
Oh maaaaan I loved this guy more after this video ! THANK YOU OLA!
I admire him since an eternity but It's the first time I hear him talking!
Not only an awesome guitar player, and also so natural dude !!
My favorit guitarist and band since 1997, a legend. Can't wait the next album.
Man, I'm 11 again!!!!! Thanks, Ola!
That Inferno (Unleash the Fire) first riff changed my life and the way I see guitar. The Odyssey was their first album I listened to. Then I spent the rest of my teenage years with Symphony X on loop.
Same, blasted that album all throughout high school
The one and only, the best of ALL FCKIN TIME : Mr Michael Romeo.
Never saw this coming!!! Michael Romeo, one of the best guitar players❤
Thank you so much for this interview! Michael Romeo is my all time favorite musician, and just seems like the nicest guy, i remember buying "The Damnation Game" CD from a import CD company out of a magazine, best $45 dollars i ever spent!!!!
He needs way more attention, what a great platform to get him some love
So glad that Ola got him on. Mike is a huge influence on me. That era from 94 - 2002 is some of my fav music ever written & performed. I wish this interview was 2 hours and Ola got to geek out and ask Mike all kinds of questions.
Love Symphony X and Michael's playing.
The most underrated metal guitar player ever! Romeo is absolutely amazing 🤘
Thank you ola for bringing in that legend. I Discovered Symphony X in 2005. What an amazing interview.
Such a nice down to earth guy that every musician relates to. A LEGEND ! 🤘
Miss him! A true master of his craft!
Michael Romeo, Old school guy !!! No bull#$$% Best Guitarist Ever !
Just the best guy ever, i love Michael Romeo. My spirit animal :)
What a privilege to have been able to attend a couple of SX concerts in Costa Rica. Probably the best concert experience was enjoying The Odyssey song live and meet the guys. MR is such a nice and humble guy.
I don't usually watch Ola's interviews but damn... MICHAEL ROMEO!?
Saw Symphony X in London back in 2019. I'd been waiting 14 whole years to see them live at that point, and it was such a treat to see one of my favourite guitarists live.
The things I would do to simply tell him how much I appreciate him as a musician. :')
Michael Romeo’s solo on “Dawn of a Million Souls by Ayreon is 11/10 amazing. Starts at 6:39.
AMAZING solo!!!
E=mc2 is another killer solo he did for the Ayreon projects.
Michael Romeo is one of my main influences. He is out of this world. Personally, I would have asked him more about cinematic writing music. But it's a really good interview. Thanks you Ola
You’re absolutely right, his cinematics writing is quite an unexplored part of him, and he is so good at it!
I haven't even started watching this video yet and my jaw dropped when I read this title.
Michael Romeo is SOOO underrated and under appreciated. You rarely see him or Symphony X get any kind of exposure and it's amazing to see him here. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Symphony X is everything Dream Theater ever wanted to and thought they would be. plus taxes. Michael Romeo is the greatest musical genius ever to walk this Earth after John Williams. Divine Wings and V are the two greatest masterpieces ever created in the history of modern music.
I’ve been looking forward to this for so long! I watched those Guitar Chapter videos so much back in the day and Symphony X was always on repeat, his solo albums War of the Worlds showed he still has it🤘🏻this interview has answered so many questions I’ve had since first hearing his playing. Thanks for organising it Ola 🍻
How awesome is this. Ola has probably become the most important interviewer of rock/metal guitarists now, next to Rick Beato.
One of the greatest composers of our time and extraordinary guitar player. Big fan! Thanks!
WOW!!! Michael Romeo!!! That's like finding a unicorn in the wild!!!! Thank you so much for this interview with him. It's incredibly rare for him to give interviews like this.
Met Romeo on The Odyssey tour and he was one of the most humble genuine guitarist ever. Talked for 30 mins or so about influences, bands, touring etc. Such a cool dude.
So glad you got Michael Romeo on, this guys guitar playing basically got me into metal back in 2005 and started me on a massive journey ever since. Hugely underrated songwriter too, Symphony X has an astounding collection of albums.
Absolute LEGEND !! !! !! My favourite guitarist of all time and down right nice guy !! !! !!
Damnit Man.....that interview was SOO WELL WORTH THE WAIT!!! Michael is just as Humble a Man, Musician and Gear Genius as there ever was in Our Guitar World!!! THANK YOU OLA FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN SIR!! 🤘🤘🤘
I've been a fan of this guy since 2004, and I've always thought Romeo was like a hybrid between Shawn Lane and Yngwie Malmsteen. Funny thing is, I got into his solo work before hearing Symphony X, which made me think, "Hey, I think I've heard this somewhere before!" I still have The Dark Chapter (1994) CD and a few Symphony X albums. Thanks, Ola, for the gift!
Such a down to earth guy. Had the opportunity to sit down with the whole band back stage at a show in Quebec City. Took a bunch of time before the show started to talk to my friend and I and even let us try his guitar.
I've met Michael Romeo a couple of times at meet n greets. Ola's asking the same kind of questions, the compliments, the gear, and the nervousness....he's one of us, a fan, and I appreciate him for this.
Hell yeah, Michael Romeo is such a legend, amazing guitarist and composer, just in general a genius musician. Thanks for getting him on Ola!
Finally! This man is such a underrated guitarist. When it comes to neo-classic, everyone's talking about Yngwie, but Michael Romeo is just so much better in every possible way.
Yes! Michael Romeo 😃🙌🏻
Thanks for this, Ola!
