SCORE: 20TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR LIVE WITH THE OCTAVARIUM ORCHESTRA

Finally got my hands on SCORE!

And, dude, is it a hell of a show...

The image and sound are better than on the Live at Budokan. The setlist is flawless and historical (at least one song from every album they released this far), its execution is flawless too. James Labrie shines like he never did before, and, well, you know what the four others can do!Well, the first half of the show is quite classical, well done and all, but the real treat is the second half of it.

And YES, they did it. A full 30-people symphonic orchestra, led by Jamshied Sharifi, to wander with the band in the Dream Theater universe. Many will be disappointed, as the rock+orchestra formula has already been tried, and most of the time, failed. But beware, you guys, Dream Theater's not the average band, and whatever they intended to perform here, the result is simply overwhelming.

First, we have the longest DT epic to date, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, perform as a whole (the 8 original tracks aren't even separated on the dvd, it's just ONE song). Once again : AWESOME. Just listen to what Rudess, Portnoy and Sharifi did to Overture, and you'll understand : this is not just about performing DT's music with some orchestra things in the background. THIS IS PURE OSMOSIS. The arrangements are over the top, the playing is great, and moreover, the band, which could have been terrified by this, seems actually to have a great time, all smiling and looking at the crowd or at each other.

The tension goes off for a bit after this 40+ min long epic, with two smooth and relaxing songs, Vacant and The Answer Lies Within. Note that TALW was nearly never played live during the tour, so to have it played here, on dvd, along with the orchestra, is a beautiful surprise. Sacrificed Sons is played then, with some footage from 9/11 displayed on the screens to accompany the samples that introduce the song. Once again it's the real deal : the song is done perfectly, with its wonderful instrumental part rendered very nicely. The audience screams loudly at the end, knowing that the MONSTER ONE is coming right next.

Octavarium. The pinnacle of DT's music, the one epic that truly shows the variety, the technical proficiency and songwriting ability of the band. Truly a great moment on the moment, and a awesome performing live (I saw the band when they toured in France last October). But here, in this 30-minute, intense and explosive version, the song blows your head off like nothing else. I can't say enough about this true masterpiece of progressive metal - just watch it, just watch this splendid Royal City Music Hall, NY, watch the crowd and the band having one of the most incredible moment of their lives. Passionate, true and memorable.

The encore consists solely of a lone song, but what song : Metropolis pt.I, THE DT classic par excellence! Nothing to add here, as everybody here already know this prog metal anthem from Images and Words. The orchestra is, as ever, perfectly accompanying the band during the instrumental part, never too much, never too less, it fits just nicely to the music.

Just a word over the bonuses : the three bonus tracks are IMHO quite unnecessary at this point, but will surely please the hardcore, never-enough fan of DT. Then we have the One- hour long documentary, explaining mostly ALL of DT's history, a really nice piece of musical history is told here, and the rare footages from the Majesty era are really fun to discover.

At this point, I guess I just have to conclude this long review, by rating (finally!) the SCORE dvd.

I understand that some may just "like" DT once in a while, or even hate them. In this case, retain one or two stars from the 5 STARS RATING I'm giving to what is to me the best band in the world nowadays.

A long wait it has been since April 1st, but it was worth it. 5/5.

Val

WOW, what a performance! this DVD is supposed to be released on 29th of August, but here in Monterrey, Mexico, it was released before, I buyed like 3 days ago, I saw and, just one word: WOOWW, what a concert, each musician at their very best, James Larie, really impressed me, comparing it to Live at Budokan, this is just incredible, the orchestra also, no very complex arrangements in the songs, but there was a very nice performance by them also!! a very variated setlist, including a song from each album, Inocence Faded really kick ass, same as octavarium!! FOR ALL THE FANS OF DT, OR PROGMETAL, GO TO THE STORE THIS TUESDAY AND BUY IT!

As for other countries, SCORE is already available here in Italy, so I bought yesterday, on release date.

I didn't have a go through all stuff in the two DVD, only watched selected songs, and from what I've heard and seen I can easily give this set 5 stars; LaBrie is in extremely top form, all others are clearly into it with all of themselves, and they seem to have a lot of fun.

The music is of course fantastic and perfectly played, only complaint being that, IMO, there are more representative songs for DT career than some of the chosen ones (Innocence Faded, UaGM), and other choices could have made the PERFECT 20th anniversary concert... Or, DT could've played 4 hours instead of 2h40m, putting more stuff on the set list.

Anyway, there is no doubt about, this is an absolute buy, if only for the jaw-dropping Octavarium intro played by Rudess on a strange soft-keyboard... I must get one of those! Bah, for the moment I think I'll get also the 3 CD set, so I'll blow off my car's speakers...

I can only give 5 stars. This definitely sums up what Dream Theater is all about. And modern Prog Rock for that matter. With unprecedented quality in sound and execution. James LaBrie's voice sounds more polished than ever before. Production or developement of his already peerless voice ?

The orchestra comes in more sparingly than expected, but nevertheless just perfectly. Did Jordan Ruddess write the scores for the orchestra?

Both John Petrucci and Jordan Ruddess are exceptionally clean and clear and crisp in their parts. Maybe that's the only thing that could be said against "Score": for a live album it is nearly clinically clean. But not at all to the detriment of the music. Excellent!

Dream Theater's live SCORE

This is a culmination of 20 years of this era's most recognizable progressive band. THE band that every other progressive metal band is measured against. SCORE is broken into 2 parts. The first DT only section and the second with DT being accompanied by a live orchestra for portions of their songs. In my opinion, DT could have done without the orchestra but props to them for trying something different. Their music is so lush they don't need an orchestra. For me the orchestra could have been better, but from what I've read, the orchestra had one day with DT before SCORE was recorded. For something as important as the bands 20th year celebration, I would have hoped they would have spent more time polishing this performance with the orchestra but that didn't happen. Everyone knows DT had a VERY busy touring schedule before this concert but couldn't they have spent more time up front getting it right?

Besides the orchestra, you have to be in awe of DT's performance. Petrucci and Rudess are spot on. I am very hard pressed to find any band performance as tight as theirs. James has been ridiculed for some time now about his performances but I'm very impressed with his performance on SCORE. I don't know if he's being autotuned/overdubbed or not, he's rarely sounded as good as he does on Score. As for John's and Mike's performances, flawless.

