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Rating:
THE REVIEW
A badass album. After the half misstep of their previous work, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, Dream Theater unleash their heavier side, and the result is nothing short of extraordinary. The task of opening the album is entrusted to the explosive As I Am, which boasts an expressiveness and ferocity that today's Metallica can only dream of. This Dying Soul (the second chapter of their alcoholism saga) is the perfect synthesis between the aggressiveness of The Glass Prison and the impact of The Root Of All Evil, with an added vague dark touch that is in the DNA of this album. After one masterpiece finishes, another instantly begins: Endless Sacrifice is nothing short of stunning, starting slow and heartfelt, then bursting into an intensely powerful stadium chorus and a superb instrumental part with pure headbanging solos. Honor Thy Father is enriched by Mike Portnoy's monstrous intro (the best drummer on the face of the earth, for those who don't know), who contributes to the piece's success (which he himself wrote) with his strong and aggressive voice, perfectly intertwining with James LaBrie's more melodic one. Vacant is the only slow track on the album: it's not a ballad like Hollow Years but a short, sad, dark yet intense piece: James LaBrie's magnificent performance is supported by Jordan Rudess's violin and piano. And what about Stream Of Consciousness: eleven instrumental minutes of rare intensity and beauty that manage to bring the listener to ecstasy. An absolute masterpiece that far surpasses other instrumentals by the group like Ytse Jam or Dance Of Eternity. The album unfortunately closes with In The Name Of God, which condenses within its fourteen minutes all the dark, metallic, yet melodic and heart-wrenching atmosphere of this latest masterpiece from a band that for twenty years has done nothing but gift metal (and not only) songs that never cease to amaze.
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Summary by Bot
Dream Theater's Train Of Thought marks a return to heavier sounds with exceptional execution and emotional depth. From explosive openers to sublime instrumentals, the album balances aggression with melody. Standout tracks feature intricate drumming, intense vocals, and poignant themes. This album is praised as a masterpiece surpassing previous works. A must-listen for prog and metal fans alike.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Dream Theater
American progressive metal band formed in 1985, known for virtuosic musicianship and landmark albums such as Images And Words and Metropolis Pt. 2.160 Reviews
Other reviews
By KiccoLSD1
Stream of Consciousness: 11 minutes of pure music that enter forcibly into Dream Theater’s history.
The album closes with 'In the Name of God,' probably the most beautiful song on the album, where indeed all the members give their best.
By TheSilentMan
The musicians' exhibitionism has become something abstract on the album; in fact, Petrucci's solos are indeed very fast but lack pathos.
Despite the usual mammoth durations typical of DT, the songs are the right length and contain some well-structured moments, but the ideas are now exhausted.
By cameli11
It's simply fantastic, it mesmerized the audience upon its release, they have once again shown themselves to be out-of-this-world!
DT are superior to everyone and Train of Thought is one of the many demonstrations they have presented and will hopefully continue to do for years and years to come.
By petrucci
Everyone’s entitled to their tastes—but veteran fans disowning the band baffles me.
'Stream Of Consciousness' is the most beautiful track on the entire album.
By Josh
If the New York band had distinguished itself for originality and versatility, we now face blurred imitations of Tool and Korn.
The album, while showcasing some valid episodes, proves to be a low blow for longtime fans but could attract a new audience.
