This song, from beginning to end gives me goosebumps, it's probably my favorite song ever made. There's so much talent in the rhythm section right to the end. That last part almost gives me a little tear in my eye every time, no reason, just so beautiful.
Everything about this masterpiece is just awesome! The musicianship, haunting melodies, many possible meanings (both evident and hidden), and overall structure are just awe inspiring.
Fun stuff to listen to with my surround sound. This album (and this song in particular) is my Christmas Eve tradition since I heard it for the very first time on Christmas Eve around 2009...
This is one of those songs that are so amazing that it fucking hurts. This song has so many behemoth moments that you need more than 2 hands to count them. I specifically want to mention Jordans melody at 3:47, his blitzkrieg Genesis-like solo at 12:15, the riff-driven, reference-filled part starting at 13:48 and of course the giant of giants, the climax where the title is sung at 19:32. That moment alone might be my favorite moment in music history. It's like Dream Theaters whole career up till then was a build up to this monster and to that part in particular. Absolute insanity
The ending part (going into the fifth movement) gives me chills every time. Hitting the climax in IV with the "TRAPPED. INSIDE. THIS. OCTAVARIUM!" and then with the big finish following the climax, only to have that huge orchestra pick up on that original flute melody from I. Then petrucci brings it home, with the final ending from the orchestra matching the first amazing melody we here on the lap steel in the beginning. Amazing :').
Listen to the background on Intervals: 18:45 - Take all of me... 18:49 - Don't let the day go by... 18:56 - Tear down these walls for me... 19:03 - I walk beside you... 19:09 - Hysteria... 19:14 - What would you say... 19:21 - All praise their sacrificed sons... 19:27 - Medicate me...
This is the only song (and maybe A Tout le Monde by Megadeth) out there that is so cripplingly beautiful from start to finish that you are left to a state of peace after listening. While it may not be perfect, it's the best imperfect thing ever made
For those who haven't noticed: "Octa" means "8" and Octavarium is the 8th song on Dream Theaters 8th album. So you have three times 8, which is 24, the length of this song in minutes.
Jack Arnold That too is a great song. Almost the same concept with the different moods and tempos throughout it.. and the live version with the crowd singing along is simply epic
I think I relate to this song more now than ever before Someone Like Him- Mirrors my struggles with comparing myself to other people and feeling inadequate Medicate- Mirrors the way in which I feel I have wasted large parts of my life Full Circle- Like MP, I have also been greatly influenced by a lot of different musicians and artists And then there's Intervals Root- I have also struggled with temptation and substance abuse Second- Searching for meaning has been something I've spent a lot of time doing Third- Communication is something I have struggled with and had to work on Fourth- While i'm not religious, I have had struggles of faith and had to place trust in others Fifth- Mirrors my struggles with anxiety, having experienced many panic attacks myself Sixth- While i've never experienced fame or this particular situation per se, feeling pressured by others' demands is something many can relate to Seventh- Once again not something I have direct experience of, but global events have affected us all, according to my mother I actually watched 9/11 on TV at age 3 and seemed very affected by it Octave- Tying into the previous themes, we struggle through all of these things trying to control the outcome, forgetting to live in the moment And then Razor's Edge tops it all off, reminding us all that these things are cyclical, and that no matter what happens, life will go on, the story will continue forever and ever. And what a way to top it off, that guitar solo man, could move mountains. Truly a masterpiece of a song, its themes are at the core of what makes us human, and will remain timeless. Kudos to John, Mike, James, Jordan and co for making some of the finest and most powerful music I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Damn! Pandora is showing me more music these days and the 12:20 riff is clearly lifted from a song called Anugraha by Aghora. Came out 5 years earlier and they are virtually unknown. DT must have listened to them a lot.
this band have had a long and prosperous career, though they have had losses and gains, some more significant than others, it is fair to say they have definitely not lost the magic yet. but no song comes close second to this. Illumination Theory is ok, The Count of Tuscany is great, Breaking all Illusions is incredible, but this is pure perfection. they will never write another 'Octavarium'
*correction "They will never write another 'Octavarium'" Nobody could write another 'Octavarium. It is nearly inconceivably epic. It is all I stand for in music. But this is only one opinion.
