Revisiting Systematic Chaos

[Zantera]

I only care for ITPOE1, Constant Motion and Repentence.
The rest is just meh for me.

[Ħ]

My controversial opinions regarding SC:

INPOE1>INPOE2

CM is a top 20 song

It's on pretty level ground with Awake, being only slightly better than WDADU

[farsight]

Outro of Outcry > all of TMOLS

SC should have been 30 minutes shorter.

[Zydar]

It's second to last on my DT album ranking list. Good songs for me are CM, TDEN, Forsaken, and ITPOE. TMOLS is perhaps my least favourite DT song ever.

[Mladen]

Great album. My #6. TMOLS, ITPOE and Repentance are some of their best songs ever.

[Blackfield]

From Systematic Blahhh...

through black clouds in silver linings

to

A Dramatic Turn To Awesomeness.

[?]

ITPOE1 is the only great song on this album IMO. Forsaken, plus parts of TDEN, TMOLS and ITPOE2 are decent but the rest is quite meh; definitely my least favorite DT album.

A Fortune in Lies + The Killing Hand + Afterlife + The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun + Only A Matter of Time > 90 % of SC

[RudessSolo]

ITPOE 1 - 8.5
Constant Motion - 4
Forsaken - 2
TDEN - 6
Repentance - 7
Prophets Of War - 3
TMOLS - 7
ITPOE 2 - 7.5

[reza_122]

ITPoE -> 8.0
Forsaken -> 7.5
Constant Motion -> 9.0
The Dark Eternal Night -> 9.0
Repentance -> 7.0
Prophets of War -> 8.5
TMoLS -> 9.0

[MetalJens]

Easily their worst (or least good) album together with WDADU. I kinda lost some interest in DT at the time this album was released, but now with ADTOE they are back on track! 

ITPOE pt 1, TMOLS and Repentance are all decent songs, but the rest of the album just doesn't cut it for me. That chorus riff in TDEN is kinda awesome, but the rest of the song not so much. I kinda felt they could have done so much more with that riff.

Rankings:

TMOLS - 8/10
ITPOE 1 - 8/10
Repentance - 7/10
TDEN - 6/10
Prophets of War - 6/10
ITPOE 2 - 5/10
Forsaken -  5/10
Constant Motion - 5/10

In sum, an OK album, it's just not up to the great standards I expect from DT 

[reneranucci]

I find myself wanting to listen to SC again and again, so that means I like it a lot. I understand the flaws people usually point out about the album, but to me, it's just incredibly fun and invigorating to listen to. Plus, the variety of the songs allows me to pick it up when I'm in different moods. The only songs I'm not especially fond are Forsaken and Constan Motion, but even those two have great moments (the guitar solo and some melodies on Forsaken, the extremely groovy instrumental section on CM).

My ranks and grades:
ITPOE pt. 2 - 9/10 (top 20 song for me, the "Angels fall..." section is probably in my "top 20 DT moments" too).
TMOLS - 8.5/10 (I love the melodies, the atmosphere, the piano, the story, the feeling and emotion, and even the rocking instrumental section culminated by that outstanding unison. It certainly drags towards the end, though).
POW - 8/10 (Ok, maybe I have the worst musical taste ever, and I don't care about lyrics. But the riffs and the chorus are incredibly catchy, the acoustic break is beautiful, and the overall energy of the song makes you want to sing along and dance).
ITPOE pt. 1 - 7.5/10 Not bad, but I don't love it
The  Dark Eternal Night 7/10 Again, a song that is incredibly fun to listen to and rock along!
Repentance 6/10
Forsaken 6/10
Constan Motion 6/10

[j]

The only songs from this album I ever feel like listening to are ITPOE and Repentance, both of which I think are great songs.  There are a few cool things going on here and there elsewhere on the album, but it's definitely right around the level of ToT, BC&SL, and Octavarium as the band's four worst albums.

-J

[Herrick]

Herrick has always liked Systematic Chaos. It also helps that it came after the disappointing Octavarium.

[Juular]

I've never been a fan of this album. ITPOE Pt. 1 is alright, Repentance is ok but sounds way too much like an Opeth ballad or Porcupine Tree, TMOLS is ok as well. I don't care for the rest at all which makes it by far my least favourite DT album.

