Music: Progressive Metal
Website: http://www.dreamtheater.net
Country: USA
Duration: 75:25
Cool Songs: “A Nightmare to Remember”, “The Best of Times”
Dream Theater is a name with some prestige, -well, huge prestige-, and thus a very reviewed and criticized band. However, beyond virtuosity, is made by human beings, and that is all. With a solid and successful career behind, this new album takes elements from every former work and combines them in order to get a mature product, which won't let down any listener used to their music.
Personally, I consider it another step on the line of darkening works and it pleases me, in deed. Lyrics match positively the musical compositions included and divided in 6 tracks, classified in four epics and two singles, according to Mike Portnoy. “A Nightmare to remember” displays variety together with accurate lyrics (telling a car accident) making you attend to each move during the song and giving you high hopes for the rest of the album.
As we have noticed, it's a main problem to know when exactly a song has to be finished -especially regarding Progressive Rock/Metal-, but these guys manage lengths without troubles. “A Rite of Passage” is a good example of that and a good song to wake you up due to timing: a melodic passage, and then a crushing Trash Slayer-like one.
The ballad “Wither” is one of the best I've listened in a while, maybe because lyrics are totally of my kind, and because there is some Brian May on that solo. After that we have virtuosity plus virtuosity in a row. Though there is a calm intro in “The Best of Times”, a them in memory of Portnoy's father. About 3 minutes of piano, violin and acoustic guitars followed by Portnoy's famous 12 Steps Saga and a joyful guitar anthem with some Eric Johnson's style provided by John Petrucci.
The last song is, as we can expect, the ending jam to give everything away. A 19 minutes track containing some indispensable brushstrokes ala David Gilmour. A great theme to conclude a great album, just what a simple man wants.
note: 9.5/10
Tracklist
1. A Nightmare to Remember
2. A Rite of Passage
3. Wither
4. The Shattered Fortress
5. The Best of Times
6. The Count of Tuscany
Line-up
James LaBrie – Lead vocals, Percussion
John Myung – Bass guitar, Chapman stick
John Petrucci – Guitars, Backing vocals
Mike Portnoy – Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals
Jordan Rudess – Keyboards, Continuum, Lap steel guitar
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