Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
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Free Music Notes for Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Free Music Review: The paradigm of progressive music.
Hit: 5 Stars
The cover art is grimy and enigmatic, intimating a sense of violence and aggression. The album's name is bold and maybe somewhat pretentious. What have we here? It seems to be an open invitation for rock critics to assault a haughty progressive rock band. This album seems to fit every critic's definition of "indulgent": a double album, the progressive disposition, and a 42-minute song. And it's Dream Theater. Direct your derision elsewhere, critics. This may be a strong statement, but I have to venture to say that Dream Theater's Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is the most dynamic afflatus of progressive music since Yes' Close to the Edge. The band mines a rich vein of influences and amalgamates them into something utterly intense and inventive. The music in this 2CD set possesses the devastating technical chops we expect from the band, this time directed towards a more experimental release than was Scenes from a Memory. At the same time, Six Degrees encapsulates a sense of brutal beauty and depth, with an assertive and clear artistic vision that defies any standard the genre has ever set.
"The Glass Prison" will probably surprise a few people. It opens the album with a metal fury of frightening velocity. No doubt the heaviest thing the band has ever done, it is dark, heavy, punishing, and despairingly intense. Because of its pulverizing heaviness and its lyrics (which deal with fighting alcoholism), comparisons may be drawn to "The Mirror". But this song is far more brutal and poignant (and at 14 minutes, it's twice as long). The song's speed is forcefully carried by Portnoy's alien-hummingbird double-bass, as well as Myung's chiming bass arpeggios. Vocals by both Portnoy and Labrie are fierce, and Petrucci's solo is desperate, shattering, schizophrenic, and shred-intensive.
Petrucci also proves he is adept with the pen as well as the guitar. His lyrics on "The Great Debate" (dealing with stem cell research) are great -- his use of metaphor and cleverly ambiguous phraseology makes him, I think, progressive metal's best lyricist. (Consider the double-meaning of the "turn to the light" lines). The music accompanying his poetry is equally sophisticated. Samples from news broadcasts flesh out the subject matter. This evolves into fiercely heavy grooves, delicious rhythmic phases and accents (at once evoking Tool and Rush), and slaughtering furies of guitar/keyboard leads. A clever mix puts right- and left-wing arguments on the appropriate side in stereo (cool!).
It's been proven that the band is capable of bone-crushing technical wizardry, but they also command restraint and concisely developed melodic progressions. "Disappear" is the album's shortest song, not quite reaching seven minutes. This one is presented with an avant-garde, Radiohead-like production. It is a frigid requiem frail vocals and the sad, seductive susurration of longing melodies, built around gorgeous acoustic guitar and exquisite pianos. Labrie's lyrics and performance are masterful; I believe the fugitive poetry is perhaps attempting to mask emotions the delicate vocals betray.
"Blind Faith" is an outstanding work of songwriting, musicianship, and vocals. It's one of those "perfect songs." The melodies are so liquidy during the verses (with great synth inflections), but it kicks into high gear for an awesome, rocking chorus with a big hook that doesn't let go. There's hooks everywhere, even in the instrumental interlude, which is technical DT at its best. Petrucci plays a simmering, catchy riff which (I think) is on baritone guitar...it's the best! Buy the album to hear this riff. The keyboard/guitar unison part here is the most difficult they've done. Before this, though, Rudess plays an elegant piano solo...he's so talented, and his touch his beautiful.
"Misunderstood" is a very difficult song to classify...it almost passes as a killer rock ballad but it also sports some trippy jamming that reminds me a bit of King Crimson's weirder moments. Petrucci's lyrics about feeling isolated are great in rhythm and metaphors. After the last imploring chorus, the final few minutes of this track are a crazy, dissonant blend of sounds that mess with the head.
