Dream Theater - Train of Thought
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Free Music Notes for Train of Thought
Free Music Review: So different and still a Helluva album..incredible isn't it
Hit: 5 Stars
To start with my review I had to put things straight, You cannot compare any DT albums, and I really believe that's a mistake a lot of guys are doing; if you love DT (as much as I do) you never have to compare any album, each of them are so complex and different than the other, and that's the reason why we all like DT.So you can say I&A is the best album or Scenes is the best, or whatever, but if you realized what you are saying you'll find you are not being honest with yourself; as for me I take each album as the best at the moment of their specific releases, and I really dig on every song and note, and I do this because I consider there's no better album than the other on DT's discography, it's simply imposible to categorize them, all of them have something new (sound or lyrics or whatever) and that is why each of them are simply masterpieces. Simple if you want always the same then you are listening to the wrong band, don't get me wrong I wish a more I&W, Scenes or Awakes, but then where is the chill of finding something new on each album, if I wanted that I simply listen to those albums, but no I am always looking for something new, because I want to be amazed with every album DT takes out, and that is what I get with ToT, I mean I asked myself (man what are you listen to??) when I first listen James rapping or screaming the way he does on this album, but right now he turns those thoughts again into total respect, for one of the best vocalists I 've ever heard (as I have always believe), and that's why I love DT they always do something different on every album, and you have to give them that.
ToT makes me think of leaving Prog music (just a few seconds) and turn into Metal but then I realized I was listenting to DT, and I won't find that kind of power and feeling at the same time on any other band, so I just take this album as it really is a phenomenal album so different than I&W or the concept of Scenes, and I LOVE IT...
But let me tell you, to truly understand ToT you have to put away all the ideas from the previous albums, they have nothing to do with eachother (but it always happens with DT -I recall Falling into infinity- as an example), and believe me you really going to dig this one too
So please take my humble opinion (or just send me f****n far away with it) and try to listen ToT as a whole different concept form DT, it is another offering form these five geniuses, and don't try to compare this album with the previous ones, that cannot happen. Believe me either if you like metal or Prog (as myself) you will love this album, but you have to listen very well to it. By the way my personal favourites: Endless Sacrifice and This Dying Soul, but the whole album worths to be listened and it deserves 6 or 7 stars as the rest of the albums
Thanks Dream Theater for giving us the chance to listen to so different kind of things with every album, but always keeping your essence and honesty..... you really rock AGAIN...
Free Music Review: New + Old = Solid Album!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Train of Thought is an incredible album by these amazing musicians in ass-ripping, full blown metal onslaught. While I loved all the albums by DT including the very overlooked black sheep FII, I got a little dissapointed by 6DOIT because it was way too complex what with all those mini-concepts and so solid tunes, the weakest/longest DT release ever. Well, DT answered me with TOT, no concept, no intellectual debates, but an in-your-face metal mayhem which is probably one of the best metal releases ever. Expect here no DT of I&W or COS but expect here DT playing Awake style music on steroids. I hear Old school metal like MOP times Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera here and I am not complaining, I love it. The album is definatly a Petrucchi baby, as he transcends all that he has ever done before. While some people write that this is too much show-off, I call these reviews BS because, when you got it,it doesnt harm to flaunt it. How many people on earth can play like JP or JR or MP or JM or sing like JL? There are five of them and all of them are in DT!As I Am, is perhaps the weakest track on the disk, but dont get me wrong, its only weak compared to whats going to come next. But the best part of the song is a mindnumbing lead from JP in the end. This Dying Soul ends where The Glass Prison begins, metal onslaught, a 5/5. Endless Sacrifice with beautiful Sanitarium style intro is about the sacrifices JP and rest of the crew make in their life as professional travelling musicians, away from their family. An excellent track makes me even sad when I think deep and understand that while providing so much joy to us fans, they are away from their own people. What on earth is this band? So INCREDIBLE!!!, 5/5, or infinity out of five. Honor Thy Father, MP's personal song with vitriolic lyrics is a straight 5/5 rocker. Vacant, a great respite with beautiful singing from JL, brings bloodtears to my eyes, JL is a cool singer, one the best on the planet, 5/5. Steam of Consciousness, a brilliant instrumental from the genius band, 5/5. In the name of God, a outstanding way to end an outstanding album, 5/5. 7 songs, about 70 minutes of music, this is one of the best DT releases ever.
