Dream Theater

I've been a fan of Dream Theater's work for about 5 years now, starting with Black Clouds and Silver Linings, so that album has a special place in my heart. When I first heard A Dramatic Turn Of Events I was a tad disappointed, but subsequent listenings, like a lot of DT's stuff, made the album more enjoyable.

Oddly enough, this is not the case with their latest album. The experience could be compared to watching the movie "Gravity". Interesting teaser, mind-blowing when first experienced, but subsequent experiences fail to capture the magic of the first time around.

One thing I definitely wasn't prepared for was the on-the-whole different sound found on the rest of the album to the promotional single, The Enemy Inside. It's much lighter, and shows a great dynamic range, so there is a connection felt. However, the album appears to rest on it's laurels in terms of holding up the 'prog' label. There is a very strong Rush influence on this particular album, though, so that may be the reason why. Also, Petrucci is struggling to think up good lyrics to write. Case in point: The Bigger Picture, Behind The Veil and Along For The Ride, with such rough patches on an adequate diamond as "I can't stop the world from turning around, nor the pull of the moon on the tide", "Someone save me, look behind the veil" and "Shed your light on me...to reveal the bigger picture".

The one track I REALLY like off of the album, though, is the latest edition to their epic library, Illumination Theory. It does something a bit different. In lieu of being cyclical like many of DT's epics (12-step, Count Of Tuscany, Octavarium, Nightmare To Remember) it has a definite beginning and end, and several sections in between. The piano jam is also a really neat way to end the album, like hearing post-credits music. The False Awakening Suite is also another favourite of mine, as it really gets you riled to listen to what Dream Theater has to offer this time around.

On the whole, the album feels like a sandwich that has two nice bits of meat on top and on the bottom, and a thick slice of bread in the middle. Great start, great end, the rest is OK. But I would recommend using this album to get your friends into Dream Theater if they're curious (along with When Dream and Day Unite and Images and Words)

After the dark and gripping Black Clouds & Silver Linings and the lighter and more diversified A Dramatic Turn Of Events, I was hopeful for the new self-titled Dream Theater release, and was excited to see in which new direction this output would go. I was equally curious to hear how Mike Mangini would be integrated. I was looking forward to see John Myung taking up more space than before in terms of musical presence and song writing qualities. And finally, of course, I was hoping for new musical ecstasy from guitarist and main songwriter John Petrucci, front man and singer James LaBrie, and creative keyboardist Jordan Rudess.

The new output only introduces a few new elements to the Dream Theater universe. The opening instrumental “False Awakening Suite” will take the place of other cinematic overtures the band has used as samples to start their concerts with. Their very personal overture is cinematic and concise and just sounds fine. The band decided to close the record with a laid-back and sadly unfitting and unspectacular hidden instrumental at the end of “Illumination Theory”, which somehow tries to close the circle. Let’s also mention another instrumental called “Enigma Machine”. New drummer Mike Mangini and bassist John Myung (who has been rather passive over the past few years) finally find their time and place to shine in this song, which is one of the best on the album.

The rest of the album offers nothing new, but rather a mixture of different band phases. So your appreciation will really depend upon whether or not you like the connected phases of the band. The dark and sometimes too-technical first single “The Enemy Inside” could have come from Systematic Chaos. The warmer “The Looking Glass” goes back to the Awake sound, and is clearly inspired by bands like progressive rock legends Rush. “The Bigger Picture” has symphonic elements, piano passages, soothing vocals, and a ballad-driven sound. However, it’s combated by the poor-fitting harder sections. This kind of half-ballad would have found its justified place on records like Metropolis Part Two and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. Fans of laid-back progressive rock sounds of the seventies by Genesis or Yes should adore “Behind The Veil”, which has a darker tone close to “The Count of Tuscany” without reaching its class. The more laid-back sound could also please fans of the underestimated Falling Into Infinity. “Surrender To Reason” could also fit that release, and should appeal to fans of progressive rock bands like King’s X or Pendragon. It’s a calmer but technical piece of music with a few magic melodies and moments.

Moving on to the last couple of tracks, “Along For The Ride” is another appeasing Dream Theater half-ballad dominated by LaBrie’s soft vocals, acoustic guitars, and great bass guitar work and beautiful keyboard passages in the middle part. This kind of song has a touch of Awake, but could also have been a leftover from A Dramatic Turn Of Events. Then comes the closing “Illumination Theory”, with a running time of over twenty-two minutes, including the hidden closure I’ve already told you about. Musically, this track calls to mind Metropolis Part Two. As always, such a long song has its ups and downs. The mysterious sound collages with nature noises that appear seven and a half minutes into the track remind me of Mike Oldfield’s amazing “Music From The Balcony”, for example. What then follows are parts inspired by classic music like Muse used to do on their last two albums. These parts in the final song are cinematic, epic, and touching. The rest is technically appealing but sounds a bit directionless.

While there are a lot of positive things to point out, such as the calm arrangements, the stunning keyboards, and the strong bass guitar work, there are also a number of mentionable drawbacks to Dream Theater. In fact, I really didn’t like this record as much as the two previous ones. First of all, almost all tracks feel lengthy and stretched. Concise song writing and shorter songs would have helped. The final “Illumination Theory” would have been a gripping song around the seven or eight minute mark, but twenty-two minutes are far too long and offer too many changes and too much instrumental masturbation. That’s also the case for the faster, hectic and very technical parts in “The Enemy Inside”, “The Bigger Picture”, and even the instrumental “Enigma Machine”. Another negative aspect is that I was able to relate each track to a certain Dream Theater record. This means that the band doesn’t really offer anything new at all. There isn’t much progression going, and the band digs in its own successful past. That’s not a big problem because they have written some progressive metal masterpieces, but I was expecting more creative input. My favorite songs here are “The Looking Glass” followed by “Surrender To Reason”. The two instrumentals are quite good, and the rest is somewhere between good and a comparatively boring average. Those who already have albums such as Awake, Metropolis Part Two and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence don’t really need this record, as it shows nothing new or better than these.