The magnitude of this over 3 hour performance is incredible. The set truly spans the bands 20 year past. I really enjoyed hearing 6DOIT in its entirety as well. DT can do it all and they prove in this live performance that it's not studio tricks. They are the real deal and they are here to stay. Any band that can stay together for 20 years has accomplished a lot and DT seem to just be beginning as it seems their fan base just continues to grow worldwide and I can understand why with performances such as SCORE.

In closing, I would have enjoyed hearing what the orchestra could have done better with more time and planning. I think I might have enjoyed the second portion more without the orchestra but I consider the orchestra addition as icing on the DT cake.

4.5 stars rounded up. ;)

DREAM THEATER: SCORE The 20th Anniversary Show at Radio City Music Hall...

What else can I say besides that it is a testament to live albums. You may see the setlist and think "What? Why are they playing those songs? I prefer to hear ____" Well believe me, once you pop in the DVD/CD. It won't matter anymore. DReam Theater puts on an unbeliveable show. Every band member is just SOLID. The riffs sound ranchy, the solos sound crisp, James' voice soars. The only minor gripe of this DVD is at brief times the orchestry will sound a little iffy. But overall, they do a great job. But of course, DT, what really matters, does AMAZING. It's really cool to see all the songs from each album collaberate so well in 1 show. Not only is this Dream Theater's best live album, its one of the best live albums of all time. If you don't own this by now. Go get it. I'm not kidding! Go on!

Dream Theater is one of those bands that are constantly out doing themselves. every time they release a new live performance you can see the improvement. If you thought that these guys couldn't get any better, you might want to sit down for this dvd. The real kickers are six degrees of inner turbulence (the best song in teh world btw) and octavarium. The orchestra adds so much to both of these songs, that were already masterpieces without. If you had to get one dt album, get this, as it covers SOME of the hightlights of their career so far. (of course i'd recommend getting all the dt albums, but hey, who am i?)

GREAT, a statement for the band, and a jewel to the fans. A nice approach to what they though in the beginning about some songs, and what a live situation!!!. Now the choice of the songs: well i give a dam, a concert is part surprise and part history, Dream Theater is now part of the "sacred cows" of music business, and the music fan base, so it really doesn't matter if they play "non-commercial" songs (if that can be considered), b-sides, or "hits", it is a fest, a delicate balance of music and show. The important thing in here is the nerve they had to play two of the longest songs ever written (OCTAVRIUM and SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE) in a single night: awesome!!!, i would like to be there that precise night, however i had "my show" in Mexico city, a little bit heavier than this one, and of course a little bit shorter... but the true jewels in here are ANOTHER WON, and RAISE THE KNIFE, wow, lost notes that are a very rare or hard to find items to the "mortal" fans, a delicacy; perhaps, the weakest moment is linking two ballads in disc 2, but again, so what!, anyone can have a "mellow" moment, and having a great orchestra in the back is good excuse. The show is nice and organic, more progressive and less heavy that BUDOKAN, a lot more focused, with more heart in it, what do you know?. So, let's cheer about bands like this one that have ideas, heart ad endurance in this world of crappy music, then, rating this album makes me realize how important and significant the history of DT has been, i mean, they actually saved the entire "prog-metal" genre!!! Enjoy to the last and to the top, PLAY IT LOUD. peace

Great... ANOTHER live album from Dream Theater.....

I used to be a huge Dream Theater fan. Over the last several months, however, I have almost stopped listening to them entirely. When I received a promo copy of this disc, it just reinforced my opinion. I really thought DT went downhill with Octavarium, and since this is from the Octavarium tour, there is a great deal of material from that album. They even play 'I Walk Beside You', which was in my humble opinion, an obvious filler track on the album. Sure, it's neat that they play all the long songs in their entirety, but it all just seems so unnecessary to me at this point. James LaBrie sounds much better than he did on the Budokan CD, but he's still the obvious weak link in the band. That brings me to my next point, which is the lack of instrumentalism. Their previous live efforts usually feature some sort of 'instrumedley' during which Labrie leaves the stage, to the relief of many decent people, and lets the amazingly talented band jam together. However, I detected no such thing on this album, and if it was there, it wasn't cool enough to leave an impression.

This album gets 2 stars, because no one was really clamoring for yet another live album (except the fanboys of course) and this one just doesn't impress me. However, it's not complete trash, because they Petrucci and Myung can still rip.

Labrie finally made it!

This year, Dream Theater released Score. An 3 discs live set celebrating their 20 years. As soon as it was released, Score received very positives reviews. In my opinion, it is the best live Dream Theater album. They even perform the whole "Six Degrees" suite with a string orchestra. But the important important point of Score is the fact that James Labrie finally deserves decent live vocals. A remarkable performance, an must-have for any progressive music fan. Hopefully, Score will became a classic through the years.

Live at the Marquee was the beginning. Once in a Live Time was the progression. Live Scenes from New York was the revolution. Live at Budokan was another progression. Score is the perfection. Never did Dream Theater sound this beautifull live. Even LaBrie sings good this time.

Score starts off with the awesome 'The Root of All Evil'. Here we can already hear the better sound en the better performance of the gentlemen. From that point, you can say: 'Wow, the setlist on disc 1 sucks'. Well, it doesn't. Yes, those songs are not exactly the best songs of Dream Theater, but here it just sounds a hundred times better than on the original albums. On the second disc, it just gets more awesome. Orchestra and the complete Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Octavarium!!!

Actually, this is the best live-album I know after Pink Floyd's 'Is There Anybody Out There?'. 5 stars.

This is the most amazing live album released in the past decade! Everything is here! We hear great selections from DT's early days - Another One, Afterlife - and we're even treated with the rare "Raise The Knife". Everyone is at the top of their game here - especially LaBrie who usually has problems on stage. As expected, the real treat here is the Octavarium Orchestra joining DT to perform the entire epic Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Vacant, The Answer Lies Within, the monsterous Octavarium, and even Metropolis! I was at RCMH for this show... it blew me away then, and it is absolutely phenominal to watch now. Go Buy this immediately!

The DT guys really handed out the goodies on this one! A few minor mistakes here and there (Jordan on one of the descending runs on the opening of SDOIT, feedback during one of the flute solos, etc), but by and large it was one of the best all-around performances yet. James was on like I have never heard, John P redeemed himself on the timing for the solo on "The Spirit Carries On" , and the acoustic latin-sounding section of "SDOIT" - as well as playing brilliantly throughout. John M was easier to distinguish and played brilliantly, Meistro Jordan remains one of the people that make life justifiable, and Mike continues to be the best at blending technical imposibility with true musicianship.

