OCTAVARIUM

After 10 or so listening times I can say that this album is very entertaining in its own way. It doesn't sound like a desperate attempt to find new audiences (like Falling Into Infinity), it's not a tribute to any single style or influence (like Train of Thought), but it's not an unbelievable masterpiece (like Scenes From A Memory). I won't go into detailed analysis of every track, lots of reviewers have already done it with better musical education than I have. There are lots of catchy melodies that stay in your head and you may find yourself humming them the next day at job! Sacrificed Sons is a great sing-along song to end the shows, much in the vein of The Spirit Carries On or In The Name Of God. Oh yes, there are lots of clear influences. I Walk Beside You is very much U2-ish, but not in the annoying way like those tracks on Falling Into Infinity. It even brings Asia into my mind, heaven knows why. The opening of These Walls sounds like Van Halen's I'm The One. The title track has some very distinctive Yes-passages. These, let's say, points of reference are not bringing the rating down. It's very enjoyable to pick up some details and try to remember where did I hear it before. But here comes the big one: This album will go into the annals of heavy-prog-metal forever, because it has the greatest band of all quoting the most despised band of all! Listen closely the post-solo "orchestral" section of Never Enough at 4.45. Then go dig your old vinyls to find Look At Yourself by Uriah Heep. Put on the closing section of July Morning and be amazed! I don't know Muse, but this track has some much older influences!