I completely agree, but as Dream Theater are my all-time favourite band, when i say 'they will never write another octavarium' it pretty much stands to reason that my opinion is that no one else will either… though i see how my comment could be easily misinterpreted
That's because it's not =p it's not even the best song on I&W; 1, Learning to Live 2, Another Day 3, Under a Glass Moon 4, Take the Time 5, Metropolis 6, Pull Me Under 7, Wait for Sleep 8, Surrounded
I think octavarium continues the floydism of "eternal struggle" into "morals", which to me intervals, is the dissection of morals, in order of magnitude. (see seven deadly sins). Also morals = soul + body. And of course the 8 (out of seven deadly sins) would be the story repeating itself. Also 5/8 has other interesting stuff, like real life stuff..
Is it a pirate copy where can i find it ? Ik like Octovarium verry much and didnt here about this copy one can i find it on RUclips Gerrit de Wit The Netherlands
19:50 through the end, some of the greatest music EVER. 22:37 some obvious YES influences (Close to the Edge "And You And I") and the ending like Kansas around 23:19. They weren't influences were they? Heh heh j/k.
The whole song is packed with references to other works of music. The piano from Bohemian Rhapsody is at 6:33 and the melody to Jingle Bells is at 17:47.
Kaye Faye it's the same for me! I grew up with Tommy and Quadrophenia. Well, Portnoy never hid he's a great fan of The Who! See videos where he plays The Who with another group..
Dream Theater is an amazing band and I think it's with this kind of work (Octavarium but also The Count of Tuscany or Illumination Theory) he better watch his talent: a savant medley of virtuosity and beauty with a touch of madness (the last one essential for a progressive band)
This song may as well be on an ELP/Genesis/Yes album. Fairly new to Dream Theater but I'm guessing this not their core sound (70's prog?). Not that there's anything wrong with 70's prog (I love it actually) but I thought DT would sound different.
discojack for someone new to dream theater i wouldn't expect more, but after listening to all their songs or even a few more u'll realize that ''their sound'' may come in many ways, that's the beauty of their music, they way it gets to you is always different, or is that only in my case?
discojack They're totally a prog rock band at core, but a lot of their songs are also on the heavy metal side. So I guess you could label them "prog metal"
I’d almost say they’re just straight up progressive music. The term “Prog” has changed and meant many different things throughout much of music, and especially rock history. Prog really hit off in the 60’s, although it raced along side the psychedelic rock as well. Early 60’s Pink Floyd was all about the psychedelic sound. Then early 70’s they got more into a rock/Prog rock sound. I always thought Prog was a generic term for musicians and music lovers who took music to new heights or strayed far away from the popular mainstream music that was being produced in the same timeframe.
Like if one day I have cancer or whatever else and I'm about to die, I'll ask for medicinal weed and then ask for pizza and cookies and I will be listening to this while eating high. After that I'll know I can rest in peace cause I'll have no regrets.l
Great song and album, but this is the pirate copy. At the very end, the flute plays. The beginning of the Root of All Evil is supposed to be there instead, not the flute.
Greath album together with Image And Words like the intro from Octovarium verry much looks you here the Wales cryin' in the Ocean a hell of a album Dream Theaters Portnoys favorite album as he says I believe Him
I don't understand why this song is considered such a masterpiece by so many. What I get from it is this: it takes too long to get started and it isn't unified enough to justify its pace. Yes, I know, each section before Razor's Edge focuses in some way on being trapped in "circles". Which is absolutely a brilliant idea for the song. Problem is, the first two sections are so drastically different with the "stories" they tell that it kills the unity, even if they share the same overarching theme. Now, they *could* have made the first two sections work very well if they devoted the third section to a similar "different story but same theme" structure, like the first two. The increased melody could have even been used to up intensity as they list off more and more varied "circular" scenarios before the song climaxes in Razor's Edge. This would have given the song a strong structure, and it would have felt unified. Instead, the third section just makes tons of barely coherent references. The third section's "chorus" section is great and fits the theme, but the "verse" sections are all over the place. This leaves the first two sections to fend for themselves. The only truly great thing I can find about the song that was flawlessly realized was the Razor's Edge section. No complaints there. It's pretty breathtaking. I just wish the rest of the song sufficiently built to it to do it justice. As it is, it's just too disjointed. It's not necessarily a bad song. The instrumentals, though dragging a bit early on, are still nice and still epic once the song does pick up, and the specific *wording* of the lyrics themselves flows well and has nice imagery/power behind them. But overall, it just isn't unified enough. I definitely wouldn't cite the song as Dream Theater's best work.