Other things can be said of the Octavarium Orchestra. The Horns were great, the Cellist was outstanding, and the Flutist was excellently chosen (no fake vibrato here!). The string section, however, was - at times - painfully out of tune and out of tempo. It must have been a nightmare to try to get everyone synchronized (and I give them full credit for trying), but I can only wish that the string section of the orchestra were half as talented as the band.

4.5 / 5

What a spectacle. The sights and sounds on this DVD are huge from beginning to end. There are very few dull moments, and each musician is in top form. Anyone familiar with DT production will notice that the mix here is possibly the best balance in any of the group's recordings thus far. Personally, James Labrie is the highlight here. In past live releases, he all-too-often oversings, having a tendency to embellish parts that should probably be toned down. Here, however, Labrie sings from the heart throughout, having more control over his voice and bringing even more power to the high notes, which he nails in unprecedented fashion.

Honestly, there is very little holding my rating from an almost-perfect five stars. Other than a few odd song choices and an underused orchestra, this is by far DT's best live release to date. The set list takes advantage of both power and emotion, leaving a truly lasting impression on both the DT fan and newcomer alike.

Here we begin, from the day I got this album, to currently right now I've listened to the album enough to like a few of the live versions better than the original studio. Like Octavarium for instantce, I love that song! And live, it's just as good if not better! Everyone sounds superb and profressional. The music is tight and professional. Usually LaBrie isn't that great live, but on this album, he was perfect! Oh, yeah baby! The track selection was awsome, and haveing an Orchestra help out was a good idea. Usually when bands do that it drives me nuts. But Dream Theater, the songs they chose were always meant to have a symphony backing thier progressive metal melodies and rythms! 5/5 for Score, the best CD recorded live by Dream Theater! Awsome music with never before heard tracks, Raise the Knife should've been on Falling Into Infinity. Another Won was quite the song too. Other than hearing it from the official bootlegs in terreble quality, I hadn't really listened to it. now it's good! Dream Theater is Incredible! They're the best! Go DT!

Finally, I've SCOREd it!!!!! Wow, it's a hard time to wait. Since this album was released last month, I've struggled to connect several music stores in Singapore, Malaysia, and even in Australia to get the information if the album was available. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it and I just have found it in Hongkong, Japan, and Korea. That's so disappointed because I just planned to go to Korea next month. I think the range from the released time until my departure (about two months) is too long. So I decided to wait and see if there's something surprised in my lovely country, Indonesia. Every week, I always connected every music store that I knew (may be they were getting bored, he.he.). Until one day I felt that something would happen so I tried to phone back them (even I newly phoned them the day before) and surprisingly, they said that they got one and it has sold out. I was shocked and at the evening, suddenly I knew that my father who has bought it for me!!! Thanks, dad! However, thank you also to all of the music stores who made me now collect two similar albums because I bought one more by myself the next day (so, the mission hasn't finished yet because I haven't gotten the DVD), and no thank to the cashier who's name was Heru who had a poor ability to cut off the outside plastic cover for taking a safety alarm and as the consequences he caused a scratch in front of the cover even my father has warned him to be more careful twice. That's about my story and now, let's take a look inside. I've seen the concert last January in Singapore (that's made me absent to go to school for 3 days). It's a perfect show, I think. So, when I saw the SCORE's set list in the issue that they sent to my home, my mind said that may be the SCORE's set list is still worse than the Singapore set list. It's ok if you don't think so, but the orchestra made me very unsure about this album (first set is a full band and second set and encore is together with the Octavarium orchestra). Well, I think I'm getting wrong and now I give my salute to this album. The band still played as best as they often did. James LaBrie with his brilliant vocals, John Myung with his energetic bass, John Petrucci with his melodic guitars, Mike Portnoy with his magnificent drums, and Jordan Rudess with his great experimental continuum and lap steel guitar. The show itself was held in Radio City Music Hall, New York City (New York??? Why was New York again??? Wasn't there a better place around this large world???) First set of this album is traced the band's history. This album is kicked off with "The Root Of All Evil" and before that there's a piece from "In The Name Of God Outro". This is a special song for me because at this moment in Singapore for the first time I saw my biggest inspiration, Mike Portnoy (I missed the chance to watch him in Indonesia in 2001). The drum sound in the intro made me so emotional. I won't forget about the moment until my last breath!!! The next songs are "I Walk Beside You" and "Another Won". The first one is taken from their latest album, "Octavarium". The last one is coming from the Majesty era. It's a rare song and fortunately, you can get this song in "The Majesty Demos- Official Bootleg" that is sold when they did a gig. "Afterlife", "Under A Glass Moon", and "Innocence Faded" are another history from their albums. Especially for "Innocence Faded", we are lucky to have it on CD because it hasn't played about 10 years! "Raise The Knife" is also a rare song that you just can get it in this album. And finally, the first CD is ended by "The Spirit Carries On" that is started with "Through Her Eyes" guitar intro. The second set is terrific. They played their longest song, 41+ epic "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence"!!! It started with the orchestra that played the "Overture" and the full band is newly appeared in "About To Crash" until my favorite "Losing Time/Grand Finale". However, I wasn't too impressed with the orchestra, even they played one of my favorite track in this album but I'm happy enough to be able to enjoy "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" live. It reflects that DT could play nearly one hour without any break (May be someday they can create a one hour track???). The "endless" epic finally over, but the show continued with "Vacant" (taken from "Train Of Thought" album) and "The Answer Lies Within". James LaBrie sang beautifully in these 2 emotional songs. The next track is "Sacrificed Sons" that is the last track in the second CD and this time, both the band and the orchestra played nearly perfect. One part I loved most in this track is on "06.17". The third CD is begun with my giant favorite "Octavarium". The song is almost perfect for me. The lyrics and the music are very strong. The intro was filled with keyboard solo (or may be continuum, or lap steel guitar, just some kind of that). You also can listen to some various genres of Progressive Rock such as, Psychedelic, a little Folk, and Symphonic in "Someone Like Him". Art, Symphonic, and Metal in "Medicate (Awakening)". Art, Metal, and a little Space Rock in "Full Circle". Full Metal in "Intervals". Symphonic and Metal in "Razor's Edge". What a complete music it was! Personally, my favorite part is the last part, "Razor's Edge", but I felt that their performance playing "Octavarium" live is rather different with their performance in studio album (Dream Theater usually played similarly both on the stage and the studio). Just a moment, I ever had a great debate with my friend about which one is the best between "Sacrificed Sons" and "Octavarium". I said clearly that "Octavarium" is far better than "Sacrificed Sons", but in Radio City Music Hall, Dream Theater played "Sacrificed Sons" better. And let's back to the album for the final song. "Metropolis Pt. 1" is taken from "Images & Words" album. It's became the only song in the encore session (Why DT was "lazy" not to put more song, may be one or two more song, or may be the other epic "A Change Of Seasons" for the third CD and making a new history that DT played all their 20+ songs on a single night?). However, I thought that their performance in this song (together with the orchestra) is still better than the same track in every live album (including "Instrumedley" which is also contained with it). Finally, here's my total rating for this album. The first CD contains the first set of the show with the band only and I liked "The Root Of All Evil", "I Walk Beside You", and "The Spirit Carries On", so I'll give it 4 star. The second CD, we find the first epic, "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" and "Sacrificed Sons", so I'm surely give it 5 star. Unfortunately, the third CD only contains two tracks (total time is only about 37 minutes). Another bad thing, DT just played a single song from "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" album. I think it's their best album so far but why DT didn't play another track beside "The Spirit Carries On"? However, once again, there's a second epic "Octavarium", one of my most favorite song ever and "Metropolis Pt. 1", a classic song which always played by Dream Theater in every live album, so 5 star too for the third CD. I'm also satisfied with the quality of the album's cover which is pretty well than "Live At Budokan" (it's color is white so it's easily going dirty, isn't it?). The art is also pretty cool. Finally, for overall, of course my rating is 5/5. The final words, I have some information for you (I hope it really help you). I was really happy to have ever watched them live and I won't miss every chance I have to watch them, even if I need to go abroad for watching them as the sacrifice (by the way, I'd rather watch them not in my country, Indonesia). Unfortunately, I've read the issue that was sent to my home and Mike Portnoy said that they will probably go back to have an opening act around 2007 and 2008 (Please don't do that, Mike!!! Just think about it some time as you've ever asked for to all DT fans around the world!!!). Well, I just hope that they came to Asia as soon as possible. The next information is about the album. I think most of people feel bored with Dream Theater because they have released 3 live albums around 5-6 years. As a loyal fan, I don't mind even if they release hundreds of live albums. And, for you who need some advice, you may collect this album as one of the best live album ever in the prog music history (that's why I bought double for this album).

