This is the song I feel like when my first hearing it, I didn’t get it as a 20 years as a DT fan and an amateur musician . As I listened to this like thousand of times, it becomes like 32 year old single malt whiskey. The tempo change, aesthetic composition, melodies all comes into place. Thank you Dough for the perfect pitch and review so I understand the song in more in-depth.
Same effect with The Best of Times: a great solo after a great note of LaBrie, a great ending to a great song. Petrucci is a freaking genius, in my opinion. They all are.
As Dream Theater began working on what would become Octavarium, Portnoy noted that it would be their eighth studio album and that they had recently released their fifth live album, Live at Budokan. This sequence mirrored the octave of a keyboard: each octave contains eight natural and five accidentals. Portnoy suggested to the band members that they would compose the album following this concept. While writing, the group assigned each song a different key. To connect the various songs, some sound effects have been applied: for example The Root of All Evil, written in F, and the following track, The Answer Lies Within, written in G, are linked through a sound effect composed in F sharp major. The lyrics and song titles also refer to this concept. Some examples cited by Portnoy are the titles of the opening piece The Root of All Evil (from "root", the root note of a chord) and the closing piece Octavarium ("the octave of an octave"). Octavarium begins with The Root of All Evil, whose initial note is the same as the one with which the song In the Name of God, present in the previous album, ends. This characteristic had already been applied by the group also with As I Am, the opening track of Train of Thought which begins with the last note of the title track of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, and with The Glass Prison, opening track of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence which begins with the same audible rustle at the end of Finally Free, the final track of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. This feature was born out of Portnoy's inspiration from the Van Halen album Women and Children First, in which the ending of the final track of the album ends with a new riff that is played while a fade occurs; the drummer remembered hoping that the next Van Halen album would open with that final riff, but was disappointed when they didn't do that. He later realized he had "dug a hole where we expected to do it every time", but he solved the problem with Octavarium, where the title track finale ends with the introduction of the first track. This made the album a cycle in itself, allowing the group to have a clean start with their next album.
I really miss them doing concepts like this. It made the albums feel connected, then adding the AA suit across 5 albums, metropolis pt 1 to pt2. Now there’s no more connections or concepts like that anymore.
Guh that’s so much juicy symbolism. Never got too into DT but I can appreciate the absolute god tier musicianship from all involved. Also, Doug you’re the man for doing these videos - your brains are also much appreciated. Thanks!
Fun fact - you actually listened to a pre-release version of the song, which leaked out onto the internet a week or two before this album came out - the flute solo at the very end is only present in that demo version, in the actual released version, the flute solo is not there, and is replaced by the first few notes of the first song from the album - this was done for two reasons, firstly to make the album go full circle, as that's a huge theme of Octavarium, and secondly due to the fact that Dream Theater wanted to end the "meta album" concept, their 6th album began the static noise from the end of the previous one, then the 7th album began with the fadeout from the 6th reversed, and the 8th album, Octavarium, opened with the same piano note that ended the 7th (which Jordan played with his nose). So basically everything from "Scenes from a Memory" up through "Octavarium" are one continuous work. They wanted to end that as it put a lot of pressure on them to begin the next album in a specific way, so by ending Octavarium with it's own beginning, they got out of that loop pretty well.
Yes indeed. For all of us musicians who love DT would just marvel at how each end note of a song leads to the next song as a continuum, and when songs are reviewed as a single song - they don't get the seamless continuation into the next song if the pause was removed.
@@VHCosta he literally bent over and played it with his nose, there was a video of it up on the band's website, probably can find it on UA-cam now if you look
Same. I was there that evening and not gonna lie, i cried when the strings hit in razor's edge. It was a special night. One of my favorite nights in my 35 years on this earth.
Octavarium is also exactly 24 minutes long, the number hours in day. ("So secure content to live each day just like the last", "Trapped inside this Octavarium", "This story ends where it began")
This is not just a reaction channel. This channel is a true journey into the depths of the most intricate nuances of the individual artists of songs you are reacting to. Harmonically, technically, rhythmically, lyrically, and melodically. What a journey my friend. I leave each of your videos inspired and excited about music. Really good. Invaluable insights!
Thank you Doug for actually reviewing and reacting to songs and not just sitting like a lump or making uninformed comments. Thanks for being real! And intelligent!
@@MrFritzinger Yeah, might as well just go with the (better mixed) studio version. Plus, it's more like 8 songs with good transitions between one another, and a few recurring themes. Goodnight Kiss is fucking amazing, though!!!
It's like showing your favourite band to a friend and them being really hyped about it instead of shrugging it off and changing subject. I was crying by the end with your reaction. Thank you.
Remember, the three original guys in the band went to Berklee College of Music, and Jordan went to Julliard, so they REALLY know their theory. They know exactly what they're doing, and hope that guys like you sit there and pick out all those various intervals, chord shifts, tempo changes, etc. Their music is such a master class in extreme composition, pushing the boundaries, yet remaining catchy and just fun to listen to. I've been a fan since the early 90's, and their music still does it for me.
He did it! Seriously I’m so happy you enjoyed this. Many have already posted recommending Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. It’s an even bigger time commitment at over 40 minutes but it would be fun!
cant believe its been that long... remember when this was the first new dream theater album that came out shortly after i became a fan. fantastic stuff.
@@Doug.HelveringHi Doug, love your videos and particularly Dream Theater as they are my favourite band, so keep them coming 😁 Here's a link to the meaning of the lyrics, absolutely brilliant concept.....enjoy en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavarium_(song)#:~:text=Octavarium%20%2D%20%22A%20Perfect%20Sphere%2C,Everything%20ends%20where%20it%20began%22
IMHO this is Dream Theater's finest moment. This song alone encapsulates everything the band stands for musically. While you're at it btw...doing DTs long songs that is, you HAVE TO do A Change of Seasons.
I have a soft spot for "Take the time". But Metropolis for me takes the cake. Then again, I'm not a super huge Dream Theater fan. But yeah, that's where I stand.
A Change of Seasons This is song is a masterpiece. You should check out Live Scenes from New York. OMG this was the best show ever. "Learning to live" by the way is also very good. Oh Doug, i'm so glad that you're reacting to Dream Theater. Seeing you with a big smile and just feeling happy about such a great music is heartwarming and gives me the feeling i had many years ago when Dream Theater started their journey.
I came here to post this!!! I would lo to see Doug enjoy a change of seasons Live in New York... THIS IS MASTER PEACE!!! Hope to see this in another episode.
I, on the other hand, think that if Doug is going to react to A Change of Seasons, he should go for the studio version for an accurate first impression of the song. The audio is much better mixed in the studio version. As a musical composer, Doug would most likely appreciate hearing cleaner distinct notes and nuances from the instruments (as well as James' vocals) as intended to be heard in the band's original composition.
This is probably if not definitely THE most articulate and thoughtful reaction to Dream Theater. Well done - instantly subbed and probably also fell in love. 11/10 want to be friends.
I normally dislike reaction videos, but you actually take time to absorb the music, you explore the background and you teach your audience about everything you've discovered. From musical theory to explanation and your own interpretation of lyrics. Super cool, thank you Sir! I've learned so much from this video.
The meaning behind the Octavarium is ending exactly behind you begun, therefore, 8 spheres, 8 whole tones (12 notes including half steps), each song in the album follows a specific key, starting from The Root Of All Evil in F, going up till they reach Octavarium, again in F, a full Octave.
@George Deves You said 8 spheres, 8 tones. I add that 8 spheres got a covers of previous DT album (this all spheres looks like a "pendulum" toy in the psyhistrist room). This song is very difficult to brake.
The way I interpret the whole story of the song is: - When Dream Theater first started they tried to carve their own path, and wanted it to be as different as possible from everything that came before them ("I never wanted to become someone like him", "So I swore that I'd Never be someone like him"). - However, now, after all these years of trying to be different, they realized they are building upon all of their inspirations and trying to reach their heights ("So suddenly, the only thing I wanted to become, to be someone just like him"). - At the end, they finally accept the fact that although they tried their best being 'different', they are actually walking the same path as all the people they look up to ("Trapped inside this Octavarium", as if saying "I am what my predecessors made me") . To summarize, I think this whole song is speaking about their journey as a band and how they can't escape the influence of their inspirations (and at this point they realize their inspirations are who made them what they are, and are grateful for that).