[InstrumentalFiasco]

I hate Systematic Chaos, it sounds like the most uninspired bottom of the barrel type stuff. Octavarium isn't much better but at least it was a nice change of pace from TOT and the title track "Octavarium" is amazing. If I had to rank the post 6DOIT pre ADTOE It would be like this.

1. Black Clouds - Definitely my favorite of the 4 albums.
2. Train - I like it.
3.Octavarium - Title track is one of DT's best and it's underrated.
4. Systematic Chaos - 

If I could eliminate these albums from the disco and have ADTOE come right after 6Degrees I would but that's not realistic!

[The Silent Cody]

^Or You could take some particular songs from those albus and create one awesome For example:
1. Endless Sacrifce
2. This Dying Soul
3. In The Name Of God
4. Octavarium
5. In The Presence Of The Enemies
6. A Nightmare To Remember
7. The Count Of Tuscany

[reneranucci]

^Or You could take some particular songs from those albus and create one awesome For example:
1. Endless Sacrifce
2. This Dying Soul
3. In The Name Of God
4. Octavarium
5. In The Presence Of The Enemies
6. A Nightmare To Remember
7. The Count Of Tuscany

That's an excellent album  Wow, DT are so good at writing long songs, it's ridiculous

[jammindude]

That's actually not a bad idea....with the exception that I wouldn't touch ToT or 8V because I think they are both fantastic albums. 

But I think combining the best tracks from BCSL and SC wouldn't be such a bad idea.  My track listing would probably go something like...

In the Presence of Enemies (Part 1)
A Nightmare to Remember
The Dark Eternal Night
Repentance
The Shattered Fortress
The Count of Tuscany

[visitor]

OH MY GOD.....I've found a buttload of yous!!!


Though, to be honest there are a few mes in here.

[Ben_Jamin]

The only song I found myself listening to the least is Constant Motion. Prophets of War, I really enjoy the most. Itpoe is not far behind.

[Infinite Cactus]

ITPOE:10
Forsaken:6
Constant Motion:7.5
TDEN:9
Repentance:5
POW:8
TMOLS:3 the worst Dream Theater song.
ITPOE2:6

[hefdaddy42]

OH MY GOD.....I've found a buttload of yous!!!

Keep it up, and your stay here will be fairly short.

[ibosmiley]

I'm starting to think I'm one of the very few people who actually likes TMOLS.  My first listen through the album it was the song that really jumped out at me along with Forsaken (funny enough another one that people seem to not like lol).  It was the only song where the atmospheric use of keyboards really jumped out at me as prominent on the album... and I dunno I just liked the sound of the song.  Maybe the fact that I kind of almost drowned a few years back makes me grab onto the song a bit more too as the song kind of hit a chord there with me to some degree... not sure....  But, yeah, guess I'm in the minority with that song...  but I'm cool with it. 

[Dublagent66]

I revisit SC from time to time.  My least favorite tracks are PoW and Repentance.  The rest is fantastic.

[hefdaddy42]

In all honesty, I don't like Systematic Chaos all that much.  I can't listen to Constant Motion or Prophets of War at all.  I love ITPOE Pt. 1, but Pt. 2 isn't nearly as good.  I like Ministry of Lost Souls a lot, and Repentance is really good (although too long).  Forsaken isn't awful, but it is kind of irrelevant.  And TDEN is OK.

Superficially, the album can be fun to listen to, especially while driving, but there isn't any depth there.  Too inconsistent, and definitely toward the bottom of my list of DT albums.

[Dublagent66]

I'm starting to think I'm one of the very few people who actually likes TMOLS.  My first listen through the album it was the song that really jumped out at me along with Forsaken (funny enough another one that people seem to not like lol).  It was the only song where the atmospheric use of keyboards really jumped out at me as prominent on the album... and I dunno I just liked the sound of the song.  Maybe the fact that I kind of almost drowned a few years back makes me grab onto the song a bit more too as the song kind of hit a chord there with me to some degree... not sure....  But, yeah, guess I'm in the minority with that song...  but I'm cool with it. 

Actually,  a few people here like it including myself.  At first I wasn't too sure about it but it grew on me bigtime.

[kijuer]

Easily their worst album.

FIXED 

[Tumdace]

Ive already got my SC vinyl in, waiting to get my TT then I will probably give it a go.

Also got I&W on vinyl (man did I pay ALOT just to get ahold of that), and just waiting for BC&SL and ADTOE.