Love Michael Romeo . First Time I heard Sea of Lies it was just "Yngwie on steroids with killer speedy riffs" but its a lot more than that ! LOVE SYMPHONY X ! 🤘🤘🤘
Michael Romeo is the man. Super under the rader for how good he is.
Hearing The Odyssey back when I was in high school, with a couple guitar years under my belt, changed my life.
Michael Romeo is the reason I became a musician. In a way, I am who I am thanks to his talent, that’s how impactful he is. And still is, V, the New Mythology Suite, for me the best metal album ever.
I've been a huge Symphony X fan since the late 2000's when I found a copy of Paradise Lost through the public library. Great interview!
OH MY GOD!!! It's Christmas already. Symphony X is the MF OG
Freakin' love Romeo, the ultimate metal prog guitarist. Great interview Ola!
Michael Romeo is guitar God his Incredible composition and techniqu is so Epic
These Coffees with Ola have attracted huge rock stars for a while now, and rightly so: you keep getting better at interviewing them, you give them lots of room to express themselves without rushing them; your deep understanding of rock and metal composing enables you to ask intelligent and at times very detailed questions about the creative process, and you blend this with more general questions regarding their lives as musicians and/or just as fellow people, and your own personal opinions where it makes sense. They're a joy to watch Ola!
Thank you SO MUCH for this interview. I really like this man, as a guitarist, composer and persona.
Really looking forward to the next half hour here. This guy is soooo good and never seems to be adequately appreciated
This is huge for me. I learned about Michael in 2006 when I turned 17. A guy in the early college summer school I was staying at showed me Divine Wings of Tragedy and Odyssey in his dorm. I had only been playing guitar for a year and a half, and it blew my fucking mind. From that day forth, the possibilities on guitar were never ending for me. And yet, Michael is still in the top 5 of greatest masters of this instrument for me.
Thanks Ola, what a great man and a great band, tell to Michael that there's still silly fans like me who still buy cds and vinyls, repress again your entire discogs Symphony X, it will be my pleasure to buy it to send you some bucks for your coffee! ;-)
Michael Romeo taught me all about his old school Line 6 Vetta back in lke 2002 haha..... I had to sneak into the Oddysey tour cause I was 20 and age was 21+. Thankfully, my buddy was opening for them and vouched for me. He was one of the most .... consistent and humble players I've ever met. His love for John Williams and his movie soundtrack style scoring is amazing. Would love to hear MR do a video game soundtrack
You're completely right! Michael is a HUUUGE influence on us all! Really awesome to see this here. Good stuff!
Too short! Please schedule a part 2 sometime soon. Thank you for having him on. He is the most underrated guitarist ever. Symphony X’s music is so addictive. Sorry to hear about all the struggles they endured, but I’m thrilled to hear they’ll be working on a new album soon. It’s been a really long time. Every album is a classic! I love the different motifs Romeo adds to his solos and the arrangement. I think Russell is the best rock singer out there for the last decade! Anyway, thanks again bro to both of you!
Michael Romeo has been one of my heroes since I'm a kid
Thank you so much Ola. Romeo it's my biggest inspiration at the guitar. Amazing content. Thank you so much
This guy is the reason I play guitar to this day. Wicked!
I wanna hug this man I am so thankful for what he is and his influence. Long live MJR!
OLAyour most welcome. He is a great guy. We take care for the band when they were in Turkey.
Spent the whole week listening to Symphony X and look who it is to close the week on a golden note! This was great.
Oh my god !! The master Michael Romeo 💛💛
Great interview, really and truly informative. This guy is something else and so down to earth. Thank you Ola!
The last time I saw him talk was like the first youtube years in his instructional video. This is gold!
Yes my favorite guitarist ever Romeo is absolutely incredible so cool seeing this thanks Ola for getting him on.
Mike Portnoy una vez lamentaba que Symphony X tuviera tan poco reconocimiento. Gracias Ola por rescatar a este genio. Ojalá que los años los acomode a la altura de lo grandes que son. Michael Romeo un genio simplemente.
The best guitarist/composer combo of this century. Mozart of our generation.
Thanks for bring a true guitar hero!
Every time Romeo speaks, he teaches you something.
The key word for me in this interview was “concept”, a lot of guitarists play very good but no body tells a story like he does! Thanks romeo!
I saw them live a couple of months ago and after all this years they still leave you with a big smile after a great show.
One of the most underrated guitarists in the genre
Man! I haven't played Symphony X for a while, I decided to listen to Damnation game, and this pops up as I'm listening!!
Awesome that Ola got him of the show.
Great interview! MJR is THE man! Saw them two times in the Netherlands last month: jaw dropping! Huge influence on my playing, especially the songwriting. Keep up the good work Ola!
I was waiting for this kind of interview ever since I was in High School in 2006! Thanks Ola and of course Mr. Romeo!
Michael is truly one of the greatest guitar players ever.... if you want a challenge.... just try learning some of his stuff....!
Awesome. Michael is in my top 5! What a dude. While his soloing is so good, he writes some super delicious riffs.
One of my iconic guitar influences during my high school years. I'm 38 yo old now. John Petrucci, michael Romeo and an underrated french guitarist named Patrick Rondat were my guitar heros and made me pract8ce guitar for 6 to 8 hours a day. I did good back then and enjoyed playing in underground bands although in my country which I love dearly it's pretty hard to make a career off of playing prog metal and whatnot...Thank you Ola for this amazing chat coffee time with this very talented, humble down to earth musician, composer and guitarist.
Much LOVE from the Kingdom Of Morocco 🇲🇦♥️!!!
Elegy
Patrick Rondat is the G. O. A. T! Amazing guitar player and a really humble dude. He did play with the Dutch band Elegy for few years.