I have literally listened to all of Dream Theater's songs a thousand times. As a former musician, I literally studied them for years when I was younger and I know almost everything about every song. Watching your reactions make me cry of joy and of a strange kind of emotion, like your innocent surprise it's mine all over again
@@prasetyoyulanda1710 It´s both. Look at a piano keyboard and start the white/black keys pattern on an F note (the "key" that the album revolves around) and it alines perfectly.
@@abdurrahmanzulfikry9202 not quite. When this album came out, they still had the Johns and Mike as the 3 original members. So it would have to be the other way around.
Oh boy I knew this one was gonna be good. Some clarifications to some of the stuff you were talking/asking about: In Intervals, each line references a track on the album Octavarium, in order, ending with itself. If you listen *really* closely, you can hear a short clip from each song playing in the background during these lines. The very ending of the released version of the song isn't actually the fading out flute that you heard - it was changed away from this at the very last minute but this flute version was leaked onto the internet before release. The album version of Octavarium ends with a low F note on the piano, which is how the album starts (this story ends where it began etc). Each part of the song describes a different eventual cycle of something ending where it begins - for Someone Like Him you pretty much nailed the meaning. For Medicate, the person starts and ends in a coma. For Full Circle, you also picked up on the meaning - they're paying homage to their influences whilst also becoming them. For Intervals, it's really the album wrapping back round on itself, and for Razor's Edge, it's the song wrapping back on itself. In fact, the song being 24 minutes long is itself a reference to the daily cycle of hours! The album (and its art) is filled with references to the number 8, but also to the number 5, referencing the sharps/flats. You can see on the album art that the birds fly in between the eight balls at the places where the black keys would be. When listening to the full album, there is extra "weirdness" between some of the songs that represents these notes. If listening on a CD player, these sounds show as the "negative time" between songs.
You are correct that they are referencing each song on the album in the intervals section. Not only does each line summarize the message of each song, but if you listen closely, they put a sample audio clip from each album track in the background of each line, including the song Octavarium itself (“medicate me”). They also play the opening theme while James is screaming “Trapped Inside this Octavarium” (listen very closely). These guys are geniuses and they put so much thought into every section.
I was in my last year of high school when this album came out. It was a particularly difficult time in my life, as I had few friends and was pretty much terminally depressed... often thought of just ending it. But knowing that Dream Theater was going to drop this album before my semester was out, I kept on going somehow... I didn't want to miss out on this. And my mind was so promptly blown by this title track, and I dunno, I guess it was kind of a rejuvenating thing for me and gave me a lot of inspiration to keep going with my own music as well. So I guess you could say Octavarium saved my life.
@@IcarusNadir Well, I'm still here 16 years later, so that probably tells you how that turned out :P A lot of things could be better, and the pandemic lockdown's had me go to a few dark places, but it's FAR from as bad as it was in the past.
My new Friday normal. Come home from work, change, grab an adult beverage and listen to Doug's schooling on an epic piece of music. Really getting into these Friday longer videos.
@@PeteSolar nop, dt had 7 albums out, this was their 8th 1989 When Dream and Day Unite 1992 Images and Words 1994 Awake 1997 Falling into Infinity 1999 Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory 2002 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence 2003 Train of Thought 2005 Octavarium
The "Trapped inside this Octavarium" I believe refers to the fact that every DT album since Metropolis pt. 2 had started on the same tone that the previous album ended with. The band felt they hat gotten stuck in this pattern, but with Octavarium they were finally able to break the cycle by having the album circle back on itself and end on the same note it began with.
I've listened to this piece countless times and I could never figure out what the lyrics meant, and this man just cracked the code on his first time listening to it while at the same time figuring out all the harmony on the fly. I love this channel.
This might have been mentioned already, but it still amazes me to this day. About the album art: something not many people have noticed, are the birds. They're not placed randomly. Imagine the spheres being the white piano keys, and the birds being the black keys. You then get a beautiful octave going from F to F, which is coincidentally (or not) also the root of the song. There's so much thought put into this!
I have "discovered" this right now! I was searching it before comment and found yours. YES! IS A FUCKING PIANO STARTING FROM F! And every ball is also the root of every song.
it can't be. There's just one spot in the middle where there isn't a black key (bird) but on the piano there are always spots where there aren't two black keys
I first discovered Dream theater in 1993. There was something about them that hit me differently. Hit me in a way that still to this day I cannot fully understand or begin to explain. I don't know what it is. I have heard Octovarium a thousand times and have always loved it. But watching your reaction, listening to your analysis, and seeing not only the understanding, but the emotion in your reaction.... It was kind of like hearing it again for the very first time. That was truly wonderful. Thank you for that
I TOTALLY agree. Amazing that you've been a fan that long. I have been a fan since 99, and hundreds of bands have come and gone out of my playlist. Over 20 years later though, DT is the ONLY band I have never gotten sick of. I feel like their complexity really lends toward high replay value, because there is always something there to digest. And what you said in your second paragraph is something I have been loving about this reaction era of UA-cam. Nobody else I grew up with liked DT. I never got to share that feeling of appreciation of the music with anyone else. So in a weird way, it's like I am finally getting to feel that with reactions/breakdowns. There have been a few other reactors who got into DT through their channels, and ended up as their all time favorite band. One guy even got a DT tattoo. Great stuff!
I believe the Wall is canonically circular. It is meant to protect the protagonist from the outside world, and it is built around him. The verses of Full Circle end with "Home Again", which is a lyric from Dark Side of the Moon, unless it's also a reference to something different I'm not aware of.
I love this guy!!! Perfect review and reaction. His reaction at 34:50 is me everytime that part comes. “Yes!!!” 🙌🏻 the most uplifting section of the solo
Definitely not the biggest DT fan here, but Change of Seasons and Octavarium especially are awesome. Long epics that evolve and maintain cohesiveness; the polar opposite of stuff like Count of Tuscany and Six Degrees, which are just a whole bunch of stuff sewed together to form one long inconsistent mess, framed only by its lyrical theme and one chord here and another there.
This is not a react, this is a tribute. Jokes aside, I was in 2 concerts in Brazil, from Octavarium tour, and it was something else. It was a indoor concert, so the quality of the sound was beyond any other band I've watched: it was studio level. In the second evening, SFAM full album. Jeeeezzz!!!!
There's many things in life I wish I could experience for the first time... However, Octavarium and A Change of Seasons are the two songs I can hear for years and still feel the same joy as the first time I heard them. My cousin gave me A Change of Seasons CD for my birthday back in 2001 and my 11 year old brain just exploded. Sounds dramatic but it changed my entire life. Thanks for this reaction!
Doug, INCREDIBLE job, brother!! Dream Theater is my ABSOLUTE favorite band. You have done an amazing tribute to this incredible song. The song also ends in the first note the album begins in ;) Check out the rest of the album , when you have time!! It's such a treat to hear reactions and analysis from someone who understands music this way. Cheers and THANK YOU!! I am enjoying your work SO much!!!
