75 minutes in Theatre of Dreams

As a longtime DREAM THEATER Fanatic I thought I had an always recognized repetitive trend. Whenever the band had released a "brilliant" album, was followed by a rather "average" album. So it was loud in my opinion in the last 10 years. And after the unusual but still immensely powerful "Train Of Thought" I had already prepared myself accordingly to a hangover.
And what I have to admit? I've never been so glad to have been in the wrong ...
Because with "Octavarium" make DREAM THEATER predecessor not only easy in the shade, you can even do it temporarily, heranzureichen to old classics like "Images & Words" or "Awake". I have long wondered what makes this album well sooo. It is simply the fact that the musical mix is ​​right this time simply to 100%. Stylistically and compositionally the New York quintet was already forever no longer as balanced.
Beginning may be the opener "The root of all evil" who would also on the previous album. A woody hard mid-tempo song with enormous Groove potential, which also comes up a wonderful chorus. This song provides rock solid DREAM THEATER-fare, counts for me but strangely the weaker songs on the album. Especially since I think it's not overly original, when suddenly a Part of "This Dying Soul" 1 takes over the middle of the song to 1. But otherwise, the song is very good!
At the subsequent ballad "The answer lies within" I had to get used to, since it is DT ratios very soft (almost commercially). Each Hördurchlauf this song grows but more and more, and is for me now on a par with "Take away my pain" or "Hollow Years". This ballad but would have done any better at the end of the album ...
What follows after that, however, is the best school Progressive Art. And DREAM THEATER show all impressively that they are still the kings of the genre.
Perfect songs like "These Walls", "Never enough" and the ever-increasing "Sacrificed Sons" can go on an exciting journey of the previous band's history the listener. It's really from every era of this great combo something. And I want to especially the sensational "I Walk Beside You" mention that in my opinion, even on "Images & Words" could stand. A wonderful rocking song whose chorus is inspired, no doubt to a band like U2. These are DREAM THEATER in its purest form ( early 90s).
With "Panic Attack", the band finally delivers the only worthy successor to "Mirror / Lie" from. So a frickeliger while woody hard song that really has to offer everything between technically phenomenal Parts and everything rolled down riffs. In addition, this track is an incredibly baffling pace wonder again with great chorus.
Well, if the listener believes there would be no increase more, it must unfortunately be disappointed DREAM THEATER. For the subsequent 24-minute "Octavarium" delivers the band the best long track since divine "Change of Seasons" from. Alone with the facet wealth of this song could fill whole pages. Besides chilled PINK FLOYD-passages, threatening gloomy melodic patterns, anthemic orchestral parts, until the end of course escalating progressive Inferno, everything really exists !!!
And on the playing skills of emergency keyboardist Jordan Rudess losing even one more word, I can save myself confidently at this point. Very great cinema !!!
Predicate: WORLD CLASS !!!