Dream Theater - Octavarium

[kexodusc]

Just as I entered the local music store underneath my office (I work in a tower with a shopping mall underneath) I saw the store manager receiving their shipment - lo and behold, DT's latest album "Octavarium" was in there. I managed to sweet-talk the lovely young lady into selling me a copy early today since I'll be in a hotel most of next week and wanted some new tunes to keep me company.

After a few listens I can say with no doubt that the DT guys deliver again. Without making this too long, this album definitely has it's own flavour - different than previous releases, though if I had to describe it based on their earlier work I'd say it continues the trend towards heavier prog stuff that began with "Six Degrees" and continued with "Train of Thought". The cool part is the tunes are bit more melodic this time around with maybe less focus on being heavy for the sake of being heavy, and the album changes pace more than ToT as well.

James LaBrie is really coming into his own with DT - maybe he feels more comfortable in his role now, I don't know, or maybe the songs are just being written with his vocals in the back of the band's mind? Either way, this is probably his best stuff so far IMO.

Jordan Rudess is the other surprise on this album for me...damn that guy's good.

Petrucci and Portnoy are, well, Petrucci and Portnoy...

The album's not without flaws, there's two songs I don't particularly find all that strong right now (that could change with a few more spins of course), not really bad but not up there with the rest of the album. Of course, with this band's pure talent even when they're bad their good...

Lyrically, well, there's some greatness, and some not-so greatness, one thing I've always liked about DT is that the band shares the lyric writing, so you never get too much of a bad thing.

Favorite songs so far are "These Walls" and the amazing 24 minute "Octavarium" which challenges "A Change of Seasons" as one helluva musical ride...these two tracks are easily up there with DT's best work

I'm sure this will grow on me more with a few more plays (DT's stuff always does) but I don't think it'll be remembered as their best stuff. Fans of DT won't be disappointed, and it's a really good album on it's own.

For some reason it leaves me thinking they're on the verge of something big...(Metropolis pt 3?)

On early impressions, I give it a solid B+.

[Duds]

Breaking street date is a major no-no, but who cares!!!!! good for you for getting it early, cant wait to hear it!!!


Just as I entered the local music store underneath my office (I work in a tower with a shopping mall underneath) I saw the store manager receiving their shipment - lo and behold, DT's latest album "Octavarium" was in there. I managed to sweet-talk the lovely young lady into selling me a copy early today since I'll be in a hotel most of next week and wanted some new tunes to keep me company.

After a few listens I can say with no doubt that the DT guys deliver again. Without making this too long, this album definitely has it's own flavour - different than previous releases, though if I had to describe it based on their earlier work I'd say it continues the trend towards heavier prog stuff that began with "Six Degrees" and continued with "Train of Thought". The cool part is the tunes are bit more melodic this time around with maybe less focus on being heavy for the sake of being heavy, and the album changes pace more than ToT as well.

James LaBrie is really coming into his own with DT - maybe he feels more comfortable in his role now, I don't know, or maybe the songs are just being written with his vocals in the back of the band's mind? Either way, this is probably his best stuff so far IMO.

Jordan Rudess is the other surprise on this album for me...damn that guy's good.

Petrucci and Portnoy are, well, Petrucci and Portnoy...

The album's not without flaws, there's two songs I don't particularly find all that strong right now (that could change with a few more spins of course), not really bad but not up there with the rest of the album. Of course, with this band's pure talent even when they're bad their good...

Lyrically, well, there's some greatness, and some not-so greatness, one thing I've always liked about DT is that the band shares the lyric writing, so you never get too much of a bad thing.

Favorite songs so far are "These Walls" and the amazing 24 minute "Octavarium" which challenges "A Change of Seasons" as one helluva musical ride...these two tracks are easily up there with DT's best work

I'm sure this will grow on me more with a few more plays (DT's stuff always does) but I don't think it'll be remembered as their best stuff. Fans of DT won't be disappointed, and it's a really good album on it's own.

For some reason it leaves me thinking they're on the verge of something big...(Metropolis pt 3?)

On early impressions, I give it a solid B+.

[BarryL]

On early impressions, I give it a solid B+.

I am looking forward to next Tuesday! Good scoop.