I love it, my favourite album from them, since they weren't exactly my first progressive metal. My fav song is probably Panic attack because of the lyrics and overall insanity, but this takes the cake as the objectively best one in the album for sure
Octavarium this word exists: the word comes from the Latin, and means “series of holy devout exercises with which you continue for eight days to celebrate a mystery or a party" (I read it directly from the Italian dictionary. So Octavarium can also make sense metaphorical, but it is inspired by this thing
One of my favorite parts of the song is that each stanza is a callback to the other songs on the album. Doug already touched on this but just for fun "Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath Remove all obstacles from our path" -The Root of All Evil "Asking questions, search for clues The answer's been right in front of you" -The Answer Lies Within "Try to break through, long to connect Fall on deaf ears and failed muted breath" -These Walla "Loyalty, trust, faith and desire Carries love through each darkest fire" -I Walk Beside You "Tortured insanity, a smothering hell Try to escape but to no avail" -Panic Attack "The calls of admirers who claim they adore Drain all your lifeblood while begging for more" -Never Enough "Innocent victims of merciless crimes Fall prey to some madmen's impulsive designs" -Sacrificed Sons "Step after step we try controlling our fate When we finally start living it's become too late" -Octavarium, almost like coming full circle within the same song
That is so cool ! I've never been the biggest fan of DT, but this song is awesome and I love all these easter egg/callbacks, they get really creative with them
23:12 In the section where they mention various artists, they also say "Nightmare Cinema", which actually *is* Dream Theater when they switch instruments and mess around live. :)
One of the most incredible songs of this incredible and stratospheric band ... it has it all: melody, progression, rhythm, virtuosity, intricate tempos, wonderful tributes to the bands that influenced them (in summarizing the songs mentioned in the third section you forgot Cinema Show and Careful with that Axe Eugene) ... in short, everything. Not to mention the mathematical perfection of the verses and the entire suite ... Dream Theater, the greatest progressive metal band in history. Anyway you made a great job!
This was by far the best overall reaction/ analysis I have seen yet and what a glorious piece of music to bring it out. I believe you are spot on as far as the lyrics go. You must also do the live version with an orchestra on their 20th anniversary score live DVD.
In the "intervals" section, you can even hear clips from each of the previous songs on the album! Also, starting with the metropolis part 2 album, they'd gotten into a "trap" where each album starts with the noise the previous one finished on and they wanted to get out of this cycle with this monster of a song and be free to start their next albums however they like. The song even ends how it started, with the lowest f on the piano, and with a small clip of how the album started. It didn't appear in the version you listened to though, it was replaced with the flute part. Going even further, the first song is in f, ends with atonal sounds, second in g, ends in atonal, etc, and octavarium is in f!
My guess as to why the low f was replaced with the flute melody is that the low f closes the circle for the album, while the flute section perpetuates the circle formed by Octavarium video; the song in isolation is a circle in and of itself.
I was waiting for this video! This is my favorite Dream Theater epic for sure, and it brought me great joy seeing you love it too! What makes the concept of the song even crazier is that the first song on the album (Root of All Evil) begins with the last note of this song, thus making it another circle. As if that wasn't crazy enough, starting with the ending of Metropolis Part II (Finally Free), Dream Theater would begin the next album on the exact same note they just ended on. Each step of the Intervals section also has a line of lyrics referring to and summing up each of the prior tracks on this album. I believe the spheres and birds on the art also represent the keys on a piano. How you weave all of these concepts into a single track is beyond me, Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater are geniuses and my main inspiration!
Watching this video and staring at that artwork for long enough had me realise that it represents F to F on a keyboard, the balls being the white keys and the birds the black keys. The album starts and ends on F. Jesus Christ they really really, *really* thought this through. Seriously recommend reading the Wiki page on just this song.
So nice to know the reaction I had when I was 13 and heard it for the first time is the same as a professional composer. Every note is completely embedded in my head for the better part of 2 decades. Absolutely legendary album.
If my memory serves me right, the flute melody in the very end was from the leaked version of the song. On the retail album version they scrapped it and tied the ending more closely to the beginning of the first song on the album The Root of All Evil. Fun fact etc :)
Yes! I can't believe more people aren't talking about this. @DougHelvering missed that. He needs to go back and listen to the official (retail) version. He would have loved to hear the piano key at the end!!!
"This sequence mirrored the octave on a musical keyboard: each octave contains eight naturals and five accidentals. Portnoy suggested that they use that concept for the entire album.[11] When writing, the band delegated each song a different key. Sound effects were placed between songs to connect them: for example, "The Root of All Evil", written in F minor, and the following track, "The Answer Lies Within", written in G minor, were connected by a sound effect in the key of F♯ minor. The album's lyrics and song titles featured references to this concept. Portnoy cited the titles "The Root of all Evil" (referring to the musical term "root") and "Octavarium" ("the octave of the octave") as two examples of this."
Your honest critique on 39 mins, i was in tears! The truth will always prevail! The band is simply Musically perfect! Thats all one can say about DT. xx
Of all reaction channels, you are one of the few who listens intently, pays attention, respects the band, and at the same time provides meaningful insights. That, and you're honest when you don't like stuff, so what you like and what surprises you carries much more meaning. I'll be here for the rest of your journey, Doug!
Also, I love that you focus on what matters most: The songwriting, and don't focus too much or at all on chops (instrumental or vocal). I hear as much enthusiasm from you from an ethereal, delicate part, than from a 1000 notes per second 15/16 shred fest. It's refreshing!
Totally agree with you. Lots of reaction channels out there, but what sets Doug apart is his knowledge of theory and his ability to intelligently analyze the music.
Someday we’ll just realize how privileged we were to see Dream Theater performing in our very lifetime. Thank you, Doug! It’s just amazing watching you react to this song.
Thiago, you make a good point - I think it's amazing that we've been able to bear witness to Dream Theater as live and recording musicians. They really have created some truly significant music and they've done it repeatedly.
Frankly, you could pretty much pick any song from their first four records and be blown away. Even their later stuff still has some gems like "On a Tuesday" and "Enter Rain" and "Physics of Gridlock" and "In The Passing Light of Day" and "Icon". Honestly, they have such a variety of sounds and styles but all of it is pretty epic.
Concerning the meaning of "Octavarium" and the concept of being trapped in a continuous loop, you should listen to Dream Theater's albums, particularly the series of albums starting with Scenes From A Memory and ending with Octavarium. Each one of these albums end with a unique tone, like a piano note, or white noise, which opens the next album, like a continuation of the same story. This whole thing could have gone on indefinitely, so Dream Theater used this idea to break that loop. Mind boggling composition. For your next Dream Theater reaction, check out In The Presence Of Enemies, Parts 1&2. There is a live version of this out there.
Scenes from a Memory to 6 Degrees (The Glass Prison): Record runout sound 6 Degrees (title track) to Train of Thought (As I Am): same chord Train of Thought (In The Name Of God) to Octavarium (The Root Of All Evil): same note (I honestly never noticed the resolution at the end of ITNOG until just now, I thought it was left hanging) In The Name Of God is probably worth a video on its own.
I'm brazilian, 30yo and an english teach showed me DT when i when 16 i guess. Since then, i am mesmerized by how they compose their songs. It's what i always say: "You either hate or love DT". I absolute love it. Your video was awesome, the whole analysis. Subscribed!
If I already loved Dream Theater, now I can experience these same songs with a new point of view and I love their music even more. Every time Doug reacts to any of my favourite themes I get a renewed point of view and it makes me like them even more. Please Doug never stop with these reactions!
I never listened to Dream Theater until this video. This song sounds, in parts, like an homage to Floyd that resolves to Yes and if you're a fan of either or both it's pretty damn awesome.
The Count of Tuscany is as good as any of their best earlier work. Doug does a reaction video for it too. Absolutely essential listening if you're into this band.
From my perspective, octavarium is the best ever composition they have made. The lyrics, orchestra, instrumentation, time signatuere, technical, and everything just absolutely flawless. But yeah, we all stand under the same band. Long live DT!
Really? I love that song with my heart but I recognize the nostalgia behind it. The song is well constructed and the vocal melodies are fantastic, but even if it's a great song I think it is far from their best composition.