Please dont compare the album with I&A and the old works of DT and say that DT has changed or what ever! No DT is change and what ever they change into is excellent. Here is perhaps the only band on earth with so much prodical talent (One must also try Porcupine Tree), and not a SINGLE bad album. Here is a band which cares about its fans, makes music for us all, comes out with so much material, CDs/DVDs/SideProjects so life is all the more worth living. Here is a band that has no ego, plays covers even after they have become a major band. Here is a band which is proud of its eclectic influences. No other band would ever dare play entire Master of Puppets or entire Number of the Beast, LIVE!!! God bless DT, Train of Thought has a special place in my life and DT, in my heart!!!
Free Music Review: This is DT's "Moving Pictures"
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been listening to DT since IAW, and I've always considered "Awake" to be the pinnacle of their progressiveness. Their career to me has always had parallels with Rush's. To whit:When Dream and Day Unite - Rush
The same kind of collection of songs, both by bands that hadn't really found a critical member (in the case of Rush, Neil Peart, in the case of DT, James Labrie)
Images and Words - Fly By Night
You can easily see the similarities in two bands trying to "out-prog" themselves on both "By-Tor and the Snow Dog" and "Learning To Live"
Awake - Caress of Steel
You can REALLY hear shades of "Didacts and Narpets" in the drum solo that opens "6:00".
A Change of Seasons - 2112
Same idea: First you get the concept album side, then the filler.
Falling Into Infinity - A Farewell to Kings
Both bands stretching themselves a little too far, but in each case you get a real beautiful ballad: "Anna Lee" and "Closer To the Heart"
Scenes From a Memory - Hemispheres
The parallel again is perfect, here. SFAM continues a theme from an earlier song, "Metropolis", quoting heavily from it, and building it into a concept. "Hemispheres" continues the theme from "Cygnus X-1" and quotes heavily from it, building it into a concept.
6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence - Permanent Waves
"Natural Science," compares well to any of the prog-pieces of 6DOIT. Although it's more as if Rush had made an album's worth of "Natural Science" type pieces.
Which brings us to
Train of Thought - Moving Pictures
Moving Pictures is highly thought of as Rush's big "Metal" album. And yet, here is where the big move to keyboards for them began. But still, probably their heaviest album at that point. And it also alienated a whole lot of their long-time fans because of it, and because it wasn't "progressive" enough. But even then, it also brought in new fans who would never have listened to Rush before then. It's quite amazing when you think about it; it was the absolute PEAK of Rush. And in the same sense, I think this will 20 years later (as we are now 20 years+ removed from Moving Pictures) be considered the PEAK of DT. This is their best album, to my ears, since "Awake." "In the Name of God" is destined to be a piece they will still play in 2024, one of those songs that becomes synonymous with it's album like "Tom Sawyer" is with "Moving Pictures".
I guess the saddest thing is, we have yet to see DT's "Hold Your Fire" or "Test For Echo." Enjoy this album while you can. Chances are, if history serves, it's going to be the last good one from DT.
But oh, WHAT A F***ing great album it is.
Free Music Review: Lighting in a Jar
Hit: 5 Stars
First let's embrace the fact that album will sell, like all DT albums do. The dedicated fans, myself included, just can't get enough of this mental fusion of five of the most exceptional rock musicians to grace the planet. But I think this album may grab the ears of many who would in the past have shrugged them off or rolled their eyes.Individually they stand as masters and mentors in their own right but it is how they blend their unique visions that sets Dream Theater amongst the all time greats in rock. They have delighted their fans with more and more challenging works. "Train of Thought" is no exception. The aptly named collection offers a freestyle mental core dump of edgy, at times even angry epics, blending their past and present sounds.