"Score" is a 3-CD recording of Dream Theater's concert with the Octavarium Symphony Orchestra at Radio City Music Hall in New York during their 20th Anniversary tour. Dream Theater are not the first "metal" band to perform with an orchestra but, to my knowledge, they are the most recent.

I do not pretend to be an authority on Dream Theater, having picked up on them only three or four years ago. Whilst I've not yet researched the band's history in full, I have collected 5 of their studio albums in the time since I first heard them. I enjoy their brand of melodic "metal" which is often interspersed with lengthy passages of pure symphonic- rock invention. This is normally aided purely by synthesizers but they recently released the album "Octavarium" where they also deployed an orchestra.

Whilst I am not a huge fan of "live" albums, I bought this one because It was reasonably priced and I was intrigued at how the band would sound live with the orchestra.

This is a very good "live" album. The sound quality is excellent and the band have managed to capture the excited atmosphere of the crowd well on the recording.

Disc 1 shows Dream Theater, playing without the orchestra, in their purest high- energy "metal" mode. For me, they are better than this but even so there are a couple of songs where the melody is developed that really appeal: the catchy "I Walk Beside You" and the amazing "The Spirit Carries On". The latter is actually the high point of the album for me; a beautiful, moving song that had the audience singing along with the chorus - it sends shivers all down my spine! A great moment!

The music on discs 2 and 3 has the band showing their more melodious and inventive side. The orchestra is particularly effective during the excellent, 40-minute long "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence". Other high points include "Octavarium" and "The Answer Lies Within".

This would be a good first album to buy if you are new to Dream Theater and tempted to try them out. The band showcase the whole range of their music and the sound quality is as good as in the studio albums: take that together with the pricing and you have a very good value CD.

If you are interested in rock bands playing "live" with orchestras then I would suggest you check out Barclay James Harvest's CD "BBC In Concert". This is a recording taken back from as long ago as 1972 and whilst it does not have the sound quality or error- free playing of the Dream Theater disc you cannot beat it for pure invention and excitement!

Oh .. another live album by Dream Theater? OK .. OK . having been bombarded with many live albums, I finally "have to" have this album as well - despite the DVD itself. I got the audio CD after I watched the DVD which did not create any impact of "astonishment" which probably I got a bit bored with many live releases the band has produced. Yes, I got the message right that in addition to make the concert so grandiose the band has included The Octavarium orchestra. Well friends .. you can read all my opinion about SCORE DVD at my write-up at this site as well.

As far as audio CD, I got different feeling as I don't see how the band plays it on stage. I even much love the CD version than the DVD because I don't have to see how each members of the band and the orchestra played the music. I just use my ears to enjoy the CD. The most memorable part is the opening ambient of "The Root of All Evil" with Portnoy's drumming work. It sets the tone for the whole concert, really. The music flows naturally into my ears and my mind, and I quite enjoy it. It's probably that I can focus my attention to the sound (without image - I may get bored seeing the video shooting Portnoy more than other members of the band - it's probably he's the producer, so he rules?). When the music flows to "I Walk Beside You", "Another Won" and "Afterlife" I don't know why I can enjoy the music very well. This is pretty much different if I watch the DVD - I couldn't enjoy it well - it's probably many viewing distractions. So is the case when "Innocence Faded" enters my room, it sound excellent to my ears. I don't know why I do not quite enjoy "The Spirit Carries On" of this version. I think the nuance is not as perfect as other versions (studio and Scene From New York). I feel like there is a disjointed part between Petrucci's guitar solo at opening to the song.

"Sacrificed Sons" is one of my DT's favorite tracks. I like the fact that the band still includes the ambient sounds at the beginning of track right before piano enters the music. Jordan Rudess' keyboard works beautifully as well as Petrucci's howling guitar sounds and effects. LaBrie sings excellently even though the backing vocals don't sound quite good. The orchestration sounds excellent here. The Octavarium orchestra at Six Degree also produces excellent sound.