When you go down the rabbit hole of this album it's insane. Octavarium (octave, full scale, at that time they had 8 studio albums released). In an octave there's 5 accidents in the keys the sharps or flats, and 5 was the number of live albums they had at the time of this album release. The band has 5 integrants, but if you count with the former musicians that used to be in the band you'll have Charlie Dominici, Kevin Moore and Derek Sherinian, that's 3. 3+5 =8 (octave). With Metropolis PT II they started this thing where the next album would start where the previous ended creating a cicle. Eventually they had the idea to wrap up that sequence in this album creating an endless loop with the album itself as the song octavarium ends like the album started with the first song "The root of all evil", playing the same note an octave higher. Also the album has 8 songs plus some sort of interludes (5 to be exact, resembling the accidents in an octave) between some songs, something like this 1-The root of all evil (key of F), interlude in F#; 2- The answer lies within (key of G), interlude in G#; 3- These walls (key of A), interlude in A#; 4- I walk beside you (key of B), no interlude as there's no accidents between B and C; 5- Pannic attack (key of C), interlude in C#; 6- Never enough (key of D), interlude in D#; 7- Sacrificed sons (key of E), no interlude as there's no accidents between E and F; 8-Octavarium (key of F again but an octave higher) and the album repeats itself as an never ending octave. Even in the song octavarium as the song is reaching the end you ear them putting the motifs to each song back in with the vocals (root, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave and then the part "trapped inside this octavarium". This all album is genius because its a different type of conceptual album, created with music theory, and the song octavarium becomes more beautiful the more you listen to it and capture new nuances. Even the band closed a cicle after this album because they signed with a different discography company for the next one.
@@rabarebraincluding the accidents of the scale, yes, 7+5=12 however, octave comes from the Latin word for 8 meaning it's all about the steps of a scale (root, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave) not the full number of notes
Imagine Doug doing the whole Metropolis Pt.2 Album. I would legit pay for that.
If Doug sets up a patreon i would gladly pay
Me too! Love Metropolis Pt.2
yup
Just thought about it!!!
I'm In...
This Is far more than a reaction, this Is a lesson
for real
You are right, he is the best to analyze of the ones reacting to music on the tube now, you actually learn something and he choses interesting music
Otacon! I’m at the sneak point. Kept you waiting huh?
True
a life lesson
I think Octavarium deserves to be stored with the national archives, for its significance to music. Truly.
This is the song I feel like when my first hearing it, I didn’t get it as a 20 years as a DT fan and an amateur musician . As I listened to this like thousand of times, it becomes like 32 year old single malt whiskey. The tempo change, aesthetic composition, melodies all comes into place. Thank you Dough for the perfect pitch and review so I understand the song in more in-depth.
I still get chills when I listen to the ending section after the scream. This was an amazing achievement for the band and is absolutely timeless.
That last JP solo makes me weep
Same effect with The Best of Times: a great solo after a great note of LaBrie, a great ending to a great song.
Petrucci is a freaking genius, in my opinion. They all are.
Yes that solo and Best of Times are just flawless and reeking of emotion
*Shred's cry*
The solos in Breaking All Illusions have a ton of feelz, as well. If you haven’t heard, check it out.
Yep. When John releases his inner Gilmour, like in Lines in the Sand, it is something else.
As Dream Theater began working on what would become Octavarium, Portnoy noted that it would be their eighth studio album and that they had recently released their fifth live album, Live at Budokan. This sequence mirrored the octave of a keyboard: each octave contains eight natural and five accidentals. Portnoy suggested to the band members that they would compose the album following this concept. While writing, the group assigned each song a different key. To connect the various songs, some sound effects have been applied: for example The Root of All Evil, written in F, and the following track, The Answer Lies Within, written in G, are linked through a sound effect composed in F sharp major. The lyrics and song titles also refer to this concept. Some examples cited by Portnoy are the titles of the opening piece The Root of All Evil (from "root", the root note of a chord) and the closing piece Octavarium ("the octave of an octave").
Octavarium begins with The Root of All Evil, whose initial note is the same as the one with which the song In the Name of God, present in the previous album, ends. This characteristic had already been applied by the group also with As I Am, the opening track of Train of Thought which begins with the last note of the title track of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, and with The Glass Prison, opening track of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence which begins with the same audible rustle at the end of Finally Free, the final track of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. This feature was born out of Portnoy's inspiration from the Van Halen album Women and Children First, in which the ending of the final track of the album ends with a new riff that is played while a fade occurs; the drummer remembered hoping that the next Van Halen album would open with that final riff, but was disappointed when they didn't do that. He later realized he had "dug a hole where we expected to do it every time", but he solved the problem with Octavarium, where the title track finale ends with the introduction of the first track. This made the album a cycle in itself, allowing the group to have a clean start with their next album.
I really miss them doing concepts like this. It made the albums feel connected, then adding the AA suit across 5 albums, metropolis pt 1 to pt2. Now there’s no more connections or concepts like that anymore.
@@drumjosh1987 i think they are trying out new concepts :)
There's nothing wrong with that but still the previous ones were the best.
Guh that’s so much juicy symbolism. Never got too into DT but I can appreciate the absolute god tier musicianship from all involved. Also, Doug you’re the man for doing these videos - your brains are also much appreciated. Thanks!
@@drumjosh1987 Because MP left.
You explained it much better than I did.
Fun fact - you actually listened to a pre-release version of the song, which leaked out onto the internet a week or two before this album came out - the flute solo at the very end is only present in that demo version, in the actual released version, the flute solo is not there, and is replaced by the first few notes of the first song from the album - this was done for two reasons, firstly to make the album go full circle, as that's a huge theme of Octavarium, and secondly due to the fact that Dream Theater wanted to end the "meta album" concept, their 6th album began the static noise from the end of the previous one, then the 7th album began with the fadeout from the 6th reversed, and the 8th album, Octavarium, opened with the same piano note that ended the 7th (which Jordan played with his nose). So basically everything from "Scenes from a Memory" up through "Octavarium" are one continuous work. They wanted to end that as it put a lot of pressure on them to begin the next album in a specific way, so by ending Octavarium with it's own beginning, they got out of that loop pretty well.
Yes indeed. For all of us musicians who love DT would just marvel at how each end note of a song leads to the next song as a continuum, and when songs are reviewed as a single song - they don't get the seamless continuation into the next song if the pause was removed.
Wait what do you mean Jordan played it with his nose??
@@VHCosta he literally bent over and played it with his nose, there was a video of it up on the band's website, probably can find it on UA-cam now if you look
Couldn't have said it better myself
What? No man, I have a physical copy of this album from the time it came out. Listened to it dozens of times, and the flute solo is there at the end.
Just noticed, the birds in the artwork are the black keys on the piano, the spheres are the white keys, which makes the notes F to F
Hahah! Nice catch! I didn’t notice that before. Makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
Well spotted!
Yep that's one of the Eastereggs on the cover
Wow, well spotted. And that's me thinking that the 5 birds are the band.... which could be an additional intention. 🙂
Oh smack!
They played this live on their "score" 20th anniversary concert dvd and everyone should watch that.
I was there and nearly shit myself it was soooo awesome.
@@alexojeda9048 that’s so cool. Been one of my favorite live DVDs ever
Same. I was there that evening and not gonna lie, i cried when the strings hit in razor's edge. It was a special night. One of my favorite nights in my 35 years on this earth.
I concur!
yes
Octavarium is also exactly 24 minutes long, the number hours in day. ("So secure content to live each day just like the last", "Trapped inside this Octavarium", "This story ends where it began")
Fibonacci's succession!!!
It's moreso a play on the number 8, like everything else in the album. 24/3 = 8, octavarium (oct = 8), 8 songs, etc.
It’s also a reference to the song Octavarium by progressive metal band Dream Theater - a song which is exactly 24 minutes long
@@SJ-ym4yt it’s not really a reference to octavarium itself, octavarium is that same reference to the number 8 which is a play on an octave.
So that's what that beginning section is for lmao
This is not just a reaction channel. This channel is a true journey into the depths of the most intricate nuances of the individual artists of songs you are reacting to. Harmonically, technically, rhythmically, lyrically, and melodically. What a journey my friend. I leave each of your videos inspired and excited about music. Really good. Invaluable insights!
What a great comment 😊
Agreed!
Thirded! ❤
Thank you Doug for actually reviewing and reacting to songs and not just sitting like a lump or making uninformed comments. Thanks for being real! And intelligent!
Are you from Portland, Maine Tim?
@@Deilwynna it's because he try to understand what they doing (music theory, composition, etc)
@@salkynsuuguitarraqua no, I am from the twin cities area.
@@salkynsuuguitarraqua I do have a common name
@@timbaker7238 got it
The "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" influence is just dripping from that intro.
i was looking for this comment, thank you
That's so true hahahaha
Only for the first minute or so.
