Where do you rank Octavarium among the Dream Theater albums?

[Jirpo]

8. No irony intended.

[robwebster]

except for IWBY, which technically wasn't even written during those sessions (they wrote it during the TOT sessions but didn't include it, because they felt it didn't "fit" with the rest of the album).

I don't think I've ever heard this.  Where did you hear it?  That seems almost impossible.

nope, if im lyin im dyin. give me a sec, ill try and find the source. it might take a minute though. I swear I read it or heard it from a pretty reputable source.

edit minus g from dyin

I've definitely heard this too. Recently, even. Within the last year or so. It's new info, for sure. But true stuff.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

8th, only above the much-maligned duo of WDADU and FII. The title track is one of my favorite songs ever, but other than that, there's really not much here. Never Enough is cool, and SS, PA, and TRoAE all have their moments, but there isn't anything beyond the title track that rates as even an average DT song.

I love how 8 is currently winning. Somebody needs to get votes for 5 as well!

[Ramsey]

I was a bit torn on this one. My top two (and they tend to change in order depending on what else I'm listening to) are Six Degrees and Scenes From A Memory. Images and Words and Octavarium have always been neck and neck for me. I gave the big O the vote because I've been digging "epics" lately and for an epic, it's hard to top Octavarium's title track. Sacrificed Sons also has to get a nod. As far as a snapshot in time, that song completely nails the fear and frustration of the the days and weeks following 9/11.

Ramsey, sans pantalones...

[TAC]

8. No irony intended.

This, but it would be dead last if it weren't for the title track.  I find this album wholly unremarkable.

I agree. I might even rank it 9th only above FII.
I still love Panic Attack and Never Enough (a great performance by James).

[Xanthul]

At the beginning I thought it was a great, solid album with no weak tracks.
Then I got in love with the title track and overplayed it like a madman.
Then I started getting tired of all the tracks except title, root and sons.
Now I'm rarely in the mood to listen to Octavarium anymore, so the album as a whole has went down real hard.

I voted 7th to be generous, but the only ones that are worse for me are SC and WDADU, so it could actually be 8th.

[YtseBitsySpider]

8. No irony intended.

This, but it would be dead last if it weren't for the title track.  I find this album wholly unremarkable.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts.

[ShadowWalker]

Second worst. It was right at the bottom when it came out and only moved up a slot because I found SC to be an even worse album, which I thought was pretty my impossible given my lowly opinion of 8V...

[Tomislav95]

5th for me.Come after great albums and before less great albums

[?]

5th or 6th for me.

[KevShmev]

9th.

Aside from the title track, there is nothing there particularly memorable.  I like some of the other songs, but not that much.  If I had to rank every DT album from its second best song to the least best (meaning, if you took away the best song from every record), this would easily be the worst.

The funny thing is, when this was released, I thought it was an upgrade over the disappointing Train of Thought, but that thought quickly faded.  I had similar thoughts about SC when that was released, too, but that one had an even shorter life span.

[Aniland]

A nice 6. It gets to sit on the threshold right under where DT albums cross over into all-time favorite territory.

[Nick]

Last or next to last.

[TAC]

On the Score DVD, watch JP's face light up when talking about 8V. Would/should that temper anyone's anticipation of the new album?

[reneranucci]

9th.

Aside from the title track, there is nothing there particularly memorable.  I like some of the other songs, but not that much.  If I had to rank every DT album from its second best song to the least best (meaning, if you took away the best song from every record), this would easily be the worst.

This. If it wasn't for the last track...

[Raoul Sanchez]

About 7th, above BC&SL, WDaDU and SC.

[xShammas]

The title track makes the album, definitely. I love These Walls and Panic Attack, but nothing else is really  standout track to me, even though they're all solid. I'd have to rank it probably 8 or 9. I'd even put SC ahead of it. So probably 9.

[Ben_Jamin]

3rd, 4th or 5th.

[xShammas]

I forgot to mention that it was my 1st DT album also.