A full review should be devoted solely to the phantasmagoric and discursive 42-minute title track on the second disc. "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" is the band's exploration of mental illness. Each section is devoted to a different person's struggles, gracefully enriching the lyrics with character-specific leitmotifs. This is possibly the band's finest moment, countervailing thrashy metal riffage ("The Test that Stumped Them All") with more melodic, pop-influenced movements ("Solitary Shell"). Individual sections show more effort and detail than the sum total of entire albums, but Dream Theater manages to keep everything very concise and coherent. "Overture" is an exhilarating prelude, formed by a grandiose orchestral section, heated interplay, and stormy guitars; "Goodnight Kiss" is an achingly sorrowful elegy where Labrie's vocals are at their emotional best (beautiful guitar work too); "Solitary Shell" is a major-key, hook-laden piece that evokes Peter Gabriel, while Labrie's vocals soar on the power chorus; "About to Crash (reprise)" is an awesomely infectious anthemic rock piece. "Six Degrees..." is so intense in music and pathos that it virtually blows me away note after note for 42-minutes, leaving me physically weak at the end. Yes, it is long...but it is not a song (or album, for that matter) of nimiety. I don't think there is one immaterial note or second. Heck, to some Dream Theater fans it might even be considered exiguous -- there is considerable restraint here.
All throughout, Jordan Rudess proves he is the most inventive keyboardist in progressive metal. He goes through so many different patches rather than sticking to the same tired strings, organs, and pianos. No one can compare.
When a band releases an album so adventurous, it's always a risk that they will create something so self-indulgent that no one will enjoy it. Just remember: Whenever a work of art attempts to transcend the boundaries of its style, it'll likely alienate those looking for the same old, same old. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is not for those who just want another good "prog" metal album. It is not for those who want another Images and Words. It is for listeners who want to experience the artistic challenge with the band, to celebrate the meaning of "progressive music." There are those who fear that "progress" makes good songwriting null. Have no worries -- Dream Theater's prime songcraft has been polished to an impossible gleam for this album.
Yet again Dream Theater pushes ahead of the pack in terms of creativity and resourcefulness, without ever losing touch with their ability to communicate their sophisticated music to their audience with emotion and sincerity. The kings of progressive metal yet again prove why they are the genre's best band. This release adds another jewel to Dream Theater's crown.
Free Music Review: GREAT GREAT GREAT
Hit: 5 Stars
I flippin' love this band, my all-time favorite! I'll cut to the chase real quick, cuz I have a lot to say...
Disc: 1
1. The Glass Prison - ...OH MY GOD! HOLY CRAP! Those words went through my head when I first heard this song. My favorite song the band has ever done, also their heaviest. The intro is the static that ended "Finally Free" from SFAM. This...song...is..UNBELIEVABLE!!! After the static, John Petrucci plays a clean guitar riff over John Myung's bass-line, only to be buried under a MASSIVE B5 seven-string guitar chord. It goes into it's REAL infamous intro. After that, and a quick keyboard duty from Jordan Rudess, it gets MUCH faster and heavier, followed by a MINDBLOWING arpeggio guitar solo over Mike Portnoy's MINDBLOWINJGLY fast double bass. Then the main riff repeats a few measures, followed by Portnoy singing "Cunning, baffling, powerful..." then James LaBrie singing "Been beaten to a pulp...", etc. for a few measures, followed by LaBrie singing into a voice distorter, some singing in the background, then a brief chorus. This is followed by the intro repeated, then an absolutely BRUTAL (for DT, this is not Pantera) breakdown, then Petrucci doing a call-and-response vocal approach with LaBrie: "RUN - Fast, from the wreckage of the past, a shattered glass prison wall behind me," under Petrucci's continually bludgeoning riffs. Then a different brief chorus of "Help me, I can't break out this prison all alone..." Then a verse with Petrucci and LaBrie swapping lyrics, then LaBrie, again, goes from the point of view of AA. Then the chorus repeats, which is followed by Myung's fats bass solo - signalling the beginning of the instrumental segment. Next is a wah-wah solo form Petrucci, then a solo from Rudess, a shredding solo from Petrucci, then a solo by Rudess, all topped with a unison-solo between them. This mighty song is topped by an amazing outro. "Way off in the distance I saw a door, I tried to open.I tried forcing with all of my will but still, the door wouldn't open. Unable to trudt in my faith I turned and walked away, I looked around felt a chill in the air, took my will and turne dit over. The glass prison which once held me is gone, a long lost fortress, armed only with liberty and the key of my willing ness. Fell down on my knees and prayed 'thy will be done.' I turned around saw a light shining through, the door was wide open. <glass breaks>" Holy crap, I ranted about this song a lot!
