OCTAVARIUM

Dream Theater has once again shifted gears. Replacing the shallow heavy metal style of ToT is the pop-rock/progressive metal/symphonic prog stylings of Octavarium -- an album that is actually rather disappointing when compared to DT's earlier material. This album is right up there with DT's other weak albums, ToT and WDADU.

1. The Root of all Evil: Decent chorus, but overall, this song is incredibly disjointed. I just don't like it. A lot of people do, but I know a few who agree with me on this. It's not crap, but I expect more of band that put out albums like SFAM, I&W, Awake and SDOIT.

2. The Answer Lies Within: Boring.

3. These Walls: Very straightforward pop-rock/metal. Not bad, but nothing exciting.

4. I Walk Beside You: This song is pretty much universally despised by DT fans along with their other train-wreck "You Not Me". I, however, don't mind it. It's better than the first two songs on this album, at least.

5. Panic Attack: Good singing and some decent riffage. One of the stronger tracks and definitely better than TROAE as a heavy track in my opinion.

6. Never Enough: One of the better songs. Sounds like "Stockholm Syndrome" by Muse.

7. Sacrificed Sons: James LaBrie's second 9/11 song this year, Sacrificed Sons is the shorter in length of the two epics on this album, and is infinitely worse than the track that it precedes. The opening takes way too long, the whole song is pretty predictable, the lyrics aren't very good, the instrumental feels like it was added because they knew that the rest of the song sucked, and overall, it's just boring.

8. Octavarium: This song is freaking amazing! If you crossed Dream Theater, an Orchestra, Rush, Pink Floyd, Ayreon, Yes, Kansas, Queen and Deep Purple, this is what you'd get. If you don't feel enlightened just listening to this song, then you're hopeless. This is a Progressive rock masterpiece and easily the best song of the year. It's just too bad it was on such a crappy album overall.

I hope DT continues to evolve, but only if they keep putting out more songs like Octavarium.

3/5