[Frosthawk]

Probably 7th. It was my first new Dream Theater album upon its release, and I really liked it then (I had only heard Falling Into Infinity prior). Then I got into moar DT, and realized that they've done a lot better.

[RuRoRul]

Round about 8th, possibly 9th. I used to consider it better than FII but I've been liking Lines In The Sand and Trial Of Tears even more recently, and for me Octavarium basically has its title track to offer while FII has those two songs.

Title track is one of the best DT songs and The Root Of All Evil is pretty great, the rest is very average. These Walls, Panic Attack and Sacrificed Sons are good, the rest are just OK.

Other than When Dream And Day Unite, the only other album I'd consider it above is Awake. And maybe not even that. It basically comes down to having one absolutely amazing song and a load of decent ones (Octavarium) compared to an album with more good songs but no asolute standouts (Awake).

[Dublagent66]

I can't remember my album rankings, but it definitely isn't in my top 5.  Probably an 8.

[The King in Crimson]

4th

Octa is my favorite song, sometimes, These Walls, RoAE, and Sacrificed Sons are really great, Panic Attack and Never Enough are good, and IWBSY and TALW are enjoyable sometimes.

[champbassist]

4th, below I&W and above Falling Into Infinity.

[toro]

8.

[Bertielee]

8 here as well. The first album I began skipping tracks on.

B.Lee

[wkiml]

all time? top 4... with Images, Awake and (either ToT or SC up there... *flinches*)


l

I agree its in my top 4

Images
Awake
6DOIT
than Octavarium


Scenes get entirely to much love here, but thats just my opinion

[Kotowboy]

In my top 3. I love the production of it. That spacious "recorded outdoors" kinda sound.

Plus the first two, and the last two tracks are all fantastic.

Ok, I don't listen to Never Enough very often, but I do like every song on there.

Plus, the first four tracks are great fun to drum to.

[Kotowboy]

Additional : I still isten to Octavarium regularly, but can't bring myself to sit through an entire song on SC anymore..

[Bone_Daddy]

This album is the worst for me. There is a ton of meh on it. And I know I'm of the minority of thought here but the last track is the worst. In fact, I just listened to it again on a plane ride and at the end of the song, I asked myself: wtf am I listening to? The only redeeming songs are Panic Attack and Never Enough. And that's not saying much. My 2nd disappointment from DT after ToT when it came to listening experience.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

And I know I'm of the minority of thought here but the last track is the worst.

"In the minority" is quite the understatement. Is there anyone else here who doesn't think it's the best on the album, let alone worst?

I guess we all have our quirks with listening though. For example, I find the soft part of ANTR to be easily the worst part of the song, which is something I've never heard anyone else here say. But, damn, finding Octavarium to be worst than The Answer Lies Within or I Walk Beside You? There's something I thought I'd NEVER hear.

For what it's worth, I myself needed a few listens to really get in to Octavarium. It's a lot to digest, and until you really "get it," the song can seem a bit aimless. But it's just incredible once you grasp its scope.

[SeventhSon]

I ranked it fifth, mostly on the incredible strength of the second half of the disc (in terms of length that's essentially Sacrificed Sons and the title track. The rest ranges from decent to really quite good, but the last two tracks are absolutely great, especially on Score.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

This album is the worst for me. There is a ton of meh on it. And I know I'm of the minority of thought here but the last track is the worst. In fact, I just listened to it again on a plane ride and at the end of the song, I asked myself: wtf am I listening to? The only redeeming songs are Panic Attack and Never Enough. And that's not saying much. My 2nd disappointment from DT after ToT when it came to listening experience.

Wat. Title track the worst? And the two "redeeming" tracks are two of their worst songs.

[Slain]

I will murder whoever voted last, even if it's the last thing I do. 

[Aramatheis]

This album is the worst for me. There is a ton of meh on it. And I know I'm of the minority of thought here but the last track is the worst. In fact, I just listened to it again on a plane ride and at the end of the song, I asked myself: wtf am I listening to? Could this be everything?? Then all I swore, That I would never be was now, So suddenly, The only thing, I wanted, To become, To be someone just like him...

Fix'd.