Drums tap lightly at first then expand into the powerful percussion juggernaught that is Mike Portnoy. "The Root Of All Evil" is the first track out of DT’s cannon this time out.

This is one of the heavier (better) tracks on this album. John Myung and Mike Portnoy’s bottom section flows like lava out of a volcano, allowing John Petrucci’s vicious rhythm guitar to pop out like flames coming from the Earth’s core. Jordan Rudess goes for the throat five and half minutes in and then hands off the soloing to Petrucci, who finishes the job. All the while James LaBrie inserts his excellent vocals. This is DT playing at their extraordinary high level and working completely together.

The sounds of nature in the beginning of "The Answer Lies Within" helps set the stage for James LaBrie to sing out the emotional truth of the song. The musical arrangement is pretty interesting as LaBrie’s voice is left with only keyboard embellishment for the first half of the track. Strings bring a classical touch to the earthy tune.

Rudess designs a dynamic keyboard part in "These Walls" that is incredibly aggressive and catchy. James LaBrie’s vocals standout as the band works together jumping on and off a massive wall of sound that is; equal parts Myung, Petrucci, Portnoy, and Rudess.

"I Walk Beside You" is a fast moving tune with U2 like guitar & drum rhythm and James LaBrie’s outstanding vocals. The background vocals on this track are along the lines the band attained on ‘Scenes From A Memory’ disc.

John Myung brings on "Panic Attack" with his dark powerful bass. Petrucci works with Portnoy to dig this track deep into a dark heavy tunnel that represents the song’s meaning. James LaBrie sings in character to fit the song.

Mike Portnoy really kicks the aggressive groove of "Never Enough." LaBrie’s vocals match the frantic feel of the song and Jordan Rudess matches the aggression on his whirling keyboard. Rudess and Petrucci continue to take their blazing double lead work into a new frontier of heavy progressive music.

"Sacrificed Songs" has the influence of Pink Floyd within the soundscape. Dark and haunting eventually grows into full Dream Theater attack mode. Guitar, drums, bass and keyboards work together to obliterate audio senses with creative outstanding musicianship. The way these guys work together is always is startling. Petrucci rips out notes with Rudess, while Portnoy & Myung constantly shift gears in tempo.

"Octavarium" is 24-minute epic that begins with almost a science fiction mood of sustained guitar and keyboard notes sliding across the horizon. Acoustic guitar and flute begin the second movement of the song at which point James LaBrie’s vocals begin about five minutes into the song. Mike Portnoy drums come in around 8 minutes shifting the tempo up. A little over 12 minutes in Jordan Rudess plays a Styx like keyboard part that leads the band into the more energetic second half of the track. At 16-minute mark Petrucci and Rudess take their double soloing into an environment of fantasy which kind of goes along with the sci-fi mood. The vocals just before 20-minute mark sound like multiple voices stacked on top of each other creating a weird non-human voice. The last three minutes are a musical review of the themes and elements already established.