#1: A Nightmare To Remember: Great, great first song that has every little thing in it. Nice instrumental and vocals that will blow your mind…You can really picture a car crash in your mind with the lyrics and I just love this song one of my favs from this album.

#2: A Rite Of Passage: I heard this song when you were able to download it couple weeks ago for free, and let me tell you I was flippin shit when I heard it because it was so good I wanted the whole album right then and there. Only song on this album not written from or about life experiences but is just a great song to sing outloud and listen to.

#3: Wither: WOW. This short song is a great ballad to sing to and listen to. Was written about Writer’s Block if I’m not mistaken and just is great. This should be on the radio I believe because it is short enough for those douchebag mainstream losers but is good enough for anyone to listen to. Doesn’t matter that it is short at all it is a very good song.

#4: The Shattered Fortress: AWESOME SONG! Personally I think it’s my fav on the album but I cannot say because they are all good. This song has all the good beats of previous songs in the 12 Step Suite along with a couple new ones that makes this song A MA ZING! Since I know the previous songs in the 12 Step Suite (WHICH I LOVE) and I know the beats, just hearing them in that song was like “This is so fucking AWESOME!” Great song listen to it now! haha

#5: The Best Of Times: Another great song…Now I am 17 years old only and knowing what happened to Mike’s dad this brought me to tears the first time and I usually don’t cry at all. Just the lyrics give you so much info about him and his father it just makes me go nuts when I hear it every time. Musically, it is fantastic. This song will be one I will remember my father with very long down the road. (Thank you Mike Portnoy for writing this song) This should be a song everyone that has lost someone close to them should listen to. Great, great song.

#6: The Count Of Tuscany: When I first heard this song, it blew me away…But when it got to the lyrics I had no clue what it was about really. Until I found out it was about an experience that John Petrucci had while in Tuscany meeting a Count there I was confused. But now that I know that it just makes the song wayyyy better than it already was. As the longest song in the album it is one of the best. The instrumentals and the catchy chorus parts in it make it an epic for sure.

Don’t go into expecting them to re-write the genetic code of human beings, go into it knowing that you get yet another great “book” to put on the shelf from a band that never ceases to amaze people.

not much inovations/creativity

very cool anyways.

peace !