2. Blind Faith - After TGP, we get a much osfter, but still heavy song. The lyrics, I believe, are about over-religious people who "blinfly" follow God. A great song, i love that guitar solo.
3. Misunderstood - things start to take a turn. The song is much softer than the last two. I believe this song is about Petrucci himself. "If I seem superhuman, I have been misunderstood." It then gets into a HEAVY chorus. It ends by flowing into the next song...
4. The Great Debate - Back to the heavier style of track 1, is TGD. The song is about one of today's most controversial issues: stem cell research. Petrucci himself does not take a side, that is the listener's own interpretation. the riff at around 8:50 is HEAVY. Then comes a keboard solo, finished with an AMAZING guitar solo. This song flows into the next song...
5. Disappear - An AMAZING ballad. It reminds me of "Space-Dye Vest." It starts with a weird keyboard intro, then an acoustic guitar riff, then LaBrie singing "Why...Tell me the reasons why..." This is a very sad, melancholic song. The last verse, IMO, is very powerful and emotional. It's hard believe this song and TGP were done by the same band. An amazing ballad, a great close to disc 1...
Disc: 2
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence:
HA! Here we are with the centerpiece of this album! It's VERY hard to review it as a whole, so I'll do it track by track. Also, go to DTFAQ to learn the meanings...
1. Overture - A brilliant piece of orchestra music by Rudess. IU think he should write the score for a movie!
2. About To Crash - A great poppy, but oretty heavy song. It has a cheery keyboard at the beginning, then is followed by great guitar riffs.
3. War Inside My Head - MUCH hevaier than the last one. At only 2 minutes, DT's sortest song ever, I believe. The intro "solo" is cool, followed by a heavy chord.
4. The Test That Stumped Them All - the heaviest part of the song, with a crazy guitar/keyboard intro going into a HEAVY Pantera-esque riff. The guitar and keyboard solos are great.
5. Goodnight Kiss - A VERY beautiful song, with a melodic intro. Reminds me of "The Spirit Carries On," since it's a ballad that goes into an amazing guitar solo.
6. Solitary Shell - A VERY catchy and poppy song. the verses and chorus are very neat, the verses feature great singing from Labrie backed by Petrucci. Nice endning.
7. About To Crash (Reprise) - The reprise! Heavier intro, but is still catchy. Goes heavier towards the end then goes slower into...
8. Losing Time/Grand Finale - ...this amazing outro. The lyrics, the music, everything about this song is epic!
This song alone is worth buying the album! The lyrics at the end also give a brief summary of the previous songs...
Deception of fame-About to Crash and the reprise
Vengeance of war-War Inside My Head
Lives torn apart-The Test That Stumped Them All
Losing oneself-Goodnight Kiss
Spiraling down-Solitary Shell
Feeling the alls closing in-Losing Time
A journey to find the answers inside out illusive mind-Grand Finale!
It all ends with a drum ender and a GONG DRUM followed by 2 minutes of feedback.
If you don't like this album, you don't deserve ears.
Free Music Review: Dark, Epic, Powerful; a.k.a. CHANGE IS GOOD!
Hit: 5 Stars
Whenever a musician changes their style in any way, shape or form, there is at least one fan of the musician's original material who does not like that change. Many of these "fans" are quick to judge that musician as "selling out" (a wrongful accusation, as a band has to actually sign with a different record label as well as make drastic changes in their music in order to "sell out"). Dream Theater, and many other bands, change and shape their sound with each album, and thus it's hard for some "fans" to keep interest in them over time. That said, Dream Theater's seventh studio album, SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE, is no more a change than their others, and thus no sell-out.What we have here are, on two discs, six terrific, beautiful, epic songs dealing various issues. Musically, Dream Theater's never been heavier (except, perhaps, in parts of 1995's AWAKE). This album was heavily influenced by Tool - no denying that - but it takes only the most fitting moments of that band to blend in with Dream Theater's sound. As there are only six songs, I will go through each one individually...yes, even with "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence."