In the end, I would only recommend this album to faithful Dream Theater fans. It’s a good but not a spectacular album and some things could have been done better. After the last two records, this album is a little letdown. I’m complaining at a very high level though. Maybe the tracks are working better in concert. This being sad, the band will release a new live package from their last tour entitled “Live At Luna Park” by the end of the year. If I had to choose between the new album and the live package, I would save my money for the live package.

Originally written for Black Wind Metal

Following Mike Portnoy’s departure, Dream Theater put out the somewhat uneven “A Dramatic Turn of Events.” It was well documented that the album had been written prior to auditioning drummers. The drums were mixed lower, and there was a fair amount of filler. Nonetheless, it provided a hint of things to come. Songs like “This is the Life” and “Outcry” were the bombastic, melodramatic songs one would expect from a prog band.

Their recent, self-titled album is a continuation of the grandiosity they were going for with ADTOE. It opens with the cinematic “False Awakening Suite” before kicking into gear with the angular attack of the post-traumatic stress disorder inspired “The Enemy Inside.” Things then get interesting with “The Looking Glass”, a clear homage to Rush that begins with a similar tonality to Limelight. Dream Theater has never been known for writing anthemic songs, so this is a breath of fresh air. They don’t quite do so with the vigor and craftsmanship of their heroes, but the straightforward structure and breathtaking solo from John Petrucci carry this one. Then, there is the first instrumental in quite some time, “Enigma Machine.” Though Mike Mangini puts on a clinic (and the drums are mixed much higher than the previous album), this songs fails to find its footing due to a lack of a memorable melody or driving rhythm. It simply meanders along for six minutes.

The next few songs employ the services of keyboardist Jordan Rudess prominently. “The Bigger Picture” builds up to an arena rock chorus, buoyed by Keyboards that wouldn’t be out of place on Van Halen’s 5150. “Behind the Veil” attempts the same thing, but is not nearly as well constructed. James LaBrie’s aggressive vocals are just as goofy as they were on Train of Thought and the chorus is not as rewarding. The keyboards strike a nicer balance with the guitar on “Surrender to Reason.” Petrucci lets his guitar sing on this one, and the results are astounding.

The two songs that finish the album are perhaps the most interesting. “Along for the Ride” is the best instrumental they have done since “Hollow Years.” Strange enough, neither one of those songs has a guitar solo. The keyboard solo is somewhat cheesy, but the song is well written and incredibly catchy. Finally, the album ends with the ambitious, orchestral “Illumination Theory.” This song has the largest dynamic shifts, alternating between the incredible rhythmic display the band is known for and strong melodies. The orchestral middle section is very cool, as is the start-stop riffing that reminds me of Cygus X-1 after that. Finally, they let James LaBrie hit the high notes on the closing section, which he surprisingly sounds really good on!

If there is a large complaint to be made, it must be for the banal lyrics. Although the musicianship is incredible, one cannot help but cringe at the lyrics. Illumination Theory is a song about what people will live, kill or die for:

Mothers for their children
Husbands for their wives
Martyrs for the kingdom
Fighting for your life
A soldier for his country
A junkie for the high
Teachers for their students
Vengeance for a crime

This is a microcosm of what plagues the rest of the album and a lot of their discography. Though the music is extremely well-written, the lyrics are not.

Despite this flaw (which is not particular to this album), the outstanding, creative songwriting and musicianship are worth the price of admission. It will be interesting to see where the future takes this band, as it is only the first album with Mike Mangini as a participating member of the band.

Dream Theater has been my favorite band for the past 20 plus years. For the longest time I felt like they could do no wrong. Sure they would hit a snag here and there and have a song or two I wouldn't enjoy, but all in all their albums are some of my favorite ever released. Then we get to the whole ordeal with Mike Portnoy leaving the band. I understand where he was coming with wanting to take a break to refresh themselves. This is where it was pointed out to me that they really did need a break. Despite a Grammy nomination, I was not thoroughly impressed with hardly any of Dramatic Turn of Events. It just seemed like an overly drawn out album where after a few minutes you look down at your cd timer and realize you're almost done with the album and don't remember hardly any of it. Also I considered the album title and cover to be extremely childish. When I heard they were putting out a self-titled album after all these years, I was expecting it to be the biggest disappointment of their career. Somehow though the album managed to already grip me much better after only one listen.

As I sat down with the album and looked inside the booklet I didn't know what to think to see that there were only 9 tracks, two of which were instrumentals and another which was over 20 minutes. I felt this could be a good thing, considering my problem with their previous was too many tracks and too much filler. Beginning with the first actual song Enemy Inside I was extremely confused at first. There were far too many djent-ish riffs for me. I was really hoping Dream Theater wasn't becoming like the new school prog bands that Petrucci seems to enjoy now. Once the vocals begin, I couldn't even tell this was Dream Theater. Honestly, I thought this was Dave Mustaine and I was checking out the new Megadeth album. James Labrie's vocals just seemed to be sang directly through his nose. Once I started hearing Mike Mangini's amazing drum rolls I started getting into the track a little more. Once it gets to the solo I became extremely impressed. This is the Dream Theater that I've missed. It is extremely memorable, melodic, has plenty of speed and technicality, and ultimately fits the song great. The more I listen to this track, the more I like it. Originally I thought of it as a sleeper track, but now I am glad to see it was nominated for a Grammy.

The Looking Glass is by far my favorite song off the past two albums and I consider to be some of their best work to date. Being in the true spirit of progressive metal they experiment with a slight genre change. This track is pretty much in the vein of AOR and melodic rock and is very focused around being positive and having a memorable chorus. It a pretty standard track musically until about the 2:20 point where the band just lets loose technically and lets you know why they have been the premier progressive metal band for all of these years. Once again the guitar solo is extremely tastefully done. It is not extremely warp speed or anything, but definitely has a lot of emotion to it and once again fits the song very nicely. This track is something I'd very much like to see from the band more in the future.

