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Rating: After the controversial metallic slashes of the much-debated “Train of thought,” the five New Yorkers choose to return to canonical sounds, creating a more versatile work that will certainly reassure those who despised the dark diversions of their previous effort.
The album in question, unlike other works, is not structured like a concept album, except for the recurrence of some musical motifs. This peculiarity, along with the choice to emphasize individual songs over the complexity of the album, associates it with a chapter like “Falling into Infinity”; the desire to trim some of the typical prolixities of the group offers a more direct imprint on the entire spectrum of tracks, without forgetting their prog roots. This approach will prove, as we shall see, to be a double-edged sword for the band, which in their most recent releases has given more space to labyrinthine instrumental musings rather than the song idea.
The opening is entrusted to the scorching “The root of all evil,” which from the very first notes marks the heritage from tracks like “The glass prison” or “This dying soul,” maintaining their skeletal framework intact, with the classic opening hinged on a dark crescendo riff that erupts into the anger of the vocals.
The atmosphere immediately softens with the gentle “The answer lies within,” reminiscent of “Through my words,” also supported by a few piano notes and Labrie’s warm voice, although beneath the melancholy surface the piece seems overly schematic and sustained by an idea the group has already exploited several times. The pace picks up again with the third track, “These walls,” reflecting the influence of contemporary bands, before turning light again with “I walk beside you,” a track that is indeed a tribute to U2, and at times reminiscent of a more commercial “Innocence faded,” resulting nevertheless in a pleasant interlude in an extremely varied album.
“Panic attack,” one of the best and certainly more aggressive moments of the record, reveals continuity with the previous work, with a spine-chilling opening and a rigid and powerful metric; the piece will reveal itself as the central theme of the work, revisiting this motif several times at the end.
“Never enough,” the subsequent track, proves rather ineffective, strongly indebted to Muse, especially in the vocals, showcasing the Dream Theater’s versatility but highlighting their persistent reference to the musical schemes of the bands influencing their sound. An episode lacking in significance.
If so far we have heard a decent but inconsistent album, the closing is certainly convincing with the two final highlights: with “Sacrified Sons,” the soft musicality hinted at in the previous ballads finds a more convincing expression in the central part of the track, which returns to the group’s classic themes, except for the conclusion, designed somewhat hastily. “Octavarium,” the majestic track giving the album its title, is the pillar of the entire work, a twenty-five-minute suite easily comparable to a classic like “Change of seasons”: after an opening reminiscent of Pink Floyd, the piano notes hinted at at the end of “The root of all evil” explode majestically into a long acoustic introduction of Genesis origin: the voice accompanies the entire unfolding of the track until the burst of the interminable central bridge, which takes on more aggressive tones and retraces the structures dear to Dream, made of long instrumental excursions, thus earning forgiveness from fans for betraying their origins with their latest works. This monumental instrumental hydra, balancing between the most classic Dream Theater and seventies progressive references, Yes and ELP above all, culminates in an epic conclusion that returns to the initial theme, predictably but effectively. Given these premises, this track could be qualified as a masterpiece, even though it seems to affirm Dream Theater's ever-alive predisposition to compose works smoothly in the wake of “Metropolis,” proving instead less impactful in more straightforward tracks, which favor explicit citations of bands like Metallica, Muse, and the already mentioned U2.
Indeed, successful tracks like “These walls” or “Sacrified sons” would hardly stand the comparison with others like “Surrounded” or “The silent man,” which in their simplicity benefit from a freshness of composition often penalized in the group’s latest work.
If “Train of thought” in its boldness proved coherent, this latest album is instead less linear although it demonstrates a commendable variety. It can therefore be considered a credible work, with some drops in tone and other moments that often turn into a festival of citation, but also with episodes of great style, like the already mentioned “Octavarium.”
