SCORE: 20TH ANNIVERSARY WORLD TOUR LIVE WITH THE OCTAVARIUM ORCHESTRA

Finally, I've SCOREd it!!!!! Wow, it's a hard time to wait. Since this album was released last month, I've struggled to connect several music stores in Singapore, Malaysia, and even in Australia to get the information if the album was available. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it and I just have found it in Hongkong, Japan, and Korea. That's so disappointed because I just planned to go to Korea next month. I think the range from the released time until my departure (about two months) is too long. So I decided to wait and see if there's something surprised in my lovely country, Indonesia. Every week, I always connected every music store that I knew (may be they were getting bored, he.he.). Until one day I felt that something would happen so I tried to phone back them (even I newly phoned them the day before) and surprisingly, they said that they got one and it has sold out. I was shocked and at the evening, suddenly I knew that my father who has bought it for me!!! Thanks, dad! However, thank you also to all of the music stores who made me now collect two similar albums because I bought one more by myself the next day (so, the mission hasn't finished yet because I haven't gotten the DVD), and no thank to the cashier who's name was Heru who had a poor ability to cut off the outside plastic cover for taking a safety alarm and as the consequences he caused a scratch in front of the cover even my father has warned him to be more careful twice. That's about my story and now, let's take a look inside. I've seen the concert last January in Singapore (that's made me absent to go to school for 3 days). It's a perfect show, I think. So, when I saw the SCORE's set list in the issue that they sent to my home, my mind said that may be the SCORE's set list is still worse than the Singapore set list. It's ok if you don't think so, but the orchestra made me very unsure about this album (first set is a full band and second set and encore is together with the Octavarium orchestra). Well, I think I'm getting wrong and now I give my salute to this album. The band still played as best as they often did. James LaBrie with his brilliant vocals, John Myung with his energetic bass, John Petrucci with his melodic guitars, Mike Portnoy with his magnificent drums, and Jordan Rudess with his great experimental continuum and lap steel guitar. The show itself was held in Radio City Music Hall, New York City (New York??? Why was New York again??? Wasn't there a better place around this large world???) First set of this album is traced the band's history. This album is kicked off with "The Root Of All Evil" and before that there's a piece from "In The Name Of God Outro". This is a special song for me because at this moment in Singapore for the first time I saw my biggest inspiration, Mike Portnoy (I missed the chance to watch him in Indonesia in 2001). The drum sound in the intro made me so emotional. I won't forget about the moment until my last breath!!! The next songs are "I Walk Beside You" and "Another Won". The first one is taken from their latest album, "Octavarium". The last one is coming from the Majesty era. It's a rare song and fortunately, you can get this song in "The Majesty Demos- Official Bootleg" that is sold when they did a gig. "Afterlife", "Under A Glass Moon", and "Innocence Faded" are another history from their albums. Especially for "Innocence Faded", we are lucky to have it on CD because it hasn't played about 10 years! "Raise The Knife" is also a rare song that you just can get it in this album. And finally, the first CD is ended by "The Spirit Carries On" that is started with "Through Her Eyes" guitar intro. The second set is terrific. They played their longest song, 41+ epic "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence"!!! It started with the orchestra that played the "Overture" and the full band is newly appeared in "About To Crash" until my favorite "Losing Time/Grand Finale". However, I wasn't too impressed with the orchestra, even they played one of my favorite track in this album but I'm happy enough to be able to enjoy "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" live. It reflects that DT could play nearly one hour without any break (May be someday they can create a one hour track???). The "endless" epic finally over, but the show continued with "Vacant" (taken from "Train Of Thought" album) and "The Answer Lies Within". James LaBrie sang beautifully in these 2 emotional songs. The next track is "Sacrificed Sons" that is the last track in the second CD and this time, both the band and the orchestra played nearly perfect. One part I loved most in this track is on "06.17". The third CD is begun with my giant favorite "Octavarium". The song is almost perfect for me. The lyrics and the music are very strong. The intro was filled with keyboard solo (or may be continuum, or lap steel guitar, just some kind of that). You also can listen to some various genres of Progressive Rock such as, Psychedelic, a little Folk, and Symphonic in "Someone Like Him". Art, Symphonic, and Metal in "Medicate (Awakening)". Art, Metal, and a little Space Rock in "Full Circle". Full Metal in "Intervals". Symphonic and Metal in "Razor's Edge". What a complete music it was! Personally, my favorite part is the last part, "Razor's Edge", but I felt that their performance playing "Octavarium" live is rather different with their performance in studio album (Dream Theater usually played similarly both on the stage and the studio). Just a moment, I ever had a great debate with my friend about which one is the best between "Sacrificed Sons" and "Octavarium". I said clearly that "Octavarium" is far better than "Sacrificed Sons", but in Radio City Music Hall, Dream Theater played "Sacrificed Sons" better. And let's back to the album for the final song. "Metropolis Pt. 1" is taken from "Images & Words" album. It's became the only song in the encore session (Why DT was "lazy" not to put more song, may be one or two more song, or may be the other epic "A Change Of Seasons" for the third CD and making a new history that DT played all their 20+ songs on a single night?). However, I thought that their performance in this song (together with the orchestra) is still better than the same track in every live album (including "Instrumedley" which is also contained with it). Finally, here's my total rating for this album. The first CD contains the first set of the show with the band only and I liked "The Root Of All Evil", "I Walk Beside You", and "The Spirit Carries On", so I'll give it 4 star. The second CD, we find the first epic, "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" and "Sacrificed Sons", so I'm surely give it 5 star. Unfortunately, the third CD only contains two tracks (total time is only about 37 minutes). Another bad thing, DT just played a single song from "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" album. I think it's their best album so far but why DT didn't play another track beside "The Spirit Carries On"? However, once again, there's a second epic "Octavarium", one of my most favorite song ever and "Metropolis Pt. 1", a classic song which always played by Dream Theater in every live album, so 5 star too for the third CD. I'm also satisfied with the quality of the album's cover which is pretty well than "Live At Budokan" (it's color is white so it's easily going dirty, isn't it?). The art is also pretty cool. Finally, for overall, of course my rating is 5/5. The final words, I have some information for you (I hope it really help you). I was really happy to have ever watched them live and I won't miss every chance I have to watch them, even if I need to go abroad for watching them as the sacrifice (by the way, I'd rather watch them not in my country, Indonesia). Unfortunately, I've read the issue that was sent to my home and Mike Portnoy said that they will probably go back to have an opening act around 2007 and 2008 (Please don't do that, Mike!!! Just think about it some time as you've ever asked for to all DT fans around the world!!!). Well, I just hope that they came to Asia as soon as possible. The next information is about the album. I think most of people feel bored with Dream Theater because they have released 3 live albums around 5-6 years. As a loyal fan, I don't mind even if they release hundreds of live albums. And, for you who need some advice, you may collect this album as one of the best live album ever in the prog music history (that's why I bought double for this album).