do you like systematic chaos?

[Ben_Jamin]

I enjoy it, the one song I rarely like is Constant Motion. I liked it when it came out but its decreased for me. After that song it gets better. I'm one of the rare PoW lovers, but the spoken part should've been left off entirely.

[wolfking]

meh.

[Priest of Syrinx]

ITPOE - like the music (particularly Pt 1) hate the lyrics.  It's like some emo 11 year old trying to write a dark poem.
Forsaken - good in an Evanescence kind of way.  My g/f likes it.
Constant Motion - it's meh, can't get into the music nor lyrics.
TDEN - it's just bad.
Repentance - maybe the most impactful of the AA suite, I like it, although the lyrics aren't great.
PoW - when I first heard it, my immediate thought was, Disco Dream Theater!  It's goofy, and I enjoy it as something of a novelty.
TMoLS - dreck

[MetropolisWatches]

I voted YES

The only song I don't care for is Prophets of War. The rest is anywhere from good to amazing, but not spectacular and awe-inspiring as usual in DT's music; except for some moments in ITPOE. It's in my bottom 3, but somebody's gotta be on the bottom.

Agreed. Prophets of War always stuck out as the anchor on this album- plus some other obvious shortcomings.
Also, I love the bonus dvd they included with the special edition of SC. I hope they release a special edition version with studio footage for the next album.

[Ben_Jamin]

Repentance - maybe the most impactful of the AA suite, I like it, although the lyrics aren't great.

The lyrics are great.

[wolfandwolfandwolf]

I like it, but it is in my bottom three of DT records.  The last half of the record (except ITPOE Pt 2) really kills it.

[wolven74]

It's alright. Nothing special imo. Mike Portnoy's influence was really felt on this one. A lot heavier then previous releases, but it lacked the excitement and energy of the rest of the catalogue.

[senecadawg2]

meh, it's okay

worth a couple listens, but also the worst DT album by far.

[theseoafs]

In my opinion, SC is a bad album.

[?]

I voted "no" - I don't dislike or hate it but it's not that good and easily the weakest DT album.

[Gadough]

sure, why not

[Zydar]

Meh, it's almost my least favourite DT album (just a notch above the debut).

The only songs I like nowadays from it are Forsaken, ITPOE 1 & 2, and Constant Motion. It has two of my bottom DT songs on it (Repentance, TMOLS).

[Kwyjibo]

Don't hate it, don't have it in my Top 3.

For me this is a very inconsistent album regarding the quality of the songs. Some highs and some lows (more than on most other DT records).

In the Presence Of Enemies: Great and I like the idea of splitting it up though I also like the combined version they played live on that tour.
Forsaken: Great, because I'm a sucker for this kind of power ballad.
Constant Motion: Good Rocker but nothing stands out
The Dark Eternal Night: Mostly bad, the intro is meh, the verses are stupid, the only cool thing is the outro riff, simple as it may be
Repentance: Great and one of the best parts of the 12 step suite
Prophets Of War: Fun because it's different, but as a song it's not that great
The Ministry Of Lost Souls: blörks, this song just drags along and being one of the longer pieces drags the whole album down a step. The vocal melodies are lame, the instrumental section just pointless

[BlobVanDam]

I love SC, warts and all. I place it as one of my lower DT albums, but I still place it above ADTOE, because for me the high points are higher than anything on ADTOE. I was going to say the low points are lower, but then I remembered Outcry, which I dislike more than anything on SC.

And now for the obligatory rundown, because it's what all the cool kids are doing these days-

Forsaken - A catchy and well written shorter song, with nice chorus harmonies, tasteful and memorable piano, and a killer JP solo.

Constant Motion - Very derivative of Metallica in sections, but I love this song. Hell, that's probably why I love this song. I enjoy the vocal play between JLB and MP, and I really like both solos. And the chorus is great, especially JR's synth melody line over the top.

TDEN - To me this is hands down DT's most underrated song. One of DT's most unique songs, with its heavily chromatic riffing and almost atonal feel, the entirely shouted verses, and the rhythmic style of songwriting.
It also contains one of DT's best instrumental sections imo. It doesn't rely on back and forth dueling at all, but instead is constructed very much more like Metropolis, with recurring melodic and rhythmic themes and variations, to create something that serves the song instead of feeling cut and paste (which some of the other songs unfortunately do suffer from).
And most of all, this song is FUN. I'm glad this song has so many Youtube views.