"The Glass Prison" - After the static intro and a few guitar and bass notes, a loud crash of drums and thundering distorted guitar riffs instantly show the listener just how heavy this album is. A few more riffs and crunches, peppered with melodic keyboards, and then all goes quiet except a fast, jagged riff that is simply infectious. Then the song starts up again, but at the same pace as the solo, heavy with double-kick pedaling and an overall METAL feel to it. In fact, when I first purchased this album, I seriously thought that for some reason, this was a different band I was listening to; however, as I listened, I realized that it really was Dream Theater. The singing starts; it's mostly just Mike Portnoy at first, with little, blurry snarls from James LaBrie. As the song is almost 14 minutes long, I won't get into the rest of it. It's alternately fast and medium-paced, extremely heavy, but also very melodic. Nice bass solo in the bridge, too, connecting a simply SHREDDING guitar solo to an eclectic keyboard solo. A terrific song - just make sure you have time to listen to it!
"Blind Faith" - A wonderful 10 minute song, with lush textures and a sort of matter-of-factly depressing feel to it. Parts of it present that Tool-esque feel. The guitar solo is fantastic. John Pettrucci's skill really is present here, then there is a brief instrumental interlude, then a great keyboard solo a la Jordan Rudess. The piano solo towards the end of the bridge is also very nice.
"Misunderstood" - Possibly one of my most favorite Dream Theater songs, ever. A luxurious clean guitar intro, soon after joined by breathy, beautiful singing from James LaBrie, instantly sets the mood. It's much more like a "traditional" (although there is no such thing) Dream Theater song, but it is a bit heavier than their usual sound. This is the second shortest song on the album, but it IS still over 9 minutes long. It gets fairly dark in the second verse onward, but it's just so beautiful and becalming. Eerie outro, too. Ooh, I love this one.
"The Great Debate" - I saw them perform this one in concert, before I owned this album. The song was so good that, although I already wanted to own everything in Dream Theater's catalogue, I wanted to get this album more than ever. Musically it is heavy, with fairly angry snarls from James LaBrie in the chorus. Like "The Glass Prison," it starts off fairly quiet, but gets much, much louder as it goes on. It is also over 13 minutes long. Subjectively, it is about stem cell research, and even features a few samples from radio and TV interviews of people's opinions about the topic. Also, THIS SONG IS NOT IN SUPPORT OR IN FAVOR OF STEM CELL RESEARCH. It is simply about the great debate over the matter, and the reasons behind each argument.
"Disappear" - A fairly depressing song, written by James LaBrie. I'm pretty sure it's about coping with the loss of a loved one. Spacey sound effects and keyboards lead to an acoustic guitar intro, and LaBrie's vocals harmoniously go with the strumming. He sounds so pained and saddened; this is one of the most emotional songs I've ever heard from Dream Theater, if not from any band. Shortest song on the album, too: less than seven minutes long. Regardless of time, this is a splendid, emotional masterpiece.
"Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" - HOT damn, this is a long song. 42 minutes long, this song is the longest that Dream Theater has ever written, beating 1995's "A Change of Seasons" (review coming soon!), which clocked in at 23 minutes. It is also because of this song's length that it was put on a separate disc, and is (thankfully) split into eight tracks. This is the epic tale of a girl suffering from some kind of mental disorder. It has whole sweeping sections of alternating heaviness and melody, and is especially plentiful with keyboards. It's really hard to describe everything within this song, so you'd best just experience it for yourself. Again, just make sure you have the time to listen to it!
So there it is. SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE is the heaviest album Dream Theater has ever made, and as a result, many "fans" were quite disappointed with it. I, however, think it is just as good as anything else. Dream Theater is a band about taking risks and progressing into new sonic realms, and with this album, they have found a new nook in the deepest realms of heavy progressive rock.
Free Music Review: Progressive Rock Explosion
Hit: 5 Stars
Progressive rock in general tends to attract comments such as pretentious, bombastic and self-indulgent. This CD shows little reluctance to refrain from these appellations. The length of the music, the threading of the elements into a complex tapestry, the effusive explosion of ecstatic instrumental energy and alternating between obscure lyrics and descriptions with moments of diamond clarity come together to provide fodder for even the most benign of critical detractors. In summary, this CD is fantastic.
