SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE

This album is Dream Theater's sixth album, contains six songs in it and has the word "six" in the title of the album, what a coincidence : ) . The album was divided into two CD, which has five songs in the first CD; the track varies from 6 - 14 minutes. The second CD however, contains one song length 42 minutes which divided into eight.

This album is the first part of the giant part, called "meta album", which will be continued in the next album. There are two keys why this album is just a beginning of a very long story. The first key is from the musical composition, notice that in the last track of Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, the key notes is used in the first track in Train Of Thought. Moreover, the key in the last track in Train Of Thought was used in the first track of Octavarium, then it creates a continuous album. The second key is in each album, there is a song which contains Mike Portnoy's non-alcoholic program, called the 12 steps program (this is not an ad!!). Anyway, in Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, in the first song, Glass Prison, there are Reflection, Restoration and Revelation. In Train Of Thought's This Dying Soul, there are Reflection Of Reality (Revisited) and Release. Octavarium's The Root Of All Evil has Ready and Remove. The names are very similar to the 12 steps that I have mentioned above. These parts then will create and reflect step one to eight. Maybe you now think, what about the step 9 to 12? Well, I never stop pray that in the next album, this concept will be continued. Also, Mike Portnoy said in one interview that he wanted to release all the 12 steps of his non-alcoholic program. However, by looking at the first key, about the continuous album, the last track in Octavarium, which is Octavarium, has a obvious ends so I am not sure how the next album will be started.

Back to Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence; I think this CD is pretty much has the same style as Scenes From A Memory, a combination of metal songs and a bit of mellow elements. Now let's take a look at each song.

Glass Prison - As I said before, this is the first song that has the first three steps of the non-alcoholic program. The song itself is very metal, started with a clean intro and harmonic line on bass. The atmosphere increases when the drum line starts. Notice that the guitar sound is very heavy and metal. When the vocal begins, the song is more like Metallica's songs, very fast. The solo sections are very progressive and very dark.

Blind Faith - The introduction (keyboard part) is pretty much like the Octavarium intro, with the addition of soft bass and guitar line. The overall song is not as metal as Glass Prison and the coolest part is the guitar solo, just like usual, very progressive metal with a great technique. After that the song stops for a while to give Jordan Rudess a bit of time to have a clean keyboard section, but then followed by an amazing keyboard solo.

Misunderstood - My second favorite song after Glass Prison. Misunderstood is considered as a not-so- metal song. The song begins with an acoustic guitar riffs and LaBrie sings very nice with help from Mike Portnoy. Jordan Rudess also take part by adding some background elements to the song with John Myung. When the chorus hits, the atmosphere increases, started from the harmonics on guitar line, the style changes drastically. I really like the lyric by the way, "how can I feel abandoned, even when the world surrounds me."

The Great Debate - The song is about the controversy of stem cell, "taking life to save life". The song begins in the same way as Sacrificed Sons, a lot of people talking about the theme of the song. However, Sacrificed Sons is about the 9/11 tragedy, while this song is about stem cell. As the people talking, the energy of the song increases slowly through the music behind it, which increased step by step. The keyboard and guitar solo with bass and drum backup at the end of the song is mind boggling, real great.

Disappear - Very mellow song, not very different with Through Her Eyes or The Answer Lies Within. This is probably the best song to be introduced to a newbie, since its not really progressive.

Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence - Well now I am confused how to review this song, because the section of the song varies very differently. The song begins with an instrumental part with, believe it or not, ORCHESTRA!! This is really different with another Dream Theater songs, because this is the first song (sub-song actually) which contains 100% orchestra. The song followed with About To Crash, where the atmosphere started to increase, the song becoming more metal. The guitar solo in the end of the song is really great and slows down the song a bit, very beautiful, which continued with War Inside My Head. Heavy drum and keyboard at the beginning, continued with also heavy guitar and bass line. "napalm showers, showed the coward, we weren't there to mess around." The best part is when Pornoy started to sing with LaBrie to create a darker style. The next sub-song, The Test That Stump Them All, is even heavier, with sick keyboard and guitar line, creates a very dark song. My mom who likes Overture, stops the CD player when this song starts. For me, this song is really great, especially how all the instruments can follow the lyrics, so they are like singing as well! After a metal song, its time to rest a little bit, with Mike Portnoy's beautiful lyric, in Goodnight Kiss. Here, LaBrie sings very beautifully with calm guitar and drum line. The coolest and most beautiful part is the guitar solo, whoa!!!! Really beautiful, just a simple solo, but very nice. The song is then continued with Solitary Shell, a more rock-pop song, but then it changes after the lyric has finished, odd time signatures and great solos are started. After that, another metal song, About To Crash (Reprise) starts, maybe is a wake up song for us after Goodnight Kiss. Now here it is, my favorite song in the second CD, Losing Time/Grand Finale, which has very beautiful and meaningful lyric. "A journey to find the answers inside our illusive mind." A really great ending of the album, Grand Finale is more like a conclusion of the album with not much guitar and keyboard solos.

For me, it's a really great album and I give 5 stars because of the musical composition and the feeling behind each song. Truly a masterpiece.

Timur Imam Nugroho - Indonesia

Share this DREAM THEATER review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to imoeng
• Report this review (#78539)
• Buy DREAM THEATER music online with PA partners
• Show all DREAM THEATER MP3/Stream
• Go to DREAM THEATER page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for DREAM THEATER related discussions