BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

After Systematic Chaos left a bad taste in my mouth, I didn't have high hopes for their latest release. Initially, I wasn't sure if I wanted to give Dream Theater another chance to win me over. I eventually caved in and bought Black Clouds & Silver Linings on one boring afternoon. I even bought the 3-disc edition because it would have more resale value if I were disappointed by my purchase. I was surprised to find that BC&SL is actually a pretty good album.

"A Nightmare To Remember" is a strong start to the album. I suppose this could be classified as a metal track, but within it there are softer moments and beautiful passages mixed with the parts that are heavier in distorted guitars. Mike Portnoy provides some vocals that can be described as growls, with Portnoy's vocals deepened by some studio wizardry. I initially laughed at the thought of him growling, but they honestly aren't as bad as I thought they would be. He's not trying to sound like Corpsegrinder from Cannibal Corpse or anything, and they fit the mood set by the song.

"A Rite Of Passage" was the first song I heard from the album since it was the first single released. This is the first of two relatively straightforward (read short) songs. This was the song that almost kept me from buying the album. "A Rite of Passage" is pretty much built upon the melodic metal guitar lines of Petrucci with some stellar-as-always soloing (including Rudess), but there isn't much else for me. The song itself seems a bit repetitive for it's running time, though 8:36 is brief for them, and it seems a bit lacking in energy for what is essentially a metal song. The transition from the solo section back to the chorus sounds choppy to me.

"Wither" is sort of like Dream Theater's take on a power ballad. Not a great song or a bad song, just somewhere in the middle. It sits well between two of the heavier songs on the album.

"The Shattered Fortress" brings about the conclusion of Mike Portnoy's AA-themed songs. It essentially blends some of the musical themes and lyrics of the previous portions of the "suite" with some fresh ideas. No major complaints on this one, as it serves its purpose effectively. The song is quite high in energy and the band is playing with passion.

"The Best of Times", along with the opener, make up my favorite compositions on the disc. The song is dedicated to Portnoy's recently deceased father, and this song is a fitting tribute. The song is capable of evoking feelings sorrow from the listener while still being wrapped up in overall positivity. The band also shows some of their prog-rock influences in allowing violinist Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs) to guest on the track, and around the 2:50 mark, you can hear a Lifeson-like riff enter (think "The Spirit Of Radio").

Unfortunately, a 19-minute piece, "The Count Of Tuscany", is chosen to close the album. I'm right on board with this song for the first 4 minutes of this song. It sounds like good potential for an instrumental. After this point, I start to lose interest. The lyrics are rather corny. I usually don't listen to music for the lyrical content, but in this case, it is somewhat of a turnoff. The music in the core of the song is far from horrible, but it had all of 19 minutes to win me over and I become less interested as the time passes.

As BC&SL is a definite improvement on their last album, but not an album without some disappointment, 3-stars is an appropriate rating. Dream Theater still lives!!