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Dream Theater: Train of Thought

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Roadrunner Records
Released: 2003.11.11
Time:
 69:21
Category: Progressive Rock
Producer(s): John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.dreamtheater.net
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2016
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] As I Am (J.Petrucci/J.Myung/J.Rudess/M.Portnoy) - 7:47
[2] This Dying Soul (J.Petrucci/J.Myung/J.Rudess/M.Portnoy) - 11:27
     IV. Reflections of Reality (Revisited) - 6:31
     V. Release - 4:57
[3] Endless Sacrifice (J.Petrucci/J.Myung/J.Rudess/M.Portnoy) - 11:24
[4] Honor Thy Father (J.Petrucci/J.Myung/J.Rudess/M.Portnoy) - 10:14
[5] Vacant (J.Myung/J.Rudess/J.LaBrie) - 2:57
[6] Stream of Consciousness (J.Petrucci/J.Myung/J.Rudess/M.Portnoy) - 11:16
[7] In the Name of God (J.Petrucci/J.Myung/J.Rudess/M.Portnoy) - 14:16

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


James LaBrie - Lead Vocals
John Petrucci - Guitar, Backing Vocals, Producer
Jordan Rudess - Keyboards
John Myung - Bass
Mike Portnoy - Drums, Backing Vocals, Producer

Eugene Friesen - Cello on [5]

Dan Bucchi - Engineer
Yohei Goto - Engineer
Brian Harding - Engineer
Doug Oberkircher - Engineer
Kieran Pardias - Engineer
Kevin Shirley - Mixing
Howie Weinberg - Mastering
Roger Lian - Digital Editing
Anita Marisa Boriboon - Art Direction
Jerry Uelsmann - Artwork
Bruce Payne - Management
Frank Solomon - Management

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


2003 CD Elektra - 7559-62891-2
2016 LP Music On Vinyl - MOVLP985

Recorded in March 10 – September 2003 at the Cove City Sound Studios, Pie Studios and Beat Street Studios in New York City.



Coming a year after Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, it's great to hear that Dream Theater hadn't lost their überheavy edge. John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess, and bassist John Myung effectively peeled back the pretentious excesses of Six Degrees, turned them in on themselves, and came up with a leaner, meaner but no less ambitious outing. The centerpiece track, despite the fact that it is second on the disc, is "This Dying Soul: IV. Reflections of Reality (Revisited)." A tome about alcoholism and recovery, it's strident riff opens out onto vast sonic panoramas where pianos and rhythm section offer Petrucci the space he needs to take his guitar playing into overdrive. Also, lyrically this is an evolutionary track on the set; it opens doors for the rest of the narratives here. Whereas the opener, "As I Am," is an anthem of resistance and independence, from "This Dying Soul" onward, themes of acceptance, surrender, and willingness become the M.O. for transcendent transformation. Struggles with the past, new encounters, and near despair are common themes, as on the brilliantly textured and detailed "Train of Though." Note the beautiful interplay between the guitars and keyboards on "Endless Sacrifice," the insane drums and buzz saw attack on the intro to "Honor Thy Father," or the brilliant play on the intro to "Seasons of Whither" in the intro to "In the Name of God," before the almighty riffing takes it into crunchland with a deep, poignant reflection on spiritual and religious hypocrisy. This is hard, heavy progressive metal at its very best lyrically and musically.

Thom Jurek - All Music Guide



Train Of Thought is the 7th studio album from prog metal kings Dream Theater. Featuring the fantastic rhythm section of Mike Portnoy (drums) and John Myung (bass), the incredible virtuosic skills of John Petrucci (guitar) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards), topped off with the searing vocals of James LaBrie.

Train Of Thought is definitely different to previous Dream Theater releases - they have moved into even heavier territory with pounding riffs and dark lyrics, and this record draws on inspiration from various heavy rock bands which have influenced the band. Dream Theater's usual technicality is present here and there are still melodies which were part and parcel of what DT fans fell in love with, but the all round heavier atmosphere has divided fans and critics alike. If you are a fan of the Dream Theater of old then you will either love this evolution or hate the change. I personally think it's a great album, and I urge you to check it out. Yes, it does seem like a different band to the one which released Images & Words 11 years ago, but this is Dream Theater as they are today, so jump on the train and enjoy the ride.

1. As I Am (7:47) - The album starts with a fade in from the final note of Dream Theater 's previous album, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. You may have heard the radio edit of this song, but that was a butchered version and does not do justice to the full album track, which is ten times better. After a huge intro, the song is driven by a thunderous riff. As I Am is pretty straightforward by DT's measure, with a standard ABAB(solo)B structure. Yet the band still manages to avoid musical mediocrity by throwing in time changes, unexpected minor notes, and one holy shred-fest of a solo from John Petrucci. Not the best DT track but a pretty good start to the album nonetheless.

