A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS

I think I've heard this before ... but who cares if they are still phenomenal?

The news of the departure of Mike Portnoy's band in 2010 was the worst thing a fan could hear. After all, he was not (and still is, in my personal opinion) only the best drummer in the world, as was also the leader. But the rest of the group peodria not wasting time shedding tears (and I believe they did it - metalhead also cry, see?) And set out to find a new drummer. The result was that documentary The Spirits Carries On - a suggestive title, no? - Where seven of the best drummers in the world were pre - selected for the job, he was with Mike Mangini. I must say that, despite being fascinated by the performances of Mangini - the guy is a monster of speed on battery! - Not like the way he performed the songs from the DT in the documentary (especially A Nightmare to Remember, where he looked like a crazy exhibitionist).

So I was a little bit afraid about the new album, suggestively titled A Dramatic Turn of Events. Those fears increased with the release of first single, the opening track On the Back of Angels (what they would do on the backs of angels? Sorry, is that I understand little English). Like, the music was good, but sounded very cliche (or you did not notice that the structure it is identical to the classic Pull Me Under) . I also looked at the song list and said: WTF, no epic? This will be a disappointment, so I thought.

Luckily all sorts of fears have been removed after the full hearing ADTE. This album will be the subject of controversy for a long time, but I'll try to concentrate on music. By the way is great.

After the cliche, but very good opening track the band takes their energys with no less than excellent Build Me Up, Break Me Down, which adds new elements like an electronic beat. It is a great song in the style of Caught in the Web, but that misses the long and pointless end spooky. Next comes Lost Not Forgotten the first song with more than 10 minutes of the album and a monster in its own right. Although it is not one of my favorites on the album is an awesome piece of work - especially in its instrumental section.

Then comes This is the Life. Oh, what incredible music. It's a ballad? I do not know. But Labrie's vocals are a bit tearful - and the best of the disc. The next is the bizarre Bridges in the Sky, originally titled Shaman's Trance (a title less pleasant), which opens with a kind of shaman in trance (ohhh, really?) Before a Gothic choir prepare for that which is the third best track on the disc. Outcry is another powerful monster, and has the most complex instrumental section. The beautiful ballad Far From Heaven with its beautiful violin and piano prepares the listener for Breaking all the Illusions. The album ends with another ballad, Beneath Surface, which also features wonderful orchestrations, cool synthesizers and a great vocal work of Labrie.

Now let's talk about Breaking All The Illusions. Oh man, this is the song of the year and possibly one of the best of the band. You know that song that you find interesting on first listen, but will grow at Meida that you hear over and over? That's it. John Myung was more than 10 years without writing a song for the DT (the last time he did that was in Scenes from a Memory), but what a comeback! A song just perfect and magnanimous!

What about musicians? Gee dude, they are professionals! Corner Labrie remains strong (he is not the best singer in the world, everybody knows that, but without it would not be DT DT), still destroying Petrucci on guitar, delivering some of his best solos (in "Breaking All The Illusions") Rudess are still a master of keyboards and Myung, thank God, to have more space around the band after being eclipsed in the last album. As for Mangini (which is the main goal of the controversy of this album), I think he proved a suitable substitute for Portnoy and while he has not shown its full potential here (as all the songs on the album were ready before he joining the band), I believe that from the next album does not only show all his talent, the primer can even im a bit of style to the band.

For now this is the album of the year, and although not one of the best DT (apessoalmente and I think it's time some of them change their sound) through a 5-star luxury. Essential!

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