Dream Theater - Train Of Thought [2 LP, Rocktober, Clear Vinyl]

Dream Theater's seventh studio album Train of Thought marked a deliberate shift toward heavier territory when it arrived in November 2003 through Elektra Records. After witnessing audience reactions to their more aggressive material on tour, drummer Mike Portnoy stated the band wanted to create a "balls to the wall" album with darker, more intense riffing that would expose them to new metal fans. Written in a remarkably condensed three-week period at a rehearsal studio in New York from March 10 through April 3, the album was engineered by Doug Oberkircher and mixed by Kevin Shirley, whose production captured the band's raw power without sacrificing their technical precision. The album opens with the same chord that closed Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, while its final piano note connects to the opening of Octavarium, demonstrating Dream Theater's conceptual ambition. Recorded at Avatar Studios in New York, the sessions produced what many consider a definitive fan-favorite despite initial division among longtime followers.

Lead single "As I Am" sets the album's aggressive tone immediately, with John Petrucci's lyrics responding to unsolicited guitar advice he received from Queensryche's Mike Stone during their 2003 summer tour. "This Dying Soul" continues Portnoy's twelve-step suite, following "The Glass Prison" and preceding later installments across subsequent albums, documenting his struggles with alcohol addiction through brutally honest lyrics. The epic 11-minute "Endless Sacrifice" explores the emotional toll of touring life, while "Honor Thy Father" channels Portnoy's anger toward his stepfather into one of the album's most visceral tracks. The brief instrumental interlude "Vacant" provides momentary respite before "Stream of Consciousness" launches into an 11-minute showcase of instrumental virtuosity. The closing 14-minute epic "In the Name of God" features hidden morse code spelling out a Mike Portnoy catchphrase and incorporates "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" in its final minutes, with Jordan Rudess famously playing the album's last note with his nose.

This limited edition Rocktober 2025 pressing on clear vinyl includes a lyrics insert, allowing listeners to follow Petrucci and Portnoy's powerful narratives. Pressed on double LP format across four sides, the clear vinyl presentation showcases the album's crunching guitars, intricate time signatures, and James LaBrie's commanding vocals with exceptional clarity. Engineer Doug Oberkircher captured the band's live intensity, from Petrucci's seven-string guitar work to Portnoy's thunderous double-bass patterns and John Myung's complex bass lines. The pressing preserves every nuance of Kevin Shirley's mix, which emphasized the album's metallic edge while maintaining the sophisticated arrangements that define Dream Theater's sound. This indie exclusive edition celebrates a pivotal moment when progressive metal's leading act proved they could match any band in sheer heaviness without sacrificing the technical prowess that built their reputation.

• Format: Clear Vinyl 2LP
• Standout tracks: "As I Am," "This Dying Soul," "In the Name of God"
• Pressing details: Limited Edition, Indie Exclusive, Rocktober 2025, includes lyrics insert
• Genre/style: Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock, Heavy Metal, Symphonic Metal
• UPC: 081227810672

This pressing captures Dream Theater at their heaviest and most uncompromising, delivering 69 minutes of technical mastery wrapped in aggressive, emotionally charged performances.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. As I Am
2. This Dying Soul

Side B:

1. Endless Sacrifice
2. Honor Thy Father

Side C:

1. Vacant
2. Stream Of Consciousness

Side D:

1. In The Name Of God