Tier 1: Awake (9.6) Black Clouds & Silver Linings (9.5) Images & Words (9.2) Scenes From a Memory (8.9)
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These are the albums that I could listen to the whole way through without skipping a single track.. Very consistent and near perfection.
Tier 2: Train of Thought (8.5), Octavarium (8.4, though the title track is one of my favourites)
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These are the albums that are great, but get brought down by a few average songs/ moments, nothing bad or un-listenable, though. Just a
little less consistent.
Tier 3: Systematic Chaos (7.1)
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IMO, Systematic Chaos is just an average album, by Dream Theater's standards.
Even though I really enjoy TDEN, CM, POW, and Forsaken, which comprises more than half the album, it still just has a really average vibe about it.
Tier 4: When Dream and Day Unite (5.2) Falling Into Infinity (4.8)
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My two least favourite albums, When Dream and Day Unite has a couple songs I will listen to sometimes, (Ytse Jam and Afterlife) but I don't ever listen to any songs off of Falling Into Infinity.. It is by far their weakest album in my opinion. None of the songs are bad on FII, per se, but they just do not do anything for me.