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 The Root of All Evil (08:25)
Proud enough for you to call me arrogant
Greedy enough to be labeled a thief
Angry enough for me to go and hurt a man
Cruel enough for me to feel no grief
Never could have just a part of it
I always need more to get by
Getting right down to the heart of it
The root of all evil has been running my whole life
Dirty enough for me to lust
Leaving nothing left to trust
Jealous enough to still feel envious
Lazy enough to sleep all day
And let my life just waste away
Selfish enough to make you wait for me
Driven blindly by our sins
Misled so easily
Entirely ready to leave it behind
I'm begging to break free
Take all of me
The desires that keep burning deep inside
Cast them all away
And help to give me strength to face another day
I am ready
Help me be what I can be
03 These Walls (07:36)
This is so hard for me
To find the words to say
My thoughts are standing still
Captive inside of me
All emotions starts to hide
And nothing is getting through
Watch me
Fading
I'm losing
All my instincts
Falling into darkness
Tear down these walls for me
Stop me from going under
You are not the only one who knows
I'm holding back
It's not to late for me
To keep from sinking further
I'm trying to find my way out
Tear down these walls for me now
So much uncertainty
I don't like this feeling
I'm sinking like a stone
Each time I try to speak
There's a voice I'm hearing
And it changes everything
Watch me
Crawl from
The wreckage
Of my silence
Conversation
Failing
Tear down these walls for me
Stop me from going under
You are not the only one who knows
I'm holding back
It's not to late for me
To keep from sinking further
I'm trying to find my way out
Tear down these walls
Everytime you choose to turn away
Is it worth the price you pay
Is there someone who will wait for you
One more time
One more time
Watch me
Fading
I'm losing
All my instincts
Falling into darkness
Tear down these walls for me
Stop me from going under
You are not the only one who knows
I'm holding back
It's not to late for me
To keep from sinking further
I'm trying to find my way out
Tear down these walls for me now
Tear down these walls for me
It's not too late for me
Tear down these walls for me
04 I Walk Beside You (04:29)
There's a story in your eyes
I can see the hurt behind your smile
For every sign I recognize
Another one escapes me
Let me know what plagues your mind
Let me be the one to know you best
Be the one to hold you up
When you feel like you're sinking
Tell me once again
What's beneath the pain you're feeling
Don't abandon me
Or think you can't be saved
I walk beside you
Wherever you are
Whatever it takes
No matter how far
Through all the may come
And all that may go
I walk beside you
I walk beside you
Summon up your ghosts from me
Rest your tired thoughts upon my hands
Step inside this sacred place
When all your dreams seem broken
Resonate inside this temple
Let me be the one who understands
Be the one to carry you
When you can walk no further
Tell me once again
What's below the surface bleeding
If you've lost your way
I will take you in
I walk beside you
Wherever you are
Whatever it takes
No matter how far
Through all the may come
And all that may go
I walk beside you
I walk beside you
Oh when everything is wrong
Oh when hopelessness surrounds you
Oh the sun will rise again
The tide you swim against will carry you back home
So don't give up
Don't give in
I walk beside you
Wherever you are
Whatever it takes
No matter how far
Through all that may come
And all that may go
I walk beside you
I walk beside you
05 Panic Attack (08:13)
All wound up
On the edge
Terrified
Sleep disturbed
Restless mind
Petrified
Bouts of fear
Permeate
All I see
Heightening
Nervousness
Threatens me
I am paralyzed
So afraid to die
Caught off guard
Warning signs
Never show
Tension strikes
Choking me
Worries grow
Why do I feel so numb
Is it something to do with where I come from
Should this be fight or flight
I don't know why I'm constantly so uptight
Rapid heartbeat pounding through my chest
Agitated body in distress
I feel like I'm in danger
Daily life is strangled by my stress
A stifling surge
Shooting through all my veins
Extreme apprehension
Suddenly I'm insane
Lost all hope for redemption
A grave situation desperate at best
Why do I feel so numb
Is it something to do with where I come from
Should this be fight or flight
I don't know why I'm constantly reeling
Helpless hysteria
A false sense of urgency
Trapped in my phobia
Possessed by anxiety
Run
Try to hide
Overwhelmed by this complex delirium
Helpless hysteria
A false sense of urgency
Trapped in my phobia
Possessed by anxiety
Run
Try to hide
Overwhelmed by this complex delirium
06 Never Enough (06:46)
Cut myself open wide
Reach inside
Help yourself
To all I have to give
And then you help yourself again
And then complain that
You didn't like the way
I put the knife in wrong
You didn't like the way
My blood spilled on your brand new floor
What would you say
If I walked away
Would you appreciate
But then it'd be too late
Because I can only take so much of your ungrateful ways
Everything is never enough
Sacrifice my life
Neglect my kids and wife
All for you to be happy
All those sleepless nights
And countless fights to give you more
And then you say how dare that
I didn't write you back
I must be too good for you
I only care about myself
What would you say
If I walked away
Would you appreciate
But then it'd be too late
Because I can only take so much of your ungrateful ways
Everything is never enough
07 Sacrificed Sons (10:42)
''[Audio samples from 9/11]
This has all the appearances of an extraordinarily well-coordinated and devastating terrorist attack.
