Dream Theater - Train of Thought

Once again I seem to be writing about a band that creates very polarised opinions. Unfortunately, unlike with Muse, these opinions can fracture down a variety of different paths. I'm going to write this review a little differently, and follow these paths.

The most obvious and simple would be that of a complete outsider to progressive metal, looking at the album only on the most basic of principles. So, what's good about the album? It's definitely heavy. Not the extreme end of metal heavy, but if one is so inclined to headbang, the opportunity is certainly presented here. The musicians are all, naturally, very talented, and the riffing is certainly catchy. The downsides? There is a definite influence from '80s metal (albeit to a lesser extent than on earlier Dream Theater albums), this means that vocalist James LaBrie falss into the high-range vocal style. For those who aren't a fan of this manner of singing, look elsewhere now. Then of course there's the simple fact that Dream Theater are squarely progressive music, and many people find this particular style unpleasant and annoying. again, if you're of this crowd look elsewhere now.

Moving a little deeper in means looking from the perspective of a progressive metal fan. If you're of the earlier group of progressive metal fans, being fond of bands that come from the early days such as Queensryche, then Train of Thought is excellent, borrowing the earlier styles and combining them with the heavier riffing that evolved in the '90s.

Finally (and this is the point of view that I most identify with) there is the group of progressive metal fans that enjoy music from bands influenced more by Cynic or (much earlier) King Crimson, namely with less guitar soloing/noodling, lower pitched vocals, and more spacy, experimental playing. From a purely instrumental view, Train of Thought will fit into this category, albeit with a few noticeable differences, but it's here that James LaBrie really becomes the major factor. Whether or not this kind of listener can get past the high pitched vocal stylings of Mr. LaBrie is really all that's left between disliking and liking the album. I found that the lengthy instrumental work leading up to the introduction of vocals on this albums opening track helped me to get into the music enough not to mind the vocals, and for the rest the playing swayed me. It's not my favourite album of all time by any means, but it is a well-played, interesting progressive metal album.
7/10