To a T
Yeah, a cross between that and Steve Howe.
Most in depth High IQ reaction channel on the internet. Love it Doug.
Hands down
I would LOVE a 1 hour special with you reacting to Six degrees of inner turbulence (SCORE verison). Absolute masterpiece
Id pay for that
Not quite sure he's really enjoy that since the orchestra on that show was not having their best night...
@@MrFritzinger Yeah, might as well just go with the (better mixed) studio version.
Plus, it's more like 8 songs with good transitions between one another, and a few recurring themes.
Goodnight Kiss is fucking amazing, though!!!
Yes please
Would be very disappointed if he did the score version instead of the studio.
28:45 This entrance of the strings still brings tears into my eyes after 20 years.
absolutely. hits me hard everytime i hear it
Doug my man, listening to this with you has been a real pleasure.
You’re right
Agreed!
It's like showing your favourite band to a friend and them being really hyped about it instead of shrugging it off and changing subject.
I was crying by the end with your reaction. Thank you.
Me too!!!!
This is exactly the point of watching reactions. My husband doesn't understand me " why don't you listen to the song itself?"
Agreed!!
I'm addicted to reactions to music for this reason.
Doug is not only excepionally skilled in explaining the concepts of harmony, he is also extremely good at intepreting the lyrics.
“Dough” 💀
@@Amogusgamer1000 edited.
Right like he perfectly described the ENTIRETY of 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Dark Side of the Moon and knows every note in existence
Remember, the three original guys in the band went to Berklee College of Music, and Jordan went to Julliard, so they REALLY know their theory. They know exactly what they're doing, and hope that guys like you sit there and pick out all those various intervals, chord shifts, tempo changes, etc. Their music is such a master class in extreme composition, pushing the boundaries, yet remaining catchy and just fun to listen to. I've been a fan since the early 90's, and their music still does it for me.
I’ve been a fan for less than a year (as I didn’t know they existed and am young) but they are easily my favorite band
They're basically the opposite to Rush 😅 Three self taught musical geniuses who inspired these highly trained virtuosos to write amazing songs.
He did it! Seriously I’m so happy you enjoyed this. Many have already posted recommending Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. It’s an even bigger time commitment at over 40 minutes but it would be fun!
Yes, 100%. I would absolutely love to see him break down that masterpiece
I gasped when I saw that Doug finally did this song! So excited that he got around to it.
Great recommendation
Love me some Six Degrees!
Do the Score version where the intro is all orchestra. =)
That flute at the beginning hits soooo hard, I can't get over it
It’s so Genesis
If you listen closely you can hear the flute player taking breaths, which I thought was cool that it's not just a keyboard sound or something
16 years and still gives me shivers.
Great music like this is simply intemporal. :)
cant believe its been that long... remember when this was the first new dream theater album that came out shortly after i became a fan. fantastic stuff.
I experienced this song live. It was a journey
It's just a truly, epically written song in every department. Vocals, guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, violins, everything.
Geez
A truly masterpiece!
You’re the best thing that has happened to UA-cam.
Thank you Jerry.
@@Doug.HelveringHi Doug, love your videos and particularly Dream Theater as they are my favourite band, so keep them coming 😁
Here's a link to the meaning of the lyrics, absolutely brilliant concept.....enjoy
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavarium_(song)#:~:text=Octavarium%20%2D%20%22A%20Perfect%20Sphere%2C,Everything%20ends%20where%20it%20began%22
Agree 100%
For me, too. Doug brings another level of comprehension for the songs. Great guy!
I actually couldn't agree more. its so amazing to watch somebody react to dream theater and be able to give us insight into the songs we love so much
This is the perfect song to put on when you think your own music is good and you need a dose of humility.
haha yea. perfect reminder to us all
IMHO this is Dream Theater's finest moment. This song alone encapsulates everything the band stands for musically. While you're at it btw...doing DTs long songs that is, you HAVE TO do A Change of Seasons.
I was gonna say Six Degrees. That's gonna be like a 90 minute video though. Would definitely watch.
I was thinking A Change of Seasons! Great choice
A Change of Seasons by Dream Theater. I would love to watch that review.
I have a soft spot for "Take the time". But Metropolis for me takes the cake.
Then again, I'm not a super huge Dream Theater fan. But yeah, that's where I stand.
Yes, please! Change of Seasons is a Rock MASTERPIECE!!
A Change of Seasons
This is song is a masterpiece.
You should check out Live Scenes from New York. OMG this was the best show ever.
"Learning to live" by the way is also very good.
Oh Doug, i'm so glad that you're reacting to Dream Theater. Seeing you with a big smile and just feeling happy about such a great music is heartwarming and gives me the feeling i had many years ago when Dream Theater started their journey.
@That1JPfanboy Yeah there are some very tricky parts. The time signatures are all over the place mate. It took me about a year to master this
I came here to post this!!! I would lo to see Doug enjoy a change of seasons Live in New York... THIS IS MASTER PEACE!!! Hope to see this in another episode.
I, on the other hand, think that if Doug is going to react to A Change of Seasons, he should go for the studio version for an accurate first impression of the song. The audio is much better mixed in the studio version. As a musical composer, Doug would most likely appreciate hearing cleaner distinct notes and nuances from the instruments (as well as James' vocals) as intended to be heard in the band's original composition.
The “scream without a sound” lyric is a reference to Rush during their ‘influences’ section of Full Circle. Referring back to Cygnus X-1, Book 2.
This is probably if not definitely THE most articulate and thoughtful reaction to Dream Theater. Well done - instantly subbed and probably also fell in love. 11/10 want to be friends.
Hi friend! Thanks for the sub!
The live version with the full orchestra is something to be witnessed.
Since I have it in my clipboard - ua-cam.com/video/2gf8_kVS1OE/v-deo.html
I normally dislike reaction videos, but you actually take time to absorb the music, you explore the background and you teach your audience about everything you've discovered. From musical theory to explanation and your own interpretation of lyrics. Super cool, thank you Sir! I've learned so much from this video.
The meaning behind the Octavarium is ending exactly behind you begun, therefore, 8 spheres, 8 whole tones (12 notes including half steps), each song in the album follows a specific key, starting from The Root Of All Evil in F, going up till they reach Octavarium, again in F, a full Octave.
The songs are in the natural keys, and there are interludes for the accidentals.
@@Kylora2112 Ahh.
@George Deves You said 8 spheres, 8 tones. I add that 8 spheres got a covers of previous DT album (this all spheres looks like a "pendulum" toy in the psyhistrist room). This song is very difficult to brake.
@@pin-upmariposa412 in the album art there isn't the other album arts in the spheres, though it's a cool addition on this cover that's shown
@@rockonileva You have a right. Anyway (as you said) it's nice adition.
Imagine if Dream Theater reacted to you reacting and appreciating what you're picking up. That'd be awesome.
Man this must happen
@@MetalPesado It would be really educational and humbling.
Doug could have an actual conversation with them to discuss the music directly, and capably. That would be very cool.
@@twocatsyelling723 Maybe someday!
@@Doug.Helvering dream theater the dance of eternity.. do it
This is the most incredible piece of music human kind has ever recorded in my humble opinion. 8 million stars.
100% agreed no piece of art exists in this world that can come close to the brilliance of this piece
for me , 8 billion stars
Absolute and undeniable truth
Relax guys and listen to Beethoven's 3rd! (I LOVE Octavarium by the way 😊)
The way I interpret the whole story of the song is:
- When Dream Theater first started they tried to carve their own path, and wanted it to be as different as possible from everything that came before them ("I never wanted to become someone like him", "So I swore that I'd
Never be someone like him").
- However, now, after all these years of trying to be different, they realized they are building upon all of their inspirations and trying to reach their heights ("So suddenly, the only thing I wanted to become, to be someone just like him").
- At the end, they finally accept the fact that although they tried their best being 'different', they are actually walking the same path as all the people they look up to ("Trapped inside this Octavarium", as if saying "I am what my predecessors made me") .
