John Petrucci considers this album as the best of Dream Theater. Why?
Simple, because Octavarium is Dream Theater, it's an album that encapsulates, like a precious treasure chest, all the souls of this band in a journey that explores entirely heterogeneous sounds. Eight songs, like the eight albums released by the band up to that moment, perfectly played by the 5 Dream Theater members. On the back of the packaging, our heroes are represented as five black keys of a piano alternating with eight white keys symbolizing the songs. There are also five sections to the concluding suite.
But here it starts... A rustle that gradually intensifies, the distant sound of Portnoy's drums, getting stronger, and then the riff explodes in all its vehemence marking the beginning of "The Root Of All Evil," the third chapter of the saga of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s the opener that every album should have: catchy, fast, with a stunning chorus both in intensity and vocal interpretation, "Take all of me, the desire, that keep burning deep inside, cast them all away, and help me, give me strength to face another day, I am ready, help me be what I can be." I
"This album showcases a different configuration from the previous ones, with less intricate sounds aiming for greater melody."
"After 75 minutes of listening, Dream Theater has achieved their goal; the quality of the product has not changed, whether one likes them or not."
Let’s be honest, the Dream are NO longer the ultra-tech metal-prog-band they wanted to appear to be.
Maybe Dream, after reaching a good level worldwide, want to relax and enjoy fame and money, but I don’t think music, in general, can benefit from this.
A disappointment? Yes. From Dream Theater, one expects something entirely different.
"Panic Attack" is literally a masterpiece, the song that makes the album worth it.
DT’s prog is back, listen to believe.
Notably, each song ends with the intro of the next.
Octavarium is the epitome of this, especially for the precise use of the real orchestra behind the New York quintet.
DT 'demonstrates they don’t need to prove' to anyone their technical prowess.