***** Man.. it "takes too long to get started"? It's 4 minutes of wildly passionate chords and melodies resulting in an eerily beautiful ambience. If that intro doesn't strike your heart, you might be thinking too hard about the lyrics and the "concept" or "idea" of the song. Take a step back from that and listen to the music as a whole
ChazWick4 I did that the first few times I listened to it, and every time it took way too long to get started. The first 4 minutes aren't too bad on their own actually, it's them added to the super drawn out sections right after that makes it feel really dragged out. I'll be honest, I watched their live Score DVD recently and enjoyed it immensely. But when Octavarium came on, sometime after Jordan finished the opening keyboard section, I straight-up fell asleep. None of their other songs I've heard (across 9 albums) drag like this one does. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is twice Octavarium's length, and it doesn't drag at all.
There's only 8 songs on the album.. so the length makes up for the lack of tracks. Also, think of it not as a song- but an entire musical piece, like something Beethoven would've done.
15:40-18:43 could be shortened as it adds nothing to the music as the rest the first 4 minutes could be dropped to three and nothing would change 12:16- 13:50 didnt need to be there Some of the transitions could be smoother, and less wanky Seriously, sometimes its like they just add stuff for no reason in the music Overall, its okay. I did like the someone like him part, and the medicate me chorus, and razors edge and a few instrumentals here and there but the rest sounds like buttprog, and soulless wankery
I thought I would give Dream Theater a chance, so I searched for "dream theater best song" on Google and ended up here. If this is the best that they've done, I'm glad I'm not wasting my time on them... This song is long because they wanted to make it long, not because it needed to be. The song is incredibly dragged out, the synthesizers are annoying and weird, the vocals are boring and the whole thing is a complete structural mess. In order to justify a 24 minute long track, each section has to add something that needed to be added. This fails completely in that department, and I couldn't care less about symbolic bullshit or any other made up nonsense to justify the length. This is the first and last Dream Theater song I'll ever listen to.
Arvaa Kuka My all time favourite song is probably Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden). Songs like The Wicked End (Avenged Sevenfold) and Infinite Dreams (Iron Maiden) are also up there. Decently long songs that justify every second.
+Hector Älfvåg Strange, it seems like you like pretty much the same music as I do. Still I think this song is really good, it grows and has nice solos. My top 3 favourite songs are propably this, 2112 and Bohemian rhapsody You should try Metropolis, As I am or Home to get into Dream theater
![Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory [Full Album/Lyrics]](/img/1.gif)
This song, from beginning to end gives me goosebumps, it's probably my favorite song ever made. There's so much talent in the rhythm section right to the end.
That last part almost gives me a little tear in my eye every time, no reason, just so beautiful.
the opening sequence reminds me "shine on you crazy diamond".
I agree! The whole song has a Floyd feel too it.
Unsurprisingly, it was their inspiration for it
This is one of those songs that seem to get more amazing every time you hear it. Epic is the only explanation.
This is the type of music you'd find on God's iPod.
Razor's edge sounds like what heaven would sound like
YouGotCyrekt Or Star Wars.
This is the greatest song in the world since... EVER
Every time i hear this I get chills
I agree! I also like your name!
Everything about this masterpiece is just awesome! The musicianship, haunting melodies, many possible meanings (both evident and hidden), and overall structure are just awe inspiring.
Okay, it's official. This is now my favorite song of all time.
Never mind, it changed again.
+rushfan2596 which song is it now?
Quentin Marsman 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago, which was my actually my favorite before I heard this as well.
rushfan2596 okay i will look it u
do you have a new favorite song now?
You don't need drugs, If you listen songs like this.
Medicate me
Infiltrate me
Side effects appear
listening to songs like this is better in drugs :)
***** i know !!
The sleeper has awakened!
starts off with floyd ,then mixes in with some ELP , and ends with tull! awesomeness!
I have finally learned this whole song on drums by ear. Its a freaking blast to play. Great song!!!
There is no other word I can use to describe this song other than "glorious."
What about "Overrated", and "Buttprog" ? Those two fit perfectly the song too.
Funeral Flesh *pats head condescendingly* Of course they do.