This SCORE CD sounds excellent to my ears despite my reluctancy to spin the CD because I have listened to the band's many live albums (including official bootlegs). I am almost sure after I listen to this CD with another one or two spins, this set will stay at my CD shelf for long. Well, I have many other CDs to enjoy as my musical taste expands. You know what? I'm now entering the albums of Thinking Plague, Isildur's Bane, Magma etc. which will definitely expand my music horizon - not just stay with symphonic prog or prog met. Let' move on, baby . Keep on proggin' ..!

We'll meet again my friend, someday soon .!!! - GW

Quite listenable...

DT really make metallish music that can be listened. There is enough musicality usually. Some tracks are even great music. But anyway the three discs are too much without a break. And besides there are so much so dull passages that it becomes pure noise in your ears.

The first CD is the band alone. To be a live recording the sound is quite good. The music is what you are used to. If the boys would care to play with greates variety in sound level, rhythms and melodies they might become a greast band. There is a lot of talent to be discovered. The two last tracks of the CD are great.

Rest of the music is with The Octavaruim Orchestra. The big question before I listened to the CD's was how shall the nyances of orchestral sound come forth? Shall the band trample on the orchestra with hard basses and other uproar? After listening I must say that I don't know :-) The only times I heard orchestra was when it played alone. If this was the plan then it was a good one. Separate the two concurrent bands and take turns. The orchestra played well and the arrangements were pleasing. Actually better than I would expect. They showed me that the musicality really existst in the bands music. The overall standard was that of an musical, like sound of music.

No way is this essential for progressive rock collector but if you fancy a bit more cultivated metall then probably you would enjoy this set. I wouldn't say that this is an excellent addition to a collection because there is actually quite a little of prog here. But good, yes, why not.

I hate for my first review of this site to be a five star, but I listened to this several times over the last week and Score definitely deserves it. The Radio City Music Hall performances has been rated by the members of DT as their favorite concert to date. Fans from all around the world came to see the final show of the Octavarium tour, and they got their money's worth.

The Root Of All Evil- The show opens with the opener of Octavarium. No surprises there. RoaE is my second favorite track off Octavarium, and it sounds better live. Portnoy's latest addition to the Alcoholic Anonymous suite recalls much of the earlier two pieces. I can't wait for it to be complete so the band will perform it all live.

I Walk Beside You- Like Golden Spiral already stated, this seemed like filler on the studio album. However, it makes sense at this show because Mike Portnoy planned the concert to be a culmination of the band's career, and this song recalls the melodic straight-forward rock of Falling into Infinity. In the end, I've come to appreciate this song, though its still my least favorite on the studio album or Score.

Another Won- DT goes back to the beginning on this great song. Myung's bass work is great on this as well as strong performances from Rudess, Portnoy, Petrucci, and LaBrie

Afterlife- The band continues their chronological progression. James sounds better than Charlie and Petrucci's solo, though faithful to the original, is stunning and shows just how good he is with concise solos rather than the bloated shredfests of later works.

Under A Glass Moon- Finally, a version of UaGM (it appears on Live at the Marquee but I can't find that anywhere). In my opinion, it contains John Petrucci's greatest guitar solo. I also love Portnoy's and Myung's rhythm work. James gives a strong vocal performance.

Innocence Faded- LaBrie's finest vocal performances loses none of its power in a live setting.

Raise the Knife- A song that was recorded on the Falling Into Infinity sessions but never made on the album. That's amazing since it's a very good song and could have really benefited DT's least popular album by balancing the straight rock with this progressive piece.

The Spirit Carries On- James gives a superb vocal performance on this and Petrucci's solo is tasteful and shows how skillful he is with slow fret work.

Six Degrees on Inner Turbulence- Now the band is joined by the Octavrium Orchestra for Six Degrees in all its glory. A forty two minute voyage into DT's longest epic will leave you drooling and panting in ecstasy.The Overture never sounded better and Goodnight Kiss (my personal favorite section) loses none of its beauty.

Vacant- Portnoy's rotating set list make this the default Train of Thought song since every other track appeared on Live at Budokan. This track is the lead in for Stream of Conciousness, DT's insane instrumental that would have sounded so good with an orchestra, though they likely would have been unable to play the lightning fast licks. Still, its a good stopgap between Six Degrees and the later epics of the show.

The Answer Lies Within- Finally found its way into the tour, a lovely addition thanks to the orchestra.

Sacrificed Sons- A moving song that opens with footage from 9/11. This songs carries much importance for the show since they are in New York and Myung, Petrucci, and Portnoy (not sure about Rudess) are from Long Island.

Octavarium- The apex of DT's career so far. As enjoyable as the studio version is, this rendition blows the original out of the water. Jordan has an extended continuum solo at the beginning that is so atmospheric it comes off as a technically experimental Opeth. James' vocals are incredible, particularly at the climax where he shrieks "Trapped inside this Oct..a..var...IUM!" The instrumentality of the band is never more realized than in this song, where each member displays his chops without noodling; Full Circle is perhaps the best interplay between bass, keyboards, and guitar in DT's career, which is filled with such interplay. The orchestration is far more powerful than the studio equivalent.

Metropolis- DT's encore is nothing short of wonderful. DT's greatest song gets a great makeover with the orchestra. A great close to a great concert

Overall, Score has bested Live at Budokan and even my former fave Live Scenes in New York as the pinnacle of DT live albums so far. If their career is any indicator, we can expect many more live albums in the future and I'm sure they will one day outdo even this opus, but for now, bask ye mortals in the presence of greatness.

Grade: A

I hate for my first review of this site to be a five star, but I listened to this several times over the last week and Score definitely deserves it. The Radio City Music Hall performances has been rated by the members of DT as their favorite concert to date. Fans from all around the world came to see the final show of the Octavarium tour, and they got their money's worth.

The Root Of All Evil- The show opens with the opener of Octavarium. No surprises there. RoaE is my second favorite track off Octavarium, and it sounds better live. Portnoy's latest addition to the Alcoholic Anonymous suite recalls much of the earlier two pieces. I can't wait for it to be complete so the band will perform it all live.

I Walk Beside You- Like Golden Spiral already stated, this seemed like filler on the studio album. However, it makes sense at this show because Mike Portnoy planned the concert to be a culmination of the band's career, and this song recalls the melodic straight-forward rock of Falling into Infinity. In the end, I've come to appreciate this song, though its still my least favorite on the studio album or Score.

