Octavarium

Octavarium is a fulfilling eighth album on which Dream Theater, while layering complex rhythm, fluid, beautiful keyboards and technical guitar, also kept the sure accessibility of the vocal melody. From the previous work’s heavy direction, it heads toward a broader, more varied direction. By short, striking songs and a long suite lining up, it shows the band’s outstanding construction and playing contrastively and powerfully. An ambitious record using the number “8” for its overall concept. From the powerful opener “The Root of All Evil” and the drama of “The Answer Lies Within” to the speeding popular “Panic Attack,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “I Walk Beside You,” “Sacrificed Sons” and the 24-minute grand title suite “Octavarium” convey the work’s fullness. The various devices in the details are truly many, yet a sure flow heading toward emotional heightening pulls the whole together. A record whose great appeal is the size of its range, from the catchy appeal of short songs to the grand construction of the long suite. You can fully savor Dream Theater’s outstanding technique and rich lyricism on a grand scale. A powerful, engaging masterpiece showing the band’s varied expression — a record where the band’s fullness shines.