Review of Office of Strategic Influence by O.S.I. **** As good as Tool.

Of the Dream Theater side projects, this one is one of the best.  Mike Portnoy is back with Kevin Moore on this one, Dream Theater’s keyboardist for their breakthrough album Images and Words.  It’s a very solid effort, and I think that this band has the potential to be as big as Tool.  I also foresee that now since Mike Portnoy is no longer playing with Dream Theater, that O.S.I. might be one of his bands that he tries to promote to fame.  O.S.I. already has modest fame, and there is no reason why it couldn’t or shouldn’t have more.  Also, by now O.S.I. has a few albums out, such that they have a bunch of good songs to draw upon for live acts.  That is all the better, as many times bands come to success after putting out a few albums, and not on their first try.  In fact, I tend to be suspicious of bands if they don’t have a demo out or something before the record industry promotes them, that they actually are a good live act.  The quality of music on this album is definitely very good, my only criticism is that it can get boring to listen to, more so than say a Dream Theater album.