[kexodusc]

Guys, if I can make on recommendation:
Listen to this album on the best system you have...headphones, whatever...my computer and car stereo didn't do it justice.
I popped this thing in when I got home and gave it another quick test...it's even better than I thought.

[Dusty Chalk]

So it's better than that piece of crap -sounding Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

[ForeverAutumn]

Thanks for the early review! Not that it matters, I'd be buying this disk on Tuesday even if you said that it was the worst piece of crap that you've ever heard. :D

Future Shop (like Best Buy only different) is offering any two brand new releases for $20 this Tuesday. So I'll be popping in to pick up Octavarium and the new Cold Play.

[BarryL]

So it's better than that piece of crap -sounding Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.


I think they went one step too far on that one, and hopefully have learned their lesseon. Complexity and chops doesn't make up for good taste when all you can do is listen. Watching and listening to them play this stuff is another story.

[DarrenH]

I just ordered it. Not five minutes ago. CD Universe had it for $13.29.

Six Degrees was very challenging music, even for proggers. I didn't like it very much either.

As always, I look forward to another DT release.

Darren

[kexodusc]

Guess I'm the only one that liked Six Degrees :(

Well, 1/2 of it anyway, but it is my least favorite DT album so far. Some if it seemed too forced...the last 3 tracks on disc 2 (Solitary Shell onward) and the first 4 on disc 1 are great though (until The Great Debate turns into an excersise at running and inverting scales as fast as possible)...They should have edited it down to 1 disc IMO.

Oddly enough that album was praised by their fans and critics alike...I actually preferred their "sell-out" album, Falling Into Infinity"...I think the fact they play more songs from it live says a lot, that maybe it wasn't as bad as everyone thought.

[Dusty Chalk]

Actually, I was talking about fidelity.

And the post was meant to be a question.

[kexodusc]

Oh, well, I haven't been able to crank the thing up yet - mother-in-law is over. But I haven't noticed anything immediately like you can on a lot of rock albums...my car and computer aren't exactly the best place to determine this either so we might have to wait for your review.

I don't remember DT ever being known for excellent recordings though...this one's probably average or so.

[kingcrim05]

I'ev had Octavarium for the past week or so and have easily listened to it 100 times already. Listened to it all day every day. It's how i absorb my music, i have to memorize it to be able to fully comprehend and appreciate it. That being said, OCTAVARIUM ROCKS.

It's a cross between Falling into Infinity and Train of Thought. Now, i know you're thinking both of these album were weaker in regard to their other albums. I agree. But take the finest points from both album and you have Octavarium. It's like two ugly parents having a beautiful baby.

I'm sure my version isn't the mastered version so i'll pick up the cd hopefully sometime within this next week here.

As far as 6DoIT is concerned Dusty, what didn't you like about the audio? Both discs were mixed well i would say. Disc two gets messy but disc one, especially Blind Faith, wow. Still gives me shivers...

EDIT: I forgot to mention how well LaBrie and Rudess sound on this album. It is easily the best album for both of these two members of the band. Petrucci is more laid back and is more "tasteful" this time around and it sits really well with me. Portnot and Myung do what tehy do best, keep the train moving while not letting it get boring...

After my first few listens i thought it was another average ALBUM, although i knew that LaBrie was really on with this one. I thought BONUS, LaBrie normally just gets in the way but here we have a decent album with a decent LaBrie...

Just wait until you hear some of the Keyboard solo's in the song Octavarium, or you let Panic Attack take hold of you and then the ending of Sacrificed Sons won't let you look away...

Only downfall is that it's going to be a 23-minute encore when they tour =/ I wish they'd do more!

[kexodusc]

I've heard a few people mention that they're shortening up their songs on this album...I don't buy it...the songs average over 9:20 in length, and about 7:30 without the last song...that's still as long or longer than most prog/art rock bands today...
Sometimes ya got to know when to keep things short too - maybe DT listened to all those people that complained about them "wanking"?

[kingcrim05]

Yeah there is absolutely no wanking on this album. Train of Thought was all wanking...

I think they realized what a piece of junk ToT was and really stepped up this album......

I'm in love....

[kexodusc]

Yeah there is absolutely no wanking on this album. Train of Thought was all wanking...

I think they realized what a piece of junk ToT was and really stepped up this album......

I'm in love....

