... each track is a masterpiece with the shortest track being 4 minutes 29 seconds long(i walk beside you) and the longest track being a staggering 24 minutes long (Octavarium). Every track is very much different in the sense that you never!! get bored of the album, but yet each track is different ... Read review
Octavarium - Dream Theater
Prog rockers Dream Theater tallied 16 years as a band with the release of Octavarium, but ... more
in listening you're apt to suspect otherwise. As a collective they remain as tight as they were on 2003's obsessively dark Train of Thought (like all music-school...
7 out of 7 similar offers for Octavarium - Dream Theater
Octavarium - Dream Theater
Prog rockers Dream Theater tallied 16 years as a band with the release ofOctavarium, but ... more
in listening you're apt to suspect otherwise. As a collective they remain as tight as they were on 2003's obsessively darkTrain of Thought(like all music-school outfits, they've exacted an all-for-one formula that doesn't allow a single player more than his share of swagger), but a post-hardcore edge--call it a leap into 2005--has invaded their pledge of allegiance to theatrical heavy rock. Hear it on "I Walk Beside You" and "The Answer Lies Within," both of which, at under five minutes, play like charming haikus from a band known for its epic poetry, and also on the orchestra-backed 20-plus-minute final cut, which skips around from Pink Floyd to Rush to Black Sabbath influences, stopping off every so often at a place fans of My Chemical Romance might find familiar. As with all the band's discs, guitars loom large and both doom and redemption seem no further than the next twisted verse. What's changed is Dream Theater's commitment to carrying on their reputation as underground progressive rock's classicists, and it seems well-timed.--Tammy La Gorce, All Music Guide
A review by skaterjosh__ on Octavarium - Dream Theater March 22nd, 2006
Author's product rating:
Originality
Groundbreaking
Lyrics
Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks
Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
each track is long making this album worth your money
Disadvantages:
none what so ever
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
OK this album by Dream Theater is purely one of their best pieces of work yet if not the best. It consists of 8 completely groundbreaking tracks. Groundbreaking in terms of it's excellence that is. I personally cannot say one bad thing about a single track on the album. It is true music and truly inspirational. your very much getting your money worth with buying this album. each track is a masterpiece with the shortest track being 4 minutes 29 seconds long(i walk beside you) and the longest track being a staggering 24 minutes long (Octavarium). Every track is very much different in the sense that you never!! get bored of the album, but yet each track is different in it's own way, in terms of tonality and tempo.
The songs which are included on the album are as follows:
1. The root of all evil This song is a follow on from 'This Dying Soul' on the 'Train of Thought' album, which is again a follow on from 'The Glass Prison' on the 'Six Degrees of inner turbulence' album. The song is 8 minutes 25 seconds long.
2. The answer lies within A smooth soothing song. This is the least heaviest song on the album and is kind of like a ballad. Perfect for just having a bit of quiet time to yourself. The song is 5 minutes 33 seconds long
3. These walls These walls is sorta like a bit of heavy and a bit of power ballad blended together. It is absoloutely phenomenal how they create this heavy ballad effect as i would call it, this is my third favourite track on the album. The track is a total length of 7 minutes 36 seconds
4. I walk beside you Fades straight in with a ticking clock sound from These walls, it sounds like a countdown as this song starts. I would say this is definately the most catchy song, not catchy in the sense that it is cheesy but catchy in the sense that it stands out most from the rest. the song is the shortest on the album and is a total length of 4 minutes 29 seconds.
5. Panic attack This track is polished off to perfection. The vocal effects used are just perfectly correct and matching for the type of song. Amazing guitar solo, possibly the most amazing on the album, and the drums on this track just take your breath away. The song is 8 minutes 13 seconds long
6. Never enough My second favourite track on the album, It has the most amazing chorus in my mind on the album. The vocals are just so crisp and clear to make out. The song is 6 minutes 46 seconds long
7. Sacrificed sons I would say this song has the best keyboard playing on the album. Though this song is quite heavy as it progresses i would say it is a soothing song to listen to, best for just chilling to when you having nothing to do. the song is a total length of 10 minutes 42 seconds
8. Octavarium The title track of the album, the longest track on the album and my personal favourite track on the album, what a mixture. All i have to say about this track is pure perfection. has a classical orchestra accompanying the band and just sounds out of this world. The song is a total amazing length of 23 minutes 59 seconds.
Definately an album worth getting if you have the money available, if not THE album to get. I would personally give it 10 / 10 and i would say that's understating it aswell.