+ChicagoDomer2596 What about "otherworldly"?
+Funeral Flesh didn't know your name was Octavarium in that case
Fun stuff to listen to with my surround sound. This album (and this song in particular) is my Christmas Eve tradition since I heard it for the very first time on Christmas Eve around 2009...
9:45 "for 24 minutes where have I been?"
The music that plays at 3:47 is freaking incredible.it's arguably the best moment in music I've heard.
This is one of those songs that are so amazing that it fucking hurts. This song has so many behemoth moments that you need more than 2 hands to count them. I specifically want to mention Jordans melody at 3:47, his blitzkrieg Genesis-like solo at 12:15, the riff-driven, reference-filled part starting at 13:48 and of course the giant of giants, the climax where the title is sung at 19:32. That moment alone might be my favorite moment in music history. It's like Dream Theaters whole career up till then was a build up to this monster and to that part in particular. Absolute insanity
The ending part (going into the fifth movement) gives me chills every time. Hitting the climax in IV with the "TRAPPED. INSIDE. THIS. OCTAVARIUM!" and then with the big finish following the climax, only to have that huge orchestra pick up on that original flute melody from I. Then petrucci brings it home, with the final ending from the orchestra matching the first amazing melody we here on the lap steel in the beginning. Amazing :').
Listen to the background on Intervals:
18:45 - Take all of me...
18:49 - Don't let the day go by...
18:56 - Tear down these walls for me...
19:03 - I walk beside you...
19:09 - Hysteria...
19:14 - What would you say...
19:21 - All praise their sacrificed sons...
19:27 - Medicate me...
17:47 Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells!
Jingle All The Way!
19:30 Prying open my third eye! ;)
I: Someone Like Him - 0:00
II: Medicate (Awakening) - 8:46
III: Full Circle - 13:49
IV: Intervals - 18:28
V: Razor's Edge - 19:55
This is the only song (and maybe A Tout le Monde by Megadeth) out there that is so cripplingly beautiful from start to finish that you are left to a state of peace after listening.
While it may not be perfect, it's the best imperfect thing ever made
The bass is a killer!
John Myung, on bass...the humble genius.
7:57 FAVORITE PART OF THE WHOLE SONG!! Wow
Favorite part in my opinion is from Full Circle to the very end. Such an amazing song!
Really beautiful song
For those who haven't noticed:
"Octa" means "8" and Octavarium is the 8th song on Dream Theaters 8th album.
So you have three times 8, which is 24, the length of this song in minutes.
I just noticed there is a part you can barely hear in the background playing sections from the others songs from the album
best song ever
I love this song ,is the start and the end of my imagination every day of my life ! Dream theater for ever and ever !
The intro has the same mood as Echoes and shine on your crazy diamond from Pink Flyod and .
+akash tapsee Tru dat
It has a sweet taste to it i enjoyed it
I'm hearing this for the 4th time and it's just..
I'm at a loss for words.
Right at 5:00 you can hear the flutist taking a breath.. lol.. (Kind of creepy..)
Most of the intro is done on Jordan Rudess's keyboard including the flute part
Dan Mulcahy Nope.. That part was played by a flautist.. Maybe it's him, but that's not a keyboard..
To me, this is the most epic song in rock history. Next to Bohemian Rhapsody.
I agree, this song is so under rated!
ChazWick4 I would say that Iron Maiden's Fear of the Dark is better.
Jack Arnold That too is a great song. Almost the same concept with the different moods and tempos throughout it.. and the live version with the crowd singing along is simply epic
The odyssey by Symphony x is pretty damn epic. Sooo. Meh.
