Out of the cd's without Moore,it's the second best for me so far...after Scenes From A Memory.
It could really be the best easily,but a) sometimes LaBrie sounds really bad when he does those high-pitched vocals,plus it's sometimes hard to tell what he's singing without looking at the lyrics,too high again b) Petrucci (and Rudess/Muyng) really fucks up a few songs on this album with his solos. What the hell is the deal with the solo on In The Name Of God? I've had lots of discussions with people about this,and it seems that from a musician's standpoint it's complex as hell and they aren't that bothered if it doesn't fit the song. Of course me who can't play a note on guitar would kinda like more song structures and less soloing.
The awesome side on this album is that most of the heavy riffs sound very very good. In The Name Of God and As I Am really get me headbanging. Plus the lyrics for most of the songs are really good,great subjects.
Of course there's the typical LaBrie song that doesn't fit the rest of the album at all and is completely useless. At least Disappear was a good song.
I welcome the movie samples on Honor The Father too,but I wish they'd used more,on In The Name Of God for example.
I'll give it an 8,a point lost by Petrucci and his solos,and another by LaBrie's vocals and Vacant.
They've definitely done a good album since it keeps drawing me back to it,but I'm afraid the same thing will happen as with Six Degrees. I'll listen to it a lot and then realize that it's really bad,but then again there's a lesser chance for that cause I already knew not to expect much after Six Degrees.