PARASOMNIA

As we all know, Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band that was founded in Boston in 1985 by John Myung, Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci while they were studying music at Berklee University. They became as one the pioneers of this style of prog with other bands like Fates Warning. Dream Theater is a very successful and charismatic band with fans all over the world. They released sixteen studio albums till now, including this new one, "Parasomnia".

Before begin to talk about this new DT album I need to say something. In a very short time two of my favourite and most important prog bands released two new studio albums. I'm talking about "The Last Will And Testament" from Opeth released in the end of 2024 and this one "Parasomnia" of Dream Theater released this year. By itself, it's a noteworthy event for me. But there are two things that made of this an even most important event. In the case of Opeth we had the return of growls of Mikael Akerfeldt, a very much unexpected thing for many of their fans. In the case of Dream Theater we had the return of Mike Portnoy, a thing that many of us considered unlikely or even impossible after so many years.

So, with the return of the legendary drummer Mike Portnoy, the band released "Parasomnia", a conceptual album that reaffirms their status and shows that, despite the years, creativity and energy remain intact. The impact of this return is evident from the first seconds of the work. With its eight tracks, if there's one thing "Parasomnia" does well, it's finding a balance between instrumental sophistication and the ability to captivate listeners less accustomed to more complex structures. But the album is not limited to technical displays. There's room for different atmospheres full of contagious energy. With a very well balanced work and a band in a perfect shape with landscapes with a jazzy groove and others with a rock melancholy, Dream Theater, with its classic formation, proves, once again, why it's the leader of the genre.

"In The Arms Of Morpheus" is an instrumental track that sets the general tone of the album. This opener sets the dark atmospheric tone of the album with its instrumental prowess foreshadowing the themes and motifs to come. It's clear this is Dream Theater at their most grandiose. It's a powerful warm-up track for a concert opening. "Night Terror" is a classic progressive track, dark, eerie and heavy and where LaBrie's vocals are clear. It dives into the nightmarish theme with aggressive riffs and a memorable chorus, showcasing the chemistry between the band's members and where each member gets a moment to shine. "A Broken Man" has an astonishing energy and an emotional depth, a real descent into pain where Portnoy kill on the drums. The track balances between intense metal sections and more introspective moments, echoing the storytelling prowess of their past epics. It's one of the heaviest tracks of Dream Theater. "Dead Asleep" is one of the two lengthiest tracks on the all album. This is a pretty standard solid track with the classic Dream Theater's sound. It's one of the most focused tracks on the album, ominous, eerie and slightly oppressive. This track is an evolution of the band's ability to weave complex narratives with music. This is a masterclass dark prog metal track. "Midnight Messiah" is a concentrate of technique and power. Those who love "Train of Thought" will love it. The tempo changes and accelerations in particular, take the sound to another level, making us go wild. The interplay between the instruments shows the unchanged chemistry of the band's members. "Are We Dreaming?" is a very short interlude with atmospheric sounds and layered vocals, a moment of reflection with its minimalist approach. "Bend The Clock" is the most accessible track on the album, a beautiful power ballad. It showcases LaBrie's vocal range and the band's ability to craft emotional and melodic tunes. Despite LaBrie is a fine singer, are in these type of songs with a greater harmonic emphasis were he truly excels. "The Shadow Man Incident" is a 20-minute sprawling epic that encapsulates the album's themes and showcases the band's technical and compositional excellence. It has epic solos, hard riffs, quiet melodic sections, blazing fast keyboard work, great guitar solos and LaBrie singing in top form. The track moves through various moods and styles encapsulating everything Dream Theater does best a reminiscent of their long form classics.

Conclusion: "Parasomnia" marks a moment of renewal of Dream Theater. It's well known that the announcement of Portnoy's departure in 2010 marked one of the most dramatic moments in the band's history. With Mangini, the band released five great technical studio works but what lacked a certain creativity and innovation. Mike's return brought a new energy to the band and this is reflected in the way each song overflows with vitality and creativity. I agree with my colleague reviewer rdtprog when he says that what Portnoy has brought up to the band is more of an inspiration on the songwriting side than on the technical side. Besides, he is the real soul of Dream Theater. For me, "Parasomnia" is the best work of the band since "Black Clouds & Silver Linings". With each listen, the album grows on me, revealing new layers and intricacies. With this album, the band reinforces their position as one of the greats of the prog metal scene.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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