"Octavarium" by Dream Theater (2005)
Artist: |
Dream Theater |
Album: |
Octavarium |
Released In: |
2005 |
Reviewed By: |
The Boneman |
Grade: |
3.5 |
If you look-up the word atavistic in the dictionary, right next to the definition is a picture of Dream Theater. Not only are they an honest to goodness progressive/art/rock band enjoying a fair amount of success in the 21st Century - but wonder of all wonders - they're from America. In case this may sound a little bit jumbled and jivey - in the great salad day of the art-prog bands 1972-1981 there were only a handful of American representatives - and depending upon your tastes, kind of a piss poor lot. America offered Kansas, Alan Parson's Project and Styx, unless we broaden our definition to experi-prog and jazz/fusion where we acquitted ourselves much better with The (Dixie) Dregs, Pat Metheny, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, FM and Group 87, this list goes on to our credit and in fact I've always thought that we should be able to count Steely Dan and the Grateful Dead.
Though I've managed to gerrymander a respectable team (if I've left out your favorite American Progsters don't get mad - get even, type in a scathing rebuttal on our message board and call me a fuckstick just like some guy named Danny did just this morning (by the way I'm sorry Dan, you right, Dirty Work is a classic film and I'm just a blithering idiot for not recognizing it I'm such a wanker sometimes.) The point I'm making here is that when it was cool to like art rock, the U K had an undeniable monopoly on it - so all's the better that this throw-back of an art rock outfit called Dream Theater are bloody yanks. Hip Hurray. Now on to the matter of deciding if they're any good.
First off I have to confess to a rather regrettable ignorance about the whole Dream Theater phenomenon, for a time I had them garbled up with that one-hit-wonder outfit from '85 called Dream Academy. Which I realize is not even technically an excuse. Then I got off on a bad foot with DT by listening to a few tracks off of Train of Thought, both of which struck me as kind of an Yngwie Malmstein minus the self-control, I've never been one for the guitar solo as a form of autoeroticism - all the truly classic guitar solos favor composition over speed. Since this is my website I'm going to tell you all what the two greatest guitars solos are just because I'm feeling so effusive and generous. Number one: Steve Hackett "Supernatural Anesthethist" from Genesis' Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Number Two Larry Carlton "Third World Man" from Steely Dan's Gaucho. Write in with your favorites.
In any case, I'm happy to report that other than a few lapses Octavarium displays a much different John Petrucci than I heard on those masturbatory tracks from DT's previous record. He can't help but hit the gas a number of times - but his speed is largely generated by using lots of hammer-ons and offs - however if you listen carefully, there are some tasty solos and more importantly he uses his guitar to create alot of nice atomospheric stuff - one note at a time. Unquestionably the finest musician on the Dream Team is Jordan Rudess on keys. This guy is a bona fide genius in every area - you could put this guy up against anybody. He's got insane speed, crazy original rhythmic sensibilities - and it's quite obvious that he is the musical leader of the band. His most prominent touchstone is Keith Emerson - in the world of newfangled medicine men this guy is the latest and greatest brain salad surgeon and he wields one fucking mean scalpel - just stand back and watch him operate - and don't get a sleeve caught up in there or you'll pull back a bloody stump - CLEAR. I understand the band used to have a different key-player who quit so he could go off and languish in obscurity, and in the best midseason acquisition since Yes picked up Bill Bruford, DT signed Rudess (who at the time was a touring member of the Dregs - cred doesn't get any credier than that folks.)
The one thing that is just absolutely undeniable about Dream Theater is their musical virtuosity. Bassist John Myung and drummer Mike Portnoy are smart enough to understand that a band of all-stars needs roll-players and for their part they let their chops shine whenever possible, but aren't showboaters like the rest of the band. Musically they lean toward the more Metallic end of the spectrum, but Octavarium is a departure from the heavier side of this - much like their 97 release Falling into Infinity. In terms of contemporary influences, or kindred spirits, Muse certainly leaps to mind, as does Opeth in their more metallic moments. Vocalist James Labrie is a good match for a band that flies so many different musical colors. He can go from sounding almost fey and falsetto to digging in and going down and dirty.
For fans of these guys I'll put you up on something you'll probably find pretty interesting. There was a shortlived off-shoot band who had a singer named Noel McCalla who sounded exactly like Labrie. Their drummer was Simon Phillips from Camel, and their percussionist was Neil's brother Morris Pert. On Keyboards was original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips - who you may remember suffered from crippling stage fright and would eventually hand over the job to Steve Hackett. And their bassist and guitarist, why the lanky one Mike Rutherford. It was a time when Phil Collins was feeling it coming in the air tonight, and Tony Banks was off making A Curious Feeling, 1980 - the deathnell of "art" rock, the year King Crimson retooled, bringing on Adrian Belew and Bill Bruford for their tech-prog agenda. Amid it all Mike Rutherford gathered a few old friends and made an album called Smallcreeps Day. An album that sounds more like Dream Theater than you would dare to dream.
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