OCTAVARIUM

I had a hard time rating this. I was both dissapointed and glad at the same time. After horrendous release of Six Degrees, the only DT album I refuse to own, Train Of Thought was kind of giving hope that things will get better. Although TOT was more of a straightforward metal (and the heaviest DT release ever), there were less senseless instrumental wanking and more melody during the non-instumental part. The overzelous instrumental trend started from SFAM, another album I don't put high on my list.

Now, this album still dissapoints me in the sense that I really really missed IAW and Awake material. Both of those album were technical, progressive, full of signature time change BUT melodic at the same time. None of their release after that manage to top those two albums. I have stop to hope that they will ever come out with another one, so I accept the reality that it will never happen. That is where I was glad for Octavarium. Firstly, Rudess at last realised his part in the band. I love Rudess in this album as much as I love Moore. No more stupid effects, trying to top Petrucci etc. He plays what he needs to play. Secondly the songs are song a little less heavy than Train. In fact they sound something like Awake, my fav album, with the strong keyboard presense at the right place.

There are a lot of influence in this album. Muse, Linkin Park, U2 etc. Seriously, I don't care. As long as it is not a rip-off, I welcome the addition of anything that helps to add to the diversity of the album. DT in the first place is not unique since their first album. They have always sounded like somebody else but the difference is they make it better. Like Wills in Men in Black - 'I make this look good'.

So what can you expect from this album? Imagine Train Of Thought mixed with Awake. You should get the idea. Not a masterpiece but still a good album.