OCTAVARIUM

I am so excited about this album that I decided to submit a review to this site for the first time. Octavarium is possibly the most progressive album DT has ever made. Not in the traditional sense though. It is progressive in the sense that it is the most poppy and accessible album of theirs since Falling Into Infinity and it's the album no one expected to follow SDOIT and ToT. It's progressive in the sense that DT has proven they can still write good songs and keep the wanking to a minimum when they want to.

I must have listened to this album 20 times already and not once have I gotten tired of it. I feel like I should be getting tired of it. I almost WANT to get tired of it. But I can't. "The Root of All Evil" has more replay value on it than almost any Dream Theater song. So much is going on in this song. From the killer beginning riff to the emotional chorus and reprise of This Dying Soul's vocal lines, it keeps you listening.

"The Answer Lies Within" is in the perfect spot on the album. I draw comparisons to "Images in Words" in the setup of the album. This song is the "Another Day" of Octavarium. Its also very similar to Hollow Years in its maturity.

Now comes a song I've been listening to on repeat quite frequently. "These Walls" is such a solid piece of music. I am so impressed with what Rudess adds to this song. From the strings in the pre-chorus and outro to the synth arpeggios in the chorus, its Jordan at his melodic best.

The album is not without its flaws and this is where the album starts to slide slightly. Its not that I don't like "I Walk Beside You" its just impossible to enjoy the song on its own rights when it sounds so much like U2. The chorus is so blantantly ripped off from U2 that I can't help but be annoyed. I have nothing against a band showing their influences. But this sounds like a song either U2 wrote for DT or vice versa.

The second worst song on the album "Panic Attack" simply lacks a substantial hook. I love the instrumental part, especially the Iron Maiden homage at 5:43. This song blows the majority of Train of Thought out of the water though showcasing how heavy metal instrumental parts can be brutal and fast but still melodic.

I have the same problem with "Never Enough" as I have with "I Walk Beside You". DT is wearing their new Muse influence on their sleeves. It's just excessive.

The next song, the semi-epic "Sacrificed Sons" is the low point of the album. It's about the 9/11 tragedy and of course I won't hold anything against the band for wanting to write a song about it. But the lyrics leave something to be desired. It's everything we've heard a hundred times before about the tragedy and sounds more like poem written by a high schooler. Musicall, the high point of the song hits so early, around the 2 minute mark with the slow melodic vocal line. For the next 4 minutes, I always find myself slightly bored until the A Change of Seasons-esque movement at 6:24. But after that its more repetition of the same riffs and the not so great chorus.

This brings us to the title track. Simply put, this is surely the best song Dream Theater has written in over a decade. To tell you the honest truth, it's my new favorite Dream Theater song. The first time I listened intently to this song in its entirety, I was overwhelmed. I don't think I've ever had a piece of music move me to tears on the first listen, but this song did it. Epic doesn't even begin to describe this song. If "A Change of Seasons" is epic, "Octavarium" is a legendary. While the album has a few minor flaws, this song makes up for them 10 fold and warrants 5 stars.