SYSTEMATIC CHAOS

Here it is! Dream Theater's heaviest album by a long shot. As a social experiment (and sheer boredom) I checked out the ratings, from those who bothered to write a review that is, and we have the following stats:

32 reviewers gave it 5 stars - they thought it a masterpiece.

45 reviewers gave it 4 stars - Yes, it deserves at least 3-4 for ingenuity and musicianship.

31 reviewers gave it 3 stars - a fair assessment.

29 reviewers gave it 2 stars - a bit harsh.

7 reviewers gave it 1 star - they hated it!

so, whats that prove? Mixed feelings as always but not as many as the album after this which has developed into a love hate relationship.

I decided it deserved 3 stars but only just due to a few shining moments.

Very dark, and very progressive with some of the best material from the band such as In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 and 2, and Constant Motion. All brilliantly played and sung by the band at the peak of their powers. Check out the incredible growl vocals on the The Dark Eternal Night - as band members mused on the doco We are beginning to sound like Biohazard - Indeed.

Devin Townsend meets Metallica in places. Repentance is simply wonderful with a contemplative reflective lyrical content and lots of guest artists speaking their regrets and asking forgiveness.

It is a great album, not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but simply solid DT with heaps of brilliant lead breaks and masterfully played keyboards throughout.

There is not much else to say except it does not disappoint and has some awesome tracks.

Grab the special edition as the doco is terrific and offers a real insight to this amazing prog metal band.

I think the doco is actually better than the whole album. it will continue to dazzle and infuriate listeners for years to come I guess. Give it a chance, as there are some excellent tracks on this CD.