MMXX

Short version - the album is firmly mediocre. It does not suck; neither is it remarkable. If you're a fan of the lineup, it's worth checking out. If you liked the first album, to me it's indistinguishable from it. I'll be honest, six straight-through listens, and nothing really sticks as memorable. One thing that is worth mentioning, especially on this site, is that this is not very progressive. In fact, I would expect more than a few prog fans to label this arena rock with shreddy solos. For comparison, Portnoy's other flashy rock outfit with Sheehan, Winery Dogs (which isn't on this site) has far more interesting guitar and bass work.

Portnoy is Portnoy. You already knew that. Sherinian is, too. Sheehan is phoning it in (Portnoy said in interviews that he records his parts last and doesn't participate in songwriting). Bumblefoot sure shreds his solos, but disappointingly, none of the base riffs are interesting. He pretty much does the chuggachugga thing while Soto gruffs his way through. If you dig the sound, you get it in spades. But there's nothing really surprising or progressive. For some, that's not really a negative. For others, that's a deal breaker.

If you like big, arena rock played with skill, this is it. Check it out. If you're really into progressive or very technical stuff, you might be disappointed. My review might sound harsher than I mean, but to me, a lineup like this should wow you, and this album doesn't do that.