This is a great album, because whilst still retaining the progressive nature which has been valuable to Dream Theater fans since the 1980's and the heavier style 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 and Images and Words, and/or the heaviness which is found on Train of Thought, and later on Systematic Chaos.
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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...
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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
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
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!)