2. This Dying Soul (11:27) - Not giving you time to breath, TDS enters with unrelenting double bass and some more heavy riffing and soon after you get a nice unison lead from Petrucci and Rudess. The verse is slowed down a bit and to me it sounds very much like Tool. The lyrics here are a continuation of 'The Glass Prison' from 6DOIT, reflecting the struggles of a recovering alcoholic. After the chorus, LaBrie goes into 'rap' mode, sounding similar to Linkin Park - make of that what you will. The song continues, becoming an ever-changing beast with switching time signatures, various solos and may references to 'The Glass Prison', but overall the song doesn't seem to be going in any set direction, and is quite difficult to get comfortable with at first listen. In my opinion this is the weakest song on the album. It does get better from this point on, though.

3. Endless Sacrifice (11:24) - This song is my favourite song on the album and is classic Dream Theater. It begins with a 'lonely' guitar melody from Petrucci, which ties it with the theme of the song - the lyrics deal with the sacrifices and strong bonds needed in long distance relationship. The sombre feel of the song continues until two minutes in when the chorus kicks in and the whole mood changes. This is the high point of the song for me - a great riff, catchy lyrics and an all round great chorus which is a good contrast to the feel of the verses. After the second chorus a new riff appears which leads into what I think is a classic DT solo section, enhanced by the mad break at 6:28. The song keeps building and building over the next 4 minutes until James LaBrie comes back in and delivers some powerful which vocals which lead to the climax of the best song on the album.

4. Honor Thy Father (10:14) - This song strikes me as the most aggressive song on the record. It is an attack from Mike Portnoy on his step-father, and a lot of pent-up anger seems to be released here. The song starts with a short Portnoy solo and short sharp staccato notes from the band follow, reminiscent of System Of A Down. The SOAD resemblance continues into the verse where a subdued sounding LaBrie sings over a dark riff from John Myung, who is sadly often unheard in the Dream Theater mix (though he does seem slightly higher in the mix on this album). Later on, LaBrie goes into more rap-like vocals (though not as bad as on This Dying Soul) and following that, another big catchy chorus. A heavier verse comes back in and when this song hits the ground running, it doesn't stop. The sublime drumming of Portnoy provides a good backbone as the song keeps building until the 5 minute mark. At this point all the instruments stop, and in his harshest voice LaBrie utters the line 'Don't cross the crooked step'. This part made me stop in shock :eek:, and from that point on the song gets darker as machine gun-like riffs and a choir-y effect from Rudess provide a backdrop to some sound samples which just add to the atmosphere of the song. There follows another typical Dream Theater solo section which allows them to show off their outstanding technical prowess. The vocals jump back in near the end and the heavy riff continues until it all comes to an abrupt stop, and the end of another very good metal song.

5. Vacant (2:58) - The shortest track on the album is also that rarest of creatures that only pops up once in a while - a Dream Theater track with nothing to do with Portnoy or Petrucci (who are undoubtedly the main men in the band), with lyrics from James LaBrie and music arranged by John Myung and Jordan Rudess. The song provides a stark contrast to the rest of the album, a depressed ballad featuring only Rudess on piano, LaBrie's heartfelt vocals and a cello played by guest musician Eugene Friessen. The lyrics are tinged with sadness and the song is in the same vain as 'Disappear' from 6DOIT. Still, the song is very emotional and as beautiful a song as DT have produced.

6. Stream Of Consciousness (11:16) - This instrumental song leads on from Vacant and after the quiet intro the pace for the song is set immediately. All 4 players are here doing what they do best, and even though the riffs seem to be being used a lot here, there are different themes introduced as the song goes along. Each player gets to show what he can do and the song ranks up there with their fine instrumentals of the past, even though it can seem that the music is recycled a bit much in parts. Nevertheless, SoC is a very powerful song which grabs you from the start and doesn't let go. It builds to a great climax with a fabulous solo from Rudess near the end, and then draws to a close as it ends the way it started, with acoustic guitar as it transcends into the next song.