Another Won- DT goes back to the beginning on this great song. Myung's bass work is great on this as well as strong performances from Rudess, Portnoy, Petrucci, and LaBrie

Afterlife- The band continues their chronological progression. James sounds better than Charlie and Petrucci's solo, though faithful to the original, is stunning and shows just how good he is with concise solos rather than the bloated shredfests of later works.

Under A Glass Moon- Finally, a version of UaGM (it appears on Live at the Marquee but I can't find that anywhere). In my opinion, it contains John Petrucci's greatest guitar solo. I also love Portnoy's and Myung's rhythm work. James gives a strong vocal performance.

Innocence Faded- LaBrie's finest vocal performances loses none of its power in a live setting.

Raise the Knife- A song that was recorded on the Falling Into Infinity sessions but never made on the album. That's amazing since it's a very good song and could have really benefited DT's least popular album by balancing the straight rock with this progressive piece.

The Spirit Carries On- James gives a superb vocal performance on this and Petrucci's solo is tasteful and shows how skillful he is with slow fret work.

Six Degrees on Inner Turbulence- Now the band is joined by the Octavrium Orchestra for Six Degrees in all its glory. A forty two minute voyage into DT's longest epic will leave you drooling and panting in ecstasy.The Overture never sounded better and Goodnight Kiss (my personal favorite section) loses none of its beauty.

Vacant- Portnoy's rotating set list make this the default Train of Thought song since every other track appeared on Live at Budokan. This track is the lead in for Stream of Conciousness, DT's insane instrumental that would have sounded so good with an orchestra, though they likely would have been unable to play the lightning fast licks. Still, its a good stopgap between Six Degrees and the later epics of the show.

The Answer Lies Within- Finally found its way into the tour, a lovely addition thanks to the orchestra.

Sacrificed Sons- A moving song that opens with footage from 9/11. This songs carries much importance for the show since they are in New York and Myung, Petrucci, and Portnoy (not sure about Rudess) are from Long Island.

Octavarium- The apex of DT's career so far. As enjoyable as the studio version is, this rendition blows the original out of the water. Jordan has an extended continuum solo at the beginning that is so atmospheric it comes off as a technically experimental Opeth. James' vocals are incredible, particularly at the climax where he shrieks "Trapped inside this Oct..a..var...IUM!" The instrumentality of the band is never more realized than in this song, where each member displays his chops without noodling; Full Circle is perhaps the best interplay between bass, keyboards, and guitar in DT's career, which is filled with such interplay. The orchestration is far more powerful than the studio equivalent.

Metropolis- DT's encore is nothing short of wonderful. DT's greatest song gets a great makeover with the orchestra. A great close to a great concert

Overall, Score has bested Live at Budokan and even my former fave Live Scenes in New York as the pinnacle of DT live albums so far. If their career is any indicator, we can expect many more live albums in the future and I'm sure they will one day outdo even this opus, but for now, bask ye mortals in the presence of greatness.

Grade: A

I remember the first time I heard a live rock and roll recording back in the sixties. It was "I'm Alright" by the Rolling Stones on "Out of Our Heads" and it knocked me out to hear the screaming audience and the passionate response from the band in concert. Over the years there have been many live albums released by every kind of group imaginable with wildly varying results. In the case of "Score" I have to give Dream Theater a resounding 5 stars. I got this 3-disc set as a gift and must admit that I may have put off buying it for a long, long time simply because I already had so many of the songs on their studio recordings and that would have been a shame. This is an essential progressive rock performance that you can't afford to miss.

Disc One starts with an excellent rendition of "The Root of All Evil" that excels as a show opener and I find that it comes off much better than the somewhat under-whelming studio version. The opposite is true of "I Walk Beside You" in that I still prefer the stirring rendition from Octavarium. It's not a bad performance, just not as good to my ears. The next two headbangers, "Another Won" and "Afterlife" will appeal to the fan who likes their DT fast and furious without a lot of subtlety. Not that that's a terrible thing, it's just not my cup o' tea. I have to give props to Rudess and Petrucci, though. On the latter song they really tear it up as they intertwine. The band seems to have worked off some of their adrenaline after those tunes and start to show the side of the group that I really admire. Their dynamics. "Under a Glass Moon" and "Innocence Faded" showcase interesting changes of mood and tempo throughout and Petrucci knocks the ball out of the park towards the end of "Innocence." His guitar makes the hair on the back of your neck bristle! "Raise the Knife" is a new one to me and it is a fabulous tune with a myriad of atmospheres swirling in and out of the song. It works on many, many levels and I'm glad they chose to include it here. "The Spirit Carries On" is literally a band/audience love fest that is effective without ever becoming just another sappy sing-along. Again, it is John's unearthly guitar playing that makes this song transcend even the excellent studio version. Gives you chills.

Disc Two starts with the incredible "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" as the orchestra plays the entire overture sans band, truly demonstrating without bias the excellence of the composition skills of the group. When the band comes in it electrifies the crowd and the great medley never lets up until the spectacular ending fades away. This is what I love about good live recordings in that it adds a new dimension to songs I'm already very familiar with and lets me enjoy it on a whole different level. The score has been beefed up to give the symphony more involvement and it makes for an incredible ride. While LaBrie's vocals on some of the songs on the first disc border on annoying due to his insistence on using what I call his "scary" voice, he really shines throughout "Six Degrees" (although the exhilarating journey seems to take his breath away literally towards the end). This monumental epic is worth the cost of the CDs alone. It's indescribable. "Vacant" is the perfect postscript, too. James sings with restraint and emotion on this sobering tune that fits here like a velvet glove. "The Answer Lies Within" merely mimics the studio version but it works well as a buffer to continue to settle the frenetic pace down a bit. The New York audience responds enthusiastically (as one would expect) to the fine performance of the poignant "Sacrificed Sons", making it an excellent way to bring the disc to an end.

Disc Three features two of the band's best extended songs. "Octavarium" may be their most complete epic and the orchestra creates a huge atmospheric sound to add to the multi-faceted tune. Jordan's lap steel guitar playing was a real surprise to me. I mean, who knew? "Metropolis" serves as the encore song and it rocks. The addition of the orchestral score raises this tune to realize its potential finally. The accents and punctuations backed by the symphony are stunning and makes for a memorable ending to the night. I can't continue without mentioning the otherworldly drumming laid down by the incomparable Mike Portnoy. He is so consistently magnificent that I sometimes take him for granted but he never falters throughout the show and drives the whole proceedings like a great conductor. He is without peer. And major kudos to the engineers that have managed to keep the symphony from being drowned out by the powerful musicianship and volume of the band members and allowed the sometimes delicate, sometimes forceful presence of the orchestra to shine through brightly. This is the best fusion of symphony and rock band I've ever heard. At last somebody got it right.

