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List Price: $24.98 | | Label: Wea/Elektra Entertainment
Salesrank: 6910
Released: January 29, 2002 |
| Our Price: $6.63 |
| Used Price: $5.54 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
Dream Theater's latest 2 CD studio epic, produced by drummer Mike Portnoy & guitarist John Petrucci. Elektra Entertainment.
Description of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence:
Never a band to do things by halves, Dream Theater here delivers a two-disc extravaganza with a title track that clocks in at a prog-tastic 42 minutes. Very much in the style of its 1999 studio predecessor, Scenes from a Memory, the "Six Degrees" piece, which occupies the entire second disc, is divided into eight movements beginning, of course, with the overture. It's meaty stuff, though musically it alternately noodles and thrashes about in a somewhat haphazard manner while singer-lyricist James LaBrie's struggles to make an impression over the stunning instrumental onslaught. The first disc serves up five pieces averaging about 10 minutes each that hearken back to the grungier sound of 1994's Awake. The result is an album that fulfills fans' expectations. These guys have found a formula and they're sticking to it. --Mark Walker
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence Reviews:
Disc 2 is great, Disc 1 not so much 
2009-10-13 - I give this album four stars for Disc 2 and two stars for Disc 1. Disc 2 has that progressive flow that DT is so well known for. There is an overall theme of different personality types and how they interrelated and the theme works pretty good overall. It doesn't work as well as Scenes from a Memory, but it is still pretty cohesive. The playing is impressive without being over indulgent, which can be a DT weakness from time to time. The songs are melodic and well written.
On the other hand, Disc 1 is a throw away (in my opinion). The only one I will listen to is Disc 2, as Disc 1 is unlistenable. The songs are overlong and not intersting. Also overly heavy. Obviously, I realize DT is a metal progressive band, but the songs remind me of songs from Train of Thought, which I listened to twice and then shelved. I might have enjoyed the metal side more in high school, but I must've gotten my dose of metal, b/c heavy DT is too much for my tastes nowadays! Enjoy this album as it is their last good album (i.e. disc 2) in my humbe opinion. Cheers!
Perfect Turbulence 
2009-08-10 - I just realize it takes me almost 7 years to make a review about this phenomenal album by Dream Theater, and it wasn't because I didn't want to but I just feel this albums Six Degrees was one step behind other DT albums (except Falling into infinity which is my least favorite), but even though I always liked this album I never felt its greatness until this weekend when I took my Ipod an decide to listen the Portnoy's saga in its entirety, starting with The Glass Prison and concluding with The Shattered Fortress (included on DT's new album Black Clouds & Silver Linings) and man something really grabs me there and I am not going to get immerse on describing all these five songs that compose the saga and how incredible it is to listen all of them continuously (it will be great to have a live set of this 5 songs¡¡¡ hopefully soon DT will give us this chance)
The thing was that this weekend I just loved the sound of The Glass Prison I think it is a perfect song to start Portnoy's saga, so once I finished this idea I decide to give a new try to the hole 1st cd and maybe thats were the problem was because I always thought that the 1st CD wasn't as good as the 2nd therefore I always listen only to this one, so this time I did the opposite and man I still don't know what happen but I just loved, really loved this 1st CD and now I must say that I was so wrong considering Six Degrees an album not as great as Scenes, Images, ToT or Systematic indeed it is an excellent album just in the same category of all DT albums (again with the exception of Falling into infinity which even though I really like it I still believe there is something missing)
So Six Degrees is an outstanding album not as heavy as ToT but very close in some parts¡¡ this album as always with Dream Theater has everything you want, heaviness, dark passages, excellent riffs, sad and slow moments, epic and very prog moments. It is simply a perfect blend of what DT is about and that is the only reason you need to go and buy this album and if you already got it then plug your headphones and enjoy it again.
At this very moment I must say that the five songs on the 1st CD are fantastic but if I must pick then I would say that my favorites will be The Great Debate, The Glass Prison, Misunderstood & Disappear (a song that has all the emotion you require for a very sad and lonely moment, incredible to listen all by yourself), which are slightly ahead to Blind Faith (a song that sometimes I really loved and sometimes not that much)
The 2nd CD (8 "short" songs that totally length over 40 minutes) is simply mind blowing whether you listen to it on its entirety or only a few songs it is just perfect¡¡ what a masterpiece they create here, the Finale is amazing and in concert this part just gives me the Goosebumps...
It is incredible to listen how diverse DT can be not just from one album to the other but in the same album, now I understand the title of this album its just the perfect turbulence you want to feel when you listen a DT album.
So now 7 years from its release I am so thrilled as if this album has just been released today, I have discovered a lot of new things in this album and it really worth the time to really understand the album, the songs are great, the mix, the production everything is amazing, and again the band sound so tight so perfect¡¡, and the best part is that this songs sound even better LIVE¡¡
DT is the best band in the world and for me the best Band that ever existed... by FAR¡¡¡
Uhm, why do I need a title for a review?