The opening track to this two CD masterpiece, "The Glass Prison," has some of the most phenomenal guitar work of any band I have ever heard. Every time I listen to how quickly the lead guitar is being play I am in awe that human fingers can move so fast. The style combines hard rock, progressive rock and a flavor of nu-metal to create an original, technical, and yet artistic song. There is much in this song to commend it to a much wider audience than is typical of any one of these individual genres. Progressive long at nearly 14 minutes, the group uses a variety of influences to create an evolutionary song that is simultaneously challenging and listenable. This song is the antithesis of shy.
The second song, "Blind Faith," is generally much mellower than the dynamic and explosive first song. The song begins slick and smooth with less heaviness than the first song, sounding almost pop. However, the build up to the chorus puts to flight the thought that this song is anything other than a vicious wolf in sheep's clothing. The charging guitars in the lengthy bridge cracker crunch into the notes leading to a lovely (yes, that is what I meant) piano piece before getting into a bass driven run-up to instruments enthusiastically alternating for the lead until the last vocal set is reached. This song is well-crafted with an excellent balance of art and technical skill.
There is Moody Blues transition between "Blind Faith" and the "Misunderstood." Unless you are watching the track changes you could easily miss the beginning of this track as there is no pause between tracks. "Misunderstood" is one my favorite tracks on this CD. The quiet, slow, introduction lulls you into a passivity that is instantly and violently blown away as the instruments and vocals shatter drivingly into your brain. I think I hear a mellotron in this song, which I always enjoy.
"The Great Debate" takes on the challenge of human stem cell and other human cell research. The song begins with speakers stating portions of the opposing viewpoints, coming from opposite speakers. The complexity of the song matches the complexity of the subject, and the tone of the song is somber and sincere. The music and the lyrics provide ample opportunity to contemplate the content of the lyrics, which summarize the opposing viewpoints nicely (moral and ethical versus practical and beneficial), and suggest that we as a race are at a crossroads of sorts and we need to make a decision. The song suggests that we need to "turn to the light," which I take to mean we need to face this issue rather than turn away, as our decision may define who we are.
The heady moral complexity of the previous song contrasts with the simpler, and yet emotionally more powerful content of "Disappear." Since this song deals with death and loss, some of the lyrics in the previous song are put into perspective, because you sense by the position of this song on the CD that failure of science may have led to the loss felt in this song. Every word sung is painfully wrought and pulled from a deep secret place where you may have thought they were secure. The song has hopeful elements, but the dark nature of the music indicates that the singer is still grieving over the loss of she who gave him hope. This song is one of those that you should listen to only when you are not already feeling morose.
Thus far I have only discussed the first disc of this CD. The second disc deserves its own, completely separate review because it bears no relationship whatsoever to the first disc. In the classic tradition of progressive rock, the second disc is a concept with an introductory instrumental overture that combines some classical elements with hard rock, and an exit finale that sums it all up. In between is an exploration of the human mind, and what can appear to be insanity, or sanity, as there is no single definition for sanity. The music ranges from contemplative to crispy, from idle slow to light speed fast, from quiet to blast-off. This disc contains a concept album to rival some of the best progressive rock music concepts.
When I listen to this two-disc set I hear influences from an array of groups, and I hear something completely new. When I was introduced to this music by another reviewer (now going under the name Samhot), it was so different from anything I had previously heard that it has taken me more than a year to come to grips with the music. This music is faster paced and more complex than early progressive rock. This music brings in modern rock elements, along with music from several other groups, to revitalize progressive rock, which had become somewhat moribund in the 80s and early 90s. The modernization of progressive rock is welcome to an old-timer like me, who has followed progressive rock from its roots in "Sgt. Pepper" to the seminal "Days of Future Passed" and its explosion into a separate genre populated by King Crimson, Yes, Genesis and a few select others. This new generation of artists is giving a new generation of listeners and an old generation of listeners a reason to return to progressive rock.
Free Music Review: One of the most rewarding albums ever
Hit: 5 Stars
Following the groundbreaking impact of Scenes from a Memory, which was perhaps the most important progressive metal album of the late 90's, everybody was curious what Dream Theater would do next. After nearly three years, the band came up with Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, which couldn't be further from the sound and style of its predecessor. Packed into two discs, the second one being a long-form composition broken into eight tracks for easier navigation purposes, Dream Theater chose to prove they were a truly progressive band. Rather than putting out another album that walked in the footsteps of Scenes from a Memory, they released a double CD album, with three of the five tracks on disc one exceeding the ten-minute mark (and "Misunderstood" clocks in at 9:34 anyway), thus sticking to their artistic integrity rather than commercial stardom.
