SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE

My initial reaction to Six Degrees was much the same as my initial reaction to Scenes From a Memory: I was impressed by Dream Theater's technical capabilities, but at the same time the whole thing didn't connect to me on an emotional or an atmospheric level, leaving me the impression that I'd just listened to a super-indulgent display of technicality for technicality's sake.

However, since I originally reviewed this album I've reassessed Dream Theater's back catalogue a bit, and warmed up to much of it, and Six Degrees is no exception. Not completely - I still think it's a little dry - but I find that I can enjoy it better for what it is, which is Dream Theater dialling the prog approach up to 11, right down to dedicating the whole second disc to a single concept.

Referring to the second disc as a single 42 minute song stretches the definition of "song" to breaking point (I'd be more inclined to say it's a continuous concept album/rock opera myself). Fans rave about it, I don't get why people are so blown away by Dream Theater doing this when bands ranging from Jethro Tull to Pink Floyd to The Who to Marillion to Edge of Sanity had done album-length suites of continuous music before, to a similar degree of technical accomplishment as Dream Theater but at the same time also succeeding in engaging the listener on an emotional level and establishing a distinctive atmosphere. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad at all - but it's a good selection of essentially distinct parts capably bridged together, we know Dream Theater can do that sort of thing well because they did it before on A Change of Seasons, this shouldn't be a surprise.

Whilst further digestion and exploration of Dream Theater's discography has allowed me to gain a better understanding of the album, at the same time I can't blame people who aren't so keen on the band giving it short shrift - this is very much a release for those who already broadly like what Dream Theater do and whose ears are wise to their schtick. Nor can I blame people who come to the album early in their explorations of the band and bounce off it. It's another impressive release from Dream Theater, but I would say it by no means should be your first exposure to the band, even if you're fairly well-versed when it comes to prog: tackle Images and Words and Scenes From a Memory first, if you've digested and enjoyed those you'll enjoy this better, and if you don't like those albums there's no way this is going to win you over.