To summarize, I think this whole song is speaking about their journey as a band and how they can't escape the influence of their inspirations (and at this point they realize their inspirations are who made them what they are, and are grateful for that).
the reference was the record deal they were in. the label wouldn't promote them, and had lowered the budget considerably over the years.
I think it's great to see a song like this reviewed by someone who can actually appreciate all that is going on in the song.
I have literally listened to all of Dream Theater's songs a thousand times. As a former musician, I literally studied them for years when I was younger and I know almost everything about every song. Watching your reactions make me cry of joy and of a strange kind of emotion, like your innocent surprise it's mine all over again
wow. Respect.
This song is such a masterpiece. Calling it a song is an understatement, its a fucking journey
Wich one?
Not sure if anyone noticed, the birds in the album art actually represent black keys! Very clever
I thought that was the member of Dream Theater. And raven is the one of an "intelligent" animal. Lol that's ridiculous opinion
@@prasetyoyulanda1710 well it can be that too since there are 5 of them, because in the inner sleeve the 3 ex-member of DT is referred as that too
@@prasetyoyulanda1710 It´s both. Look at a piano keyboard and start the white/black keys pattern on an F note (the "key" that the album revolves around) and it alines perfectly.
Yes .. but 'very'..!! OK, if you say so ..
@@abdurrahmanzulfikry9202 not quite. When this album came out, they still had the Johns and Mike as the 3 original members. So it would have to be the other way around.
It's probably my 5th time watching this video, and will keep going over time
So I guess I'm trapped on this reactivarium!
Me too
Reactivarium 😂😭
This song was the "Infinity War" level of hype for me on your channel. I dropped what I was doing for this video lol
me too. hahaha. this is fucking crazy
Oh boy I knew this one was gonna be good. Some clarifications to some of the stuff you were talking/asking about:
In Intervals, each line references a track on the album Octavarium, in order, ending with itself. If you listen *really* closely, you can hear a short clip from each song playing in the background during these lines.
The very ending of the released version of the song isn't actually the fading out flute that you heard - it was changed away from this at the very last minute but this flute version was leaked onto the internet before release. The album version of Octavarium ends with a low F note on the piano, which is how the album starts (this story ends where it began etc).
Each part of the song describes a different eventual cycle of something ending where it begins - for Someone Like Him you pretty much nailed the meaning. For Medicate, the person starts and ends in a coma. For Full Circle, you also picked up on the meaning - they're paying homage to their influences whilst also becoming them. For Intervals, it's really the album wrapping back round on itself, and for Razor's Edge, it's the song wrapping back on itself. In fact, the song being 24 minutes long is itself a reference to the daily cycle of hours!
The album (and its art) is filled with references to the number 8, but also to the number 5, referencing the sharps/flats. You can see on the album art that the birds fly in between the eight balls at the places where the black keys would be. When listening to the full album, there is extra "weirdness" between some of the songs that represents these notes. If listening on a CD player, these sounds show as the "negative time" between songs.
Nice!
Man, I love this band. I hope they still here for many years as their geniality lives.
Additional note, "Medicate" is based on the plot of the 1990 Robin Williams/Robert DeNiro drama "Awakenings."
The flute part reminds me heavily of Camel's song Air Born
24 minutes can be another 8 reference: 8x3, and 3 is the difference between 8 and 5. Was my first thought about it.
You are correct that they are referencing each song on the album in the intervals section. Not only does each line summarize the message of each song, but if you listen closely, they put a sample audio clip from each album track in the background of each line, including the song Octavarium itself (“medicate me”). They also play the opening theme while James is screaming “Trapped Inside this Octavarium” (listen very closely). These guys are geniuses and they put so much thought into every section.
I was in my last year of high school when this album came out. It was a particularly difficult time in my life, as I had few friends and was pretty much terminally depressed... often thought of just ending it. But knowing that Dream Theater was going to drop this album before my semester was out, I kept on going somehow... I didn't want to miss out on this. And my mind was so promptly blown by this title track, and I dunno, I guess it was kind of a rejuvenating thing for me and gave me a lot of inspiration to keep going with my own music as well. So I guess you could say Octavarium saved my life.
Amazing story! I definitely hope you're in a better place now than you were then!
@@IcarusNadir Well, I'm still here 16 years later, so that probably tells you how that turned out :P A lot of things could be better, and the pandemic lockdown's had me go to a few dark places, but it's FAR from as bad as it was in the past.
My new Friday normal. Come home from work, change, grab an adult beverage and listen to Doug's schooling on an epic piece of music. Really getting into these Friday longer videos.
Agreed! Now time for him to tackle Six Degrees on Inner Turbulence.
Doug, not sure if you noticed, but the birds on the cover art, when starting on F are the semi-tones. Cheers! Great video!
and that all covers from prior albuns are reflected on THE BALLS
I just now realized that and holy fuck. Indeed.
I believe the birds also represent that at time of this release, dt had 5 live albums out
@@PeteSolar nop, dt had 7 albums out, this was their 8th
1989 When Dream and Day Unite
1992 Images and Words
1994 Awake
1997 Falling into Infinity
1999 Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
2002 Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2003 Train of Thought
2005 Octavarium
@@PeteSolar ohhh i see, sorry
The "Trapped inside this Octavarium" I believe refers to the fact that every DT album since Metropolis pt. 2 had started on the same tone that the previous album ended with. The band felt they hat gotten stuck in this pattern, but with Octavarium they were finally able to break the cycle by having the album circle back on itself and end on the same note it began with.
I've listened to this piece countless times and I could never figure out what the lyrics meant, and this man just cracked the code on his first time listening to it while at the same time figuring out all the harmony on the fly. I love this channel.
I only learned what they meant from google tbh
This might have been mentioned already, but it still amazes me to this day. About the album art: something not many people have noticed, are the birds. They're not placed randomly. Imagine the spheres being the white piano keys, and the birds being the black keys. You then get a beautiful octave going from F to F, which is coincidentally (or not) also the root of the song. There's so much thought put into this!
I have "discovered" this right now! I was searching it before comment and found yours. YES! IS A FUCKING PIANO STARTING FROM F! And every ball is also the root of every song.
@@ProwlerProwler wtf I just realised it
it can't be. There's just one spot in the middle where there isn't a black key (bird) but on the piano there are always spots where there aren't two black keys
Oh ok, I kinda get it now..
maybe the 5 birds can also be representing the 5 band members, thats what i first thought
I first discovered Dream theater in 1993. There was something about them that hit me differently. Hit me in a way that still to this day I cannot fully understand or begin to explain. I don't know what it is. I have heard Octovarium a thousand times and have always loved it.
But watching your reaction, listening to your analysis, and seeing not only the understanding, but the emotion in your reaction.... It was kind of like hearing it again for the very first time. That was truly wonderful.
Thank you for that
I TOTALLY agree. Amazing that you've been a fan that long. I have been a fan since 99, and hundreds of bands have come and gone out of my playlist. Over 20 years later though, DT is the ONLY band I have never gotten sick of. I feel like their complexity really lends toward high replay value, because there is always something there to digest.
And what you said in your second paragraph is something I have been loving about this reaction era of UA-cam. Nobody else I grew up with liked DT. I never got to share that feeling of appreciation of the music with anyone else. So in a weird way, it's like I am finally getting to feel that with reactions/breakdowns. There have been a few other reactors who got into DT through their channels, and ended up as their all time favorite band. One guy even got a DT tattoo. Great stuff!
You just took the words out of my mouth.
exactly, thank you Doug
I really have to be in the right mood for them. As amazing as they are. They are really hard to follow or feel the rhythm.
I was hooked on them in 1992 when I first heard their song 'Pull Me Under". It was AMAZING!!!
The Section “Full Circle” actually starts with “Isn’t this where we came in?” From the Wall album, which makes the Wall itself a circle :)
I believe the Wall is canonically circular. It is meant to protect the protagonist from the outside world, and it is built around him.
The verses of Full Circle end with "Home Again", which is a lyric from Dark Side of the Moon, unless it's also a reference to something different I'm not aware of.