Admitting that I'm not typically a big fan of instrumentals is my way of looking past Enigma Machine. By no means is it a bad track, but a lot of it comes off as technical wankery for the sake of technical wankery. It slows down at some points, but all in all its not very memorable unlike Ytse Jam and Dance of Eternity type instrumentals. Ultimately this is going to be a track I probably skip every time.

I am personally a big fan of tracks that are half ballad yet still maintain a fair amount of technical musicianship and a memorable chorus as to not bore me into wanting to skip the track. The Bigger Picture is just that, in the fact that it is a fantastic track, and one of the few points of the album where Labrie's voice actually goes slightly higher. I realize his range isn't quite the same, but here his voice still sounds phenomenal. Like the previous track, once again we have a rather slow guitar solo filled with emotion. I also really like Jordan Ruddess's piano playing in this. Over the past album his keyboarding has gotten to the point of being so technical yet strange that a lot of it hasn't fit the songs that well. This album for the most part has been a drastic improvement on making the keyboards more listenable. The track ends like several have on previous albums in giving reference to songs they have previously done. The last vocal lines bring back parts from the track Home, which also has been one of my favorites of theirs for years.

The next track is where a few snags begin to take place. It takes almost a minute and a half for the track to kick in. The main guitar riff is extremely distorted, Labrie has some strange effect on his voice that almost makes him sound like Mustaine again, and the chorus is slightly repetitive. The song is definitely saved by the fact that the keyboard and guitar solos are amazing. Petrucci's playing on this track is quite possibly some of the best on the album. Once again it kicks back into the chorus and then fades out for another minute. It is definitely not a bad track, but probably could have stood to be a little shorter.

The beginning of the next track actually reminds me of an acoustic Opeth song. When the song kicks in we have some pretty technical riffs that lead into a little bit of chugging, but nothing too grating. After the first chorus is some of my favorite style of clean and melodic guitar leads followed by some choir vocal effects and one of the first parts where you actually pay attention to how extremely technical the bass playing is on this album. All in all this is another slower paced track, which there are a few on the album, but its nothing worth complaining about. Once again another memorable track that I don't want to skip.

Along for the Ride once again carries on with the idea of an album full of slower tracks. Being the most ballad like it definitely fares better than some of their previous attempts, which have essentially just been Labrie singing with maybe a little bit of acoustic guitar or piano. I do love the keyboard solo to this. The effect used is very similar to the main riff to Solitary Shell and just comes out sounding really positive and happy. Honestly I really like the message to this track, which is pretty much telling you that you shouldn't be too upset when things don't come out like you want them because everything will be okay in the end.

Long epic tracks is something Dream Theater has been known for. Ever since releasing Change of Seasons as a single 23 minute track they have prided themselves on their ability carry on a single song idea for an extended period of time. Illumination Theory begins with some very distorted guitars on top of clean keyboards and then kicks in to be one of the more upbeat tracks on the album already. Some of the riffs to this once again come out sounding like some darker Opeth tracks, which is definitely not a bad things to me. It takes about 4 minutes before you get to any vocals. Honestly this part is where it starts to go wrong for me. The vocals sound very weak, almost like it belongs on Labrie's newest solo album. It is a bit too modern sounding for me and is kind of seems like a pointless attempt at a 50 year old man being edgy. From the 7th to 11th minute of the song there are virtually no instruments and seems kind of like a filler point. After this Labrie lets out some of his highest vocal attempts on the album. At points they seem alright and at other points they just seem to fail. Then we get to the point of the random prog rock jam session and then another 4 minutes of fade out. I honestly think this track is a complete dud and drags down the rest of the album.

All in all I am very impressed with Dream Theater's efforts on this album. A lot of it is a little slower paced, it does have 2 instrumental tracks, and their attempt at being epic came out a bit weak, but I must admit the guitar solos are phenomenal, the choruses are catchy, the songs are memory, and you don't just sit there looking at your watch waiting for the album to end. I really hope the band takes the positive aspects of this album and uses it to focus on making another masterpiece with their next album.

Originally written for The Metal Pit.

I'm certain I'm not the first to notice this, but it appears that self-titled albums that are not a group's debut album rarely work out well. There are few people who would deny the influence and rightfully deserved legacy of debut self-titled works by Black Sabbath, Bathory, Deicide, or Iron Maiden. There are far fewer who would extol the virtues of the late-career eponymous records of, say, Cryptopsy or Suffocation. Those latter records are far from terrible, but there's little about them that makes them noteworthy. Yes, it's cherry picking, and there are certainly counterexamples, but in general late-career self-titled records display a lack of creativity by the creators. As one might expect, when Dream Theater announced that their next album was to be titled Dream Theater, I was not impressed.

I will admit that I like the simple, dark cover. I find it a welcome change from the heavy but often blunt and saccharine symbolism the band usually deploys. To Dream Theater's credit, they've always been a reasonably consistent group. After hearing a few of their records, it's unlikely for the listener to be surprised by the contents of any of their other works. Courtesy of that consistency, they've also been fortunate over their lengthy career to have never released a truly dismal album. And to put all these pieces together, as would be expected of an album to which I've already delivered the backhanded insult of lacking creativity, Dream Theater's self-titled record is, roughly, more of the same. It's prog in the vein of all of their other works. It has many of the same styles and features of other Dream Theater records. It's a respectable album, but it lacks distinction.

There are few surprises to be found here, but there aren't many sour spots, either. The opening track is an instrumental along the same lines as Overture 1928 or the first movement of Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. This, honestly, is one of the things Dream Theater does best. The song is brief, with steady forward motion. Compared to their other offerings, it's relatively unpredictable. It grabs the ear's attention and gives the album a promising start. The pitfall comes when we head to the next track. Although Dream Theater has never released an album that was aggressively terrible, the same cannot be said for individual songs, especially in the cases of their various forays into more "accessible" territory. "The Enemy Inside" is far from an awful song, but it sounds contrived. It's difficult for me to listen to the melodramatic lyrics and the unconvincing riffs without thinking that it was composed as some sort of compromise between their good material and the abominable remains of the band's previous attempts to write contemporary singles. Such vapid time-wasting is obligatory on Dream Theater records today, courtesy of their current label.

