Track one, As I am: Track one starts off with a nice bass harmonic on Myungs 6 string. For a big bang heavy opening on Petrucci's 7 string Ernie Ball.
This song is in my opinion the 2nd hardest song on the CD, even though the whole CD features a 7 string this song is a little bit more intense.
The song is about more of a force/person and a man. Apparently the man has some goal to do, thus by the line "I've been trying to justify you, in the end I will just- defy you." It as well speaks about "To those who understand, I extend my hand, to the doubtful I demand, take me as I am, not under your command, I know where I stand, I won't change to fit your plan, take me as I am."
Due to the beginning:" Don't, tell me what's in, tell me how to write, don't tell me how to win, this fight." This can only leave the listeners assuming he has a greater person/force enslaving him and he comes to his wits to fight back. Track receives 4/5 Duration is 7:47
Track two, This dying soul: Mike Portnoy wrote this song due to his old drinking issues, 3rd heaviest song on the album with amazing guitar, drum, bass, and if you listen carefully, keyboard work.
Song starts off with a pretty simple 7 string 4 note combo, with guitar feed back and portnoy using those double kick bass's gets your adrenaline pumping fast with petrucci bursting into a pretty sweet opening tapping solo and catch riff of the song. There's some sweet keyboard in the opening too, for those of you who enjoy the master of the 88 keys you can have fun with that part.
As mentioned above, this song is about portnoy's old drinking addiction. " Hello, Mirror - so glad to see you my friend, it's been a while. "Searching, Fearless - where do I begin to heal this wound of self-denial." There simple enough, at least portnoy has the nuts to admit it in the first two stanza's. Although, there are some cons in this song, I am not a fan of the two rap verse's, not what I really call "Progressive Metal."
Part two of the song features how he found help "Come to me my friend (Listen to me), I'll help this torture end (Help to set me free), Let your ego go (I can't carry this load), You can't go through this alone (I feel so hopeless and exposed), You'll find your peace of mind (Give me some direction), You can no longer hide (Break out of this isolation), Let humility (Openness, honesty), And become what you can be (A healing tranquility)."
Song gets a 5/5, due to the fact I see drinking as not a good thing, fine on occasion, just a bad habit, oh and how well it was made by these 4 virtuoso's. Duration is 11:27
Track 3, Endless Sacrafice: This song is a Petrucci written song in Drop C (so if you wanna play it, drop tune it dude). Although, this song has some pretty sweet hidden keyboard made violin sounds in the verse's if you have a good ear.
This is perhaps the most depressive song on the CD, even the first to stanza's say it " Cold, Lying in my bed, Staring into darkness, Lost, I hear footsteps overhead, And my thoughts return, Again."
All I, the reviewer can do, is just assume this has something to do with Petrucci and his father. " You're so far away
And so alone
You long for love's embrace
To keep you sane
To make you whole
Try to stay alive
Until I hear your voice
I'm gonna lose my mind
Someone tell me why
I chose this life
This superficial lie
Constant compromise
Endless sacrifice." This is where I can guess this is Petrucci in the first stanza, and his father in the 2nd two.
This song has a pretty sweet keyboard solo part in there, nice guitar solo's, nice drum beats and nice vocals for once! This song receives a 4/5. Duration 11:24
Track 4, Honor thy Father: This is another Portnoy song, although this is a emotional song, doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be slow. For the insane drum solo unleash opening by portnoy and that heavy Drop B power chord by Petrucci you instantly get the feeling this is going to be a intense song, which is easily is. This song is pointed to the pig head step-dad portnoy had. With the hidden voice of a more deeper voice singing in the verse, and the intense keyboard work after the 1st verse, personally I was freaked out. Mostly from the Lyrics.
" We're taught unconditional love
That blood is thicker than water
That a parent's world would revolve
Always around their son or their daughter
You pretend I was your own
And even believed that you loved me
But were always threatened by some
Invisible blood line that only you could see
You took advantage of an outreached hand
And twisted it to meet your every need
''Gimme time to re-charge my batteries,
I'll see her when she's older and I'll bounce her on my knee.''"
This song personally freaks me out due to how intense it can be, even deeper in the song..
" How can you ever sleep a wink at night
Pretending that everything is alright
And have the balls to blame this mess on me
Never in my life have I seen someone
Oblivious to the damage he has done
You're the rotted root in the family tree
Watch where you walk
Don't you dare cross the crooked step
Watch the way you talk
Don't cross the crooked step
On and on and on and on it goes
Chauvinistic, heartless, selfish, cold
How can you ever sleep a wink at night
Pretending that everything is alright
And have the balls to blame this *** on me
Never in my life have I seen someone
So ---- blind to the damage he has done
You're the rotted root in the family tree. "
Even though I posted almost all of the song, this song has a ton of deep anger, and feelings written in, for the extremity portnoy throws in on his snare and cymbals. This song get's a 4/5
Track 5, Vacant: This is by far the slowest song on the CD (and not to mention Dream Theater's shortest, Majesty their prior name had 14 seconds.) This song clocks in at 2:57. Even though it's slow there is beautiful violin parts in here, and nice relaxing keyboard (This song is played on the 20th anniversary CD and DVD coming later in the year with a Orchestra). This song has a bit of lack somehow, so due to it, it only gets a 3/5.
Track 6, Stream of Consciousness: By far my favorite instrumental (Besides instrumedaly in Live at Budokan Disk two track 2). This song has a fancy D# full set tuning, with some fancy powerchords, bass, keyboard and drums. This song, like almost every other instrumental (Ytse Jam), was written after some form of psychological term, (Erotomania, Paradigm Shift (It's LTE but DT still plays it live), and etc), this song has a Keyboard spotlight which is cool I admit. Not enough of those in most bands. Has a amazing Petrucci solo, bass (if you have a good ear), and some nice drum work.
The song also features some amazing bass and guitar synchro, which is probably my favorite part besides the solos.
Final track, track 7, In the Name of God: Song has a pretty sweet guitar opening into a distorted catchy riff.
Not sure what to think of this song, I can only assume this is about a sick twisted religious person who has lost all normal thought. In the first line " How can this be?
Why is he the chosen one?
Saint gone astray
With a scepter and a gun
Learn to believe
In the mighty and the strong
Come bleed the beast
Follow me it won't be long " Only assuming this person is a twisted individual who hates what has come of the world as the chorus speaks of:
" Listen when the prophet
Speaks to you
Killing in the name of God
Passion
Twisting faith into violence
In the name of God ".
And later int he song it just gives you the base of why he is twisted
" Hundreds of believers
Lured into a doomsday cult
All would perish
In the name of God
Self-proclaimed messiah
Led his servants
To their death
Eighty murdered
In the name of God
Forty sons and daughters
Un-consenting plural wives
Perversions
In the name of God
Underground religion
Turning toward
The mainstream light
Blind devotion
In the name of God" All this song does is not helps, is enlighten me/us as to what is going on in the world. Imo, the guy can't stand the twistedness, so he kills them all. Sounds like fun to me =P.
Overall, Train of Thought is the 2nd best album to me, incredibly made, was made in 3 weeks which is pretty good for how well it is. Album recieves 4/5 total to me.
Cons(-)
This Dying Souls Rap verses
Vacants shortness
Personally, this was a big step into the darker deeper side with the vocals, not my thing
Pros (+)
70 minutes long
Very diverse instrument wise
Very well made for 3 weeks in the music making (not recording)
7 stringed guitar was a nice change for those extra 5 notes
Jordan Rudess's best keyboard work with Dream Theater yet.
Now that I read this, not as good as a review as I hope it would be, just be honest so I can know what to work on.
