Dream Theater: Octavarium // OK, I'm hooked

I just got through spinning the new DT album and I must say that I need to go back and give this band's past catalog another consideration. A few years ago, I gave <i>AWAKE</i> a chance and was immediately put off by LaBrie's cheesey operetic vocals. The music was right up my ally, but those vocals...LaBrie can sing, but he was so over the top as to be cartoonish. So I never really was tempted to try them again until recently. I had purchased DT's <i>Live At Budokan</i> DVD last year and was very pleased with his vocal performance; he just sang without all the vocal acrobatics and hystrionics found on his earlier work with DT. Seems he's settled into his roll a bit as he gets older. Vocals were never the 'draw' in prog rock anyway (or a prerequisite either).

I find that for the most part, I'm pleased with this new release as well. I always loved that crunching sound in prog metal's glory days. I like that this is a thinking person's music, and not just another cock rock act. It's very melodic and balances very well between soft and hard passages without sounding forced or conveluted. I will definately go back to the store and look up some of the more recent titles.

Based on what you seem to like about Octavarium, you may like Falling Into Infinity. It also has a nice mix of soft and hard tunes. It's probably their most commercial sounding CD and some folks will criticize that. I'm not sure that it's the "thinking man's" CD. But it has some solid songs on it and is very melodic. It's one of my favourite DT disks.

I believe it is actually a What the hell was I thinking, man?!?! CD :D

NP: Oxes (no thinking going on here :) )

I'm partial to Train of Thought and Scenes From a Memory myself..., but there isn't a weak release in the catalog, and each album is surprisingly a different approach than the others, something few bands can claim.

I tried getting into this album and I just couldn't. A new DT album takes a while to digest and I had to listen to "Train of Thought" a lot before I began to like it, but "Octavarium" goes nowhere for me.

Funny thing is, (crappy production aside), I actually really liked "Falling into Infinity", which the new album is most comparable to.

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Originally Posted by Slosh

no thinking going on here

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We wouldn't expect otherwise from you. :p

Well hey, 3-lock............itsaboutdamntime !!!

Personally, I like all of the DREAM THEATER releases.

If the cheesy wailing from LaBrie turns you off, then I recommend you stick with the CDs that have been released the last five years...............he has toned it down a bit more with each new release.

SCENES FROM A MEMORY
SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
(and of course you already own....)
OCTAVARIUM

Another PLUS about the list reflected above........Ruddess is on all of these.

"SCENES..." is a concept-album-throwback to the 70s........i.e., Floyd, Tull.
"6DOIT" is a themed double-album.
Both of these have some amazing work on them..........both in terms of writing, arranging, playing and production...........very nice work.
I also think the 3rd track on OCTAVARIUM ("These Walls") is one killer tune.

I saw them live for the first time last September.........they are also amazing to see.
They did some of the stuff from TRAIN OF THOUGHT but most of the material they played on the night I was there was from 6DOIT............I loved it.

You can find their tour schedule on their website.........................enjoy.

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Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn

Based on what you seem to like about Octavarium, you may like Falling Into Infinity. It also has a nice mix of soft and hard tunes. It's probably their most commercial sounding CD and some folks will criticize that. I'm not sure that it's the "thinking man's" CD. But it has some solid songs on it and is very melodic. It's one of my favourite DT disks.

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I like that a hard rock/heavy metal band can handle such dynamic playing with the dexterity that DT shows. But first and formost they're a metal act that I can bang my head to. Think I'll stick with the last two or three releases, that is unless I find a way to rip the tracks from my DVD copy of <i>Live In Tokyo</i>

If you enjoyed "instrumedley" from the dvd, you should like Scenes From a Memory. About half of the riffs are from that cd. I really like that dvd as well.