What's Everyone's Problem with Systematic Chaos?

[ApparatusUnearth]

I'll give you that Forsaken is mediocre and Constant Motion is a little bit cheesy, but damn, In the Presence of Enemies is one of their best tunes! Especially part one.

[Super Dude]

I don't like Repentance either. And you smell funny.

[SeRoX]

Funny that I love ITPOE-Pt2 more than Pt1, deal with it.

The problem about SC, for me, is that there is no balance between progressive sound and metal. Overall, lyrics are bad, solos are uninspirational.

[j]

The problem is everything but ITPOE Pt. 1 and Repentance.  Nothing else ever compels me to listen to it.

-J

[Adami]

Repentence is the only song I really like from this album.

Regarding the rest of it however, the lyrics are awful, the music is rather uninspired for the most part and it's mostly DT trying to sound like other bands or (even worse) trying to sound like themselves.

[Super Dude]

The only parts of the album I actually enjoy are Constant Motion and the second half of ItPoE Pt. 2. I would even rank BC&SL way above SC.

[Adami]

The only parts of the album I actually enjoy are Constant Motion and the second half of ItPoE Pt. 2. I would even rank BC&SL way above SC.

The 2nd half of ITPOE pt 2? You mean the awful instrumental section and boring ending?

You mean the parts everyone else can't stand?

[Super Dude]

At least it's better than the snoozefest first half. I'm a drummer, and I like the drumming.

[ApparatusUnearth]

At least it's better than the snoozefest first half. I'm a drummer, and I like the drumming.

Fair point.

[Adami]

At least it's better than the snoozefest first half. I'm a drummer, and I like the drumming.

I'm a drummer too, and I like good song writing.

[Cedar redaC]

I've got no problem with Systematic Chaos, it's a great album. However, it pales in comparison to Dream Theater's other work, not to say that it doesn't have some great songs on it.

[orcus116]

The sterile production really gets me and the only tracks I find myself going back to are ITPOE part 1 and Repentance. The rest of the songs range from ok (Constant Motion, TMOLS) to forgettable (Forsaken, TDEN).

[ApparatusUnearth]

I find Repentance to be just okay.

[Super Dude]

At least it's better than the snoozefest first half. I'm a drummer, and I like the drumming.

I'm a drummer too, and I like good song writing.

Can you at least agree that BC&SL was a much better album?

[Adami]

At least it's better than the snoozefest first half. I'm a drummer, and I like the drumming.

I'm a drummer too, and I like good song writing.

Can you at least agree that BC&SL was a much better album?

Well hell yea I can. SC is last on my list of DT albums, despite having one of my fav songs (Repentence). Every DT album is better than SC.

[Super Dude]

Never thought about it before, but that's very true. I rank WDADU way above it even.

[Lolzeez]

The album is ok

[ResultsMayVary]

The album is ok

This. Although I enjoy ITPOE pt. 1 a lot, though.

[Pols Voice]

It has a lot of goofy lyrics and uninspired music. But I do like ITPOE Part 1, the first half of Repentance, and TMOLS (except for the instrumental section). Forsaken is okay.

[TJPNET]

No problem here. The album has aged fairly well for me. Black Clouds, on the other hand, I consider hardly listenable (with two notable exceptions).

[SystematicThought]

I got kind of nervous when I saw half of the title: What's Everyone's Problem with Systematic....



Anyways, I actually grew to like it after being pretty vocal about how low I rank it.

[The Letter M]

It's not HORRIBLE...but it's not GODLY either, and so hardly worthy of irrefutable praise and worship (like their typical best albums IAW and SFAM).

Also, coming after such a good album as Octavarium, it was hard for Systematic Chaos to live up to it, let alone surpass it.

For me, the best tracks are "In The Presence Of Enemies" (which I really count as one song, despite it bookending the album; I made a single-track version mixing both parts together, something I did similarly with Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and The Flower Kings "I Am The Sun"), "The Ministry Of Lost Souls" and "Repentance". Between these three tracks, you get 50-some minutes of great music, and over half of the album!