I think I relate to this song more now than ever before
Someone Like Him- Mirrors my struggles with comparing myself to other people and feeling inadequate
Medicate- Mirrors the way in which I feel I have wasted large parts of my life
Full Circle- Like MP, I have also been greatly influenced by a lot of different musicians and artists
And then there's Intervals
Root- I have also struggled with temptation and substance abuse
Second- Searching for meaning has been something I've spent a lot of time doing
Third- Communication is something I have struggled with and had to work on
Fourth- While i'm not religious, I have had struggles of faith and had to place trust in others
Fifth- Mirrors my struggles with anxiety, having experienced many panic attacks myself
Sixth- While i've never experienced fame or this particular situation per se, feeling pressured by others' demands is something many can relate to
Seventh- Once again not something I have direct experience of, but global events have affected us all, according to my mother I actually watched 9/11 on TV at age 3 and seemed very affected by it
Octave- Tying into the previous themes, we struggle through all of these things trying to control the outcome, forgetting to live in the moment
And then Razor's Edge tops it all off, reminding us all that these things are cyclical, and that no matter what happens, life will go on, the story will continue forever and ever. And what a way to top it off, that guitar solo man, could move mountains. Truly a masterpiece of a song, its themes are at the core of what makes us human, and will remain timeless. Kudos to John, Mike, James, Jordan and co for making some of the finest and most powerful music I have ever had the pleasure of hearing.
this is the best single track from DT output
ITS my favorite bend
my best friend showed me this song. Its so amazing :D
epic song...
When you realize the main theme is played behind the screaming in the background at 19:35...Goosebumps.
This is one of my favorite long songs, with only Rush's 2112 and Stratovarius's Elysium beating it out. I especially love the end.
Great to see another fan of symphonic metal...I love Symphony X and Sonata Arctica, as well! ;)
8:45 to 19:57, just absolutely flawless.
Why did I cry when I was listening to this song.
Because it moves you, like nothing else!
I'm trapped.
Damn! Pandora is showing me more music these days and the 12:20 riff is clearly lifted from a song called Anugraha by Aghora. Came out 5 years earlier and they are virtually unknown. DT must have listened to them a lot.
best song ever! *-*
BEST SONG EVER!!!!
Epic!!!
I have a music video made up for this song that I think of every time I hear this.
The Pink Floyd and Genesis influence shows heavy here.
cygnis part 1 and 2 from rush too
Agreed! You can hear influences in most of their music with so much talent and improvisation to make it so epic! The best band ever!
12:17 reminds me of About To Crash
this band have had a long and prosperous career, though they have had losses and gains, some more significant than others, it is fair to say they have definitely not lost the magic yet. but no song comes close second to this. Illumination Theory is ok, The Count of Tuscany is great, Breaking all Illusions is incredible, but this is pure perfection. they will never write another 'Octavarium'
*correction
"They will never write another 'Octavarium'"
Nobody could write another 'Octavarium. It is nearly inconceivably epic. It is all I stand for in music. But this is only one opinion.
I completely agree, but as Dream Theater are my all-time favourite band, when i say 'they will never write another octavarium' it pretty much stands to reason that my opinion is that no one else will either… though i see how my comment could be easily misinterpreted
Pull me under getting no love as their best song I see ;)
That's because it's not =p
it's not even the best song on I&W;
1, Learning to Live
2, Another Day
3, Under a Glass Moon
4, Take the Time
5, Metropolis
6, Pull Me Under
7, Wait for Sleep
8, Surrounded
just 23:58? Not long enough
+Andrey Latinsky, you have to start from 00:00 ;)
Why don't you listen to six degrees of inner turbulence then? :)
Then 12-step suite
"For 30 years where have I been" is the point I said WTF this one is different and really good - after mostly a bland album.
Shine on You Crazy Octavarium?! :P (joking, but I can hear the Floyd influence here).
I think octavarium continues the floydism of "eternal struggle" into "morals", which to me intervals, is the dissection of morals, in order of magnitude. (see seven deadly sins). Also morals = soul + body. And of course the 8 (out of seven deadly sins) would be the story repeating itself. Also 5/8 has other interesting stuff, like real life stuff..
Are there any more songs by dream theater that sound like Octavarium? Like all spacey
ryan martin You can listen to A Change of Seasons, The Count of Tuscany, A Nightmare to Remember.
+Erkut Soyer a change in seasons isn't spacey at all though, as good as it is
A nightmare to remember neither
TRAPPED INSIDE THIS OCTAVARIUM
The Full Circle segment sounds like something from the Persona games.
18:40-19:30 ...is it you Dave ?????
Is it a pirate copy where can i find it ? Ik like Octovarium verry much and didnt here about this copy one can i find it on RUclips Gerrit de Wit The Netherlands
I don’t know if that lead part at the beginning is a synth or an electric guitar or what. It’s kinda hard to tell.
that ending guitar though
it's a flute, not a guitar xD
then why does he play the ending solo with a guitar.
