So we've finally come to one of my top seven albums of all time: Octavarium. As the name may lead you to believe, this is Dream Theater's eighth album, and my second favorite. Before I begin, let me assure you that I've done my best to keep this synopsis brief, as I could probably write a short book about this album.The album starts off with what I said in an earlier review was one of the best openings an album can have. The first track is "The Root of All Evil." It's a continuation of the AA suite Mike Portnoy is writing (see my Six Degrees post for more info). It starts off with the last note of the previous album, Train of Thought, continuing that little tradition. Then, in the background, you hear the pounding drum rhythm of "This Dying Soul" (the previous segment of the AA suite). As this comes to the foreground, it gets accompanied by a guitar chord that changes from echoing to screeching... and then the band blasts through with a metal riff that will rip the breath right from your lungs. The song doesn't let up, either. YOU CAN'T KILL THE METAL! This song is through and through a powerful hit that shouldn't be missed by any fan of the genre. Also, at the end, the piano soars through with a theme that will be heard time and time again, often referred to as the "Octavarium Theme." That gives a really nice transition into "The Answer Lies Within." This song is a really beautiful piece that slows things down and proves Dream Theater's capability to be diverse. After shredding it up again in "These Walls," the band goes into a song that's a little bit out of their norm: "I Walk Beside You." This song really reminds me of a U2 song. Nevertheless, they really add a definite Dream Theater edge to the tune, and it ends up really growing on you as you listen to it more and more. You want more metal, you say? Well look no further than "Panic Attack." The band really unleashes on this one, showing they've still got the darker edge they pushed through on Train of Thought. The 5/8 time almost makes the listener anxious, and greatly complements the lyrics. "Never Enough" sounds a lot like a Muse song with a little heavier edge. The songs lyrics are really fun to listen to as well, as Mike Portnoy wrote this one as a backlash at his ungrateful fans. Finally before our epic, we have "Sacrificed Sons" which is about the attacks of 9/11. At 11 minutes, it's a really involved listen, but worth it.
And so, after 7 (relatively) shorter songs, we come to track 8: the reason I've chosen this album. I challenge you all: find me a song that builds like this one and I'll be forever in your debt. I say this because I don't think there exists a song that is a bigger build than "Octavarium." The song starts out with a very spacey Continuum Fingerboard solo and steel guitar that hearkens back to Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Then, around 4:30 into the song, acoustic guitar and flute present the "Octavarium Theme." The beginning is very haunting. When James LaBrie starts singing in the section, 'Someone Like Him,' you might just get a chill down your spine. At the end of that section, the volume and tempo start picking up, only to drop the listener in a new section: 'Medicate (Awakening).' It's very funky, with bass and drums really feeding off of each other well. This flows into a wicked-awesome keyboard solo as the song kicks into the next gear. As it continues to build, it comes to the climax section, 'Intervals.' As the final climb happens in the background, we're presented with a 2-line synopsis of each song on the album, that ends with the screamed line, "Trapped inside this Octavarium!" I've listened to this song more times than I could possibly keep track of, and it never ceases to send that familiar shiver down my back. There really is nothing like it.
What I've left out of this post is all of the musical and lyrical references found all over the album. I highly recommend you check out this site to learn more.
So, as you can see, I really, really like this album. It should go without saying that I think you should all go give it a listen. Coming on New Year's Day, my number one epic of all time!
Free link to the album on Napster:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=12009581
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