2009-05-24 - One of Dream Theater's best albums, rivaling Scenes from a Memory in my opinion. There's something for nearly everyone in hear, ranging from fans of Dream Theater's heavy metal side to fans of their progressive side and fans of their softer emotional work. Must buy, for 1st time DT listeners to hardcore fans (like myself =D)
Excellent. Simply excellent.
2009-03-20 - I must admit that I've had a bit of a DT stint lately. Honestly, it's been pretty bad. I've gone through all of the DT albums I own -- Train of Thought, Octavarium, Systematic Chaos, Live at Budokan, Images and Words, and Scenes from a Memory -- at least three times each in the past month.
I read the reviews on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and I was hooked right away. I had only heard some parts of SDOIT on the Live at Budokan set, and so I figured that there was a lot more to offer on the rest of this album.
Turns out, this is one of my favorite DT albums. In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to find one that I like better. It's heavy, but not like Train of Thought; it's thematic, but not quite like Scenes from a Memory; it's got long instrumentals and weird voiceovers, but not like Systematic Chaos. It's in between all of them.
I'll break it down by track...
The Glass Prison: Long and winding. I keep thinking that this song will end but it never does. Not one of my favorites on my album but a great start.
Blind Faith: Possibly my favorite DT track of all time. By the time the lyrics kick back in at the end of the solo section, the band is moving a million miles an hour and you can barely keep up. It sends shivers down my spine. I remember making a few friends listen to this song, and they treated it just like some random prog-rock song... until John Petrucci starts off the solo section with an absolute killer of a riff. Rudess just takes off during his parts. The fills that Portnoy throws in are spectacular. Lebrie hits just the right notes. Jesus, I love this song.
Misunderstood: I'm not much of a head-banger, but this song makes me want to be. Great track.
The Great Debate: A song about stem cell research, and a pretty blatant one at that. A great filler track that shows how daring these guys want to be. (How many bands write a song about this topic?)
Disappear: A lot of moods, paces, and tones in this one. Interesting track.
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence: A conclusively massive 8-part second disc. I'll give my favorites here. About to Crash and About to Crash (Reprise) have a nice feel to them; they provide a very nice balance for the parts in between. The "cheesy" facets of DT come out in full in "Goodnight Kiss" and "Solitary Shell," but I love these tracks nonetheless. It's songs like these that make me wonder where they get the imagination to write the way they do. Losing Time/Grand Finale makes for a nice, epic finish -- as it should -- for the album.
Buy this album. Now.
Their magnum opus
2009-01-27 - Dream Theater is a very exciting ensemble and has churned out some thrilling progressive heavy metal. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002) is certainly no exception and comprises the band's magnum opus; a 2 disc set split between relatively shorter tracks and the progressive heavy metal suite on disc 2. Although I prefer the artier sound of disc 2, I found both discs to be electrifying. Indeed, I can not just listen to one disc.
The lineup on this album includes three former Berklee College of Music (Boston, Massachusetts) students: John Petrucci (electric and acoustic guitars); John Myung (electric bass guitars), and the Neil Peart-influenced Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, and vocals), along with James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards, Hammond organ, mellotron, synthesizers). My general impression of these guys is that they may very well be the most technically proficient progressive rock outfit currently active. Dense ensemble playing and Olympian scale feats of pyrotechnics on their individual instruments dominate, although there is more emphasis on ensemble playing than that on the previous album Scenes from a Memory (1999), which emphasized riffing usually played in unison on the guitar and keyboard and/or bass guitar.
The six tracks on disc 1 range in length from 9 - 14 minutes, with the massive 42 minute long title track occupying disc 2. The material on the first disc presents a fine blend of progressive heavy metal and classic English progressive rock. Lyrically, the group is not afraid to tackle complex and more importantly, relevant issues, e.g., stem cell research, which is just wonderful. I for one am glad that the group has not only updated the approach to the progressive rock sound for the 21st century, but has also updated the approach to philosophical/world view issues. Although all of the tracks are enjoyable, I really enjoy the melancholy and quiet closing track Disappear. With respect to the excellent progressive heavy metal multi-movement suite on Disc 2, which consists of eight movements (complete with an overture), it is clear that these guys have a real knack for putting large scale compositions together, which is very difficult I might add. There is not a dull moment in the entire composition and everything works fairly well from an arrangement perspective. Such is the hallmark of good musicians.
In terms of the CD package it is pretty good and features the lineup and the lyrics. Unfortunately, the production quality is not so hot (Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci produced the album), which seems to be the case on all of the Dream Theater albums I have picked up lately. Specifically, the keyboards are buried in the mix (save for the solo sections) and poor John Myung has all been mixed out of the album. As can be imagined, the drums sound pretty good and John Petrucci is, well, everywhere.
All in all, as a prog fan for the past 30 years, I found a great deal to like here and really appreciate the fact that these guys "mix it up" - they are not afraid to confound the expectations of fans. Recommended along with Octavarium (2005) to heavy metal fans that do not mind prog rock, and prog rock fans that do not mind heavy metal.