Fortunately, with that bullshit out of the way, we get to hear Dream Theater being Dream Theater for remainder of the record. Paying homage to one of their strongest influences, "The Looking Glass" sounds so much like a Rush cover that I had to check if Rush ever recorded a song with the same name to make sure it wasn't a cover. It isn't, but it's a spot-on imitation. The relatively broad tone and style of Rush is encountered several more times on this album. "Enigma Machine" is another instrumental that is absolutely typical of what Dream Theater does as a band. The riffs are wacky, the solos are wanky, and it's just barely conceivable that in a slightly different universe, Rush could have composed this one, too.

The next four tracks all wander in roughly similar territory, with all four of them featuring extended slow passages and plenty of open room for LaBrie to sing. "Behind the Veil" is the best of these, featuring a nifty ambient symphonic intro laced with some sounds that could possibly be an homage to late Pink Floyd records. The song's main riff has a few low tones that sound like they came directly out of the Awake/A Change of Seasons era, which are a delight to hear. The final track, the obligatory "epic" of the album, is thoroughly enjoyable. Like much of the album, it plays like a highlight reel from Dream Theater's earlier works. The opening third or so of the song is consistently strong, and return after the interlude is almost certainly the best few minutes on this album. The song lags in a few spots, notably the symphonic section in the interlude (which is not as strong as the ambient synth section) and the legato passages at the end of the main song, which go on for perhaps a bit too long and lack sufficient emotion to pull off that kind of duration.

Awkwardly, the thing I remembered the most about this album after I first heard it months ago was the two and a half minutes at the very end, the piano outro. With enough silence separating it from the rest of "Illumination Theory" to essentially qualify it as a hidden track, it is two and a half minutes of strange, beautiful music. It is, I think, the only two and a half minutes on this record in which the band truly and adequately expresses themselves. It plays like an elegy, a monument to what the band has achieved in their long and illustrious career. Quite frankly, if these were the final notes that Dream Theater ever recorded as a band, I would be happily content.

This album, as a whole, plays like a tribute to what Dream Theater has accomplished. The band has received some criticism for that, but I'm willing to cut them some slack. Their fan base (myself included) is notoriously impossible to please. When they try to change their style, even if only for one song, the fans complain that their new direction sucks. When they release material that is similar to what they have released before, much like this album, the fans complain that they lack creativity. We don't expect Dream Theater to release good albums; we expect them to release masterpieces. This album is not a masterpiece. It is, however, adequate, fitting, and thoroughly, wholly Dream Theater. I guess the title works after all.

What is Dream Theater to become in the wake of staggering recognition not normally heaped upon bands of a progressive nature? What are they to do next after monumental albums such as "Awake", "Octavarium" and "Black Clouds and Silver Linings"? Well, the answer put in front of us seems to be to write a safe as hell record and pass it off as the eponymous and definitive collection. The thing that continues to fascinate (and frustrate) about this band is how they remain "progressive" within the context of a song but how they as a band have not progressed much in the literal sense. There is nothing wildly experimental on "Dream Theater"-in fact, if you listen to this album and the previous one in succession you'd probably yawn midway given to how everything seems smartly packed and presented but never quite visceral or reactive. Of course, formula is something most bands build up over time but the trick is to stay as innovative as they possibly can within the confines they've established for themselves. Dream Theater operate with pomp and bombast on their twelfth studio album in what I guess we could call an inadvertent attempt to confuse the situation. All the nine tracks on this album sound "big" and stately but it doesn't take a nitpicker to notice that inherent to this grandiloquence are the same old trappings that have failed many a past Dream Theater album.

The album isn't without charm-in fact, it has lots of charm. The problem is that it's a case of too much, too soon. If this was the first we were hearing about Dream Theater, then this record would be some sort of milestone but the unfortunate benefit of hindsight renders it rather trite and quite underwhelming. Had they taken a bit more time with it and made it more basic than overly coloured, it would definitely make a bolder statement. Instead what we have is an album that falls neatly within the confines of the status quo. One that takes a few bold leaps but mostly conforms to the usual standard; the metal "bruiser" here, the ballad there and of course, the overlong, ultra dynamic, "transcendental" epic. It is better than "Systematic Chaos" and "Train of Thought" but in feel only because even the really good songs here have a stink of familiarity about them. "The Bigger Picture" for instance sounds like it dropped off "A Dramatic Turn of Events" with its graceful swoops so characteristic of that record and you'd think as the group's first instrumental since 2003 that "Enigma Machine" wouldn't be so damned reminiscent of "Erotamania". It is 2013, and Dream Theater has still failed to break fresh ground. Those who dismissed "A Dramatic Turn of Events" as an "Images and Words" re-write will be mollified only slightly by "Dream Theater"'s subtlety at replication.

Opener "False Awakening Suite" has a texture that admits Therion to mind while "The Enemy Inside" is their worthiest metal bruiser yet. Maybe because it didn't feed off Metallica like the ones before it. The intro that leads into the first verse is very Nevermore in character but the dynamism and intricacy makes it entirely Dream Theater's. Generally speaking, the playing on this album is much more intricate than it was on the last two albums-there's so many moving parts, so many shades employed. This works brilliantly on songs like "Surrender To Reason" and "Illumination Theory" but fails to lift others like "Behind The Veil" and "The Bigger Picture" from their pit of blandness. John Petrucci and James LaBrie are overly busy throughout-the former plays some of his most distinctive solos yet (check the delectably chaotic one in "Surrender To Reason" and his soaring melodic eruption on "Enigma Machine") while LaBrie for his part, sings the hell out of those lyrics and the shamelessly Rushesque "The Looking Glass" is his finest moment. He is graceful and refined on the entire thing-maybe too refined at some point-but there's a genuine warmth to his tone that is endearing. Still the newbie, Mike Mangini lacks the boisterous charm of Portnoy and the theatricality with which the man managed his pounds. He is outshined and overshadowed and sounds a bit too far in the mix-mechanical, almost. But on "Enigma Machine" he really comes out to play, showcasing his technique as vastly as six minutes can allow. Jordan Rudess pretty much sounds as he did on the last record-mellow, less synthetic, more into defining a song's emotional features than flying off on some technical handle. And finally, John Myung is the silent man no more. His bass is firmly etched upon every moment and there's a clarity to his notes that's probably the only "new" thing on the whole album.

