OCTAVARIUM

OCTAVARIUM.

Ill say that this is one of their best efforts yet. Octavarium Dream Theater's 8th studio albums changes much of what they have been doing since Scenes from a Memory. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Train of Tought are good albums, but not great, certainly not a masterpiece as say Images & Words or Scenes from a Memory. The problem with those albums where: Song Lenght, inconsistent instrumental sections, over ambitious songs and no inovation whatsoever.

It all changes here. As a matter of fact, Octavarium is a "Change" album, and it succeds basically because music seems to have come out of the heart. I know it sounds corny but i really mean it. On to the songs.

The Root of all Evil, Panic Attack and Never Enough are in a similar genre, a new one for DT. They are heavy progressive songs, with some instrumental sections, but well structured and with very nice new keyboard sounds (wont go into detail considering our good friend Shane Davis already did and i agree with most of his inside info)

These walls and The Answer lies within are ballads, with the latter being similar to Anna Lee, and the first one more like misunderstood. They are both powerfull songs, and quickly became repeated in my cd player.

Sacrified Sons and Octavarium are the epics. And boy are they epics! Sacrified Sons is very emotional, and very very powerfull. On the other hand, Octavarium totally blew me away. Its one of the best DT songs ever. Jordan Rudess uses his new toy "The Continuum" and it sounds very Cutting Edge, very Fresh...

Quick Notes:

- Its mostly a Rudess album, he really shines in most of the songs. - Only a handfull of Petrucci solos, not dissapointed with it, he needed a rest, he was getting repetitive. - John Myung can be identified!!! Finally they give his due to this masterfull player. - James LaBrie sings his heart out in this album, he screams, he puts a lot of feeling, he rocks, he does everything a singer can be asked of. - Portnoy does his usual stuff, nothing you might not expect from him, nothing new. He does a better job in Neal Morse's One. But dont get me wrong, he does a great job here too.

Overall i would still have to listen to it more to put it in perspective with DT other albums, but as one album by a prog band, it really really stands out !!!

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