Repentance - I would love this song but for the fact it drags on a bit too long. Aside from that, it has a nice mellow feel to it, and is very tasteful. JP's solo is tasty, and the outro harmonies and prominent distorted bass would be perfect but for the aforementioned fact they repeat for too long. Cut a couple of minutes off the song, and it would be perfect, but it doesn't have enough variety to last *checks* 10 fucking minutes?!?! Yeah, it should have been more like 6-7.

Prophets of War - While I don't dislike it, it's still one of DT's worse songs. However, when I saw this song live, I danced like a muppet on speed, and enjoyed every second of it.

TMOLS - The instrumental section is only "ok", and pads it out too much, but the rest of the song is haunting and downright beautiful. An unfortunate case where an otherwise amazing song gets dragged down by the instrumental section. I don't even dislike the instrumental section, it just doesn't add anything.

ITPOE - ITPOE pt 1 is great from beginning to end. As for part 2, again the instrumental section is only "ok" and is the weak link of the song. The rest of the song makes up for it for me though. The intro is low key and subtle, with its sly bass riffing where JM yet again takes the spotlight, and the creepy piano sprinkled over the top. I would also say it has one of DT's best pre-choruses. The moog reprisal of the theme at 13:12 still gives me goosebumps every time.


SC still kicks the shit out of WDADU and steals its lunch money on a daily basis.

[TheGreatPretender]

I thoroughly enjoy the instrumental sections in SC. I mean, if I had to choose an "only OK" instrumental section in DT's recent years, I'd give that to Octavarium (the song) way before I'd give it to TMOLS or ITPOE2.

[Pols Voice]

ITPOE Part I, Repentance, and TMOLS are good. The rest....eh.....

[Lowdz]

Voted Meh, because there's no DT album I don't like. It is probably my least favourite of the bunch. There are too many songs I don't like and some that are just meh.
No other DT album has so much "miss" for me.

ITPOE pt 1- Very good. Love it in fact, but just when it's getting going it's ripped in half.

Forsaken- Best song  on the album and a favourite of mine. Now had they done this as a duet (with Sharon Den Adel from Within Temptation  ) it could have been huge. They missed a trick with the video too as the whole world was vampire crazy at the time and DT did a manga. Go figure.

CM- It's ok. I never get the urge to listen to it but I don't skip it.

TDEN- Awful. If there is a DT song I can't stand this is it. The instrumental bit is ok. This is not how I want DT to sound.

repentence- bores the shit out of me. Maybe it works as part of the suite, I don't know I haven't listened to it like that, but doesn't work as a standalone song for me.

PoW- OK, nothing more.

TMOLS- I love this track. I don't get the hate for the instrumental section at all. A great DT track.

ITPoE pt 2- Very good. Shouldn't have been split. They should have opened the album with the whole song and finished with TMOLS.


BC&SL however is excellent.

[Dark Castle]

I think it's one of DT's best albums. It's just got so much meat to it, it's melodic, it's heavy, it's progressive, every musician has some amazing parts on it.

And frankly, I think the piano melody in Forsaken is the best piano melody in any DT song since Kevin Moore left the band.

This, and I'm honestly shocked and not understanding how people are HATING The Dark Eternal Night so much, it's one of my friend and mine's favorite DT songs.

[TheGreatPretender]

This, and I'm honestly shocked and not understanding how people are HATING The Dark Eternal Night so much, it's one of my friend and mine's favorite DT songs.

I guess Systematic Chaos is destined to go down in history as DT's most under-appreciated masterpiece.

[KevShmev]

Except that the word "masterpiece" refers to one's greatest work, and I doubt hardly anyone considers SC DT's best work.

I know people love to overuse the word nowadays by calling a new album a band's "latest masterpiece," which comes off as just massive hyperbole.

Long story short: if you think a band has multiple masterpieces, or that the majority of their work are masterpieces, you are overusing the word and have completely misconstrued what the meaning is.

[robwebster]

Bloody love it.

Except that the word "masterpiece" refers to one's greatest work, and I doubt hardly anyone considers SC DT's best work.

Magnum opus refers to one's greatest work, surely? Plenty of artists are credited with painting X number of masterpieces in their lifetime. Dali, Van Gogh - Kubrick! Masterpiece just means... masterful piece.

I don't know if I'd use the word "masterpiece," I agree with you inasmuch as SC's only one by a fairly liberal definition, but I agree with TGP's basic argument. I've repeated myself WRT Systematic Chaos far too many times, now, so I'll spare everyone the lecture! That said, it's not until we're a safe distance away from an album that it really gets re-evaluated, and I'm still of the firm belief that time's going to be very kind to SC. This poll has done nothing to sway that opinion!

