OCTAVARIUM

First things first. The title track "Octavarium" is a true masterpiece, and probably the greatest rock/prog song to come out since some of the 60's and 70's classics. Beautiful acoustical arrangments of guitar, and flute, as well as sweeping Petrucci guitar solo's, Rudess mastery, and Myung madness on bass. Plus Labrie's voice sounds better than ever. Just wait till the end when he screams his lungs out, literally!!! As for the rest of the album we'll just say it's not on par with Images and Words and Scenes From a Memory. There are still some very solid tracks on this album such as "These Walls," "Panic Attack,"Never Enough," and the 9/11 tribute "Sacrificed Sons." The 1st song on the album is "The Root of all Evil." It brings an end to the trifecta of Glass Prison/This Dying Soul saga nicely, yet it is not as solid a song as the first two. "The Answer Lies Within" reminds me of "Disappear,"and "I Walk Beside you" will be skipped multiple times on your stereo becasue it is a blah U2 rip to say the least. 1.The Root of All Evil= 7/10(Ending to Glass Prison/Dying Soul) 2.The Answer Lies Within=8/10(wooh, this is like Haloween music) 3.These Walls=9/10(Great Track) 4.I Walk Beside You=5/10(Huh, what is this)? 5.Panic Attack=10/10(Turn your stereo up, way up!!!) 6.Never Enough=9/10(Stick with this song, it's really solid) 7.Sacrificed Sons=9/10(Never forget 9/11. This song won't let you) 8.Octavarium=10/10(Must be listened to multiple times until fully appreciated. I know it's long, but it's DT's best work to date, bar none.The song starts slow, but it just builds, and builds, and builds...... True epic masterpiece, and Rudess's solo will blow you away, as well as the most inspirational ending to a song, maybe EVER!!! Dream Theater & full orchestra, yeah, u heard me right. Change of Seasons, make room for this one.