Lyrically, this is Dream Theater's weakest album. The topics are the same as they've always been. In other words, pedantic philosophical meanderings abound. There's a false tone to the words this time though that renders them both slick and insipid. On "Bridges In The Sky" two years ago, Petrucci was seeking enlightenment, here on "The Bigger Picture" the quest hasn't changed much albeit a little reality has seeped through the fantastical notions he nurtured back then ("When I see the distant lights illuminate the night/Then I will know I am home"). Prog rock bands have historically tended to draw us into the mild dramas of their spiritual searches but while Yes had a way with words, Petrucci's vocabulary fails him and presents his quests in the most innocuous manner possible. Look elsewhere and you meet with sentimentality ("Along For The Ride") and righteous indignation ("Behind The Veil"). Again, if this was Dream Theater's first or second album, the shabby prose might have looked appealing but the fact that they've penned better in the past makes this terribly mediocre. The band is to be given credit though for having carved a niche and still able to manipulate tat system of their own making to turn out sub masterpiece after sub masterpiece. If you're of the mind that they have nothing left to prove, then you'll enjoy this much more. It has that mature, brazen candor that only the grown and self aware possess. But if you're looking for something bold and new then in their own words; "You won't find it here, look another way".

How will it hold up in the catalog? I presume it will be lauded from here to kingdom come because of how grand it all sounds. But it lacks the freshness of "Octavarium", the balance of "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" and even the mature warmth of "A Dramatic Turn Of Events". For what it's worth, "Surrender To Reason" and "The Looking Glass" are thoroughly awesome tunes and nice additions to the more respectable side of Dream Theater's catalog. Even "The Enemy Inside" can be seen to eventually rival "As I Am" and "Constant Motion" for sheer metalness. The rest are mere farts on the skin of the wind packaged as rocks.

The build up to Dream Theater was both an exciting and worrying time for me. Their last album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events, ranked as a pinnacle in the Dream Theater discography, and on many levels, a return to form, with the band re-establishing itself sans drum extraordinaire Mike Portnoy, who was of course one of their main songwriters. I’m often wary of self titled albums, as with many bands it signals a change in musical direction (Metallica, very nearly Stratovarius), and really I think it comes off kind of lazy. Furthering the doubt was the artwork, which when compared against the stunning pieces adorning their last two releases comes off as quite unspectacular.

Any apprehension I might have had was, however, quickly quelled. The first thing which really stuck out to me here is how succinct the band comes off. Whilst the twenty plus minute closer “Illumination Theory” doesn’t entirely apply to this point, the other eight tracks here are meticulously crafted slabs of concise progressive metal that show exactly what Dream Theater can do in a tight package. They very rarely indulge in the prolonged musical sections which they’re by now known for, and even in the instrumental track “Enigma Machine”, the focus is more reliant on riffs and structure as opposed to showboating. Another big factor in their sound is that just about everything I would ever identify as having spawned from Mike Portnoy’s influence and song-writing has been complete eschewed. The groovy, trendier sections are all but gone, and in their place is a multifaceted progressive power metal assault which hearkens back to the band’s formative days.

I also adore how in touch Dream Theater feels with its contemporaries. I can hear shades of acts such as Threshold, Symphony X, Pagan’s Mind, and of course Rush throughout the entire album. When concerning the former three bands, I’m not sure whether this was intentional, due to the arguable matter of how much Dream Theater influenced the aforementioned acts, however in the case of Rush, any Dream Theater fan can see the band has proudly worn that influence on their collective sleeve throughout its career.

Taking a look at some of the songs, I feel this becomes even more evident; from the Symphony X styled opening piece “False Awakening Suite” to the Rush meets Pagan’s Mind swagger of “The Looking Glass”, all the way up to the post-thrash, almost Threshold approach of “Behind The Veil” – and let’s not forget “Erotomania’s” darker, meaner cousin; the aforementioned “Enigma Machine”. Dream Theater are on the ball with every aspect of their sound here on their eponymous twelfth full-length. The heavier segments are propulsive and convincing; with killer riffs and double kick patterns, and their tranquil moments are poignant: largely carried via LaBrie’s smooth croon and Petrucci’s impeccable clean guitar playing. Despite sounding focused and concise, there is still plenty of room for Dream Theater’s progressive aspects, and despite shorter song lengths, for the most part they manage to dazzle throughout their arrangements.

Some special mention should go out to “Illumination Theory” too, without a doubt one of the stronger twenty plus minute numbers I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. What’s particularly great about it is that it’s relatively easy to follow and grasp. The individual parts feel distinct, and the bridging string section is nothing short of moving. LaBrie is really on the money here too, playing to his strengths as a singer and delivering one of his finest performances in years.

Speaking of fine performances, it’s great to hear Mike Mangini fully integrated into the writing process, and it shows. I’d say this is their most air drum-worthy release since Awake. His performance is intense to say the least; incredible fills, energetic double kick flurries, and of course some damn catchy beats. The enigmatic John Myung compliments Mangini in the rhythm department, and boy does he make his presence felt here. I’ve lost count of how much air-bass I’ve done to this album, and in places his tone and performance take a lot from Geddy Lee, which had me smiling from ear to ear. He also contributes the lyrics to “Surrender To Reason” which is great, as I’ve always been a big fan of the songs he’s penned.

