SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE

Ok, first let me get something clear. This album is not bad, in fact it is better than average, but after Metropolis Pt. 2, everyone was expecting something better. Until now, every DT album was better than the last, which is really an accomplishment for a band with 9 albums until then. But Six Degrees was a step back for DT (maybe two or three, actually). The first track of each disc is amazing, but then it all just falls apart. I mourned Dream Theatre for many months, already anticipating their débacle (according to the 2 lame rule, two lame consecutive albums = dead band), but fortunately, their latest album Train of Thought brings back Metropolis standards with a heavy twist I much enjoy. Many people recommend this for beginners as a "mixed salad" of Dream Theatre songs, but if you look at the rest of their albums, where everything is so well planned and every track is there for a reason, you will agree this "mixed salad" thing is totally un-DT. Like I read in another of these reviews, The Glass Prison alone is worth your money. But other Dream Theater albums give you so much more for your money...