Wait, we're allowed to talk about it now? Sweet!
Track-by-track:
ANTR: I see myself enjoying this song, and the mellow part at 4/5 minutes into the song is amazingly beautiful, but the instrumental section that follows is kind of boring. What's with the growling from Mike to deliver good news? The continuum outro is awesome though. DT have had better openers. The worst song on the album.
AROP: Really good single. Nothing I dislike about it. I even like the bebot solo.
Wither: Probably DT's best ballad. Nothing bad I can say about this. Intro is a little reminiscent of "One" but I don't mind much.
The Shattered Fortress:
is all I have to say. James' "Fly and be FREEEEE" gave me chills the first time I heard it. My second favorite on the album. To all those who say it doesn't stand up on its own without the rest of the AA suite: you're wrong. Perfect ending to the saga.
The Best of Times: I love me some Rush influence in a song. I also love great piano work from Rudess, great vocals from LaBrie, and this is a song that, along with Tenement Funster Suite, shows that Mike Portnoy is improving behind the mic. Now if he could just stop those growling/rapping bits. LOVE JP's solo at the end.
TCOT: I was pretty scared the next big epic would be a sort of generic cookie-cutter DT epic, a trend I thought I saw the beginning of in ITPOE. Thank god the band proved me wrong. I love the Steve Hackett beginning, the chorus (which I have to agree with Nic35, it is one of the best they've written), the Trial of Tears mood, and then the epic ending.
Some LOTS of lolworthy lyrics (SUCKING ON HIS PIPE! DISTINGUISHED ACCENT!) but that doesn't take away from the song, although I can't help bursting into laughter sometimes.
The verdict: It's up with the best of them. I think it might knock Octavarium off the #4 spot its comfortably rested on since 2006 (behind Scenes, Images, and 6DoiT). Hell, it might even beat out Scenes if Scenes doesn't lock its door at night (look what happened to Nicholas). 4/5 Notice that I felt more or less the same way about SC, and I never listened to that album anymore, but I don't think I gushed as much about SC as I am with BC&SL.
Song rankings:
1. The Count of Tuscany
2. The Shattered Fortress
3. The Best of Times
4. Wither
5. A Rite of Passage
6. A Nightmare to Remember
Album rankings:
1. Images & Words
2. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
3. Scenes From a Memory
4. Octavarium
5. Black Clouds & Silver Linings
6. Falling Into Infinity
7. Awake
8. When Day and Dream Unite
9. Train of Thought
10. Systematic Chaos