Dream Theater: James LaBrie (vocals); John Petrucci (guitar, background vocals); Jordan Rudess (keyboards); John Myung (bass); Mike Portnoy (drums, percussion, background vocals).

Additional personnel: Howard Portnoy (percussion).

Recorded at Bear Tracks Studios and Little Bear Studios, Suffern, New York between March & August 2001.

The godfathers of progressive metal have been amazing and delighting their dedicated fans since the late '80s. Throughout their impressive and unlikely career they have continued to push themselves and the genre into new and challenging directions. While arguably hitting their peak with 1994's Awake, the band continued to grow with each new release (save for perhaps Falling into Infinity). Their previous studio effort, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory, was a milestone in their career, finding all of the band's best attributes amalgamated into a fully realized whole. Although "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" may not be another magnum opus, it is still another fine addition to their impressive discography. The band continues to explore new directions, but the results are not always consistent on the two CD's worth of material. Their overall sound is heavier, for better or worse, than it has been and they make some interesting compositional and lyrical choices, but their usual afflatus is missing. Petrucci in particular seems content to recycle his already-established pyrotechnics, which mostly come off as ostentatious and often out of place. With the exception of the high-octane "The Glass Prison," disc one is made up of more experimental tracks, with influences such as Radiohead and Tool being explored. The band also offers up one of their only political tracks in "The Great Debate," which deals with stem cell research. Disc two is comprised of the eight-part "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" epic and is more in line with their traditional approach. The "Overture" incorporates a full orchestra with surprisingly effective results and is the recording's standout track. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess gets more of an opportunity to demonstrate how valuable he is to the band's compositional and sonic depth. Fans of Pantera may cry foul when they hear "The Test That Stumped Them All," but this is meant more as a tribute than the blatant thievery it appears to be. While each member of Dream Theater has proved to have a more sophisticated and mature side -- as evidenced by side projects such as Transatlantic, Platypus, Liquid Tension Experiment, and Mullmuzer -- they understand where their proverbial bread is buttered. So exists Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, an intentionally pretentious, somewhat juvenile, but undeniably likeable recording. Despite the nearly impossible task of satisfying their mostly youthful fan base while still nurturing the band's natural maturation process, Dream Theater has mostly managed to deliver once again. ~ Robert Taylor

On this, Dream Theater's seventh studio effort, the heavier elements of the band's music come to the forefront. Although the masterful balance of rhythmic interplay, jazzy arrangement, and catchy melodies is ever-present on this two-disc offering, the strong, crunchy guitar sound and powerhouse percussion are pushed more into prominence, helped along by the crystal clear production of drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci. The first disc is comprised of five tracks, averaging about 10 minutes each and the second disc is a 42-minute opus complete with overture and finale. The length of the songs, rather than being a hindrance, allows for both a sense of completeness and an improvisational element to the tracks, making them fun to listen to.

The virtuoso skills of each instrumentalist are shown in running keyboard lines, pounding bass lines, and finger-twisting guitar solos. This mastery is expressed even more through the control heard in the slow, moving moments, especially the disc one closer "Disappear." Vocalist James Labrie solidifies his status as one of progressive metal's finest voices, hammering home strong, mid-range vocal lines with comfort and feeling. Definitely a worthy listening experience.

Entertainment Weekly (2/8/02, pp.74-5) - "...Their most grandiose creation ever....True prog nirvana..." - Rating: B