I think Zip Zap means the flute in the very last seconds.
For everyone wondering what this song (and/or album) is really about... dt.spatang.com/octavarium.php
19:50 through the end, some of the greatest music EVER. 22:37 some obvious YES influences (Close to the Edge "And You And I") and the ending like Kansas around 23:19. They weren't influences were they? Heh heh j/k.
The whole song is packed with references to other works of music. The piano from Bohemian Rhapsody is at 6:33 and the melody to Jingle Bells is at 17:47.
The final 'horn' notes, at the very end (23.18) are a quotation from The Who's QUADROPHENIA (The real me etc)
I have no clue how I caught that one. Quadrophenia is one of my all time favourite albums.
Kaye Faye it's the same for me! I grew up with Tommy and Quadrophenia. Well, Portnoy never hid he's a great fan of The Who! See videos where he plays The Who with another group..
Dream Theater is an amazing band and I think it's with this kind of work (Octavarium but also The Count of Tuscany or Illumination Theory) he better watch his talent: a savant medley of virtuosity and beauty with a touch of madness (the last one essential for a progressive band)
thank you it works ! :)
* Wow ..... !
I am your 666th subscriber!!!!
17:47 Merry Christmas? O.o
This song may as well be on an ELP/Genesis/Yes album. Fairly new to Dream Theater but I'm guessing this not their core sound (70's prog?). Not that there's anything wrong with 70's prog (I love it actually) but I thought DT would sound different.
discojack for someone new to dream theater i wouldn't expect more, but after listening to all their songs or even a few more u'll realize that ''their sound'' may come in many ways, that's the beauty of their music, they way it gets to you is always different, or is that only in my case?
discojack Pretty typical of them.
discojack They're totally a prog rock band at core, but a lot of their songs are also on the heavy metal side. So I guess you could label them "prog metal"
I’d almost say they’re just straight up progressive music. The term “Prog” has changed and meant many different things throughout much of music, and especially rock history. Prog really hit off in the 60’s, although it raced along side the psychedelic rock as well. Early 60’s Pink Floyd was all about the psychedelic sound. Then early 70’s they got more into a rock/Prog rock sound. I always thought Prog was a generic term for musicians and music lovers who took music to new heights or strayed far away from the popular mainstream music that was being produced in the same timeframe.
I've always loved Echoes by Pink Flo.. oh wrong video
into other dimension
It would be a good Starcraft song while building a base on space land
qué temazo
12:15 the Genesis moment
perfecto :D
Buena cancion :DD
19:48 and 21:26
Like if one day I have cancer or whatever else and I'm about to die, I'll ask for medicinal weed and then ask for pizza and cookies and I will be listening to this while eating high. After that I'll know I can rest in peace cause I'll have no regrets.l
Please, u dont have to wait for cancer to do that
no ragrets
surprise! its the future in 2017 now! maybe that weed doesnt have to be medicinal anymore
Pink dream teater song
Great song and album, but this is the pirate copy.
At the very end, the flute plays. The beginning of the Root of All Evil is supposed to be there instead, not the flute.
Greath album together with Image And Words like the intro from Octovarium verry much looks you here the Wales cryin' in the Ocean a hell of a album Dream Theaters Portnoys favorite album as he says I believe Him
+Gerrit De Wit Lol I have absolutely no idea what you just said... I was just saying this is a pirate copy. The album version doesn't end like it.
Wait, what's the point of that? Why did Dream Theater change the endings?
I'm not sure actually, lol.
24 minute song? holy crap...i thought jesus of suburbia by green day was long, it's only 9 minutes!
Danny Zawadzki look up mars volta tetragrammaton
+Danny Zawadzki Look up "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" by Dream Theater also
+Danny Z Green Carnation's Light of Day, Day of Darkness is 60:07 long.
Scott Baldwin
holy shit lol
I like calling Metropolis part two one giant song. And if you do, it's 70:00 ish minutes
Oh ! 11 deaf people :)
I don't understand why this song is considered such a masterpiece by so many. What I get from it is this: it takes too long to get started and it isn't unified enough to justify its pace. Yes, I know, each section before Razor's Edge focuses in some way on being trapped in "circles". Which is absolutely a brilliant idea for the song. Problem is, the first two sections are so drastically different with the "stories" they tell that it kills the unity, even if they share the same overarching theme.