7. In The Name Of God (14:16) - This song deals with a potentially controversial subject matter which has been present in the world especially since September 11th - that is, the taking of life from others in the name of the Almighty. It's a brilliant song which after repeated listens is becoming my joint favourite (with Endless Sacrifice). It begins with more acoustic guitar which quickly leads into a powerful Metallica-style riff that pumps and sets another dark mood, then quiets down for the vocals of LaBrie, who sounds awesome on this track. The chorus is gripping and LaBrie continues with soaring vocals as he tells you to 'Listen when the prophet speaks'. At 5:45 the mood becomes even darker at the bridge, with Myung and Portnoy laying down an intimidating foundation to LaBrie's story-telling vocal style, and as the guitar enters, this section keeps building up with Portnoy almost soloing behind the riffing. Then, at 7:13, comes something quite unexpected - a very short techno section! After that curious little break the song resumes with as much power as it had before. It drives on with Petrucci soloing until the whole style changes, as Myung and Portnoy lay down a really catchy samba groove at 8:36. This is fantastic in itself, but John Petrucci's guitar soloing in this section is nothing less than incredible - prepare to be amazed. The bassline changes slightly at 9:22 but the latino feel continues with more shredding which at first seems like more Petrucci but is in fact Jordan Rudess making his keyboard sound uncannily like a guitar. Suddenly the samba vibe drops and the main riff comes in followed by a slower breakdown. The chorus comes back in and then the music keeps repeating as the song draws to a close. James LaBrie continues to sing his ass off and near the end a famous war song, 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' is chanted underneath the music. Finally it fades out to only solo piano and with a final chord the album fades into nothing - the end of a fabulous record.

And so ends Train Of Thought. In my opinion it is up there with their best work and is satisfying for how long I've waited for this album to come out. I think everyone who has heard and liked Dream Theater before should get this CD, and metal fans who want something maybe a little more thought out may also like to try this album. It'll make a good addition to any CD collection and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Rating: 4/5

Distorted Vision - January 14th, 2005
Copyright © 2005-2016 Sputnikmusic.com



Members of Dream Theater have been pressed for details in the past several months about Train Of Thought, which finally hit the stores last week. A veil of secrecy seemed to surround the writing and recording of this new album. Known for being huge heavy metal fans, Dream Theater has even performed the entire Number Of The Beast album by Iron Maiden and Master Of Puppets by Metallica several times at special shows over the years. I've never really considered them to be an actual "metal" band....until now. Drawing from their love of metal music and all the influences that their favorite bands have to offer the sound of Dream Theater, they've come out with an album of dark, heavy and very atmospheric progressive metal music that is heavier than anything they've ever done before.

Using slow and doom style metal riffs, the opening track As I Am kicks into a great heavy groove that has a heavier and more angrier tone than the typical Dream Theater sound. There's hardly any keyboards on this track, which is the case with most of the songs on this album and overall I'd say As I Am has the sound and feel of something from Metallica's Black album. This Dying Soul, again starts with big boomy guitar riffs over a speedy and choppy intro and is one of those tracks that uses lengthy instrumentals at the start to build up the atmosphere before any vocals are heard. Guitar-wise, this one has it all. From cool wah effect leads over a heavy rhythm to Maiden style guitar harmonies, John Petrucci covers all the bases. Jordan Rudess' keys finally make appearances with some lead synth soloing as well as some backing piano. Awesome heavy riff breaks mid song again bring Metallica to mind. This one's amazing in it's intensity and very crazy and abrupt changes. James LaBrie's vocals on this one are more typical of what he's done in the past but it's the instrumental sections which really drive this song. A surprising additive is some rap-style vocal by James on this one that is a bit out of place but isn't fatal to the song. Up next, Endless Sacrifice, is easily the best track on the album and one of the best songs they've ever written as far as I'm concerned. A quiet and very Welcome Home (Sanitarium) style of opening (the drum part is almost the same) uses a blend of piano and keyboard orchestration along with James' voice to set the tone. Big heavy riffing blasts in for the chorus section complete with feedback squeals from John's guitar between chords. I love the change to a really pounding heavy passage mid-song. It's very out of character but it's an awesome riff and I can just see people's heads starting to move with this one. The song speeds up with more staggering riffing, leads, harmonies and keyboard leads and is pure heaven to listen to. Great harmony with the vocals and choruses and also crushingly heavy at the same time.....are these guys pissed off at something???? Honor Thy Father begins with some quirky Anthrax style thrash metal riffing with amazing double bass flurries by Mike Portnoy and the song deals with the trials and tribulations of family life. Rap style vocals are used again in one section in what seems to be a confrontation between a father and his adopted son. Another very angry song, this very riff heavy track has very few keyboards and the riffing builds to a frenzy during a section of the song with background spoken voices representing a therapy session between father and son. Lots of atmospheric instrumental sections add to the intensity of this one as well. Vacant, is a short piece with just piano, voice and a string section and James pulls off a nice quiet vocal. This is a nice break (although short) from the intensity of the album thus far.

