Sons Of Apollo – Alive (official video)

Video Premiere and Creative Direction

Sons Of Apollo unveil the official video for Alive, a standout cut from their debut album Psychotic Symphony. Released in 2017 through Century Media Records Ltd. under exclusive license from InsideOutMusic, the clip is directed by Vicente Cordero with production by Industrialism Films. It is a performance-forward piece that spotlights the band’s chemistry, using stark lighting, tight edits and stagecraft to underscore the song’s dynamics without distracting from the musicianship at its core.

The Sound of “Alive”

Alive distills the group’s hybrid of progressive metal and arena-ready hard rock into a concise, melodic statement. A patient, mid-tempo pulse grounds the arrangement, allowing hooks to breathe while leaving ample space for intricacy. The rhythm section locks into a firm, modern low end, with bass runs adding momentum and drums shaping the ebb and flow through precision shifts and explosive fills. Keyboards thread through the mix with shimmering leads and atmospheric textures, alternately doubling riffs and opening up the harmonic field. The guitar work favors lyrical phrasing and a singing tone, building to a climactic solo that rises over the chorus refrain rather than overpowering it.

Vocally, the track leans into resilience and self-possession, themes that match its uplifting contours. The chorus arrives with an open, chest-beating cadence, while the verses carry a taut, almost conversational focus. The result is both polished and muscular: a song designed to translate across studio headphones and the stage, balancing virtuosity with clarity.

Inside the Arrangement

Rhythm and groove: A steady backbeat anchors the piece, with syncopated accents and measured double-kick flurries adding weight where the chorus calls for lift.
Harmonic color: Keys provide sustained pads and animated lead lines that expand the chordal palette, enriching the melody without cluttering the mix.
Guitar and solo voice: Expressive bends and fluid legato define the solo sections, contrasted with tightly locked riffing that supports the song’s vocal center.
Melodic through-line: The refrain carries a singable, anthem-ready arc, framed by verses that keep tension simmering until the release arrives.

The Players and Their Pedigree

Sons Of Apollo bring together seasoned figures from progressive and hard rock lineages. Their collective experience in outfits such as Dream Theater, Guns N’ Roses, Mr. Big and Journey informs the group’s identity: exacting technique in service of songs that aim for impact as much as detail. On Alive, that balance is clear. Instrumental conversations are present, but they support the chorus rather than compete with it. The performance highlights a band comfortable with complexity, yet equally committed to immediacy.

Production Notes

Video director: Vicente Cordero
Production company: Industrialism Films
Album: Psychotic Symphony (2017)
Label: (C) 2017 Century Media Records Ltd. under exclusive license from InsideOutMusic

Album Context

Psychotic Symphony introduced Sons Of Apollo with a sound that prized both scale and focus. Extended compositions, instrumental interplay and a hard rock backbone defined the record’s aesthetic. Alive sits among the album’s most accessible tracks, emphasizing the band’s melodic instincts without toning down the precision. It serves as a gateway into the broader record, where elaborate arrangements contrast with direct, chorus-driven songwriting.

Visual Language

Cordero’s direction leans into a high-contrast palette that complements the song’s rise-and-fall structure. Close-ups emphasize technique, from keyboard runs to fretwork, while wides reveal the full band in lockstep. Edits tighten as the chorus swells, then relax to let the bridge and solo land with clarity. The outcome is a visual narrative that mirrors the track: confident, streamlined and built for impact.

2018 Tour Itinerary

The group brought Psychotic Symphony to stages across North America, Latin America and Europe in 2018. Dates as announced are listed below.

Fri 2/16 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
Sat 2/17 – Battle Creek, MI – Music Factory
Sun 2/18 – Joliet, IL – The Forge
Thu 4/5 – Monterrey, Mexico – Escena
Sun 4/8 – Santiago, Chile – Teatro Teneton
Tue 4/10 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Groove
Thu 4/12 – Porto Alegre, Brazil – Opinião Bar
Sat 4/14 – São Paulo, Brazil – Tropical Butanta
Sun 4/15 – Belo Horizonte, Brazil – Music Hall
Thu 4/19 – Montreal, QUE. – Corona Theatre
Fri 4/20 – Toronto, ONT. – The Opera House
Sat 4/21 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
Sun 4/22 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
Tue 4/24 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
Wed 4/25 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
Fri 4/27 – Las Vegas, NV – Brooklyn Bowl
Sat 4/28 – Sacramento, CA – Ace Of Spades
Sun 4/29 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Mon 4/30 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Wed 5/2 – San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom
Thu 5/3 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco Theatre
Fri 5/4 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues
Sat 5/5 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theatre
Mon 5/7 – San Antonio, TX – Alamo City Music Hall
Tue 5/8 – Dallas, TX – Canton Hall
Wed 5/9 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
Fri 5/11 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley
Sat 5/12 – St. Charles, IL – Arcada Theatre
Sun 5/13 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Tue 5/15 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues
Wed 5/16 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts
Thu 5/17 – Washington, D.C. – The Howard Theatre
Fri 5/18 – New York, NY – Playstation Theater
Sat 5/19 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
Fri 6/22 – Clisson, France – Hellfest
Sat 6/23 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop
Sun 6/24 – Milan, Italy – Teatro Degli Arcimbodi
Wed 6/27 – Leipzig, Germany – Hellraiser
Sat 6/30 – Barcelona, Spain – Be Prog My Friend
Sun 7/1 – Maidstone, England – Rambling Man Festival
Mon 7/2 – Motherwell, England – Motherwell Concert Hall
Tue 7/3 – Belfast, England – Limelight
Wed 7/4 – Dublin, Ireland – Tivoli Variety Theatre
Sun 7/14 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Dynamo MetalFest
Fri 8/3 – Wacken, Germany – Wacken Open Air
Sat 8/18 – Warsaw, Poland – Prog In Park
Sun 8/19 – Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra Track
Wed 9/19 – Moscow, Russia – Glavclub
Sat 9/22 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria – Roman Amphitheater
Mon 9/24 – Athens, Greece – Fuzz Club

* A Very Special Evening with Sons Of Apollo and the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony.

Why “Alive” Matters in the Catalog

As an early defining statement for Sons Of Apollo, Alive captures the project’s core intent: write songs that speak in bold, melodic lines, then frame them with elite musicianship. The track shows how the band reconciles prog ambition with rock immediacy. In concert, its steady climb, towering chorus and spotlight-ready solo sections make it a natural centerpiece. On record, it helps shape Psychotic Symphony into more than a showcase of chops, underscoring the group’s emphasis on craft and cohesion.