ON THE BACKS OF ANGELS

This was definitely something useful in keeping the fans optimistic, including me. The mix is a little off, but doesn't bother me. Mangini proves that Portnoy needn't be missed, and Myung hasn't been more present since Falling Into Infinity. Petrucci plays with his best tone in ages, and delivers a great mix between emotional and technical playing.

But the person who most delivers on this track is Jordan Rudess. He hasn't been this present since his very first album with them, SFaM. He reminds us all why he's the perfect keyboardist for the band. The vocal melodies are a bit lacking in this song, but they work, and LaBrie sounds good. A Dramatic Turn of Events has not been released yet, but this leaves me with high hopes.