Dream Theater - Dream Theater

Published September 16 2013

*=Staff's pick	False Awakening Suite The Enemy Inside* The Looking Glass* Enigma Machine The Bigger Picture* Behind The Veil* Surrender To Reason Along For The Ride Illumination Theory

Genre	Progressive Metal	James LaBrie	Vocals
Tracks	9	John Petrucci	Guitar
Running time	68 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Roadrunner Records	John Myung	Bass
Release	25 September 2013	Mike Mangini	Drums
Country	USA	Jordan Rudess	Keyboard
Producer	John Petrucci
Similar artists	Symphony X

On Dream Theater's twelth and also self titled studio effort, they continue much of their well written plans. It's technical with skills, brilliantly performed and played with tricky and cunning sudden changes in tempo, mood and style. The songs are split in several shorter or longer sections as well, to complete the entirety. Also naturally there's a mixture between complicated songs and more easily ingested and straighter ones that sometimes may be considered more accessible, depending on what you're looking for.

Some states that former drummer, co-founder and bandleader Mike Portnoy was an essential part of this band and near irreplaceable and I have to agree. Nevertheless, his successor Mike Mangini, now playing on his second Dream Theater album, sets a solid mark on this new release with his accurate plays.

Lead vocalist James LaBrie handles his duties rather good, although he lives in a constant shadow, somewhere dwelling in the near background to fixate the actual music in the driver's seat. John Petrucci's hands find heavy riffs, cool soloing and neat tuneful fingering. The stability in John Myung's bassplay need not to be questioned and Jordan Rudess' fingers hit the exact notes on the keys all through.

To listen to a Dream Theater album requires some extra effort to find all, or rather most of the, nuances in their intricate progressive heavy metal, although the masters of the genre may have let go a bit on the proclaimed progressiveness. To place yourself by the stove cooking or to run around with your vacuum cleaner are definite no-nos. This is more about sitting in your easy chair in front of your speakers and concentrate, or else a significant part of the experience will be in jeopardy.

I think that this release is a step forward in the right direction from 2011's A Dramatic Turn Of Events. The band seem to act with harmony and self confidence again and the songs are simply better and more enjoyable with more beautiful, charming and enchanting melodies that hits harder. That it's well played when Dream Theater comes in mind is no breaking news. The album is, like almost everything they have done in the past, well varied. There are songs for everybody's choice on this release, so don't you worry a second if you're a fan of this band.

See also review of: The Astonishing , A Dramatic Turn Of Events , Train Of Thought

Performance	Originality	Production	Vocals	Songwriting
9	6	8	6	7

Summary
7 chalices of 10 - Tobbe