Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

This article is about the album. For the title track, see Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (song).
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Cover art by Dung Hoang
Studio album by Dream Theater
Released January 29, 2002 (2002-01-29)
Recorded 2001 at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York
Genre Progressive metal, Progressive rock
Length 96:17
Label Elektra
Producer Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci
Dream Theater chronology
Live Scenes from New York
(2001)
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
(2002)
Train of Thought
(2003)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[2]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[3]
411mania.com[4]

Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater, released as a double-disc album on January 29, 2002 through Elektra Records. Excluding the A Change of Seasons EP, it is the first Dream Theater album to feature a title track.

Concept

The recording is a type of concept album wherein the five songs which comprise the first disc explore different themes of lifetime struggle, such as alcoholism, loss of faith, self-isolation, sanctity of life and death. The sixth song—a 42-minute track occupying the second disc, separated into eight parts—explores the stories of six individuals suffering from various mental illnesses. Particularly represented are bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, post-partum depression, autism and dissociative personality disorder. Furthermore, the title of the album may also allude to the fact that each song on the album could be seen as a different form of inner turbulence, with the six tracks making another reference to the six degrees, along with the apparent reference to the six degrees of separation. The musical styles of each section of the title track are direct reflections of the band's large variety of influences. Classical, folk, jazz and metal styles are present within the track.

Songs

Influences

Influences for the album's writing and recording, according to the authors, include Metallica's Master of Puppets, Radiohead's OK Computer (and also a Radiohead bootleg Portnoy brought in), Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power and the song "Mouth for War",[7] Megadeth's Rust in Peace,[7] U2's Achtung Baby, Tool's Ænima, Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral, Soundgarden's Superunknown, Alice in Chains' Dirt, Kevin Gilbert's Thud, King's X's Faith Hope Love and Galactic Cowboys' Space in Your Face, Béla Bartók, Rage Against the Machine's The Battle of Los Angeles, and Maria Tipo's Chopin Nocturnes.[8]

Track listing

Disc one

All music composed by John Petrucci, John Myung, Jordan Rudess and Mike Portnoy.

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."The Glass Prison"
  • "I. Reflection"
  • "II. Restoration"
  • "III. Revelation"  
Portnoy13:52
  • 5:54
  • 3:44
  • 4:14
2."Blind Faith"  James LaBrie10:21
3."Misunderstood"  Petrucci9:32
4."The Great Debate"  Petrucci13:46
5."Disappear"  LaBrie6:46
Total length:54:18
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
6."Solitary Shell" (Radio edit)4:11

Disc two

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence"
  • "I. Overture"
  • "II. About to Crash"
  • "III. War Inside My Head"
  • "IV. The Test That Stumped Them All"
  • "V. Goodnight Kiss"
  • "VI. Solitary Shell"
  • "VII. About to Crash (Reprise)"
  • "VIII. Losing Time/Grand Finale"  
Petrucci, Portnoy
  • (instrumental)
  • Petrucci
  • Portnoy
  • Portnoy
  • Portnoy
  • Petrucci
  • Petrucci
  • Petrucci
42:02
  • 6:50
  • 5:50
  • 2:08
  • 5:03
  • 6:17
  • 5:47
  • 4:04
  • 5:59
Total length:42:02

Chart performance

Album
Year Chart Position
2002 Billboard 200 46[9]
Singles
Year Title Chart Position
2002 "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" Billboard Top Internet Albums 1[9]

Personnel

References

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