A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS

A Dramatic Turn of Events is the bleach that will remove Portnoy's stain off of Dream Theater forever. Sweet mother of god, is this album incredible. Not only is this the best Dream Theater album of the past 20 years, it may very well be the actual best album of the last 20 years. With the exception of Images and Words, A Dramatic Turn of Events blows every other DT album out of the water. (including Scenes from a memory)..

The last 6 years have been a rough time to be a DT fan. With Octavarium there came doubt. With Systematic Chaos there came disbelief, and with Black Clouds and Silver linings, I fully lost my faith in Dream Theater. Portnoy's Growling was the straw that broke the camel's back. After Black Clouds I swore I would never buy another DT album and that I was done this this band forever, but a miracle happened which I would never have expected in a million years. and that miracle, I can safely say, was for the best. Portnoy's absence is just what the Doctor ordered.

A Dramatic Turn of Events basically fixes every problem I have had with Dream Theater over the past 6 years. The Fake, Cheesy death metal vibe is gone. The excessive noodling is also gone. solos are now emotional and tasteful. The technical portions are well thought out and interesting, rather then just playing a million random notes. Convoluted song structures and unnecessary track lengths are also gone. And perhaps the greatest improvement would be the absence of Portnoy's voice. Labrie takes his rightful place as lead singer once more. The album actually feels balanced and truly amazing. As I listened to it, I felt captivated and there were some truly awe inspiring moments.

I'm not going to go track by track since, in my eyes, this album is flirting with perfection. And there's no way I can do a Track by Track review justice at this point, since this thing is so mammoth in what it offers, it will be weeks and maybe months to really digest this thing.

Once again I can feel proud to be a Dream Theater fan rather then be embarrassed. This album truly encompasses the five star rating as Dream Theater has risen from the ashes and proved once again that they are the greatest band in the world.