### Dream Theater: Train of thought

#### 12/08/11 || InquisitorGeneralis

It has taken me years to come around to liking Dream Theater’s 2003 release “Train of Thought”. You would think this is the album by the band I would be all over, considering it is their heaviest and most metal record, with maybe the exception of “Images and Words”. I guess the raging homo in me was just more drawn to the concept-driven Scenes from a Memory or their previously mentioned debut. Untill recently, I haven’t given the album much attention besides “As I am” and an occasional listen to “Endless sacrifice”. Not surprisingly, I’m an idiot and have been missing out on a pretty damn good record. Sure, Petrucci’s guitar sound gets dangerously close to nu-metal a few times, but this is still a solid effort by Dream Theater to focus on the heavier aspects of their sound and leave (for the most part) the ultra-wanktastic shit on the bench.

“Train of Thought” starts off with a strong triple-combo. “As I Am” is a straight-forward track with heavy riffing, some excellent fills and grooves on the drums courtesy of now “gotten the fuck out” drummer Mike Portnoy, and a bit darker vocal delivery from James LaBrie Cheese. There is a little Rudessian keyboard wankery in the middle, but a sexcellent drum fill at the end of the jam section and kick-drum heavy ending firmly place “As I Am” in the metal department. “This dying soul” picks the heaviness right up with more standout drumming by Mr. Portnoy. I hope he enjoys watching the newly retooled Dream Theater successfully tour and record new records. Oh well Mike, at least you had one tour with those greasy-hair fucks from Avenged Sevenfold. Cry yourself all the way home as Dream Theater currently lights up the summer festival circuit…

But I digress, “This dying soul” blends in some nice, melodic, eat-your-wife’s-pussy-with-class moments and follows up “As I am” with gusto. “Endless sacrifice” continues the groov-o-heavy vibe with a catchy and headbanging-friendly chorus. On the first three tracks, Dream Theater 100% succeed with what they were going for on “Train of Thoughts”. However, things slow down a bit with “Honor thy father”. Maybe it’s the change in vocals to an almost rap-esque delivery or the unexciting song structure. Either way, it’s a dud. “Vacant” completely drops any metal trappings whatsoever and is a complete vocal/piano ballad. And it sucks to. Sorry, I thought Dream Theater was going metal gangbusters on this one so I am going to be a bit unforgiving. I know every Dream Theater album has to have a song like “Vacant”, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Oddly enough, it takes an eleven-minute long instrumental to get things back on track. “Stream of consciousness” kicks ass and is up there with DT’s other instrumental heavy hitters like “The Dance of Eternity”. It’s heavy, complicated, and interesting…all without Labrie’s (for better or worse) vocals. Hey, I like the guy most of the time but what he does on “Honor thy father” really is not good. Thankfully, that is a rare occurrence and most of his work on “Train of Thought” is where it needs to be. “In the name of god” is the expected epic closer and features some pretty cool riffage by Petrucci. News flash; John Petrucci is an awesome guitarist! “In the name ov god” runs a few minutes to long, but the band does shred it up in the middle (as usual) and it helps this train pull into the station on time and full of steam…how gay was that metaphor? Huh? HUH? About as gay as former staffer, and Dream Theater liker/hater, Smalley pleasuring himself to nude photos of Charles Nelson Riley.

Let’s sum things up:

1) This was Dream Theater’s early 2000’s effort to get heavy again after the somewhat pretentious “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence” and it is mostly successful.

2) Only two out of the seven songs on here suck, the rest range from good to excellent.

3) Keyboard and vocal wankery (except for “Honor they father”) are kept to a minimum and the band’s overall performance is excellent. Portnoy (as douchey as he currently may seem) especially brings his best stuff.

“Train of Thought” is a good, very good actually, album and one that just might turn a few people on to Dream Theater. If you hate everything about them, you’re hopeless in that department. I like it though, and find myself now listening to it a pretty regular basis, so I believe the following score is appropriate…

- Information
- Released: 2003
- Label: Elektra
- Website: www.dreamtheater.net
- Band
- James LaBrie: lead vocals
- John Petrucci: guitar, backing vocals
- John Myung: bass
- Jordan Rudess: keyboards
- Mike Portnoy: drums, backing vocals

- Tracklist
- 01 As I Am
- 02.This Dying Soul
- 03.Endless Sacrifice
- 04.Honor Thy Father
- 05.Vacant
- 06.Stream of Consciousness
- 07.In the Name of God