Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
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Free Music Notes for Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Free Music Review: 6DOIT: yet another masterpiece!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Disc one quickly kicks into high gear with "The Glass Prison" one of the heaviest songs in DT's catalog. Many purists have ripped on the nu-metal overtones, particularly the brief incidence of "record scratching" in the middle...well, for crying out loud, Dream Theater is a PROGRESSIVE band, which theoretically means incorporating a wide range of styles and sounds into their music, right?? All those other modern prog-metal bands (Shadow Gallery, Symphony X, Vanden Plas, etc.) seem to forget that, and basically clone the styles that DT and other classic prog bands have created -- it's almost like "progressive" has become merely a description for "progressive-like", in other words, copying a sound that was highly original thirty years ago but is no surprise to anyone now. TRUE progressive music, to use the strict definition of the term, doesn't even sound like classic prog anymore, and could more accurately be applied to original alternative & industrial music like Tool, Nine Inch Nails, etc. And in any case, this one song is FAR better than the entire collected works of Korn, Limp Bisquick, Puddle of Mudd and Static-X combined!!! How does that strike you, eh?Anyway...things take a much quieter tone in the next two tracks. "Blind Faith" opens with a moody keyboard tone similar to Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter", Misunderstood" features a gorgeous melody. Then we get "The Great Debate", a long jamfest that sounds for all the world like a grudge match between Rush and Tool in a dark alley, liberally sprinkled with news soundclips about stem cell research (ooh, topical!) The final track, "Disappear", could have been left off the album entirely...it's a pointless, monotonous drone that just might be the worst DT song ever.
Now comes disc two, the much talked-about 42-minute suite. This song is GODLIKE!! The Overture crashes open with an orchestral movie-theme score that's highly reminiscent of late-era ELP (especially the ELPowell version.) Those overtones continue into "About to Crash", which is a fine piece. The next two parts take a much heavier, more aggressive route, especially "The Test That Stumped Them All". Part 5 switches gears to the slower side of prog-rock, akin to Marillion or Gabriel-era Genesis. "Solitary Shell" is a direct pastiche of Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill", featuring one of the most beautiful melodies I've heard on any DT album. Then comes the standard Pink Floyd-ish finale which is great. Overall, just with one flaw (Song: Disappear) prevent this album from surpassing Scenes from a Memory as the best Dream Theater album ever, but hey, it's definitely a respectable follow-up, and one that grows on you with each listen. Congratulations to the boys for creating yet another masterpiece!
Free Music Review: It happened again
Hit: 5 Stars
I was a little worried when I bought this CD the day after it came out. The success of Metropolis would seem almost impossible to out do. The whole setting of the Metropolis seemed flawless in every aspect. So when I first placed the CD in my car stereo, it was like waiting for an AIDS test to come back, the sensation of not knowing what the outcome will be. What I heard when the first track began was the rain effect and the chime sound, followed by a well placed power chord to set the song. From then on the song kept on getting better and beter. The entire 2 CD set was like that too. The opener (The Glass Prison) was enough to get me hooked to the entire album. The sheer intensity fixed with the melodic patterns laced in with the vocals were simply uncanny. The one thing that had bothered me in the past was James' constant hitting of the high notes. That was changed here. The high notes were only used when it was needed. The distortion of James' voice in the first track was very well planned and sounds spectacular. I think I will play it right now. . . ok, now for a breakdown of the band members. Portnoy has once again showed that he has the power to play better than any other drummer I can think of, being a drummer I hail him as my influence and inspiration. Petrucci has come up with some genius guitar riffs (Misunderstood), althoughI am a drummer, I know a good guitarist when I hear one. Myung has seemed to take a bigger step into the main stage with this album, he plays more openly and doesn't just follow anymore. Which is a VERY good thing. Jorden gets the chance not only to show off his insane and completely amazing keyboard antics and speed (every track on the friggin CD). But also his composition skills on the second CD (6 Degrees of Inner Turbulance - Overture) when he organizes a complete orchistrated melody! He's like the modern Mozart! James, like I said before, has found his true voice and is now using it to it's full capabilities. The distortion, the crypticness and overall control of his voice makes the CD a mind trip the whole way through. All in all this has to be Dream Theater's pinnacle in their career with this CD, because if Dream Theater is capable of putting out anything better than this. They should be honored and recognized as the next step in human evolution. It just doesn't get any better than this. I'll be seein them in Philly (they didn't get to pittsburgh). And I already know that it will be the greatest show I have ever seen. This CD is for any person that knows music and knows the difference between a hit and a masterpiece. Because there is no single band out there that can hold a candle to the knights of music, Dream Theater.Free Music Review: An amazing, well-rounded Dream Theater album
Hit: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorites by Dream Theater for the reason that it shows so much of Dream Theater in one album. Songs like "Solitary Shell" show their pop-inspired nature, songs like "War Inside My Head" show their meaner side, and songs like "Goodnight Kiss" get really emotional. Overall, an excellent album.