So I encourage all that love metal-influenced symphonic progressive rock music to avoid the sin of overlooking this magical performance recording. It's obvious that Dream Theater wasn't content to just perform a recital of their studio songs. Rather, they created for their knowledgeable audience a once in a lifetime experience that transcended the usual "rock show" and elevated their performance to a level that only passionate playing and a total commitment to the loving representation of their music could produce. I feel truly fortunate that this incredible concert was captured so completely for all time to come.

Of course, most of the times, when I'm sad, I listen to it. Of course, mostly to The Spirit Carries On or Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, others when I'm ready to face them. Without images (and words?), it still stands firm, without hesitating and falling down. Of course, it's not so easy to catch attention with just sound (it's like comparing reading book and watching film, reading is far harder to concentrate, but also takes less time - yyou can do other things while listening - no, it's not good equation).

This review is connected with following one quite a lot, remember to check this for further details (as I don't want to repeat myself more than once) www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=252616

5(-), not so thrilling, but certainly great deal.

"Welcome to Radio City Music Hall"

It's been 20 years. It's been another 4 official live albums. It's been 8 studio albums. What was the next step? An unmatchable concert with an orchestra playing with them near to 2 hours of their music. Yes, that was the perfect closure chapter to a great journey. Glad that they don't stop there, but surely the standards that this concert sets it's an impressive achievement of music meant to be heard, quality and perfection.

I don't use to buy both Cd's and DVD's collections with the same audio, I don't have enough money to pay for all that. But I have seen that many people get distracted by the talent of Dream Theater and don't pay attention to the music. So this is a great chance to do that. This is the perfect album to new fans or those who are just getting to know this wonderful band. It's impressive indeed, the power that this bands shares through the concert, the intensity of the crowd and last but not least, the impressive interpretation of a well build-up orchestra that shares talent with the band. The arrangements were at the top of quality, not changing the sense of the songs but bringing something new a fresh to the mix. One of the many highlights of the evening was the interpretation of the SIX DEGREES SUITE on it's entirely set. The other impressive highlight, that matches with the INSTRUMEDLEY of the last live album, was METROPOLIS PT-1, which sounds powerful because of the orchestra going back of the keyboards and guitar solos.

As usual in the traditional DT setlist, the amount of music cover up near to 3 hours. The select list was a journey from their very first demos recorded in 1985 until the last album of that age, OCTAVARIUM. Some obscure demos or "B" sides like ANOTHER WON and RAISE THE KNIFE were upon the list, as well some rare songs live like INNOCENCE FADED (with an outstanding performance by Labrie and another strange song like VACANT, which with the orchestra arrangement sounded a lot dark and mellow.

About quality of sound and production, this album is perfection at all. Even James Labrie reached his highest notes cleanly and easily. This is a MUST HAVE for any single DT fan, but especially for those who just started the discovery of this impressive band. Yeah, I used the word impressive many times, because this particular show was all about it. Great album for those who feel distracted by live DVDs. The score: 5 for DT, 0 for mistakes. I said so?

Dream Theater live albums are a dime a dozen. Most of them pale in comparison to their triple-disc 'live opus' Live Scenes from New York. Score is their first live album since that can really hold a candle to it. The first disc features some band-only performances, mostly deeper cuts from the older reaches of their discography but featuring two new pieces. Unfortunately, the only place this album is at all flawed is in the beginning--the two cuts off of Octavarium, while solid, are a bit inferior to their studio versions. Nonetheless, the deep cuts ("Another Won?" Who the hell had even remembered that piece?) are played tremendously, and Petrucci's solo on "Under a Glass Moon" is to die for. The second disc introduces the so-called Octavarium Ocrhestra. Their introduction, the overture to "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence," is a bit rocky, admittedly. But when the band starts coming in on "About to Crash," you KNOW why they have a symphony backing them. This piece sounds AMAZING with orchestral backing. I do not think there are enough capital letters to emphasize this enough. "Solitary Shell," "War Inside My Head" and both sections of "About to Crash" are all vastly improved with orchestral backing. After that huge rush of musical perfection, "Vacant" is a bit of a let-down in comparison, but still gives LaBrie a chance to have a near-solo vocal performance that is, frankly, great. "The Answer Lies Within" strikes me as a mistake to have been written in the first place, let alone be graced with an orchestral performance, but it is still passable to listen to. The rest of the tracks are all amazingly done, on par with the gripping and tear-jerking performance of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence." Rudess' solo opening "Octavarium" is amazing, to say the least, and the encore "Metropolis" is a satisfying end to the set. Though this album has its hiccups (seriously, I freaking hate "The Answer Lies Within,") they are mostly chalked up mostly to very specific dislikes of mine that shouldn't translate into my rating. This album is amazing, and never for a second have I regretted buying it.

What live should always be.

Dream Theater really hit a home run with this CD set. Recorded on the last show of the band's 20th anniversary tour along with an entire orchestra (named the "Octavarium Orchestra" and led by well known conductor Jamsheid Sharifi), the concert, lasting for over 2 hours, was recorded in Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The band opened with a couple of their hits of the new album before going through each and every studio album and playing one track from each, and most of them not the ones you would think they would play (No Pull me Under!!). The band is at their complete best, with extreme energy, chemistry, and great stage presence. Even in the massive Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence the band keeps going and going and going and going with the same energy as the first track-- which is highly impressive! The entire recording is impeccable and has superb production, and is a joy to listen to. A wonderful live release by these masters! 5 stars.

Score: DT's perfect opportunity to create something great. Dream Theater sounds incredibly tight, and the energy is the best they've ever recorded on a live album. Then why do I rate this album so low? After being a fan of Metallica's S&M album, which has the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra with Michael Kamen as conductor, I expected a same caliber orchestra for Dream Theater. The orchestra sounds like a music school intermediate orchestra (I played in one for several years, and we could have pulled this off) with very little practice. The timing was off in the pizzicatos, in the 16th note runs, and the overall sound was very weak. A band only has one opportunity to do a project like this, and should take the time to create a show of the highest caliber.