For the rest of the band it’s largely business as usual: John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess have pretty much stepped into the ring-leader position vacated by Portnoy, and it’s great to see them putting in both humble and honest performances. Rudess is surprisingly restrained throughout the album, and whilst his skill is intimidating as ever, I feel he utilizes his talents to the flow and benefit of the songs, as opposed to anything excessive. I feel Petrucci’s riffs draw a lot of inspiration from that of the earlier Dream Theater albums, and I’d definitely say he puts forth one of his more riff oriented approaches here on their eponymous album. His lead guitars are decidedly more memorable this time around too, doing a great job of conveying emotion. This is particularly true in “Illumination Theory”, where he delivers a thoroughly stirring solo towards the end.

With fantastic sound and some of the finest songs the band has penned in years, I feel Dream Theater is an incredibly strong release, and likely the biggest candidate for prog album of the year. Just when I thought they couldn’t get any better, they throw the gauntlet down yet again. To me, Dream Theater feels like the start of a new era for the band, a proud “this is who we are” kind of album, which I hope will serve as the foundation for furthering their style and sound. An all-encompassing look at Dream Theater, served up in a deliciously neat package, this one comes highly recommended.

Originally written for http://blackwindmetal.com

Some may deem them uncreative, but self-titled albums often have interesting purposes in a band’s discography. Unless it is released as a group’s debut, a self-titled album usually suggests a dramatic change of direction or serves as a statement of their core tenets. Like A Dramatic Turn Of Events before it, Dream Theater’s twelfth studio effort and second with drummer Mike Mangini aims to be your quintessential Dream Theater album but has a few elements that set it apart from that particular release.

While the appropriately symphonic “False Awakening Suite” and lead single “The Enemy Within” initially hint at a heavier, more theatrical direction, the bulk of Dream Theater is actually driven by the tropes that defined efforts such as Octavarium and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. The influence of other bands is back on their sleeves as “The Looking Glass” and “Surrender to Reason” channel the pep of early 80s Rush while “The Bigger Picture” and “Along For The Ride” serves as the token ballads. Elsewhere, “Enigma Machine” is the first instrumental to be seen since the Train Of Thought days and “Illumination Theory” is another one of the band’s beloved twenty-minute epics.

The musicians also offer their typical virtuosities though the dynamic seems to be shaken up a bit. John Petrucci’s guitars and Jordan Rudess’s effects continue to assert their dominance and the drums have integrated well enough, but bassist John Myung appears to be the album’s standout contributor as his performance is his most energetic since Falling Into Infinity. On the flip side, James LaBrie’s vocal performance will continue to divide listeners though there are a few signs of slippage that even the most dedicated of fanboys will notice. He still works well with the material but the cringe-worthy wails during the climaxes of “Illumination Theory” threaten to derail an otherwise solid closer.

But for an album that features shorter song lengths and a less than seventy minute run time, it is strange to note that its biggest flaw is a lack of true catchiness. Detractors have always been quick to identify Dream Theater as a band only capable of endless wanking and cornier lyrics, but they have known how to craft a good chorus and have many a grand riff in their repertoire. A few tracks like “The Bigger Picture” and “Behind The Veil” do come close to reaching this point, but most of the songs are rather interchangeable despite the album’s variety. They’re still good enough but aren’t as memorable as usual.

Overall, Dream Theater’s self-titled venture is a solid release that mixes good songs with a looming threat of stagnancy. It might not be a bad idea for the band to consider recharging their batteries in the near future, but a return to a heavier sound or even entertaining the idea of another concept album could make for an equally satisfying remedy. There is still some enjoyment to be found here but it’d be best to get the new albums by Queensryche and Fates Warning if you want to hear the old prog metal elite at its best.

Current Highlights:
“False Awakening Suite”
“The Enemy Inside”
“The Bigger Picture”
“Behind the Veil”
“Illumination Theory”

Originally published at http://psychicshorts.blogspot.com

First of all let me begin by saying that this album breaks Dream Theater's recent not so good albums. Im talking about Black Clouds and Silver Linings and A Dramatic Turn of Events. Those albums were crap. Systematic Chaos was tolerable at first, but it eventually grew on me. In that sense, that is what this album seems to be.

Upon listening to the opening track, 'False Awakening Suite' I got my hopes up. I couldn't wait to hear the rest of the album in my anticipation. Then began the track 'The Enemy Inside.' Unlike most, I chose not to listen to it when they released it as a single before the rest of the album. Thinking back, that was definetly the correct decision as that was the heaviest track on the album. Some parts of it screamed 'Nevermore' at me.

The rest of the album felt rather mediocre to be honest. Nothing jumped out from the speakers and grabbed my head and stuck there forever. In other words, it was very bland and plain. Not much was going for it. They haven't played outside the square here. Technically, they are brilliant. Not many bands come close to Dream Theater's technical prowess on their respective instuments.

Let me now focus on the individual performances in the album. I never really liked James LaBrie. Some songs he was good, but often his high pitched wails left a sour taste in my ears. In this album, he doesn't do much. I will put that down to age. He doesn't push himself with the vocals too much. For most, this is good.

John Petrucci has always been technically one of the best. Melodic like Joe Satriani with the speed and precision faster than the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen and Jeff Loomis. There is everything, from smooth legato runs, his signature untouchable alternate picking shredding runs, even a few sweeps here and there. What ever the speed, it sounds clean whether played at 20 or 200bpm. This album proves nothing more. He is a great guitarist.

As with Petrucci, Myung really delivers. If you have listened to their demos back from the Majesty days you can always hear the bass. It was one of their predominant sounds on their demos pre Dream Theater. Who ever mixed/engineered the album really did a fantastic job. The bass guitar is audible and strong. Now more than ever the listener is able to listen to Myung show his stuff on the bass. He compliments Petrucci extremely well. Not only doubling behind the guitar, but also playing some good melodies and in some tracks, solos too! You can hear some in 'Enigma Machine' where he has some tones that scream RUSH! (The prog rock band, fyi)

Rudess is a unique keyboard player in the way that I have never heard someone play keyboards the way he does. I don't know much about playing keyboards, but when he decides to go fast he backs Petrucci with ease. I didn't like his overuse of effects. Sounded a tad nu-metally to me, which is a slight disappointment.