Terrorism against our nation will not stand. The government will hunt down those responsible.
Terrorism means striking terror in the hearts of people; that has been accomplished.
...looking in awe, amazement, shock, and grief and anger at what they were seeing in front of them.
There has just been a huge explosion. You can see, uh, a billowing smoke rising, there was a cascade of sparks and fire and we see this extraordinarily big, frightening scene behind us.
There is panic on the streets. There are people screaming and running.
Good Lord. There are no words.
...3000 Palestinians [unintelligible], chanting "God is good."
This is just a horrific scene and a horrific moment, but just look at that. That is about as frightening a scene as you will ever see.
But there are times in your life that are life changing, where your life can never be the same and this appears certainly to be one of them.''
Walls are closing
Anxiously
Channel surfing
Frantically
Burning City
Smoke and fire
Planes we're certain
Faith inspired
No clues
A complete suprise
Who'll be
Coming home tonight
Heads all turning
Towards the sky
Towers crumble
Heroes die
Who would wish this on
On our people
And proclaim
That His will be done
Scriptures they heed have misled them
All praise their Sacrifice Sons
Teach them
What to think and feel
Your ways
So enlightening
Words they preach
I can't relate
If God's true Love
Are acts of Hate
God on High
Our mistakes
Will mankind be extinct?
There's no time to waste
Who serves the truth
For Heavens' sake
08 Octavarium (24:00)
[I. Someone Like Him]
I never wanted to become someone like him so secure
Content to live each day just like the last
I was sure I knew that
This was not for me
And I wanted so much more
Far beyond what I could see
So I swore that I'd
Never be someone like him
So many years have passed
Since I proclaimed
My independence
My mission
My aim
And my vision
So secure
Content to live each day like it's my last
It's wonderful to know
That I could be
Something more than I dreamed
Far beyond what I could see
Still I swear that I'm
Missing out this time
As far as I could tell
There's nothing more I need
But still I ask myself
Could this be everything
Then all I swore
That I would never be was now
So suddenly
The only thing
I wanted
To become
To be someone just like him
[II. Medicate (Awakening)]
A Doctor sitting next to me
He asks me how I feel
Not sure I understand his questioning
He says I've been away a while
But thinks he has cured me
From a state of catatonic sleep
For 30 years
Where have I been
Eyes open
But not getting through to me
Medicate me
Infiltrate me
Side effects appear
As my conscience slips away
Medicate me
Science failing
Conscience fading fast
Can't you stop what's happening
A higher dosage he prescribes
But there's no guarantee
I feel it starting to take over me
I tell him not to be ashamed
There's no one who's to blame
A second shot
A brief awakening
I feel the relapse
Can't break free
Eyes open
But not getting through to me
[III. Full Circle]
Sailing on the seven seize the day tripper diem's ready
Jack the ripper owns Wilson Phillips and my supper's ready
Lucy in the sky with diamond dave's not here I come to save the
Day for nightmare cinema show me the way to get back home again
Running forward
Falling back
Spinning round and round
Looking outward
Reaching in
Scream without a sound
Leaning over
Crawling up
Stumbling all around
Losing my place
Only to find I've come full circle
Flying off the handle with careful with
That axe Eugene gene the dance machine
Messiah light my fire gabba gabba
Hey hey my my generation's home again
Running forward
Falling back
Spinning round and round
Looking outward
Reaching in
Scream without a sound
Leaning over
Crawling up
Stumbling all around
Losing my place
Only to find I've come full circle
[IV. Intervals]
[First]
Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath
Remove all obstacles from our path
[Second]
Asking questions
Search for clues
The answer's been right in front of you
[Third]
Try to break through
Long to connect
Fall on deaf ears and fails muted breath
[Fourth]
Loyalty, trust, faith and desire
Carries love through each darkest fire
[Fifth]
Tortured Instanity
A smothering hell
Try to escape but no avail
[Sixth]
The calls of admirers
Who claim they adore
Drain all your lifeblood while begging for more
[Seventh]
Innocent victims of merciless crimes
Fall prey to some madmen's impulsive designs
[Eighth]
Step after step
We try controlling our fate
When we finally start living it has become too late
Trapped inside this Octavarium
Trapped inside this Octavarium
Trapped inside this Octavarium
Trapped inside this Octavarium
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Other reviews
By Stratocontact
"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."
By Lordsandreik
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.
By AndJusticeForAll
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.
By Vinpe75
DT’s prog is back, listen to believe.
Notably, each song ends with the intro of the next.
By Metropolis79
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.