LaBrie pushes his voice into areas, only hinted to in past albums. He has tempered the range showcasing, opting for edgy, emotional and at times even angry vocals.
John Petrucci has stunned me once again with absolutely mind boggling moments such as his solo, following Rudess' in "Endless Sacrifice" where he ascends a scale, with speed and grace like I have never heard before. The dynamic duo of Petrucci and Rudess ascends to another plateau of musical mastery, soaring effortlessly through a forest of time signature shifts, scales and direction changes.
Drummer, Mike Portnoy lays out one of his most impressive efforts to date and Ironically seems to do it effortlessly. Several innovative moments are layered into his already unique and mind-blowing repartee. Like an exposition of rhythmic possibility, he and Bassist John Myung, work together, suring up the bottom and everywhere in between. Myung deftly negotiates the no-man's-land of each arrangement, serving as the glue that holds them all together, whether it be matching Petrucci's and Rudess' riffs or following Portnoy's percussive assault...or both. Often, one has to strain to even pick him out of any given moment in the song, though he is always there, in roaring, low presence.
I think this is their overall best effort, since their groundbreaking, Metropolis 2000 and is arguably one of their best works, ever. Not for the musical faint of heart, this album takes the listener on a magic carpet ride of progressive fusion-metal that can challenge one's equilibrium. It may turn off some progressive rock purists with its heavy edged approach. Personally I couldn't help but crack an ear-to-ear smile when the concussive, double bass drum opening of "This Dying Soul" sent me back into my seat, or keep from banging my head at the catchy, Pantera-like, thundering riff in the middle of "Endless".
Not since Metropolis have I been so delighted and intoxicated by their work. This album is a home run that I will likely burn a laser hole through in the next three months.
Free Music Review: Wow! Some of the reviewers need to get over themselves..
Hit: 5 Stars
This is Dream Theater turned up to eleven! Of course they can write melodic and thought-provoking music. Just like their past albums. But remember that they are considered a progressive METAL band. That means that they have every right to turn it up if they choose. I have read some of these negative reviews and all I can think is that there are a lot of people living in the past. Images and Words was awesome. So was Awake, 6DOIT and Scenes from A Memory (my all time personal favorite) But each on those albums stood on their own. Even Falling Into Infinity is good on its own. There can only be one IAW. One 6DOIT. One FII. One Awake etc. When you start expecting new albums to sound like past albums, that's when you set yourself up for disappointment. True fans allow their favorites to express themselves how they want. True you don't have to like it, but you should respect their creative vision and right to do it. Heck, I'm not a fan of the new King's X CD, but I do respect them for trying something different for their fans and most of all, themselves. Remember, the music we listen to is suppose to reflect the artist that performs it. It's an extension of them and how they feel at the time. It is not cool however, to predict the doom of a classic band, especially when they are no where close to the end. So get over yourselves.
This album is a brutal onslaught and is 100% Dream Theater. I see all the benefits that have come from all the side projects the members have done becuase there are multiple influences in this CD while at the same time staying true to their own sound they perfected. It annoys me that people compare this CD to GodSmack or even (what the f*** were these people thinking?) Kid Rock. Here's the thing, You can "hear" certain artists on other artists CDs when you are hearing the music and not really listening. People compare one thing to another when they have no clue what they are talking about. That's why you can hear people doing ridiculous comparisons between one artist or another. Hell, I could hear Kid Rock or Godsmack in Celine Dion's music if I concetrated hard enough and did that much crack. My advice, don't listen to this CD as a Godsmack Cd but as a Dream Theater Cd as it was originally intended.
Honor Thy Father is the most brutally honest song I have ever heard from Dream Theater as long as I have been a fan of the band. In the Name of God has warranted the praise it has gotten. The album as a whole, is a sonic attack on your senses. Pure Dream Theater and nothing else.
If you naysayers think this is too fast, don't listen to Symphony X.
All you people who blasted this CD, do yourself a favor, put your comparisons and your highly distorted expectations at the door and listen to this disc as a Dream Theater album. You might see things differently.