If this were a regular concert without the orchestra, I would've given it 4 stars.

With the orchestra: 2 (and I'm being generous, because I was quite upset when I heard this disgrace).

OK, this is a great surprise for me! Really! I am not a fan of live albums, I prefer the studio ones.

But this album (recorded with the 'Octavarium Orchestra', specially in Six Degree Of Inner Turbulence suite) have a wonderful selection of songs (good to hear the songs from the first albums of the band with a nice sound).

Just one things bothers me here, why we don't have any song from Falling To Infinite? I know they're no happy about that album, but hey 'New Millennium', 'Burning My Soul' and 'Trial Of Tears' are great songs.

Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence played in it's whole? AMAZING! And Octavarium too!

One three-CD live album is a tall order, though a great achievement if you can pull it off. Putting out two is a bigger challenge, though if you've got a weighty enough back catalogue you can pull it off. Three? Now you're pushing it.

Dream Theater do, however, bring something extra to the table on Score to help it stand out. Live Scenes From New York, of course, had the benefit of being built around the Scenes From a Memory concept album; Live From Budokan didn't have a uniting theme and so I felt was a shade weaker, though the strength of the material and quality of the performances carried it. Here, they're performing in conjunction with the almighty Octavarium Orchestra, who kick in on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence at the start of disc 2 and add an extra symphonic kick to the material from then on out.

It also helps that since Budokan the band had put out the rather excellent Octavarium, which provides a good chunk of material here (nearly an hour's worth, in fact). In addition, the band don't go out of their way to fill every disc to the brim - in fact, this is a shade over two and a half hours, which makes it shorter than Live Scenes or Budokan while still being a fairly epic workout. Finally, as the title implies the concert was recorded on the band's 20th anniversary tour, so they go out of their way to pull out some deep cuts from the early days, including a live rendition of Another Won - a track which had previously languished in the Majesty demo archives. (Another rarity here is Raise the Knife - an out-take from the Falling Into Infinity sessions, here to represent that stage of the band's evolution rather than the more familiar Falling Into Infinity tracks.)

Disc 1 sets the tone with the band playing by themselves prior to introducing the orchestra, with a thunderous, booming sound which fits the material nicely, whether you are talking about some of the classic 1980s prog metal-with-light-thrash-influence of the oldest tracks or the Muse-esque touches incorporated into the Octavarium sound, whilst the remaining discs use the orchestra to excellent effect. On the whole, it still feels like a bit of a marathon, and a bit too conscious of an attempt to repeat the magic of Live Scenes From New York, to earn a full five stars; I don't think you can catch lightning in a bottle twice like that, at least not consciously. That said, it comes very close.

This 3 Cd package is jammed full of incredible prog metal from virtuoso masters Dream Theater. It is perhaps better seen with the DVD but this music still stands up on its own merits. The setlist spans the 5 year history with a symphonic orchestra augmentation. It is interesting the way the orchestra blends into the metal sound, similar to the Metallica S&M concert, or indeed Kiss Alive IV. It is always of interest when metal meets symphony.

It opens with some deadset oddities such as The root of all evil, I walk beside you, Another won and Afterlife. It isn't until Under A Glass Moon that it really takes off showing the power of that brilliant track and Petrucci's amazing guitar solo. Later we are treated with The spirit carries on and the entire suite of Six degrees of inner turbulence; absolutely flawless and indispensable on the live stage. After an ovation the band belt out Vacant, The answer lies within, Sacrificed Sons and the masterpiece epic Octavarium that is quintessential to the band. The Encore: Metropolis Pt. 1 is a brilliant way of ending the concert to a rapturous crowd.

This is a fantastic concert accompanied by masterful orchestration. A must for all DT fans and I highly recommend the DVD for the full impact of this incredible performance.

This is a success in many respects. The concept of this live album - to divide in two parts. First, to give a retrospective of the entire band's career, not just a greatest hits, but resurrecting some rarities, at least one of them, the rocking Another Won (from 1985 demos), is given such a definite treatment that it becomes an instant classic in my book. Second, play with a huge orchestra, but only for the second half, with some of your longest and most symphonic compositions. You can already replace the 41-minute Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence opus with this live version on your I-Pod, because you don't have to listen to the silly 6-minute artificial strings introduction of the studio version anymore.

The clearly live atmosphere of the album (hiccups count!), not over-edited or a faithful studio replication, so it makes you feel you actually are watching a live transmission of the concert, not a film about the concert. I guess the only letdown would a tired encore serving of Metropolis Part 1, but everybody was probably tired at that 3-hour-past point. I probably wouldn't also show this to a serious music collector to prove a point that "metal can be serious too!", because, lets face it, this is not Stravinskiy. The orchestra, wisely not overbearing, may sound simplistic and imbalanced at certain points, but in all my heart I couldn't detract more than a quarter ratings point for it.

They did it in 2000 with 'Live Scenes from New York', and again in 2004 with 'Live at Budokan', and come 2006, Dream Theater are at it once more, trying to outdo themselves with 'Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour', another three-disc live album that shows the kings of progressive metal at their very best.

"So what makes 'Score' any different?" you ask... allow me to explain.

'Live Scenes...' was focused around the 'Scenes from a Memory' album and a multitude of big, prog epics, while 'Budokan' had an abundance of heavier, more energetic and varied material. Interestingly, with the exception of a few songs, both albums had different sets, and this continues with 'Score'. Based around the 'Octavarium' album and a retrospective look back at the bands career in chronological order, there is, once again, a varied set here which is different than previously.

With a fantastic production (this almost sounds like a studio release, at times), and superb performances (c'mon, it's Dream Theater), 'Score' is over two hours of prog greatness. With such epics as 'Octavarium', 'Metropolis' and 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence' in its entirety, as well as often overlooked tracks such as 'Afterlife', 'Innocence Faded' and 'Vacant', there's a well-rounded set here. And 'Another Won' and 'Raise the Knife', both previously unreleased on studio albums, are welcome and popular additions. There's the "Octavarium Ochestra" in there too, which has fans raving. Though to be honest, I find their contributions a bit lacking, especially when Jordan Rudess could perform most of this on his keyboard by himself.

Overall however, 'Score' is another live success for Dream Theater. While 'Live at Budokan' remains my favourite, this, along with 'Live Scenes from New York' completes the perfect live album trilogy, and is a highly recommended addition to any prog collection.