Poll

How is the album Octavarium?

Love it! My favorite album!
2nd place!
It's up there!
Middle.
Mediocre.
Doesn't click for me.
Worst album. Ugh.
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Offline ASacrificedSon

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Octavarium
« on: January 29, 2016, 08:53:46 AM »
I just wanted to know your opinion of this album.
For me, it's a meh. Are there anyone who thinks this is the best?
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Quote from: black_floyd on February 07, 2016, 08:45:01 PM
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Offline shredd

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2016, 09:00:18 AM »
I voted second favourite, the song Octavarium itself is my favourite SONG of all time, but The Astonishing just became my favourite ALBUM of all time
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Offline Djurico

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2016, 09:01:30 AM »
It's the first Dream Theater album I ever bought and listened to, so it holds a special place for me. Not sure if I'd say it's my favourite, but that keeps changing.
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Offline ASacrificedSon

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2016, 09:01:30 AM »
Quote from: shredd on January 29, 2016, 09:00:18 AM
I voted second favourite, the song Octavarium itself is my favourite SONG of all time, but The Astonishing just became my favourite ALBUM of all time
Hmm really? Root is the only reason why it's even in my list.
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Quote from: black_floyd on February 07, 2016, 08:45:01 PM
I've been drinking beer since I was 18 and dabbled since I was 16. I have at least 500 beer bottles in my collection and love the fancy shit though my wallet doesn't. I'll drink liquor not even five times a year including shots or mixed drinks. Jack Daniels and Coke is an easy go-to for me. Very smooth nads candy sweet.

Offline shredd

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2016, 09:03:03 AM »
Quote from: ASacrificedSon on January 29, 2016, 09:01:30 AM
Quote from: shredd on January 29, 2016, 09:00:18 AM
I voted second favourite, the song Octavarium itself is my favourite SONG of all time, but The Astonishing just became my favourite ALBUM of all time
Hmm really? Root is the only reason why it's even in my list.

Root is also a fantastic song
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Offline BlobVanDam

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2016, 09:04:37 AM »
It's not one of DT's absolute best albums to me, but I still consider it one of DT's great albums, probably the last of their great albums imo. Bottom of the top half of their discography, with everything since being below it.
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Offline TheCountOfNYC

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2016, 09:09:04 AM »
I have the album ranked third behind IaW (second) and SFaM (first). The title track however is my favorite song of all time.
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Offline RaasMah

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2016, 09:50:27 AM »
Not in the masterpiece class (IaW, Awake, SFAM, SDOIT, TA?), but a great album non the less. The title track is up there in my top 10.
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Offline DragonGuitar

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2016, 12:35:58 PM »
I actually never understood why some people don't like it, it's one of my faves
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Offline Dublagent66

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2016, 12:46:16 PM »
Overall, mediocre.
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Offline BlackInk

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2016, 12:48:43 PM »
Up there.
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Offline thosava

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2016, 12:53:01 PM »
It used to be my favourite, but nowadays i only listen to the title track (wich is the best song of all time). If it wasn't for that final song, i would rank this album the lowest out of all their albums.
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Offline Train of Naught

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2016, 12:56:10 PM »
Love this album, it's my #6 DT album, mainly caused by Sacrificed Sons being one of my favorite DT songs, but I think it's a really solid album overall, title-track is also up there, probably a top 20 song for me.
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Offline 54_diplomats

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2016, 01:11:26 PM »
My 5th favorite album. Absolutely love it.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2016, 01:34:10 PM »
We're missing a middle option there. :lol

It's not their best, 2nd best or even one of their best, but it's much better than mediocre.  Still one of my least favorites, but still really good.
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Offline home

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #15 on: January 31, 2016, 01:35:36 PM »
Octavarium is definitely my favourite DT song. I really like the rest of the album too, but it's not as great as SFAM or IaW
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Offline lovethedrake

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #16 on: January 31, 2016, 01:39:12 PM »
Personally I think they spent some time on the title track but really mailed in the rest.    Dream Theater at its least inspired. 

Its been a steady improvement with each ensuing album though leading the awesomeness of the Astonishing.

Octavarium<Systematic Chaos<BC&SL<ADTOE<DT<The Astonishing
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Offline Implode

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #17 on: January 31, 2016, 01:40:26 PM »
In my rankings, Octavarium sits somewhere in the middle, but in my ratings, I'd grade it relatively well. Good album.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2016, 02:40:26 PM by Implode »
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Offline Kotowboy

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #18 on: January 31, 2016, 01:41:20 PM »
My #1 Dream Theater album at the moment.

Astonishing may overtake it in the long run.
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Offline lucky7

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #19 on: January 31, 2016, 02:13:02 PM »
It's up there! 

Six degrees is my fave. at the moment, the Scenes, but the title track Octavarium is in my top 5 DT Tracks of all time.
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Offline Outcrier

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #20 on: January 31, 2016, 03:24:00 PM »
Quote from: KevShmev on January 31, 2016, 01:34:10 PM
We're missing a middle option there. :lol

It's not their best, 2nd best or even one of their best, but it's much better than mediocre.

This guy gets it.
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Offline ErHaO

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #21 on: January 31, 2016, 04:54:17 PM »
I think it is a good album. However, since DT has made quite some albums I love it is not "up there", but still very far from being mediocre. Sooo, I didn't vote ;)
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Offline Rodni Demental

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #22 on: January 31, 2016, 04:59:28 PM »
This was the first album going backwards from release order that I found to have 'filler', or should I call them skippable tracks as they're obviously not filler in the context of the 'Octavarium' concept (the whole octave thing I think is fantastic). But yeah, at least 2-3 songs I genuinely didn't like (These Walls and I Walk Beside You come to mind), eventually these tracks grew but I didn't find an album more inconsistent until FII.

