OCTAVARIUM

While listening to the album for the third time since I picked it up, I feel moved to comment!

DT shocked the world (well, the prog metal world) with TRAIN OF THOUGHT. The album brought a more streamlined and hard-hitting DT. The new sound (which was pioneered on the SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE album) was refined, and when it was released it polarized many fans. I've posted my opinions on the album and it's impact here on this site (4/5 for those who haven't seen).

OCATAVARIUM sees the band continue to streamline their work in order to truly define their song structures. PETRUCCI has been quoted as saying that they were guilty of simply creating long instrumental passages in the past and simply tossing ill-conceived lyrics on top... this is not the case with their newest release.

As my tastes mature, I find I am able to appreciate the maturation of one of many all- time favourite bands!

Obviously, to a prog fan the highlights of an album are those qualities we all adore: Epic song structure, developing themes (musical and lyrical) and virtuosity in performance. These qualities are all in abundance on this disc!

The opening piece; THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL is the continuation in PORTNOY's saga of his struggle with substance abuse (which began with THE GLASS PRISON on SIX DEGREES, and continued with THIS DYING SOUL on TOT). I was anxious when I placed the disc in my friend's CD player... when I heard the nod to THIS DYING SOUL (the intro drum fill is present along w/PETRUCCI's Cb5 chord stabs) I knew I was in the right place!

I will not review the other pieces (as I tend to write far too much for my own good) but I will make the following two comments.

The first being DT's choice of emulating U2 on I WALK BESIDE YOU. I enjoy the fact that they are branching out (much more than on the FALLING INTO INFINITY album), but wearing the influence so daringly on their sleeve may not have been a great idea. This is a great 'radio' track (as in it could appear on the radio and not deter no-prog fans), yet I hardly feel it is representative of the band's writing ability and overall potential. The chorus even contains the descending lick from WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME... the redeeming qualities of the song occur @ 2:54, where LABRIE's vocals are backed by a chorus of the other members "Aaaah-ing" in harmony. That was truly a beautiful moment.

Next, the album's namesake and epic: OCATAVARIUM. Not since A CHANGE OF SEASONS have I been satisfied by a DT epic (under 70 minutes long... i.e. METROPOLIS PT II). The intro consists of JORDAN RUDESS on lap steel guitar... no, seriously! I was pleasantly surprised by PETRUCCI's free acoustic playing on the tune... actually, I broke into a s**t eating grin when I heard it!

All in all, the disc was a pleasant experience. The boys have furthered their approach to song writing and have delivered an excellent body of work... again, what was I WALK BSIDE YOU? Oh well, maybe I'll end up liking it later!

And before I forget. the album marks a more triumphant RUDESS on keys! For those (like myself) who felt he was buried in the TOT mix, he's back in the forefront! Yay!

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