I should probably preface this review by stating that Dream Theater is far and away my favorite band, so my review of their latest album might be a bit biased. Still, that doesn't change the fact that Train of Thought is one of the best albums I've heard in quite some time.

Clocking in at 7 tracks in just under 70 minutes, Train of Thought is a leaner offering than the band's previous release, the mammoth

. It's also heavier, more focused, more song-oriented, and more powerful overall than Six Degrees, which at times came across as a just a showcase for the band's considerable technical prowess. Train of Thought still has plenty of excellent instrumental passages (like the brilliant instrumental track "Stream of Consciousness"), and is still very much a progressive album; it's just that the instrumentals seem to merge better with the vocals to make each song more dynamic and effective. Each band member is clearly in top form on this release, and it's obvious that they all have continued to grow their talents over time. The band also seems to focus on the more metallic aspects of progressive metal with this album, which may be their heaviest release ever. Dream Theater had been performing covers of albums like Master of Puppets (Metallica) and The Number of the Beast (Iron Maiden) on some of their recent live shows, and you can hear that classic metal influence quite clearly in Train of Thought.

Overall I'm quite pleased with this album. It's heavy, progressive, powerful, and may just be Dream Theater's best album since

. I would particularly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Images and Words and Awake, but might have been put off a bit by the highly technical and progressive nature of the band's last two releases.

NOTE ON THE KOREAN EDITION: This is just a heads-up to all of the die-hard Dream Theater fans. The bonus disc that comes with this Korean exclusive edition of Train of Thought is taken directly from Dream Theater's last live release - Live Scenes from New York. There is nothing in this edition that you haven't already heard. It does come in a pretty cool double jewel case with a slipcase, but fancy packaging is not nearly enough to make it worth the hefty price tag this edition carries. I found this out the hard way. By the way, I reviewed the regular edition of Train of Thought and gave it a full 5-star rating. This one is rated low because it seems like a rip-off.

Let me start by saying I have every DT album and bootleg,and have seen them live numerous times.Most of the time it takes a few listens of the album to gauge it.After 20 or so listens(It's so good I can't stop listening)I've decided that this is their best work to date.Being a huge metal fan, I must say this is the album I've been waiting for since "AWAKE".This album has an in your face,take no prisoners vibe to it.From beginning to end it is a non stop roller coaster of brutal riffs,insane drums,keys and solos.The only breather here is the song "Vacant"which is a slow melodic track.There is no weak point on this album.So,if you like the metal side of DT most of you will love this.If not,don't rip them for being too heavy because it was DT's intent to produce a classic metal album,and that they have done,brilliantly.

"Don't Cross The Crooked Step"

I have spent the last year analyzing this album. It has been in my car and on my computer almost everyday since i first picked it up in January 2004. I saw them on tour twice post album-release and even talked to them backstage at Universaly Amp. in Sept. My conclusion:

This album is beyond brilliant. Many people have argued that the solos are repetitive and that the lyrics fall short of expectations. At first I agreed with these views. The first couple times I listened to the album, I proclaimed that Dream Theater had missed. I even refered to it as their "St. Anger".

Then, after listening to it more and more, it finally clicked. I began hearing things I had never heard the during the first listening sessions. ALL DT fans have gone through this routine - of picking up new things and uncovering meanings within the songs with each new listen - like a Tarantino film.

Skeptics: STOP COMPARING THIS TO OTHER DT ALBUMS AND SIDE PROJECTS. STOP IT NOW. Any REAL Dream Theater fan knows that these 5 extraordinary musicians have the ability to explore multitudes of musical styles, and the fact that DT is able to successfully write a dark/heavy album such as this after releasing a concept album (SFAM) and a more jazz/fusion album (6DOIT) is testimony that this band KNOWS HOW TO DO THINGS.

