OCTAVARIUM

Octavarium is a decent album, but along the lines of When Dream and Day Unite and Falling Into Infinity (i.e. it's one of their weakest). The song structures aren't interesting, the lyrics and vocals are whiny, and the technical masterbatioin we've come to expect from DT is void. If DT was going to stray from the "Train of Thought" style, they also failed, with four songs sounding like they might have well been on that album. Anywho, here's what I think of each song:

"Root of all Evil"- my favorite song on the album. However, this song doesn't stray from the heavy Train of Thought style

"The Answer lies within"- a very pretty song, if somewhat sappy.

"These Walls"- a pretty good song, catchy, all that jazz, BUT for a 7 minute song to not have a guitar solo even? Blasphemy.

"I Walk Beside You"- sounds like U2. Lame (and also no solo)

"Panic attack"- Another really good song, but once again may as well have been on Train of Thought (stylistically).

"Never Enough"- vomit inducing. That's all I can say. It sounds like Muse, and lyrics about suicide? Gag me with a fucking spoon.

"Sacrificed Sons"- A pretty good song. BUT AGAIN, similar to the material from Train of Thought.

"Octavarium"- I expected to like this. "Yes, a 24 minute prog metal epic!" But no. When I first heard it, a friend remarked that the beggining sounded like "First Light" by Shadow gallery. I joked that it would then come in with the strumming acoustic guitar from "First Light." THEN IT DID. Then it dragged. And dragged some more before we got to a good ending.

The only genuinely good songs on this album are the ones that sounded like songs from Train of Thought. The others are mediocre fillers and radio friendly singles.