Advantages: an awesome cd, with unbelievable guitar solos that will inspire all you guitarists out there! Disadvantages: songs are rather long and get a little repetitive
yes people!
dream theater are such an awesome talented band that really do show the other bands up in playing abilities!
john petruci never lets you down with those unbelieveable guitar solos and the drum rides and the super fast keyboard solos!
the only problem i have with it is that dream theater always seem to bore me after iv heard 10 minutes of continuous guitar solos, i wish they would learn to keep songs below the 10 minutes mark, when ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Classic Dream Theater, but with a new twist Disadvantages: More of a "poppy" style that Dream Theater's other work
...introduced on Train of Thought, Octavarium still manages to be a different album, with its own individual style.
The range of different song styles on this album is staggering, with the poppy U2esque style of I Walk Beside You, compared to teh PInk Floyd style of parts of the title track Octavarium. Possibly the only thing I would change about this album would be more focus on the progressive style of Dream Theater's earlier albums, such as Awake ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: Technically advanced, melodic, powerful, well produced Disadvantages: No CD Inlay (Small pickup)
...This late 2006 release follows in the footsteps of Metallica (S&M).
The Digipak contains 3 discs. Disc 1 is just the band, Disc 2&3 includes the Octavarium Orchestra.
I would recommend this album based on the following-
- It is technically advanced
- Great melodies and harmonies
- A slightly different apporach to Progressive Metal - using complex rhythms and melodies, with an Orchestra.
The pack does not come with a CD inlay/cover which I found a bit disappointing - like to look through when listening. This is only a minor pickup however - the music is brilliant.
John Petrucci peforms well throughout the album - varying his guitar solos slightly (improvisation).
Innocence Faded (Disc 1 Track 6) brings back the old school DreamTheater sound that never gets boring.
The epic track Octavarium on Disc 3 - 27 minutes long...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Great lyrics, good dynamics, good feel to the album, artwork, lyrics are thought-provoking Disadvantages: Lack of extra footage, bit short perhaps (being picky!)
.... This song is a roller coaster. It is astonishing. I love the chorus - THE most catchy out of the whole album. Usually you can count on DreamTheater to produce one epic song per album (apart from Octavarium where pretty much ever song was!). 'The Count of Tuscany' ticks that box - a definite DT classic.
The song has it's own intricate storyline to it, which I couldn't even attempt to divulge. Best song for me on the album.
In conclusion this album is simply amazing, and definitely worth buying. There are several different versions you can buy, such as the SE, which has 3 discs. However, what is disappointing is that there is no 60min documentary that is usually included with albums, so fingers crossed some footage will turn up on the net.
Overall, great package from DreamTheater. Thumbs up
Ali =)...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Album Notes: Dream Theater: John Petrucci (vocals, guitar); Mike Portnoy (vocals, drums, percussion); James LaBrie (vocals); Jordan Rudess (lap steel guitar, keyboards); John Myung (bass instrument). Recording information: The Hit Factory, New York, New York (11/2004 - 02/2005). As the sole major-label progressive-metal act, Dream Theater invariably set the standard as the flagship band of the genre. With the numerically themed OCTAVARIUM (including eight tracks signifying the band's eighth release) the shred-rock quintet continues to challenge themselves creatively. Opening track "The Root Of All Evil" picks up the thread that began with "The Glass Prison" (SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE) and carried forward to "This Dying Soul" (TRAIN OF THOUGHT). Drummer Mike Portnoy's lyrics for these songs read like a set of deeply personal journal entries documenting his painful recovery experience, further disclosed by a footnote nod to Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson. OCTAVARIUM chiefly finds Dream Theater stepping back from elaborate fretboard acrobatics, focusing on vocal-based, song-oriented material ("I Walk Beside You," "The Answer Lies Within"); much in the spirit of AWAKE and their breakthrough album IMAGES AND WORDS. "Sacrificed Sons" captures the heartbreak of the 9/11 tragedy, while the grandiose title track showcases a melodic, Styx-inspired keyboard solo by Jordan Rudess (better known for a blisteringly frenetic style). Twenty years since their inception, Dream Theater prevails as the benchmark of modern prog metal.
Titles on disc 1
1.: Root Of All Evil
2.: Answer Lies Within
3.: These Walls
4.: I Walk Beside You
5.: Panic Attack
6.: Never Enough
7.: Sacrificed Sons
8.: Octavarium
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