Now, they *could* have made the first two sections work very well if they devoted the third section to a similar "different story but same theme" structure, like the first two. The increased melody could have even been used to up intensity as they list off more and more varied "circular" scenarios before the song climaxes in Razor's Edge. This would have given the song a strong structure, and it would have felt unified. Instead, the third section just makes tons of barely coherent references. The third section's "chorus" section is great and fits the theme, but the "verse" sections are all over the place. This leaves the first two sections to fend for themselves.
The only truly great thing I can find about the song that was flawlessly realized was the Razor's Edge section. No complaints there. It's pretty breathtaking. I just wish the rest of the song sufficiently built to it to do it justice. As it is, it's just too disjointed.
It's not necessarily a bad song. The instrumentals, though dragging a bit early on, are still nice and still epic once the song does pick up, and the specific *wording* of the lyrics themselves flows well and has nice imagery/power behind them. But overall, it just isn't unified enough. I definitely wouldn't cite the song as Dream Theater's best work.
Thanks, Mozart
You're welcome.
***** They're trapped inside the octavarium.
***** Man.. it "takes too long to get started"? It's 4 minutes of wildly passionate chords and melodies resulting in an eerily beautiful ambience. If that intro doesn't strike your heart, you might be thinking too hard about the lyrics and the "concept" or "idea" of the song. Take a step back from that and listen to the music as a whole
ChazWick4
I did that the first few times I listened to it, and every time it took way too long to get started. The first 4 minutes aren't too bad on their own actually, it's them added to the super drawn out sections right after that makes it feel really dragged out. I'll be honest, I watched their live Score DVD recently and enjoyed it immensely. But when Octavarium came on, sometime after Jordan finished the opening keyboard section, I straight-up fell asleep. None of their other songs I've heard (across 9 albums) drag like this one does. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is twice Octavarium's length, and it doesn't drag at all.
LIKE
why is this song like 24 minutes long
Why not?
There's only 8 songs on the album.. so the length makes up for the lack of tracks. Also, think of it not as a song- but an entire musical piece, like something Beethoven would've done.
ChazWick4 reminds me somewhat of Bohemian Rhapsody.
+Deus EX Machina I wonder if that was true. Because otherwise it adds more genius to the song
15:40-18:43 could be shortened as it adds nothing to the music as the rest
the first 4 minutes could be dropped to three and nothing would change
12:16- 13:50 didnt need to be there
Some of the transitions could be smoother, and less wanky
Seriously, sometimes its like they just add stuff for no reason in the music
Overall, its okay. I did like the someone like him part, and the medicate me chorus, and razors edge and a few instrumentals here and there but the rest sounds like buttprog, and soulless wankery
the point of making it longer is to give a better feeling when you reach the climax of the song
JoshLikeCrazy but it comes off as wankery
I actually think that 15:40-18:43 is one the best parts of the entire song
+a true scotsman uth Are you joking?? 15:40 to 18:43 has some of the best "build and release" ever!!!
This song is so genesis wannabe. The keyboard sound doesnt help.
I thought I would give Dream Theater a chance, so I searched for "dream theater best song" on Google and ended up here. If this is the best that they've done, I'm glad I'm not wasting my time on them...
This song is long because they wanted to make it long, not because it needed to be. The song is incredibly dragged out, the synthesizers are annoying and weird, the vocals are boring and the whole thing is a complete structural mess.
In order to justify a 24 minute long track, each section has to add something that needed to be added. This fails completely in that department, and I couldn't care less about symbolic bullshit or any other made up nonsense to justify the length.
This is the first and last Dream Theater song I'll ever listen to.
K cya
I disagree. If youdont like this, then what are your favourite songs? What would you recommend?
Arvaa Kuka My all time favourite song is probably Hallowed Be Thy Name (Iron Maiden). Songs like The Wicked End (Avenged Sevenfold) and Infinite Dreams (Iron Maiden) are also up there. Decently long songs that justify every second.
+Hector Älfvåg Strange, it seems like you like pretty much the same music as I do. Still I think this song is really good, it grows and has nice solos. My top 3 favourite songs are propably this, 2112 and Bohemian rhapsody
You should try Metropolis, As I am or Home to get into Dream theater
+Arvaa Kuka I'll check those out then, thanks for the suggestions.
LIKE