However, Mangini lets this album down. Technically, he is far superior to Portnoy and he shows that in quite a few of his fills that make you go 'damn, this guy is really good!' And he is! Sadly however, his performance left much to be desired. I'm not 100% sure on how to say this, but here goes. When Portnoy got going, he was able to take a rhythm and nurse it perfectly through the entire song amid all the tempo and time changes. His transitions in particular were fantastic. Now he hasn't got the technical prowess of Mangini, but he played the drums with soul and passion. Mangini sounds robotic. He executes his fills and technical sentions perfectly. However what let me down is his transitions. I would be listening to a section that is good and the BAM he changes beat without much of a transition. When he did have a transition, it lacked the groove that Portnoy had. I'm not trying to bash Mangini. He's a fantastic drummer. However in the auditions I really enjoyed listening to Minemann (which is why I believe Rudess is doing a solo album with him), Sadly, Mangini didn't deliver to my expectations.

And on that note, Dream Theater's self titled album leaves much to be desired. Technically it is great. It ticks all of the boxes. However, I am not quite sure how to say this, but I'll try.. The good riffs were great. You would be sitting there going 'Yes! This is fantastic.' Then BAM a change that lacks a transition into a section that lets a song down. These 'bad' sections linger around for far too long and the 'good' sections end too soon.

This album has the heaviness of Train of Thought, an album that got many people I know personally into Dream Theater. However, having being a huge fan of DT for all of my life this album lacks the sparkle from previous albums. It hasn't got a character. The album is mediocre and plain. I was even thinking to myself that I must have heard the parts somewhere else before. That was due to nothing being unique. Nothing from this album grabbed me. And that was a huge disappointment. Add really cheesy and rubbish lyrics and you have a good album that has a bad taste. The parts that are good are outweighed by the bad. It is a good album, but not a great one.

With the negative tone of my review however, I have a couple of positives from this album. Firstly, it is vastly better than 'Black Clouds and Silver Linings' and 'A Dramatic Turn of Events.' They have broken their streak of bad albums. It is the first album with Mangini. Having heard what he can deliver, I am looking forward to their next album with as much anticipation as this one. Lets hope they don't disappoint.

For a band that has uncompromisingly stuck to a single sound and style for over two decades, it’s surprising that Dream Theater continue to polarize audiences and spark heated debates. Perhaps it’s an essential part of Prog culture to be opinionated and contrary, but I don’t think I’ve seen an album so fiercely contested this year. While some continue to stick to praise of the band’s undeniable technical skill, nostalgic style and relative consistency, others have condemned them for precisely the same reasons. While I would certainly argue that the band over a decade past their prime, Dream Theater haven’t shown any signs of stopping or even slowing down. Even this, their fifteenth and latest record to date has been enjoying exposure and popularity that most self-exclaimed Prog bands wouldn’t dream of having. If it hadn’t been painfully clear already on albums past, “Dream Theater” is a sign of a band that have become too comfortable with themselves. With such success and an unquestioningly loyal fanbase, Dream Theater have lost the incentive to innovate and reinvent themselves. Considering they yet retain the legendary musicianship and tightness that first made them famous, it’s really disappointing to hear such a talented band so content to play inside the box. Even so, as familiar and predictable as Dream Theater’s self-titled might be, it’s no doubt a work of some depth and tender care. It won’t go down in history as one of the band’s shining moments, but it should be enough to satisfy the majority of their fanbase, if not convert newcomers to the fold.

Dream Theater has fulfilled a pretty major role in my life and musical upbringing, and as such, it’s difficult to write about them without some sort of nostalgia. I was struck with awe when I first heard them over half a lifetime ago, and since then, I’ve followed them eagerly. Although my recent attention’s largely been usurped by newer bands making more interesting music- Haken and Leprous both come to mind- Dream Theater will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m sure Dream Theater themselves would attest to the fact that newer bands have taken progressive metal to greater heights and excesses, but even now, they continue to breathe life into a genre they helped innovate. There are few bands that have been so influential to the birth of a style, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s enough to at least give them a partial pardon for sticking so closely to their original sound. Like “A Dramatic Turn of Events”, “Dream Theater” capitalizes on the proggy end of the band’s oeuvre. Although I may have been fooled by the fiercely aggressive single “The Enemy Inside”, most of the album places a greater emphasis on melodic songwriting and well-rounded arrangements. Fans of their 1992 classic “Images & Words” should rejoice.
Much like the two albums that preceded it, Dream Theater’s self-titled sounds like a cross-section of their career. The aforementioned “The Enemy Inside” has a biting edge and technicality to it that sympathizes most with 2007’s “Systematic Chaos”. “The Looking Glass” has an upbeat vibe to it that recalls “Images & Words”, and the mandatory instrumental “Enigma Machine” is quite a bit like “Ytse Jam” from the 1989 debut. Even the band’s weak link “Falling into Infinity” gets a representation here with the cheesy ballad track “Along for the Ride”. When Dream Theater aren’t revisiting their older incarnations, they take after Rush; “The Looking Glass” is a stone’s throw from Rush’s “Limelight”, the opening of “Surrender to Reason” is an obvious homage to “Xanadu”, and the twenty-two minute epic “Illumination Theory” has plenty of moments that sport the Rush influence proudly.

When speaking of the self-titled’s place in the overall scheme of the band’s catalogue, “Dream Theater” might be found somewhere between the melodic sensibility of “Falling into Infinity” and proggy throwback of “A Dramatic Turn of Events”. Although Dream Theater remain as flashy and technical as ever, the songwriting places a greater emphasis on melody than what’s been heard from them in recent years. Those who might balk at the prospect of a second “Falling into Infinity” need fear not, however; in the case of “Dream Theater”, the melodic focus has come at no cost to the proggy edge or musical complexity. “Behind the Veil” and “Surrender to Reason” each offer some pretty memorable melodies built around tasty progressive arrangements. “Surrender to Reason” in particular has one of the best choruses the band has ever done. Sadly, there are many passages which feel the brunt of James LaBrie’s fading voice, which is really starting to feel the weight of age. I’ve been a longstanding fan of LaBrie for his usually rich and distinctive mid-range, but with some of the more stressful passages he attempts here, even I can begin to see why some people have always singled him out as the band’s weak link. Particularly on “Illumination Theory”, LaBrie tries to convey aggression and range that he may have been able to make sound wonderful in younger days, but it sounds like he’s trying to push himself past his limits. Even so, there are plenty of moments here where his voice sounds as great as ever- “Surrender to Reason” once again makes for an excellent example.