Disc 1:
"The Glass Prison" is a hard-hitting track, one of DT's most famous for sure. A tad too long, but has great solos. 8/10
"Blind Faith" some claim to have an out-of-place chorus, but I think the song overall flows musically. A great track. 9/10
"Misunderstood" is a track I think would have been better if it was half as long. It gets boring after a while. 5/10
"The Great Debate" conveys the topic of stem cells in a powerful way. Has real-life samples and really builds up nicely. 8/10
"Disappear" is not one of my favorite tracks as it contains way too many filters and electronic weirdness for me to like it too much. The "Live At Budokan" version is much better. 6/10
Disc 2:
I. Overature - This song is one of DT's most musical instrumentals. Certainly has its moments and like all overatures, outlines what is to come. 9/10
II. About to Crash - Overature flows perfectly into this track, such that it's almost impossible to listen to either by themselves. An excellent track conveying both manic and depressive states musically. 9/10
III. War Inside My Head - A perfectly done track which has a really mean riff to it and a powerful sound. It's so short, they didn't have the time to do anything wrong. 10/10
IV. The Test That Stumped Them All - starts off with an absolutely crazy piano and keyboard riff and goes into more powerful stuff. The lyrics in this song unfortunately suck.
V. Goodnight Kiss - a very emotional song that includes mediocre singing and one of the best guitar solos you've ever heard. 7/10
VI. Solitary Shell - a very pop-inspired tune that has a very nice melody.
VII. About To Crash Reprise - This takes the original and gives it even more impact which fades away slightly in some parts but builds up to the following track. 8/10
VIII. Losing Time/Grand Finale - Dream Theater's best closing song ever in my opinon. Really has a grandiose feel to it and will knock your socks off on the right sound equipment. 11/10, if there is such a thing.
I cannot recommend this album enough to any Dream Theater aquiaintance or fan, but if you're a first-timer, I would check out "Awake" or "Scenes From A Memory" first.
Free Music Review: Excellent. Simply excellent.
Hit: 5 Stars
I must admit that I've had a bit of a DT stint lately. Honestly, it's been pretty bad. I've gone through all of the DT albums I own -- Train of Thought, Octavarium, Systematic Chaos, Live at Budokan, Images and Words, and Scenes from a Memory -- at least three times each in the past month.
I read the reviews on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and I was hooked right away. I had only heard some parts of SDOIT on the Live at Budokan set, and so I figured that there was a lot more to offer on the rest of this album.
Turns out, this is one of my favorite DT albums. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to find one that I like better. It's heavy, but not like Train of Thought; it's thematic, but not quite like Scenes from a Memory; it's got long instrumentals and weird voiceovers, but not like Systematic Chaos. It's in between all of them.
I'll break it down by track...
The Glass Prison: Long and winding. I keep thinking that this song will end but it never does. Not one of my favorites on my album but a great start.
Blind Faith: Possibly my favorite DT track of all time. By the time the lyrics kick back in at the end of the solo section, the band is moving a million miles an hour and you can barely keep up. It sends shivers down my spine. I remember making a few friends listen to this song, and they treated it just like some random prog-rock song... until John Petrucci starts off the solo section with an absolute killer of a riff. Rudess just takes off during his parts. The fills that Portnoy throws in are spectacular. Lebrie hits just the right notes. Jesus, I love this song.
Misunderstood: I'm not much of a head-banger, but this song makes me want to be. Great track.
The Great Debate: A song about stem cell research, and a pretty blatant one at that. A great filler track that shows how daring these guys want to be. (How many bands write a song about this topic?)
Disappear: A lot of moods, paces, and tones in this one. Interesting track.
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: A conclusively massive 8-part second disc. I'll give my favorites here. About to Crash and About to Crash (Reprise) have a nice feel to them; they provide a very nice balance for the parts in between. The "cheesy" facets of DT come out in full in "Goodnight Kiss" and "Solitary Shell," but I love these tracks nonetheless. It's songs like these that make me wonder where they get the imagination to write the way they do. Losing Time/Grand Finale makes for a nice, epic finish -- as it should -- for the album.
Buy this album. Now.
Free Music Review: Raising The Bar One Note At A Time
Hit: 5 Stars
In 1993 I had the joy of making an accidental discovery. Within it, I found just how wonderful serendipity can be. That discovery was a group from New York. A group called Dream Theater. From the intense chorus of "Pull Me Under" all the way to their newest work, I have found myself rife with both admiration and gratitude. In admiration of the sheer talent, authenticity and technical merits of this collection of musicians. My gratitude comes from the sheer yet simple joy that I receieve each and every time I listen to their music. They have an innate ability of raising the bar in both their creativity and virtuosity. Quite simply, they are not a band to be challenged. Nor can they be.... Their lyrical depth and musical height are without peer, and that has never been more evident than in "Six Degrees". It is not often that you can find a group so indulgent, yet so brilliantly musical at the same time. A beautiful fusion indeed.As with "Scenes From A Memory", the material once again displays the gifts that this group has. Both in their creativity and execution. They capture a sound that is more brash and certainly more bold than any of their past releases. Even more than "Awake". John Petrucci's use of a seven-string electric is evident, but like any master, his use of it is both brilliant and effective. To put it simply, there are no weak performances within this collection. James LaBrie is dynamic as always, and John Myung is'nt in the shadows as much as on past releases. My only complaint of past DT releases was the fact that John Myung was a "forgotten man". He has more freedom on this album, and certainly makes the best of it. Way to go John! The performances by Mike Portnoy and Jordan Ruddess are, well, typical. Typical of the brilliance and mastery that we have been treated to in the past. Both display tremendous skill and facility, and within the hemisphere of their playing, both earn the respect of being called Mr. or Master.
Dream Theater is not a band for those who enjoy the bleak and antiquated world of minimalism. Their craft is like that of a beautifully crafted artform. Rare in its character and invaluable in its meaning. The kind of work that you would place upon your highest shelf. A lofty place for only the most deserved of musicians and performers. If you are of the mentality that "less is more", than you need not enter the valhalla that is Dream Theater. It is a pantheon within itself. Where music is king and the power of the imagination is no "Dream".....