I love this guy!!! Perfect review and reaction. His reaction at 34:50 is me everytime that part comes. “Yes!!!” 🙌🏻 the most uplifting section of the solo
A Change of Seasons is their best epic song imo (Octavarium being a close second)
Agree
Change is not a song, but in that regard i'd rather watch a six degrees reaction video
Definitely not the biggest DT fan here, but Change of Seasons and Octavarium especially are awesome. Long epics that evolve and maintain cohesiveness; the polar opposite of stuff like Count of Tuscany and Six Degrees, which are just a whole bunch of stuff sewed together to form one long inconsistent mess, framed only by its lyrical theme and one chord here and another there.
That's my Favorite DT song!
Both are absolutely phenomenal, but for me In the Presence of Enemies I&II is their best epic
This is not a react, this is a tribute.
Jokes aside, I was in 2 concerts in Brazil, from Octavarium tour, and it was something else. It was a indoor concert, so the quality of the sound was beyond any other band I've watched: it was studio level. In the second evening, SFAM full album. Jeeeezzz!!!!
There's many things in life I wish I could experience for the first time... However, Octavarium and A Change of Seasons are the two songs I can hear for years and still feel the same joy as the first time I heard them. My cousin gave me A Change of Seasons CD for my birthday back in 2001 and my 11 year old brain just exploded. Sounds dramatic but it changed my entire life. Thanks for this reaction!
Doug, INCREDIBLE job, brother!! Dream Theater is my ABSOLUTE favorite band. You have done an amazing tribute to this incredible song. The song also ends in the first note the album begins in ;)
Check out the rest of the album , when you have time!!
It's such a treat to hear reactions and analysis from someone who understands music this way.
Cheers and THANK YOU!! I am enjoying your work SO much!!!
Loco. You know I love all their music but, this just gives me chills every time. West Side!!
*Two beasts join the party*
I love it, my favourite album from them, since they weren't exactly my first progressive metal. My fav song is probably Panic attack because of the lyrics and overall insanity, but this takes the cake as the objectively best one in the album for sure
when you listen d.t you listen the rest of the music world the have all you can need!
@@ambralemon I feel that A View from the Top of the World somehow is the sequel to Octavarium.
This song is a masterpiece.
This song is an experience. Every time.
Octavarium this word exists:
the word comes from the Latin, and means “series of holy devout exercises with which you continue for eight days to celebrate a mystery or a party" (I read it directly from the Italian dictionary. So Octavarium can also make sense metaphorical, but it is inspired by this thing
The ending was so emotional, your excitement made me smile like I was experiencing the song for the first time again! I hope Portnoy sees this =)
I don't know if someone wrote it, but the art also represents a piano from F to F (the birds are like the black keys).
One of my favorite parts of the song is that each stanza is a callback to the other songs on the album. Doug already touched on this but just for fun
"Our deadly sins feel his mortal wrath
Remove all obstacles from our path" -The Root of All Evil
"Asking questions, search for clues
The answer's been right in front of you"
-The Answer Lies Within
"Try to break through, long to connect
Fall on deaf ears and failed muted breath"
-These Walla
"Loyalty, trust, faith and desire
Carries love through each darkest fire"
-I Walk Beside You
"Tortured insanity, a smothering hell
Try to escape but to no avail"
-Panic Attack
"The calls of admirers who claim they adore
Drain all your lifeblood while begging for more"
-Never Enough
"Innocent victims of merciless crimes
Fall prey to some madmen's impulsive designs"
-Sacrificed Sons
"Step after step we try controlling our fate
When we finally start living it's become too late"
-Octavarium, almost like coming full circle within the same song
That is so cool ! I've never been the biggest fan of DT, but this song is awesome and I love all these easter egg/callbacks, they get really creative with them
Now do the 40 minute epic known as "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence"!
And do it from the Score DVD filmed with a full orchestra at Radio City in NY!!
@@TheMcBadie That "Score" version is by far my favorite
Up
Indeed! The score version of 6 degrees is amazing! (Octavarium's too)
Another vote for Score version of SDoIT!!!
23:12 In the section where they mention various artists, they also say "Nightmare Cinema", which actually *is* Dream Theater when they switch instruments and mess around live. :)
One of the most incredible songs of this incredible and stratospheric band ... it has it all: melody, progression, rhythm, virtuosity, intricate tempos, wonderful tributes to the bands that influenced them (in summarizing the songs mentioned in the third section you forgot Cinema Show and Careful with that Axe Eugene) ... in short, everything. Not to mention the mathematical perfection of the verses and the entire suite ... Dream Theater, the greatest progressive metal band in history. Anyway you made a great job!
This was by far the best overall reaction/ analysis I have seen yet and what a glorious piece of music to bring it out. I believe you are spot on as far as the lyrics go. You must also do the live version with an orchestra on their 20th anniversary score live DVD.
Doug, "A change of seasons" is another masterpiece
«Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence» too, and lengthier...
ACOS crushes all..
please please please please please
Non DT fans won't appreciate ACOS. It's not as beautiful as Octavarium and Tuscany.
@@DreiK96 someone skipped the intro + Another World & The Inevitable Summer
The 4 note french horn ending gives me chills every time
samee bro its the greatest ending to any song ever
If you notice the album cover, the spheres represent the major keys (starting at F), with the birds representing the half steps.
Good catch
With the art work for each album on each sphere.
Underrated comment. Great catch!
Nice man... I would never have noticed that the birds were the sharp/flats had you not pointed it out
In the "intervals" section, you can even hear clips from each of the previous songs on the album! Also, starting with the metropolis part 2 album, they'd gotten into a "trap" where each album starts with the noise the previous one finished on and they wanted to get out of this cycle with this monster of a song and be free to start their next albums however they like. The song even ends how it started, with the lowest f on the piano, and with a small clip of how the album started. It didn't appear in the version you listened to though, it was replaced with the flute part.
Going even further, the first song is in f, ends with atonal sounds, second in g, ends in atonal, etc, and octavarium is in f!
My guess as to why the low f was replaced with the flute melody is that the low f closes the circle for the album, while the flute section perpetuates the circle formed by Octavarium video; the song in isolation is a circle in and of itself.
i first heard this song many years ago. I always keep coming back to it. it is the PERFECT length to listen to on my commute to work each morning.
I was waiting for this video! This is my favorite Dream Theater epic for sure, and it brought me great joy seeing you love it too! What makes the concept of the song even crazier is that the first song on the album (Root of All Evil) begins with the last note of this song, thus making it another circle. As if that wasn't crazy enough, starting with the ending of Metropolis Part II (Finally Free), Dream Theater would begin the next album on the exact same note they just ended on. Each step of the Intervals section also has a line of lyrics referring to and summing up each of the prior tracks on this album. I believe the spheres and birds on the art also represent the keys on a piano. How you weave all of these concepts into a single track is beyond me, Mike Portnoy and Dream Theater are geniuses and my main inspiration!
Thank you.
Tobee!
Lol so THAT happened! Great reaction and keep em coming. I ve been a fan of yours and Dream Theater since the respective beginnings
Very very much have to recommend "A Change of Seasons" -- it was their original epic and still my favorite work of theirs even 20+ years later
Dream Theater is always an excellent choice my friends I'm glad we could turn you on such melodic things.
Watching this video and staring at that artwork for long enough had me realise that it represents F to F on a keyboard, the balls being the white keys and the birds the black keys. The album starts and ends on F. Jesus Christ they really really, *really* thought this through. Seriously recommend reading the Wiki page on just this song.
also the individual balls have the previous album covers on them too
Wow, I never noticed that
So nice to know the reaction I had when I was 13 and heard it for the first time is the same as a professional composer. Every note is completely embedded in my head for the better part of 2 decades. Absolutely legendary album.
If my memory serves me right, the flute melody in the very end was from the leaked version of the song. On the retail album version they scrapped it and tied the ending more closely to the beginning of the first song on the album The Root of All Evil. Fun fact etc :)
Yes! I can't believe more people aren't talking about this. @DougHelvering missed that. He needs to go back and listen to the official (retail) version. He would have loved to hear the piano key at the end!!!
