Past Album example essay topic

Dream Theater has always been a band known for trying to outdo themselves on each successive album, and Train of Thought is no exception. Simply put, the band carves out new musical territory, playing with ferocity and skill that puts other metal outfits to shame. With that said, lets get the bad out of the way, because there's plenty of good to go around. While this work features technically brilliant playing (including an absolutely astounding perpetual motion solo from Petrucci on the final track), it seems to lack the feeling of Dream Theater's past outings. While the album contains shades of their third record, Awake, in terms of heaviness, it lacks Awake's sense of humanity and awareness and instead gives the listener track after track of anger - anger at pop mainstream music, parents and childhood pasts, violent religious sects - and wearies with repeat listens. The songs themselves seem somewhat pieced together, and while other bands would have made a mess of putting such riffs into song, Dream Theater does well, but overall, cohesiveness is lacking.

A few tracks seem to go on without knowing when to end and then, abruptly, cut off with little warning. Don't get me wrong, Dream Theater has always been known for pulling musical one-eighties in their songs. However, they have done a much better job of it in the past. As far as the positive side of things goes, this album definitely takes a new step forward. As I said earlier, John Petrucci is an incredible guitar player and he lets loose on this album more than he has on any other release. His solos seem less restrained and more improvised.

Still he is able to pull off incredibly melodic stuff while producing some of the most heavy, chunky riffs that you will ever hear. Petrucci even seems to try new things with his style in this album, by throwing pitched harmonics into chorus riffs (something never heard of before in a Dream Theater album). Jordan Rudest, Dream Theater's man on keys, seems to blend better with the band in this album than in any past album to date. Its almost ghostly and at times you may not even notice him stand out unless you really pay attention.

Finally, a keyboard player who really fits with a metal band. One of the most amazing feats pulled off in this album are the blazing fast solos where keyboard, guitar, and bass guitar play the same exact notes. Its incredibly tight sounding and you won't hear anything like it in another band. Overall, Train of Thought is a well-made, well-produced album.

However, one cannot help but think that a little more time spent rewriting lyrics or fitting riffs and melodies together with fewer exposed seams would have done the album some good. Not every cd can be as good as Scenes From a Memory, their sixth album - no band is capable of that - but when you come to expect so much from a band that always delivers, it is hard not to be a little disappointed by Train of Thought.