OCTAVARIUM

Octavarium is a concept album, but a really unusual one: it doesn't necessarily have a storyline, or even circles around a certain theme. It revolves around two numbers: 8 and 5. Point for prog.

It is filled with elements that point to those numbers that, those alone, already are a reason to buy this in physical copy. It is their 8th studio album, containing eight songs, called OCTavarium. You see, the band has five members, and to this point had released five live albums. The numbers make you think of piano keys: C D E F G A B and the octave coming full circle (ha-ha), and C# D# F# G# A#. So, the songs' tones follow this very scale, with five transitions between the songs in the sequence of a piano. I could write quite some others, but you should find them yourself.

The Root Of All Evil is amazing, making it up to Portnoy's ambitions with the Twelve-Step suite. Some more commercial stuff will appear, such as These Walls and The Answer Lies Within, but these are great songs nonetheless. You see the Muse-ish Never Enough, with its weird and awesome time signatures that have everything to do with the song, and things only get better.

For the two last songs, you have a full orchestra working alongside. On Russia On IcWHOOPS I mean Sacrificed Sons, it works beautifully, and on the album's last track which gives the album its title, you not only have Dream Theater's best song ever made, but possibly one of the best songs ever made in history.

Octavarium (the song) deserves a separate review for its awesomeness. The Shine On You Crazy Diamond beginning, its five (YEA BRUH 5 AGAIN) sections that are meticulously crafted, the lyrics emphasising the cycle concept, that everything ends where it begins, and fantastic musicianship: from the Petrucci and Rudess unison solo to LaBrie screaming at the top of his lungs, this song is, for me, the best song there is, simply put.

Everyone should know this album and you're not complete if you don't know it.

Share this DREAM THEATER review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to guiservidoni
• Report this review (#1865613)
• Buy DREAM THEATER music online with PA partners
• Show all DREAM THEATER MP3/Stream
• Go to DREAM THEATER page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Octavarium page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for DREAM THEATER related discussions