OCTAVARIUM

Oh My God! Dream Theater are back and in a big way! An abosultley brilliant album by the masters of prog metal! Technically brilliant and musically challenging and absorbing and it does rock hard! The highlight is the epic 24 minute title track where everybody in the band has a moment to shine and using all their influeneces while not straying from their own sound! The beginning of the song is very similar to Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" with a flute thrown in there making you believe Peter Gabriel has joined the band. Petrucci's guitar work is toned down yet more evocative and you can tell he's been listening to David Gilmour's work recently. John Myung makes a splash with a funky bass intro in the second movement and Mike Portnoy's drumming is outstanding as always proving he's right up there with Neil Peart and Danny Carey as prog's best stickmen. Jordan Rudess keyboard work is brilliant and James Labire's vocals are terrific showing a softer side to his voice while he can still scream with the best of them When he's on a voicecoder he sounds like a cross of Dave Mustaine and Maynard James Keenan.

Overall brilliant. One of the best releases in 2005. Very highly recommended!