BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

50% mediocre, 50% great. The lyrics to The Count of Tuscany are just bad, although I hate to say it because the song is amazing (especially the first 4 minutes). The Shattered Fortress is a great way to end the AA suite. A Rite of Passage is one of their best single attempts ever, but I'm not very fond of the wacky synth solo in the middle. The growling in A Nightmare to remember is just stupid, and the fact that it doesn't at all fit the lyrics makes it even more so. The Best of Times is really good, and the guitar solo at the end is one of Petrucci's best.