BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

Dream Theater definately exceeded expectations with this album. After 20 years and over 10 studio albums I wouldn't be surprised if the music got stale or boring. A Rite of Passage was the only song i heard befor the album came out and i was disappointed. It very well could have been placed in any other DT album over the past 7 years. Then i heard the rest of the album

The rest of the album was magnificant. A Nightmare to Remeber was masterful. One of the heaviest songs on the album was well written and energetic. In the words of Mike Portnoy, "it had some balls". The lyrics were emotional too, some of the best lyrics since Scenes from a Memory.

The best song for me of the whole album was Wither. The token ballad of DT in a heavy and mentaly taxing album. The last few CD's left something to be desired in that category. Ministry of Lost Souls on Systematic, and The Answer Lies Within on Octavarium, and Vacant on Train of Thought, were no where near the epic and great ballads of DT's past. Finally though Wither broke through as a soft but shining moment that the fan doesnt simply skip past.

A Shattered Fortress was expected and was basically a medley of other Dream Theater songs written by Mike Portnoy about his AA. Best of Times was a pleasant surprise from James Labrie and the ever so talented Jordan Rudess. And finally, if you made it through the mental excersise of the previous 45 minute was the Dream Theater epic The Count of Tuscany.

If you cant sit and listen to an album for an hour you probably wont like this album. Maybe just put A Nightmare to Remember on a playlist. But if you really can sit and just listen for an hour you can really appreciate the level of talent on this album. I prefer it over Systematic Chaos, Awake, and Six degrees. Its very similar in many ways to Octavarium. i give it a 4.5