Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

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• DREAM THEATER SIX DEGRESS OF INNER TURBULENCE

Free Music Notes for Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Free Music Review: Visionary, rich, ambitious, provocative, mature, powerful
Hit: 5 Stars

Disc one features five powerful, often melodic, sometimes moving songs, two of which are already very high up on my list of all-time favorites: "Blind Faith" and "The Great Debate." This disc clocks in at nearly 53 minutes, which would have made for a fine, very solid and respectable album all by itself.

However, Dream Theater have given their fans an amazing bonus by adding a second disc to the album -- and not a disc of throwaway tunes, either.

Disc two contains the entire Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence magnum opus: technically one long song divided thematically, if not by actual track stops, into eight smaller songs. Each song seques immediately into the next, creating an unbroken musical experience that is mesmerizing, holding the listener's attention for its entire 42 minutes.

There is so much richness to Six Degrees! I don't even know where to begin.

But I think I'll start with Jordan Rudess because his fingerprint on this album is perhaps most noticable to me. The keyboard work is heavenly. A haunting piano break here (6:13 into "Blind Faith," for example), a magical, lush synth ambience there (the keyboards on "Misunderstood" are astounding), and always with just the right balance. Rudess is the best keyboard player DT has ever had -- and I say that almost with regret because I thought Kevin Moore's playing helped put them on the map. Rudess' prowess is absolutely mind-blowing.

I must give full marks to vocalist James LaBrie, too. I haven't been kind to LaBrie in previous reviews, but this time around he manages to sing powerfully without screaming tunelessly (however, he does slip into that annoying breathy-ness during "Goodnight Kiss" from disc two). LaBrie contributed lyrically to a few key songs, and has finally hit his stride vocally. His voice, like Rudess' keyboards, strikes the perfect balance on Six Degrees -- adding mightily to the music without detracting from it.

The reason I didn't like disc one as well as disc two at first blush is because "The Glass Prison," the opening track of disc one, is almost mind-numbing in its sonic onslaught. It's brutally guitar-heavy. And features distorted vocals that add to the grittiness. So much so that I was having trouble finding a melody -- or beauty, for that matter. Disc two, on the other hand, begins with a lush, orchestral overture that I found extremely creative. In fact, all of disc two sounds more like prog *rock* than prog *metal.*

"Blind Faith" begins beautifully, with a slowly building guitar (or is it keyboard?) flourish that ends when John Myung's bass guitar enters, quickly followed by Mike Portnoy's drums -- always with Rudess adding texture in the background. I love the melody on the verse "Take your time and look around, is this utopia you've found"...as well as the interesting keyboard accents that come into the song at 1:39. After some ferocious soloing, John Petrucci's guitar riff that begins at 5:42 is very cool. Then Rudess comes in at 6:13 with an amazing piano break. This song is a masterpiece, containing every sound, riff, vocal style and time change I could ask for.

"Misunderstood" starts off with a Jimmy Page-like acoustic guitar melody that might have been right at home on Led Zeppelin 3 or mabye even Physical Graffiti. (Listen to Rudess' interesting keyboard work throughout -- oh so subtle, yet always integral to the song.) Nice bass guitar work, too. This begins as a slower song, but kicks into high gear at 3:36...and doesn't disappoint for the remainder of its 9:34.

"The Great Debate" is an amazing song that I am guessing is a pro-life statement by guitarist John Petrucci who wrote the lyrics. In this case, the "debate" is stem cell research and the song is filled with a pastiche of soundbites, conversations, news reports, both pro and con. At first listen, it could be taken to be a "neutral" song. However too many lyrics lead me to believe at least one musician in Dream Theater values the sanctity of life; for example: "Are you justified, are you justified, are you justified, justified in taking, life to save life, life to save life, taking life to save life"...and "Do we look to our unearthly guide, or to white coat heroes searching for a cure"...and "we're reaching, but have we gone too far"...and "harvesting existence, only to destory, carelessly together, we are sliding"...and, especially, the closing lyric "pay attention to the questions we have raised." If you pay attention to the "questions" Petrucci raised in this song, you'd get the distinct impression that he's against stem cell research because it's playing God and violating the sanctity of life. If that's the case, I have discovered even more respect for this band. The song is absolutely captivating. (Notice, also, how the "left" and the "right" positions on the issue correspond to the left and right ear if you're listening with headphones on. Someone voicing an opinion from the liberal left is heard in your left ear. Someone stating an opinion from the pro-life right appears in your right ear. A clever mixing job.)

The last song on disc one ("Disappear") is the shortest of the five, but no less brilliant. Moody, atmospheric and haunting it is, with some really nice acoustic guitar and piano work by Petrucci and Rudess, respectively.

Most bands today would give their eye teeth to have the talent to create disc one. But DT is only setting the stage for yet another CD: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Welcome to disc two.

"Overture" is somewhat muddy sounding, especially in the recording of the drums and guitars. But it's an invigorating preview of things to come. It almost has a Broadway feel to it as it changes from theme to theme.

"About to Crash" begins with Rudess tinkling the ivories and creating a very nice melody -- that Petrucci interrupts with a crash :23 into the song. (This light-to-dark quality reminds me of something Savatage or Trans-Siberian Orchestra would have recorded.) Nice vocals from LaBrie.

"War Inside My Head" begins -- as the title suggests -- with heaviness, dissonance and relentless double-bass kicking from Portnoy. LaBrie's voice is suitably annoying. But, in this case, it's supposed to be.

"The Test That Stumped Them All" is DT at their most flamboyant. It's a tour-de-force track that showcases, especially, Petrucci's guitar skills. A Metallica-like riff ensues at 1:16 and even LaBrie's vocals are reminiscent of Hetfield's. It's a massive song that screams for relief...

...and finds it in the ambient, emotional "Goodnight Kiss," that track that immediately follows. Gentle, flowing guitar, bird sounds, and a little child speaking set the stage for a track that would have been gorgeous if not for LaBrie's breathy delivery. Can't stand it. Sorry, Lord Chimp.

"Solitary Shell" is a lively track that begins with acoustic guitar, Portnoy's thumping bass drum, a Styx-like synth run, nice piano work and a great vocal by LaBrie. Great melody. Nice background vocals, too. "He's a Monday morning lunatic, disturbed from time to time, lost within himself, in his solitary shell..." Great vocal that rises above the music. My hat is off to LaBrie. I really like this track.

"About to Crash (Reprise)" starts off with a driving guitar riff, the likes of which aren't found too frequently in DT's bag of tricks. I love riffs. Powerful songs contain them. (Think of Montrose's debut album. Or VanHalen's.) A very upbeat tune that leads immediately into...

"Losing Time/Grand Finale" the last track. It's a majestic track that sounds similar to the first track on this disc. Heavy on the orchestration and themes. And also, strangely muddy at first, as if the first track and the last were recorded at the same time and only divided in the mastering. (Hey, did anyone else catch the never-ending chord that gradually closes "Grand Finale"? A nod to the Beatles' "Day in the Life," maybe?)

It's a grand finale, indeed, to a two-disc set from Dream Theater that's their most visionary, ambitious and accomplished to date.

Six Degrees is the work of a band that has finally discovered how to direct its massive talents into SONGS, rather than extended solos. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is the work of mature musicians who have nothing more to prove. With the addition of Rudess, they're now the most talented band on the planet.

And Six Degrees is their crowning achievement. I can't wait to see these songs played live!

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