BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

Listening to new Dream Theater's album, put me into the asking position of what's going on with this band? It seems like their decadence started with arrival of "new millennium", due to fact that they didn't release a full remarkable album for a while. The closest representatives to that are "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" and "Train of Thought". I am not saying that they don't have good stuff in this after-2000's period, there are a bunch of excellent songs, but the fact is that there's no more those identified Dream Theater seal which robed greatnesses, as "Images and Words", "Awake", "Scenes From A Memory". Those overstriking of the albums, without any progressive impulsion brought the band and us to have "the waterish" release band published after "Systematic Chaos". As it was the case with "Systematic Chaos" album, and on this one there are really great moments on it, but after every "attempt" of finishing "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", the listener gets those bittersweet feeling, which intrudes the question from the beginning of this review. Opening track for this release, named "A Night to Remember" will definitely show you that the band knocked under modernization in the sense of "creativity". Pretty dark atmosphere in the introducing part of the song, which takes over heavy riffs and classical James' singing with Portnoy's crushing of bass drums leads over guitar decomposition to maybe the best part of the song, while James tells:

"Hopelessly drifting, bathing in beautiful agony. I am endlessly falling, lost in this wonderful misery."

The best description. Follows, guitar solo which is pale, then continuation through keyboards, what leads to the closing part of the song. But what happens? Mike Portnoy on the vocals. Growling? Wow, that's something new and ridiculous. At least, they could engage someone to make it better, for example Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth). The song comes to an end with the melodic line from its beginning, but this time with more accentuated blastbeating.

"A Rite of Passage" is definitely song which is supposed to be a "greatest hit" from this album, as that was case with "Forsaken" from "Systematic Chaos". The impression which follows from the first track and what's evident, James sings in low register, there aren't "huge" falsettos and mostly of fans will be disappointed by that side, but we couldn't expect otherwise. The refrain is "easy" to remember, nice melody, indeed.

"Turn the key, walk through the gate, the great ascent to reach a higher state, a right of passage."

The song has a simply "headbanging" moments, especially in the second part, with slow thrashy riffs which tricks out the latest Metallica record. Guitar solo fits well and Petrucci shows why he bears the title of the one of the best guitarists. As his antithesis, Jordan Rudess "plays" with his keys, what means that Dream Theater has a powerful combination, Petrucci-Rudess.

"Wither" was announced as a "Space-Dye Vest" succeeder, but it's for the hundreds of miles away from mentioned "Awake" masterpiece. Definitely, there are better ballads in Dream Theater opus, so far. This one is crowded with mighty keyboard and very nice piano decade, also very nice guitar solo, which encloses with refrain, and finally James starts to sing higher, not as before, but good to hear.

"The Shattered Fortress" is the last part of Portnoy's AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) saga, which together with "The Glass Prison", "This Dying Soul", "The Root of All Evil" and "Repentance" completes the story of "Twelve-step Site". This songs is exactly the medley of the whole suite and the title is derived from its first part, "The Glass Prison":

"A shattered glass prison wall behind me" and "A long lost fortress"

The song ends with the intros from "The Root of All Evil" and "The Glass Prison". As it was planned before, the idea is to perform live completely suite once in a (live)time.

Coming to "The Best of Times", which enters the story with nice piano passage featuring violin. Petrucci joins with acoustic, and this one sounds really promisingly. A strong riff which crushes quiescence, followed by "high-low tom" transgression into "A Change of Seasons" manner. Since the beginning, this is the best song until now. And also, another epic. The only thing I'm animadvert on is James' singing. Keyboards make perfect atmosphere with its deepness, it brings freshness and a bit dose of innovation. Additional plus is partially appearance of that symphonic touch which fits perfectly. Guitar solo is amazing. Definitely, the best song on this record from all previous ones.

And finally, the last one, called "The Count of Tuscany". Begins with guitar decomposition, followed by solo. The longest song on the album, with over than 19 minutes, brings all the trademarks of Dream Theater. Someone would say that such epic songs have its best moments by default. With "Count of Tuscany", the whole songs is one the best moment. "The Best of Times" made me shiver, but now "Count of Tuscany" has beaten me down and simply took the title of the best one. Everything is on enviably level, as we're accustomed to that, since Dream Theater used to make such epics.

Finally, what we've got here? Six songs, three of them (almost) perfect (of course, talking about last three), and three of them which undeceived. "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" for sure is not Dream Theater's best achievement, but speaking of after-2000s period, this album could be rated on the top, together (or after) "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" and "Train of Thought", maybe "shoulder to shoulder" with "Octavarium" and definitely in front of "Systematic Chaos". With hope that this progressive metal giant can contrive more from their perfection, to put aside everything else and just focus on their own ideas and style, I'm putting a point to this review with statement that this could be much better. And just because of my love towards this band, I'm rating this album as "excellent addition to any prog rock music collection", in contrary let other people bring their own decisions.