[KevShmev]

I have no problem when a band is said to have bad several masterpieces, even if it is a slight distortion of the term, but when people start talking about a band's "latest masterpiece" and nonsense like that, it's when the word loses all meaning and value.

[ZKX-2099]

Love it. But it's mid tier in all their albums.

[SeRoX]

It's meh, IMO. Probably the weakest point of their career along with BC&SL. And I must add this, I love ITPOE pt-2 more than pt-1.

[TheGreatPretender]

Except that the word "masterpiece" refers to one's greatest work, and I doubt hardly anyone considers SC DT's best work.

I know people love to overuse the word nowadays by calling a new album a band's "latest masterpiece," which comes off as just massive hyperbole.

Long story short: if you think a band has multiple masterpieces, or that the majority of their work are masterpieces, you are overusing the word and have completely misconstrued what the meaning is.

Well, to be fair (now that we got the distinction between Masterpiece and Magnum Opus straight), I do consider SC to be one of their best albums, so I still stand by my statement.

[darkshade]

BC&SL > SC

[Ruba]

Yes.

I hated it five months ago, but then I listened to Prophets of War, and I liked it. Then I liked it more. Then it was among my favourite DT songs. Then I got album.

And then I got into In the Presence of Enemies pt.2.. The whole ITPOE is amazing, I like the way the recycle melodies in that saga. I dig the lyrics too.

Repentance is among my favourite DT ballads. It just has that... repenting kind of mood.

Sometimes a new spin to music you used to hate is useful. You'll never know, do you like it now. 

[TheGreatPretender]

BC&SL > SC

Hell naw.

[Adami]

BC&SL > SC

Hell naw.

Oh it's true. While neither are great (in fact one being truly horrible), at least DT were trying to take themselves seriously on BCSL, on SC they just seemed to not care a whole lot about what the product was as long as they could laugh about it.

[TheGreatPretender]

Oh it's true. While neither are great (in fact one being truly horrible), at least DT were trying to take themselves seriously on BCSL, on SC they just seemed to not care a whole lot about what the product was as long as they could laugh about it.

SC felt like a fantasy album almost. It had vampires, spiritual stories, that kind of stuff, and that's part of what made it awesome. In terms of subject matter, it was reminiscent of old school Heavy Metal, Iron Maiden and stuff like that, talking about occult and stuff like that. It's part of what makes it awesome. It's imaginative and the music is beautiful.

BCSL, not only being incredibly musically uninspired (at least half of it), had such dry subject matter, that the lyrics are almost a bore. I mean, it was cool conceptually, to say, "JP had this weird encounter in Tuscany and in order to pass his story along he decided to make a song out of it," but frankly, if I had to listen about a guy who scared JP, or the Dark Eternal Night--a pharaoh ghost--I'd much rather hear a story about a pharaoh ghost. Or a guy getting seduced by a vampire chick, or a girl crossing over into the afterlife.

[Adami]

Well you won't get any argument from me about the lyrics on BCSL, they are rather awful.


But I also wouldn't call such a cliched subject such as vampires, or mummies or evil to be creative.

[TheGreatPretender]

But I also wouldn't call such a cliched subject such as vampires, or mummies or evil to be creative.

Well, to be fair, I used the word imaginative, and I think there's a distinction.

[Adami]

But I also wouldn't call such a cliched subject such as vampires, or mummies or evil to be creative.

Well, to be fair, I used the word imaginative, and I think there's a distinction.

That is a fair point indeed sir.


In which cause I wouldn't call such cliched subjects such as vampires, or mummies or evil to be imaginative.

[TheGreatPretender]

In which cause I wouldn't call such cliched subjects such as vampires, or mummies or evil to be imaginative.

Well, being a fan of horror and the occult, I find them a lot more interesting. One of the great things about music is escapism. I'd rather hear about a mummy spirit, than about how a terrible car accident really happened to someone.
I mean, sure, the vampire thing has been done to death, but frankly, I still find the idea of being seduced by a hot vampire chick quite enticing.

[Adami]

In which cause I wouldn't call such cliched subjects such as vampires, or mummies or evil to be imaginative.

Well, being a fan of horror and the occult, I find them a lot more interesting. One of the great things about music is escapism. I'd rather hear about a mummy spirit, than about how a terrible car accident really happened to someone.
I mean, sure, the vampire thing has been done to death, but frankly, I still find the idea of being seduced by a hot vampire chick quite enticing.

lol once again I don't think the lyrics to any of the BCSL songs are better, so no need to use them to defend SCs.

And if you like them, awesome. More power to you, but they're still not very imaginative. A story about a vampire seducing someone in a world populated by Twilight fans is the very definition of unimaginative.