OCTAVARIUM

I got this album today and, after listening through it a couple of times, I can honestly say that it's absolutely fantastic. The focus is on songwriting this time around; this is apparent in the lack of over-indulgent solos by John Petrucci. Normally, I'd think that would be a bad thing, but after hearing Octavarium, I'm glad JP decided to take a step back. It gives the band a chance to showcase their songwriting skills, and also lets Jordan Rudess really shine. I'll go through song-by-song:

The Root of All Evil - this is the next part in the Alcoholics Anonymous saga (the first two were the Glass Prison and This Dying Soul). It's heavy but melodic; much better than the stuff heard on Train of Thought, although it actually uses a refrain from This Dying Soul, which is cool.

The Answer Lies Within - the album's ballad. It sounds almost Beatles-ish, and is very well done. It's heartfelt and emotional, and sounds great.

These Walls - another solid song, although I don't like it as much as the rest of the album. The verse is really soft, while the chorus is heavy and uses a new keyboard sound for Dream Theater.

I Walk Beside You - this song took me by surprise. It sounds like it could be a U2 song, but it's surprisingly good. It's extremely poppy and radio-friendly, but it's a good song nevertheless.

Panic Attack - think Train of Thought, but much better. It's the heaviest song on this album, but they don't disregard melody and songwriting in favour of heaviness like they did on the previous album. Great song.

Never Enough - another song that's good, but not necessarily fantastic. It's got a really strong Muse influence (if you don't know that band, disregard that comment, I guess).

Sacrificed Sons - I was worried about this 10-minute track about September 11th, but it's actually really good. It's the first song on the album where the band goes into the extended soloing they're known for, but even then it's kept to a minimum. They use an orchestra on this song, which makes it even better.

Octavarium - this song alone makes the album worth buying. A 24-minute epic featuring a full orchestra, it's arguably the best thing Dream Theater has ever written. Jordan Rudess even gets to use the Continuum. Just incredible in every way, all the way through.

Overall, Octavarium is an amazing album. Anyone who likes Dream Theater should definitely pick it up (obviously), but it's new and diverse enough to capture even non-fans. Just get it, now.