OCTAVARIUM

ok... 2 stars for this one. Probably the most commercial DT album ever to come out. All this fuss about its greatness and genius are only due to overexcitement. Let's get to details.

The Root of All Evil is probably a failure to produce a powerful metal song, and shows some big lack of originality! This has nothing to do with previous DT metal where you could find amazing guitar riffs and superb progressions.

The Answer Lies Within... too soft, too cheasy, and not even catchy... I don't know why DT made such a starter for their album, they could at least have put solid songs on track 2 to attract listeners. For example, my first listen ended here, as I was on the edge of destroying my CD player.

These Walls has the worst guitar sound you could ever see... this is Korn not DT, the riffs are too blured and distorted, that you come to think of a new metal band playing their first radio song, lots of bass, lots of noise, lots of cymbal drumming.... deception.

I Walk Beside You... AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!!! HORRIBLE TRACK!!! I never thought DT could get this "pop-rock"!! The Chorus is a C-G-Am-F style progression, just like common radio commercial stuff, and verses aren't any different! On the top, the scale change at the end made me laugh, climax there, once again, turned the player off... PATHETIC

Panic Attack is a descent effort, but not for DT, I find it suffering from the main disease of the album: lack of originaliy. Riffs are all some short progression based on E, trying to sound metalish.... Drums are fine, as always, but put together with songs, sound a bit out of place...

Never Enough, the Muse pastiche, nothing special in my taste, the opening and main riff are, once again, UNORIGINAL, you feel an 14 year-old wannabe can come up with this stuff (maybe on a slower tempo...). Plus, Petrucci still has the guts to pull riffs in "A- A-G-Bb-A" style trying to sound "oriental", well oriental my ***, I'm lebanese and believe me local pop stars come out with better melodies...

Sacrified Sons. The first progressive track of the album, a nice one actually, if it wasn't for the 9/11 subject which is a little out of date now, and can get really boring. But music is good, no cheasy riffs, drumming regains prog energy, and riffs sound like DT again. Well led song, with good intro and nice ending. Ruedess does a fine job here.

Octavarium. The Song that made me put 2 stars instead of one, a great song that has been well commented before, and that has "70's prog elements...". I won't reapeat what's already been said...

PS: I was probably a bit agressive on this one, but negative points needed to be pointed out. And, I still like TOT better.