That being said, I still listen to it as a full album and I now love TROAE, TALW, NE and PA, and the title track is pretty cool if not a bit of slow start. I can't even think of the track I haven't mentioned, and just went to check on my phone and turns out that was the album I deleted recently to make more space for TA.  :biggrin:

EDIT: Oh yeah Sacrificed Sons. I do kind of like this now actually, but it was one of those songs I only liked 'bits' of so felt like a chore to get through the rest of it. So I guess it's a tad forgettable with some memorable parts (bridge section, third verse standout).
« Last Edit: January 31, 2016, 05:12:03 PM by Rodni Demental »
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Offline Nearmyth

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #23 on: January 31, 2016, 05:06:01 PM »
Recently listened to Octavarium a couple more times, and it's actually quite the visceral experience when listening to it from beginning to end. The build up and payoff are amazing. Even though not every song is particularly amazing, I never get tired of listening to this one.

 It used to be very low-mid for me when ranking all the albums, but I'd put it in my top 6-7.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #24 on: January 31, 2016, 05:39:18 PM »
I think if the penultimate mini-epic had been a lot better, the album as a whole would be a lot better, but Sacrificed Sons kind of drags it down at the point when it should be building towards the epic closer.  SS isn't a bad song, but it's just kind of there.
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Offline TioJorge

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #25 on: January 31, 2016, 05:46:20 PM »
I'm honestly not too keen on the album itself but the song is so fucking amazingly incredible and emotional and badass that it puts the album itself up there with my favorites. The only other song that has given me dem feels like Octa is ACoS.
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Offline Pragmaticcircus

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #26 on: January 31, 2016, 06:02:26 PM »
Only the second half of the title track is any good, really
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Offline ASacrificedSon

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #27 on: January 31, 2016, 06:04:03 PM »
Quote from: Pragmaticcircus on January 31, 2016, 06:02:26 PM
Only the second half of the title track is any good, really
Not Root?
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Quote from: black_floyd on February 07, 2016, 08:45:01 PM
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Offline TioJorge

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #28 on: January 31, 2016, 06:20:16 PM »
I love it all. < of the title track.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2016, 06:29:08 PM by TioJorge »
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Offline chaossystem

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #29 on: January 31, 2016, 06:22:28 PM »
I have said many times that The Root of All Evil is one of my all-time favorite songs. Period. I also really like Sacrificed Sons and These Walls. Panic Attack is pretty okay too.

But...

I don't rate the title track NEARLY as high as most of you seem to. I don't HATE it, and I especially like the second half, but the first half should be half as long and twice as fast. It's too slow, and REALLY drags the song DOWN.

I agree with what KevSchmev said about how there should be an option IN-BETWEEN "It's up there" and "mediocre."

If I knew someone who had never HEARD of DT but otherwise liked the same kind of prog and metal that I do, TRoE is probably the song I would use to INTRODUCE them to the band.
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Offline arkdtmp

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #30 on: January 31, 2016, 08:57:11 PM »
My favorite album has to be Octavarium- it's the perfect mix that I would want from a Dream Theater album; it has great riffs, melodies, harmonies, long songs, short songs, an epic, metal, ballads,prog and a great concept to tie it all together. And the production is perfect too. :o :o :justjen

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Offline Pragmaticcircus

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #31 on: January 31, 2016, 09:23:06 PM »
Quote from: ASacrificedSon on January 31, 2016, 06:04:03 PM
Quote from: Pragmaticcircus on January 31, 2016, 06:02:26 PM
Only the second half of the title track is any good, really
Not Root?

No, to be honest
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"The thing that kills me is all these bands that use huge words in their lyrics, 'I'm swimming in a vortex of apathy.' I'm like, 'What?' I don't walk up to a friend and go 'That's a stylin' looking vortex of apathy you've got there pal. I was swimming up a river of deceit myself."
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Offline Shadow Ninja 2.0

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #32 on: January 31, 2016, 09:26:45 PM »
Middle, I'd say. Some incredible stuff, lot of good stuff, little bit of fairly unimpressive stuff. Overall, really solid album, just not quite good enough to be in the upper pantheon.

Probably my favorite DT album cover, though, apart from SDOIT. Pretty simple, but still very striking.
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Offline jayvee3

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #33 on: January 31, 2016, 10:54:22 PM »
Quote from: chaossystem on January 31, 2016, 06:22:28 PM
I don't rate the title track NEARLY as high as most of you seem to. I don't HATE it, and I especially like the second half, but the first half should be half as long and twice as fast. It's too slow, and REALLY drags the song DOWN.

These are my thoughts to a tee. Love the outro and the second half build up, but the first half just drags a bit for my liking. People may think it's blasphemous to say, but I far prefer Illumination Theory.

Overall, I put middle, although it technically could be a touch lower in my book. Many songs seem to have good parts, but lose some steam. I do like Sacrificed Sons tho, a little underrated IMO. Of course this is in relation to other DT work - i'd take it any day over 95% of the shit I have to endure at work on a daily basis. But it's just not an album that gives me a great desire to hear it that often. The 5/8 stuff is nice, but I agree some of the songs feel like filler. IWBY was great on Score though.
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Offline Darkstarshades

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Re: Octavarium
« Reply #34 on: February 01, 2016, 12:43:08 AM »
Are you telling me there's a whole album named Octavarium and it's not just a song?
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