The key to enjoying this album is TIME. It may take up to 10 listening sessions to finally appreciate it, but believe me - when you do you will not want to stop listening. Although I personally do not think this album is DT's best (In my opinion that's a tossup between Images and Words and Scenes from a Memory), Train of Thought is an enjoyable whirlwind of musical virtuosity and exploration.

I am so glad that in a dark age in musical history, where bands such as the White Stripes are rewarded for their "talent", that bands such as Dream Theater stay dedicated to progress and musical development.

This album belongs in the cd players of any true music fan.

This is Dream Theater turned up to eleven! Of course they can write melodic and thought-provoking music. Just like their past albums. But remember that they are considered a progressive METAL band. That means that they have every right to turn it up if they choose. I have read some of these negative reviews and all I can think is that there are a lot of people living in the past. Images and Words was awesome. So was Awake, 6DOIT and Scenes from A Memory (my all time personal favorite) But each on those albums stood on their own. Even Falling Into Infinity is good on its own. There can only be one IAW. One 6DOIT. One FII. One Awake etc. When you start expecting new albums to sound like past albums, that's when you set yourself up for disappointment. True fans allow their favorites to express themselves how they want. True you don't have to like it, but you should respect their creative vision and right to do it. Heck, I'm not a fan of the new King's X CD, but I do respect them for trying something different for their fans and most of all, themselves. Remember, the music we listen to is suppose to reflect the artist that performs it. It's an extension of them and how they feel at the time.

It is not cool however, to predict the doom of a classic band, especially when they are no where close to the end. So get over yourselves.

This album is a brutal onslaught and is 100% Dream Theater. I see all the benefits that have come from all the side projects the members have done becuase there are multiple influences in this CD while at the same time staying true to their own sound they perfected. It annoys me that people compare this CD to GodSmack or even (what the f*** were these people thinking?) Kid Rock. Here's the thing, You can "hear" certain artists on other artists CDs when you are hearing the music and not really listening. People compare one thing to another when they have no clue what they are talking about. That's why you can hear people doing ridiculous comparisons between one artist or another. Hell, I could hear Kid Rock or Godsmack in Celine Dion's music if I concetrated hard enough and did that much crack. My advice, don't listen to this CD as a Godsmack Cd but as a Dream Theater Cd as it was originally intended.

Honor Thy Father is the most brutally honest song I have ever heard from Dream Theater as long as I have been a fan of the band. In the Name of God has warranted the praise it has gotten. The album as a whole, is a sonic attack on your senses. Pure Dream Theater and nothing else.

If you naysayers think this is too fast, don't listen to Symphony X.

All you people who blasted this CD, do yourself a favor, put your comparisons and your highly distorted expectations at the door and listen to this disc as a Dream Theater album. You might see things differently.

It seems a lot of people have forgotten what "Progressive" really means. Here I go referencing Webster's: "1. moving forward in space; advancing. 2. increasing by successive stages. 3. a progress toward something better..." Progressive music is driven by the notion that music isn't stagnant. It's made up of passionate people who really want to explore and create new music, not just print lyrics up with some variations on the same old same old.

From interviews I've read of Dream Theater, they say that Train of Thought was just something they wanted to do. They all have a fascination with metal music, and they used this album to explore that side of their music. And they did a damn good job! Take the heavier moments in their music and expand them to a full-length album, just as advanced, just as impressive, and you've got a good idea of what TOT is like.

If you're offended by the idea that Dream Theater likes metal or really any genre of music besides Awake, Images&Words, et al, then why are you listening to progressive metal in the first place?

"Stream of Consciousness," an 11-minute instrumental, is my favorite track on the album. It is flawlessly executed, and I can't get enough of it. Also noteworthy are the drums on "Honor Thy Father." Mike Portnoy will blow you away on this album. The general idea of the whole album is that these guys are incredible musicians, who are more than capable of making fantastic albums, in virtually any musical realm they would like to.

Perhaps try comparing this album to some of the other "straight-up metal" choices out there. This album over St. Anger? Maybe we'd be giving out 31-star ratings, as opposed to 2-star ratings.