Below these three, you have the good tracks - "Constant Motion" and "The Dark Eternal Night". Here, DT do what they do best and really rock out, balls-to-the-walls heavy.

And at the bottom of the album are the shorter tracks, "Forsaken" and "Prophets Of War", and while I don't hate either with any passion, I find them OK. It's mainly the lyrics that turn me off a bit from these two, but musically speaking, they're alright. They're certainly quite a bit different than what DT had done before, OR since.

Over-all, for me, SC has aged okay over the years. There was a lot of hype for me as it was the band's 2nd new album for me after I became a fan, so I was very excited to hear what they would do next after an epic release like Octavarium. Initially I was a bit disappointed, but now, I think they did a pretty good job without having to retread on a lot of ideas.

-Marc.

[TheSilentHam]

I don't have a problem with Systematic Chaos.  So if everyone does, I'm happy being nobody.

[DebraKadabra]

I don't have a "problem" with it, per se... other than it didn't age well at all and the one REALLY good song on there is Repentance, followed not too closely by TDEN.

[Syzzle]

I don't have a problem with Systematic Chaos.

It's just not as good as their other albums (besides WDADU) thats all.

[bosk1]

Good album.  It would have made an AMAZING e.p. becuase just over half the album is as strong as anything they have ever done in their entire career.  For me personally:

Amazing:
-ITPOE
-Forsaken
-Constant Motion

Really good:
-TDEN

Do not like:
-TMOLS
-PoW

Repentence is the one song that is the odd one out.  Great concept.  Some stunning moments.  But it is too long and one-dimensional.  I ALWAYS lose interest.

So, that's my take.

[Bertielee]

I don't like SC because I think it's a bad album. Some good things but overall, nothing to get me interested in there. All in all, I have listened to it only 4 or 5 times.

B.Lee

[Kwyjibo]

I'll give you that Forsaken is mediocre and Constant Motion is a little bit cheesy, but damn, In the Presence of Enemies is one of their best tunes! Especially part one.

Forsaken in fact is not mediocre, it's great. TDEN and TMOLS drag the album down quite a bit. So that would be my problem with Systematic Chaos.

[Dacling]

I think it is their worst album to date. I don't believe it to be bad but it's lacking in a lot of areas. Repentance is amazing and is by far the best song on the album. In the Presence of Enemies is great. Part 1 is just awesome and part 2 is awesome at some points and just plain fun in others like in The Slaughter of the Damned. Constant Motion and The Dark Eternal Night are ok songs and are fun to listen to on occasion. Though I completely dislike the album version because they really overdid the distortion of the vocals. Forsaken is kinda meh for me. Not bad but it is ruined by the chorus going on far too long at the end. Prophets of War is just ok and The Ministry of Lost Souls drags on a bit too long and the whole instrumental is awesome but has no place being where it is and serves only to ruin any emotional impact of the ending and drag the song on longer than it needs to be.

On a side note I'm not a fan of the production either. Definitely my least favorite drum sound from Portnoy. Even the triggered snares from Images and Words sounds better but it doesn't stop me from listening to the songs I do enjoy.

[Pols Voice]

Also, coming after such a good album as Octavarium, it was hard for Systematic Chaos to live up to it, let alone surpass it.

I actually like SC more than Octavarium by a little bit. Those two albums are my least favorites, though.

[necrotomist]

I have no problem at all with it. One of my favs!

[nikatapi]

Awful production
Prophets Of War
Lyrics (though they're worse on BC&SL)

[Onno]

I love SC.

[HeAvY-MeTaL-MaN]

Systematic Chaos got me into DT in the first place....I like it 

[Scorpion]

It isn't bad, but it's still got some of DT's most uninspired moments, and all the other albums are better.