It baffles me how so many Dream Theater fans have turned a blind eye to this album because it sounds so different from their earlier work. I always thought that's what makes this band so special -- that they never repeat themselves and cater to the lowest common denominator. It is true that the first CD sees Dream Theater turning to their influences, and not only Rush and Metallica this time, but also to bands like Pantera on the groove-inflected "The Glass Prison", easily their heaviest song to date. It begins with the same static sound that finalised Scenes from a Memory and picks up an incredibly beautiful bass figure that sounds almost exactly like an acoustic guitar. Myung's tone is clean, big and uber-heavy. With crushing rhythm guitars, pounding bass, and aggresive vocals, the song is elevated to prog metal heaven when Rudess' understated keyboards appear behind the main instruments, and even Petrucci's shred-intensive guitar that many have lambasted (especially on Train of Thought) makes an invaluable contribution to the excellence of the song. Unlike its successor, the shred parts on this album all emerge after carefully built up sections on this one with an intense keyboard and bass unison; or the superb "Blind Faith", which is graced with a wonderful bluesy shred piece. It is here where Dream Theater comes back to their vintage prog roots, boasting a stunning solo piano performance, protruding bass arrangement, and all-around songwriting brilliance.
The moodier pieces "Misunderstood" and the closing piece "Disappear" are both captured by undeniable Radiohead atmospherics. The flickering synth patches during the acoustic guitar intro on "Misunderstood" help thicken Petrucci's waves of dissonance at the end, adding to its intensity; whilst "Disappear" is arguably the most underrated Dream Theater ballad. The effects, sad piano melody, and Labrie's otherworldy vocals are too good to dislike. "The Great Debate" is the band's nod to the intricate rhythm arrangements of Tool, with both Portnoy and Petrucci providing a solid backbone to the song. Even Labrie's vocals evoke Maynard Keenan during the verses, but Dream Theater does add their own signature to it, mostly with Rudess' rising symphonic keyboard aesthetics and the clever mixing of opposing arguments that blast out from either speaker.
The second disc is far from "let's do a real long one-song album" attitude. It brings forth their unparalleled songwriting ability, highlighting the movements with cleverly arranged recurring musical and lyrical themes. The CD is about different individuals with mental illness, from bipolarity to post-traumatic stress syndrome; to sychophrenia, autism, and separation anxiety. What makes this disc an utter success is that the themes are perfectly summarised at the end; and they are also greatly tied together through a strong melodic theme that is started off with Rudess in the beginning, developed by Petrucci (what a nice guitar tone!) in the middle and climaxed by guitar and keyboards at the end. A bit like Awake in this aspect, the unity is maintained throughout without ignoring strong songwriting ideas. Labrie's excellent singing is backed nicely by Portnoy and Petrucci, portraying the different moods and confusion of the characters. "The Test That Stumped Them All" is unbridled heaviness, underpinned by killer drum staccato and Labrie's unique "diaologue"-style vocals. On the slower paced material, the helplessness of a mother being separated from her child is brought to the fore on "Goodnight Kiss", which begins peacefully and gradually transforms into its tragic finale -- give a listen to both the cries of the baby and its mother under Petrucci's moving guitar solo and Rudess' far-reaching synth colouring. The band's Peter Gabriel influence is demonstrated on the storytelling ballad "Solitary Shell" (note the similarity to Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill"). This proves that, besides mindblowing instrumental wizardy, Dream Theater are also capable of churning out catchy pop songs with strong hooks and a perfect balance between electric and acoustic guitar.
It took me years to fully appreciate this album, but even when I claimed disappointment upon its release, I kept coming back to this disc because I was drawn unconsciously. Now five years after its release, I can safely say this has been my most played Dream Theater CD post-SFAM, and it ranks right up there with their best. With flawless production done by Portnoy and Petrucci themselves, it is among my all-time favourites and perhaps their most detailed work. It's definitely worth the effort -- it will reward you like no other disc once it clicks with you.