[BlobVanDam]

I'm starting to think I'm one of the very few people who actually likes TMOLS.  My first listen through the album it was the song that really jumped out at me along with Forsaken (funny enough another one that people seem to not like lol).  It was the only song where the atmospheric use of keyboards really jumped out at me as prominent on the album... and I dunno I just liked the sound of the song.  Maybe the fact that I kind of almost drowned a few years back makes me grab onto the song a bit more too as the song kind of hit a chord there with me to some degree... not sure....  But, yeah, guess I'm in the minority with that song...  but I'm cool with it. 

You know what? Thanks to visitor I listened through the whole album yesterday (although I skipped Repentance and PoW), and was surprised how much I really enjoyed TMOLS, including the solo section. I can't even remember the last time I listened to it.
I remember it always dragging, but it actually was a really good instrumental section, even if it was the regular back to back solos. It's a good keyboard solo, and a great guitar solo. And the whole song has a feel that no other DT song does, with some beautiful progressions and melodies, especially the soft piano bit coming out of the instrumental section. JLB's vocals really are great on a lot of SC, aside from the obvious songs like TDEN and CM. Really under-appreciated.
So I shall join you in appreciating that song.

[KevShmev]

JLB's vocals are always generally really good overall on every album, but SC doesn't really have many goosebump vocal moments like many of the other albums do.

As for The Dark Eternal Night, I have always considered it a fun, brainless metal song.  I mean, "The Dark Eternal Night"?  Sounds like a song title some cheeseball metal band from the 80s would have had.   Overall, it is a fun song to crank every once in a while (not counting that pointless and annoying outro), and I am sure it is all kinds of fun live, but they have many, many songs that are significantly better. 

The only songs from this album that I listen to on any kind of regular basis are Repentance and In the Presence of Enemies Part I.

[BlobVanDam]

Yeah, for "goosebump" moments, it's basically just TMOLS, and ITPOE (pt 2), but those are actually fantastic vocally if you can look past the lyrics (which I don't mind). Rest of the album is average at best in that regard.

[1993ranger]

not really one of their wonderful stuffs. maybe because of labrie voice i guess? limitations that they had over that.

[Zook]

Would TMOLS have been a good closer if ITPOE stayed intact?

[Slain]

I enjoy In the Presence of Enemies Pt.1 and 2 quite a bit, and I also like Prophets of War (minus the weird Portnoy spoken word/rap part) but I've never been able to get into Ministry of Lost Souls, or Repentance. TDEN has a cool instrumental section, and I've really grown tired of Constant Motion. I'd probably rate them all...

1. In the Presence of Enemies
2. Forsaken
3. Prophets of War
4. Ministry of Lost Souls
5. The Dark Eternal Night
6. Constant Motion
7. Repentance

[ibosmiley]

I'm starting to think I'm one of the very few people who actually likes TMOLS.  My first listen through the album it was the song that really jumped out at me along with Forsaken (funny enough another one that people seem to not like lol).  It was the only song where the atmospheric use of keyboards really jumped out at me as prominent on the album... and I dunno I just liked the sound of the song.  Maybe the fact that I kind of almost drowned a few years back makes me grab onto the song a bit more too as the song kind of hit a chord there with me to some degree... not sure....  But, yeah, guess I'm in the minority with that song...  but I'm cool with it. 

You know what? Thanks to visitor I listened through the whole album yesterday (although I skipped Repentance and PoW), and was surprised how much I really enjoyed TMOLS, including the solo section. I can't even remember the last time I listened to it.
I remember it always dragging, but it actually was a really good instrumental section, even if it was the regular back to back solos. It's a good keyboard solo, and a great guitar solo. And the whole song has a feel that no other DT song does, with some beautiful progressions and melodies, especially the soft piano bit coming out of the instrumental section. JLB's vocals really are great on a lot of SC, aside from the obvious songs like TDEN and CM. Really under-appreciated.
So I shall join you in appreciating that song.

Sweet!  I am slowly feeling far less like the minority on this issue lol.


And as for TMOLS as an album closer... it could work... but I think it would need a different ending due to the way it fades and such.  It would be like ending Awake with Scarred.  Both songs are end of album songs... but not necessarily suited for the last song on the album.... unless the endings were changed to provide more of a finale feeling.  Dunno if that made sense... lol.