This is funny, whenever I see one of their shows I get similar comments - DT's fanbase is pretty diverse, almost nobody has the same favorite album or songs...I really liked ToT and didn't find it to be much wanking at all...Yngwie Malmsteen is wanking.

It's probably my 3rd favorite behind Scenes From A Memory and Images And Words.
Most fans I know like their first two albums the most.
It's all good though...

[kingcrim05]

SFaM is by far their best album, without question. IaW is most likely my second favorite. I'm thinking Octavairum has a change to climb up to #2 though soon. Awake is somewhere next followed by 6DoIT. Falling Into Infinity is somewhere next (Hell's Kitchen should have been on another album..). When day and dream unite and train of thought are towards the bottom...

What do you like about train of thought? There is almost no rudess. It's all petrucci wanking around doing solo's that he can't even remember. Rudess made some comment on the DT website that he wasn't even bothering to learn the Petrucci solo's on that album because they were so bad and he wouldn't be able to replicate them anyways...

At first i said i wasn't going to see Dream THeater on this tour. Now that i'm thinking about it, i'm going to skip their huge tour and catch them on their An evening with tour....

[kexodusc]

I like every song on ToT except the the opening track and the really slow one...the finale is killer, and the instrumental is equally as good...sorry, can't remember any titles.

I thought ToT was just solid stuff for the most part, not their best but far from their worst.. At times it was heavy for the sake of heavy though, that's my only complaint.
Oh well, maybe we like the same ice cream instead?

[kingcrim05]

I just find it interesting because ToT is their album that is most like itself. Meaning, the songs from one to another are very similar in sound and structure. There isn't much variance around the album...

...and i mention this because SFaM is most likely their most diverse album. This album has it all from screaming vocals to shredding guitar to theatricals to thundering drums...it's all in there...

You say these are two of your favorites yet i don't see how that can be....What do you appreciate Dream Theater for?

The instrumental, Stream of Conciousness, is probably my favorite song on there. In the Name of God, the final song, is also one of my favorites. I could also do without Vacant (the slow song) and As I Am (it was their song to get on the radio, and it did! Here in Minneapolis it won the battle of the songs orw hatever on the local hard rock station 5 days in a row. Too bad it sucked, huh? ). And the rest of the songs all sounds the same to me.

ToT was an album without feeling yet SFaM was focused on the feeling....

To wrap up this stoned entry, i think Octavarium brings us back to a Dream Theater that isn't trying to impress others. There isn't a weak song on the album as far as i'm concerned.....Something i can't say they've done since...well...SFaM =)

[kingcrim05]

Ha. And i thought i just might add that www.dreamtheater.net , a decent sized website with a lot of members, is officially down lol

[kexodusc]

Sorry, King, I really didn't find ToT that similar from song to song...different struggles and passions maybe. Musically it's quite diverse, the tempo is faster for all the songs though. Maybe it needed a few changes? I think even As I Am is okay, just not up to par with rest of the good stuff.
I like DT for their ability to create tension and theatrics with instruments, not with clumsy forced insincere lyrics or gimmicks. Their exceptional playing is fine, but I consider it a bonus, not the reason I like them. Yngwie Malmsteen plays great too, but his songs suck.
Diverse bunch of fans I guess.

[ForeverAutumn]

I picked up my copy on my way home from work today. I've only been able to listen to the first two songs. But what a first two songs they were! I can't wait to find the time to listen to the rest.

[MasterCylinder]

Got my copy yesterday and listened to it on the big rig last night -- drove the family nuts with the volume.

I also have it on (right now, as I type) at work and after just a primary listen I would say that this ceedee is a good release for the boys at this point in their evolution; it has a mix of good, old Dream Theater technique and some new writing strategies thrown in with an occassional different mix toward the sound. It contains different structures; everything from the tried-and-true rock ballad of the 80s to newer compositions that they have previously not incorporated into the fold.

I like it a lot and I think it will only get better over the next few weeks.

One thing that I noticed -- other than the title cut (which is a compilation of works from all band members), LaBrie wrote the lyrics to only one tune on this album -- interesting.
Portoy and Petrucci wrote all the other material with Petrucci taking the majority of the credits between the two.

[kingcrim05]

Master, all of their albums have been this way for a long long time =)