It comes as absolutely no surprise coming from a band that has built its career around musical virtuosity and stellar performance standards, but Dream Theater can still play circles around other bands. On this time around, John Petrucci earns all special commendations. Although Jordan Rudess still gets some room to solo on the keyboard, all of my favourite moments on “Dream Theater” are Petrucci moments. People often take Dream Theater’s technical excellence for granted, but hearing a fresh album reminds me why I was so drawn to this band in the first place. Although Petrucci is most often known for his speed and technical wizardry (both of which are featured on the album), he also delivers some of the most beautiful leads he’s ever recorded here. “The Bigger Picture” and “Illumination Theory” each have solos that could easily rival the beauty of those featured on “Goodnight Kiss” or “The Best of Times”. Seriously, even if his work with Dream Theater doesn’t always give room to show it, John Petrucci is one of the best and well-rounded guitarists out there. Petrucci explores a wide variety of rhythms and leads harsh and lush on “Dream Theater”, and the excellence of his performance is more than enough to compensate for some of the album’s weaker suits.

Speaking of weakness, “Dream Theater” was meant to be the album where new drummer Mike Mangini (previously of Annihilator) was really meant to prove himself, and his performance is undoubtedly the most disappointing aspect of the album. Seeing Dream Theater with Mangini a couple of years ago, I was able to see him effortlessly recreate Portnoy’s drumwork firsthand. By all accounts, he is a fantastic drummer. It’s that fact that makes his performance here all the more disenchanting. Although Mangini performed the drum parts on “A Dramatic Turn of Events”, he was playing parts written by Portnoy. “Dream Theater” was therefore his chance to prove to fans what he had to offer the band’s dynamic. Although his performance is more than functional, it doesn’t impress me nearly as much as I was hoping for. Although it’s possible that Mike Portnoy is rivalled only by Geoff Tate in terms of prog metal douchery, his drum performances had plenty of attitude and identity. Mangini’s drumwork is steady, but never feels particularly inspired or inventive. Whenever he disengages from a steady beat, his fills usually sound the same. Although Mangini certainly has the technical skills worthy of playing with Dream Theater, I’m convinced that there could have been far better choices; for my money, he hasn’t brought the performance here I was hoping for, and frankly expecting.

Lyrically speaking, Dream Theater have been dreadfully inconsistent over the course of their career. Although “Scenes from a Memory” is possibly the best-written and thoughtful concept album I’ve ever heard, and “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence” had plenty of intelligent lyrical ideas, I wasn’t expecting good lyrics with this album. “The Count of Tuscany” from 2009’s “Black Clouds & Silver Linings” had some of the most laughably awful lyrics in prog history- suffice to say, a stories about spooky homoerotic vampires are best left for the bookshelves of impressionable teenage girls. The lyrics on “Dream Theater” are filled with the same clichés and half-baked philosophy that I would come to expect from a Prog band who didn’t put much consideration into their lyrics. At its worst, it’s as if the basic lyrical content was derived from the jaded conversations of conspiracy theorists and New Age philosophers, and filtered through a Censorship Board of Kindergarten teachers and pregnant Christian mothers.

In what is something of a longstanding tradition for the band, Dream Theater close the album off with an epic. At twenty-two minutes in length, “Illumination Theory” was the track I was most anxious to finally hear, especially after being so impressed by the album’s first single. Although Dream Theater complete a checklist of many things I may have been looking for in such an ambitious piece, this marks the first time where a DT epic isn’t a highlight on its respective album. Regardless what I may have felt about the band’s stylistic stagnation, I was expecting something major from the last track. Although there are some very engaging ideas on the epic, “Illumination Theory” ultimately fails to come together as a whole. In addition to their solid themes and ingredients, what made past epics like “A Change of Seasons” or “In the Presence of Enemies” so powerful was their ability to go full circle, to order and arrange their ideas in such a way that it felt like a full-fledged journey within the course of one track. The piece starts off on a good enough note, but by the time LaBrie’s contrived vocals enter the mix, the composition starts losing focus quickly. Even after several listens, no part of the epic really stands out, and the only indicator anywhere during the composition that it is indeed an ‘epic’ is a section in the middle where the band breaks away from the rock and metal for a period of extended ambiance, like they did with “The Count of Tuscany”. The grand finale could have been enough to add some life and colour to the piece, but LaBrie’s vocals continue to really irk me here- perhaps he recorded his parts for the epic on a particularly bad day? Especially considering many of the songs on the album are pretty impressive and enjoyable, it’s a real disappointment to see Dream Theater’s skill and tact with epics fall apart so much. There’s always the chance that I’ll feel differently about it a year from now, but I doubt it.

As was my experience with “A Dramatic Turn of Events”, I’m a little disappointed that “Dream Theater” doesn’t have its own identity relative to the band’s existing oeuvre. Unlike “A Dramatic Turn of Events” however, I don’t get the impression that this album is going to be remembered so fondly by fans a decade from now. Then again, it took “Systematic Chaos” over a year to finally hit me; the same may be true for this album. By any standard of mine, Dream Theater have delivered a worthy addition to their catalogue. All of the things listeners have come to love or hate about them are represented here in full. Slick musicianship and bombastic songwriting both have a home here, but the ultimate impression is one of stifling comfort and familiarity. At this point in their career, Dream Theater give the impression of a President who has been in office for thirty years and has grown complacent, no longer feeling the need to prove himself to the voters with particularly inspired policies or edicts. Dream Theater’s self-titled hits all of the marks that a DT album should, but they have left more than enough room for a more determined up-and-comer to approach and knock them off their throne.