For the final 2 tracks, the band gets back to business. Stream Of Consciousness is an instrumental track that along with it's big heavy riffs and keyboard layering has a Queensryche Operation Mindcrime style with the riffing and choppy rhythms. Mike Portnoy provides some huge spinning drum fills and John Petrucci whips off some staggering ascending and descending speed scale runs that will make your head spin. The last track, In The Name Of God, is another killer track and before anyone gets nervous about any apparent Christian overtones, this one should actually be called "Killing" In The Name Of God and deals with religious fanaticism that ultimately leads to violence in our present day and age, all justified (apparently) in the name of God. Big boomy and pounding heavy rhythms again are the norm here with some killer riffing and very abstract and off-beat drumming. The chorus is awesome and one of the best on the album. Instrumentally, this one has some very technical guitar and keyboard trade-offs mid song before returning to the main riff and chorus sections.

James LaBrie's voice really takes a back seat to the music on this album and he really is just another instrument in the wall of sound. The band has opted for an extremely heavy approach to their music this time (at least by their standards) but still manage to maintain the quality in musicianship and arrangements that they're known for. The production is big and powerful and the band has never sounded better. Long time fans of the band will certainly be surprised by this album, some pleasantly and others not so pleasantly. Heavy metal fans that really haven't gotten into Dream Theater yet will have a feast with this one. This album is going to be huge and only time will tell but in the long run, it may someday be regarded as some of the band's best work to date. My album of the year so far...

Rating: 8/10

Marty - www.metalreviews.com



Train of Thought is the seventh studio album by progressive band Dream Theater, released on November 11, 2003 through Elektra Records. Inspired by the audience response to Dream Theater's heavier songs while on tour, in the "Chaos in Progress" documentary, Portnoy says that they wanted Train of Thought to be a "balls to the wall" album with heavier, darker riffing, exposing them to a number of new metal fans. The album was written in three weeks. It was engineered by Doug Oberkircher and mixed by Kevin Shirley. Most of the album was played in concert for the Live at Budokan DVD. All songs from it have been played live to date.

As mentioned in videos of the recording/writing sessions, which were filmed by Mike Portnoy, the band "cooped themselves in a rehearsal studio" in New York, and wrote the full album from March 10 through April 3, in a record time of three weeks, after which they began recording, starting with the drum tracks and ending with the vocals.

The album opens with the same chord that closed the previous album, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Similarly, the faint piano note that ends the album is heard at the beginning of the band's next album, Octavarium. Some lyrics of "As I Am" were inspired by Dream Theater's 2003 summer tour with Queensrÿche, described by Mike Portnoy as an "irksome series of shows." According to Portnoy, Queensrÿche guitarist Mike Stone tried giving John Petrucci tips on playing guitar, leading Petrucci to write the lyrics: "Don't tell me what's in, tell me how to write". "This Dying Soul" continues Mike Portnoy's Twelve-step Suite, which started with "The Glass Prison" on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and later continued with "The Root of All Evil" on Octavarium, "Repentance" on Systematic Chaos, and concluded with "The Shattered Fortress" on Black Clouds & Silver Linings. These songs share some of the lyrics and melodies. For example, this song features a riff from "The Glass Prison", which is heard at the start of this song's step "Release". "Honor Thy Father" was written about Mike Portnoy's stepfather. When asked about what inspired him to write that song, he stated in an IRC: "I'm not very good at writing love songs, so I decided to write a hate song!" Some of the samples in the instrumental break "Honor Thy Father" are taken from Paul Thomas Anderson's film Magnolia, in the scene when Jason Robards' character is talking to Philip Seymour Hoffman's character about his regrets in life. There are also parts taken from the film At Close Range in which a scene of Sean Penn and Christopher Walken's characters can be heard arguing. Other voice samples heard during the bridge were taken from the movies Ordinary People, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Oz. The lyrics to "Vacant" were inspired by James LaBrie's daughter, who fell into a short coma after suffering a sudden, unexplained seizure three days before her seventh birthday. "Stream of Consciousness" is the longest instrumental on a Dream Theater studio album to date. Between 5:51 and 6:07 of the song "In the Name of God", there was a hidden composition buried beneath the far louder sounds of the song itself which lay undiscovered for over a year and a half. The band did not tell anyone that a hidden "nugget" (as it became known amongst Dream Theater fans) was present in the song, and only when Mike Portnoy mentioned it in his Mike Portnoy: Live at Budokan Drum-Cam DVD over a year later did someone find it. The Mike Portnoy message board was rife with fans scouring the song looking for what it might be, until a fan going by the pseudonymous name "DarrylRevok" mentioned that from 5:51 to 6:07 there appeared to be morse code audible, which Nick Bogovich (user handle "Bogie") isolated and discovered that when translated to English, the phrase "eat my ass and balls" (a Mike Portnoy catchphrase) was the result. From 12:56 onwards of "In the Name of God", the American Civil War hymn "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" can be heard in the right channel. Jordan Rudess played the final note in the album (heard at 14:06 of "In the Name of God") with his nose as shown in the "Making Train of Thought" documentary. Mike Portnoy approved the take while he was filming.

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