OCTAVARIUM

"Octovarium" is a rather disappointing album in my opinion. There are some amazing songs on the album, namely "Octovarium", however the rest of the album is very poppy and boring ("The Answer Lies Within.") "Octovarium" was successful for Dream Theater and It reached number 38 on the US charts. This is probably due to the fact that the majority of this album is leaning towards the pop side. The song "Octavarium" is one the best songs by Dream Theater, it is without a doubt a prog song. There is a very good synthesizer solo in the middle of the song, and the guitar work once again is impressive. The closing section of "Octovarium" is another highlight of the song. The rest of the album, excluding "Sacrificed Sons" and to a lesser extent "Panic Attack" is not up to Dream Theater standard.

1. The Root Of All Evil (2/5) 2. The Answer Lies within (1/5) 3. These Walls (2/5) 4. I Walk Beside You (1/5) 5. Panic Attack (3/5) 6. Never Enough (2/5) 7. Sacrificed Sons (3/5) 8. Octavarium (5/5) Total = 19 divided by 8 (number of songs) = 2.375 = 2 stars Collectors/fans only

It may seem I'm being a bit tight on the rating but I believe 2 stars is fair. I don't think "Octavrium" is a particularly good album, I would recommend it only for the song "Octovarium", other than that there is no real reason to get it unless you are a hardcore DT fan.