SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE

This is one of Dream Theater's main masterpieces in their wave of modern progressive metal (after scenes from a memory their music changed radically and this album is the first of those). And that is one of the reasons why you can't really compare it to their elder albums, even if it derives from them.

I'm not going to comment so much on LaBrie's singing as I tend to look more for the instrumental parts of music. However there is nothing wrong with the lyrics, it, as in every other album they've made, is in itself a masterpiece and shows what true progressive metal is about. Intelligent songwriting. You just got to love it. And there is no doubt that I many times feel moved by what they sing about, this album touches your very soul.

What I noticed first in 6 degrees were drum and guitar performance. How Portnoy and Petrucci plays is really the epitomy of progressive metal. And the first tune called The Glass Prison is the masterpiece of the first CD, it's a really progressive piece of work, both lyrics and music. A quite long instrumental end (3 minutes), now That is what makes Glass Prison so darn good.

Blind Faith is where Jordan Rudess gets to show off his skills, and there's no doubt that this is a big part of what Dream Theater music is about, he really has influenced the band and introduced it to the new millennium and beside Portnoy I think he is the most positive force of the band (I would know as I have met him).

Misunderstood is quite a calm track, many pauses and "slow downs", however my head aches after the ending :p, that's quite experimental.

And then there's The Great Debate, it's quite good, lots of time for Portnoy to show off which I like, and very progressive, tempo changes etc. , and finally Disappear which I myself find a little too slow.

Well, the first CD is good, really, but the second CD is what 6 degree is all about. The lyrics are about a mental disorder called "bi- polar disorder" and all the eight tracks explain different phases of it and events surrounding.

The CD kicks of with the orchestra, Portnoy and Rudess. This is a really good opening (very relaxing) and it's quite a contrast to what comes after; About To Crash. Here you will find a lot of piano playing by Rudess and some really cool pauses and tempo changes.

After About To Crash comes War Inside My Head, a really progressive piece and quite heavy too. It's a prelude to The Test That Stumped Them All. Now that track is one of the tracks that makes this album so darn good, if you like the heavy parts of course (if one tend not to like the heavy parts of DT is usally helps to look at the documentaries that they have). Petrucci's work on this track is extreme.

Now Goodnight Kiss is of course a little slow, but the lyrics and the singing is so well performed that you just can't say no, this is a pause in the CD saga and well needed.

Solitary Shell, well some people say they find the lyrics to correspond to autism/asperger, but then they are very much like bi- polar disorder in some ways. Petrucci and Rudess really kicks ass on this track. Classic feeling sort of. Even if you could say that about the whole CD.

About To Crash (Reprise) and the first About To Crash are my absolute favourites on the whole album. They are the real masterpieces. They feel very energetic and when you listen to them you know that the band spent some time on these tracks.

The whole album finishes of with Losing Time / Grand Final. I myself think that the orchestra and LaBrie epitomize on this final track.

The feeling after the last track has played... Wow, euphoria (as sung in About To Crash). This is good. This is a masterpiece. No contest, no questioning.