Dream Theater has been at the top of prog rock for years. The band knows how to combine metal and symphonic rock in a sublime way. The individual band members therefore all have their own fans among musicians. Drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci are especially honored. On the previous album Train Of Thought ('03) the band leaned more towards the straightforward metal that we know from
… Metallica. Not all fans were happy with that and maybe Octavarium is a logical reaction to that. On this record you can hear the familiar bombastic Dream Theater again. With eight songs that last an average of six minutes, the ballad The Answer Lies Within and a 24-minute closing track, all Dream Theater ingredients are present again. Striking song is I Walk Beside You, that with z ' n echoing vocals and guitar lines could have been such a hit for U2. Dream Theater is still at the top with Octavarium. (JdD)more