Kudos for the timing, doing this on episode 134 (1 + 3 + 4 = 8)
Genius
"This sequence mirrored the octave on a musical keyboard: each octave contains eight naturals and five accidentals. Portnoy suggested that they use that concept for the entire album.[11] When writing, the band delegated each song a different key. Sound effects were placed between songs to connect them: for example, "The Root of All Evil", written in F minor, and the following track, "The Answer Lies Within", written in G minor, were connected by a sound effect in the key of F♯ minor. The album's lyrics and song titles featured references to this concept. Portnoy cited the titles "The Root of all Evil" (referring to the musical term "root") and "Octavarium" ("the octave of the octave") as two examples of this."
DT has fullfilled our lifetime with greatness and geniality just like mozart, bethoven, bach, etc did by their time! Love them!
How to motivate people to keep playing their instrument but at the same time willing to stop and sell their instrument: Dream Theater
Truth
Your honest critique on 39 mins, i was in tears! The truth will always prevail! The band is simply Musically perfect! Thats all one can say about DT. xx
Of all reaction channels, you are one of the few who listens intently, pays attention, respects the band, and at the same time provides meaningful insights.
That, and you're honest when you don't like stuff, so what you like and what surprises you carries much more meaning. I'll be here for the rest of your journey, Doug!
Also, I love that you focus on what matters most: The songwriting, and don't focus too much or at all on chops (instrumental or vocal). I hear as much enthusiasm from you from an ethereal, delicate part, than from a 1000 notes per second 15/16 shred fest. It's refreshing!
Totally agree with you. Lots of reaction channels out there, but what sets Doug apart is his knowledge of theory and his ability to intelligently analyze the music.
Someday we’ll just realize how privileged we were to see Dream Theater performing in our very lifetime.
Thank you, Doug! It’s just amazing watching you react to this song.
Thiago, you make a good point - I think it's amazing that we've been able to bear witness to Dream Theater as live and recording musicians. They really have created some truly significant music and they've done it repeatedly.
Honestly i didn't gave lyrics that much importance but now it makes me wanna revisit and relearn the meanings of all them songs. Love this channel!
I wasn't a Dream Theater fan until this video.
Welcome to the Dream Theater fan club!
I'm sorry my dude, but welcome! Wish I could listen to all of these for the first time again!
better late than never!
Welcome & congrats!
Waaaawwww... You just start with the heavy one
Recommendation: Pain of Salvation- King of loss or The perfect element pt.1 (remixed versions)
Yes, please
And Beyond the Pale, people passing by
Frankly, you could pretty much pick any song from their first four records and be blown away. Even their later stuff still has some gems like "On a Tuesday" and "Enter Rain" and "Physics of Gridlock" and "In The Passing Light of Day" and "Icon". Honestly, they have such a variety of sounds and styles but all of it is pretty epic.
Iter impius /martius nauticus ! I just love "be"
Don't see PoS recommended a lot, for sure good choice.
Petrucci once said that he had a nightmare in which he played so fast it all sounded like one note :P
DT is ... mindblowing.
Finally! A masterpiece of masterpieces! The part of lyrics that you interested is wrote by MP. And 17:40 That fill in gives me goosebumps every time.
Mike is great, don't worry it happens to me too hahahaha
Concerning the meaning of "Octavarium" and the concept of being trapped in a continuous loop, you should listen to Dream Theater's albums, particularly the series of albums starting with Scenes From A Memory and ending with Octavarium. Each one of these albums end with a unique tone, like a piano note, or white noise, which opens the next album, like a continuation of the same story. This whole thing could have gone on indefinitely, so Dream Theater used this idea to break that loop.
Mind boggling composition.
For your next Dream Theater reaction, check out In The Presence Of Enemies, Parts 1&2. There is a live version of this out there.
Scenes from a Memory to 6 Degrees (The Glass Prison): Record runout sound
6 Degrees (title track) to Train of Thought (As I Am): same chord
Train of Thought (In The Name Of God) to Octavarium (The Root Of All Evil): same note (I honestly never noticed the resolution at the end of ITNOG until just now, I thought it was left hanging)
In The Name Of God is probably worth a video on its own.
I'm brazilian, 30yo and an english teach showed me DT when i when 16 i guess. Since then, i am mesmerized by how they compose their songs. It's what i always say: "You either hate or love DT". I absolute love it. Your video was awesome, the whole analysis. Subscribed!
Doug: That was a tease. I want that to comeback.
Little did he know how the song would go.
If I already loved Dream Theater, now I can experience these same songs with a new point of view and I love their music even more. Every time Doug reacts to any of my favourite themes I get a renewed point of view and it makes me like them even more. Please Doug never stop with these reactions!
So glad you did this review. This song is a full on musical journey and incredibly unique
Dream Theater - A Change of Seasons
Symphony X - The Divine Wings of Tragedy
Blind Guardian - And Then There Was Silence
Yes, YES, yes!
or Odyssey from Symphony X. my personal favorite
Octavarium
@@Newl777 he’s already done The Odyssey last week, I think. The song. Not the entire album.
Anything by Blind Guardian
I never listened to Dream Theater until this video. This song sounds, in parts, like an homage to Floyd that resolves to Yes and if you're a fan of either or both it's pretty damn awesome.
And that's only part of what you have been missing all these years! ;-)
Also Genesis, you can really get a few glances at Supper's Ready besides the reference in the lyrics
This was the last Dream Theater album I was really into, but they hit it hard with this one. Scenes From a Memory is required Prog listening.
The Count of Tuscany is as good as any of their best earlier work. Doug does a reaction video for it too. Absolutely essential listening if you're into this band.
"a change of seasons" is definitely their best composition
Absolutely.
From my perspective, octavarium is the best ever composition they have made. The lyrics, orchestra, instrumentation, time signatuere, technical, and everything just absolutely flawless. But yeah, we all stand under the same band. Long live DT!
this
That's my favorite DT song.
Really? I love that song with my heart but I recognize the nostalgia behind it. The song is well constructed and the vocal melodies are fantastic, but even if it's a great song I think it is far from their best composition.
How excited and giddy Doug was during this song and at the end is exactly why everyone wanted this reaction so much. Like a kid on Christmas morning
I am truly addicted to this reaction, for Octavarium has always been a special album to me
When you go down the rabbit hole of this album it's insane. Octavarium (octave, full scale, at that time they had 8 studio albums released). In an octave there's 5 accidents in the keys the sharps or flats, and 5 was the number of live albums they had at the time of this album release. The band has 5 integrants, but if you count with the former musicians that used to be in the band you'll have Charlie Dominici, Kevin Moore and Derek Sherinian, that's 3. 3+5 =8 (octave). With Metropolis PT II they started this thing where the next album would start where the previous ended creating a cicle. Eventually they had the idea to wrap up that sequence in this album creating an endless loop with the album itself as the song octavarium ends like the album started with the first song "The root of all evil", playing the same note an octave higher. Also the album has 8 songs plus some sort of interludes (5 to be exact, resembling the accidents in an octave) between some songs, something like this 1-The root of all evil (key of F), interlude in F#; 2- The answer lies within (key of G), interlude in G#; 3- These walls (key of A), interlude in A#; 4- I walk beside you (key of B), no interlude as there's no accidents between B and C; 5- Pannic attack (key of C), interlude in C#; 6- Never enough (key of D), interlude in D#; 7- Sacrificed sons (key of E), no interlude as there's no accidents between E and F; 8-Octavarium (key of F again but an octave higher) and the album repeats itself as an never ending octave. Even in the song octavarium as the song is reaching the end you ear them putting the motifs to each song back in with the vocals (root, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave and then the part "trapped inside this octavarium". This all album is genius because its a different type of conceptual album, created with music theory, and the song octavarium becomes more beautiful the more you listen to it and capture new nuances. Even the band closed a cicle after this album because they signed with a different discography company for the next one.
@@rabarebra what???
@@rabarebraincluding the accidents of the scale, yes, 7+5=12 however, octave comes from the Latin word for 8 meaning it's all about the steps of a scale (root, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, octave) not the full number of notes