The single most distinguishing characteristic of progressive rock is experimentation. Artists of this genre are not confined to a single sound. They borrow liberally from other genres and see what works. In their last album, Train of Thought, Dream Theater blended in a heavy dose of the old Metallica sound and it worked well. In Octavarium, they blend in a lot of Muse and more mainstream elements. If you like these, you'll probably enjoy Octavarium. But being more of a metal fan than a pop fan myself, I don't like this particular blend and must put this album at the bottom of the Dream Theater menu. In other words, "I understand what the Iron Chef was trying to do. I just don't think it works for this dish."
The first song, "The Root of All Evil," is a typical Dream Theater filler song. Nothing wrong with it, but you're ready to move on to the next dish.
The slow Muse influences begin to present themselves subtly in "The Answer Lies Within," which would have made a nice inclusion somewhere in the middle of a heavy concept album, but placed here at the beginning of the course, it is dreadfully bland.
"These Walls" is a bit heavier, at least in the chorus, but the construction of the song is so conventional, it leaves the listener feeling like he's heard it before.
"I Walk Beside You" is a modest success despite it being fairly straightforward. The verses balance Madonna's "Die Another Day" and The Cure's "Lovesong" while the chorus carries a U2/Muse feel.
"Panic Attack" is one of the more solid tracks, a symphonic/industrial speed metal piece that fits well with the lyrics and concludes with a heavy Muse aftertaste.
I hesitate to criticize "Never Enough" with lyrics like:
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
Nevertheless, I would have enjoyed it more if James LaBrie (vocals) had sung it in his normal voice instead of imitating the depressed-English-metrosexual-underwater vocals that so characterize Muse.
"Sacrificed Sons," a great track criticizing the religiously motivated 9-11 attacks, opens with a news montage like "The Great Debate" on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. LaBrie sings:
Words they preach
I can't relate
If God's true Love
Are acts of Hate
Who would wish this on a people
And proclaim that His will be done
Scriptures they heed have misled them
All praise their sacrificed sons
If John Petrucci (guitar) had added some "swell" effects or some tremolo on the trail of the E-C-Bb riff immediately following the chorus, it would have been killer. Hopefully, they'll bump this one up a notch when they play it live.
The last course is the title track, which can't be bad since it's 24 minutes long. The first half is slow and unremarkable for the most part but the second half puts the "pro" in "prog" and builds into a poetic frenzy, reminiscent of Carman's "The Champion," with LaBrie shouting "Trapped inside this Octavarium" several times.
Octavarium is easily better than most rock albums out there, but because it's the weakest Dream Theater to date, I can't give it any better than...
2 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2005Reviewed by Jon RiceThis CD will be their "controversial" one when it comes to fan loyalty and opinion. Dream Theater's Octavarium rocks the boat as they change tack in their tried and true formula for success. Ballads, epics, and some pop are introduced to this band's "Shred-Prog" image and they come off smelling like roses. "The Root Of All Evil," reaches into the symphonic genre as much of the trademark…Similar sounding releases
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