Systematic Chaos. Dream Theater's newest album. I love it. This is probably DT''s heaviest album to date, although Train of Thought is pretty close to it.
1- In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1
Great starting track. This is the album's 26 minute epic split into two parts. They felt that it was a great way to open and close the album. When listened together with part 2 it is amazing. Much better paced than Octavarium from the previous album of the same name. There is a huge instrumental part in the very beginning, it is 5 minutes before you even start hearing James sing in this near 9 minute track. I never went onto any sites to see what other people think of it, so this is my impression. This part is about a man who has died and is walking a long path towards the light. Along his path, Satan comes and tests his faith, tempting him to join him. The man, thinking about how his life ended, starts to accept Satan's offer.
2- Forsaken
A shorter track by DT's normal work, comming in at 5:36. Forsaken is about a man, asleep, bitten by a female vampire. Who doesn't completely realize whats going on outside his dream. The vamipre leaves, and he is left wanting more. While it is a short and slow song, I still like it. Jordan and John P. have some fun with this one but it is really James' show on this one. Lots of him singing his ass off.
3- Constant Motion
The planned first single for this album. Another song that is just about average length for them at nearly 7 minutes. Lots of heavy guitar and drums. If you like Metallica then you will like this track. James' singing sounds so close to them sometimes on this track that it's funny. A pretty straight foward track. It is about Mike Portnoy's OCD.
4- The Dark Eternal Night
One of DT's heaviest tracks. Even James cant sing some parts of this without some distortion added. Bass Drum and Guitar take most of this song. The song is about some dark force describing itself and its past. One of my favorite tracks on this album besides the 2 parter. Crazy guitar solo, awesome drum beats, even the keyboard gets time to shine and have fun.
5- Repentance
This is the one song I don't like very much. A long, very slow song in a part of a series about Mike Portnoy's AA course. This part of the series describes step 8 and 9. The series started in Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence with the song This Dying Soul. The problem with this song and the reason why it is good and bad is the timing. It slows down the album like crazy. While it is heartfelt, including spoken parts from other people in different bands about their own experiences with AA, it just doesn't fit very well with the album.
6- Prophets of War
One of the few songs written by James Lebrie himself. (Most of the songs are written by Mike or John P.) Jordan gets a lot of room to have fun here. John has pretty simple but good sounding guitar riffs here. This song has radio written all over it. It is a anti-war song, asking if its too late to fix what has been done. That if they will forgive what has been done to let us make things right.
7- The Ministry of Lost Souls
This one is quite interesting. A long song at nearly 15 minutes. Everyone knows how fast John P. is but he also plays slow songs very well too. Him and James take the show on this one. I'm still not exactly sure how to explain this song. I believe it is about a man and woman who have both died. The man has crossed over, but the woman is too scared to go. The man who loves her deeply, has to decide to go without her to heaven, or to stay and keep reaching for her.
8- In the Presence of Enemies Pt.2
The man is going with Satan, the dark master. Satan speaks to the man, of how he has been expected. How angels will fall for you, how you will bleed for us. The man is convinced. However, he starts to realize what he is getting into. He then starts to hear the word of god. Siding with him, he begins to fight back against his internal demons. He finally reaches the infernal gates, and has to make a decision. So ends this epic of a track. It has everything, it starts slowly but speeds up for the grand finale. Everyone gets to shine in this one, an awesome way to end the album.
I cannot recommend this album enough. If you ever wanted to get a DT album that really shows all sides of the band, this is it. This one ties Scenes from a Memory as my favorite DT album. Get it!
