A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS

Now i've been a dream theater fan longer than i've been a proggie (my first album was Octavarium) and they still remain #1 or #2 in my top 5 favorite bands but, this album has been one of the biggest disappointments to me, yes i got when it was leaked yes i was planning on buying it. this was before i listened to it. Afterwards i had a much different look on things.

So let's start on a positive note with the music, the mixing is exponentially better than it has been, at least in my opinion, Jordan's parts are just masterfully written as we've come to expect of him, the guitar is exceptional just the same as it's been many times before, Mangini's drumming is on par with some of Portnoy's best and La brie, well La brie love or hate him he is one hell of a singer and this album is no exception to that.

And now what's wrong with it, the music is boring and sounds uninspired technically it's brilliant as it's always been but this album offers nothing new, everything on this album they've done before and frankly done it better before. It really just sounds like this album was only special because they had a new drummer, it's nothing new and nothing exciting it's long repetitious and in part's a little silly. Such as Bridges in the Sky, with the terrible choir vocals, last time i checked i was listening to Dream Theater not a friggen doom metal band.

On the backs of angels is a arpeggio intro which we've heard similar before, the concept is old and overused in my opinion, and the drums sound programed like mangini wasn't even playing on this track. then again STUPID STUPID choir vocals.

Build me up, Break me down could of been the bands saving grace except t's not really a dream theater song it doesn't really sound like them and the vocals sound forced. the song really just sounds like a Periphery/Chimp Spanner mix with a boring uninspired chorus.

Lost not forgotten.

Oh, Ok, we're still making references to Portnoy, i thought that ship had sailed the piano on this one is really quite good and shows some of Jordan's finest Drumming however is just there to have drums,nothing even remotely exciting then comes a weird interlude solo part?, i'm not sure what they were trying to do but it didn't sound good, at all.

This is the life.

practically the same intro as on the backs of angels in the same style at least, BORING, lets move on

Now by this point in the album i was forcing,FORCING myself to listen to these songs because i wanted to give a proper review of this but it was just so dam boring

Outcry Long,same stuff as Bridges in the sky, some of the drum effects sound more like a sky eats airplane song then dream theater, not really what i expected but still good. then i sounds...cheesy, like your going into a battle or something similar, i could see it be used in a film like kingdom of heaven. then some of the drums effects are really quite good though.

Bridges In The Sky

i've said everything about this song already but, there was one nice touch the keith emersonesque organ solo

Far from heaven,

Dream Theater i thought we were done with the crappy popish songs like "Another Day",And "I Walk Beside You" absolute soulless crap

i'll be honest after the iron maidenesque intro i skipped the rest of the song i couldn't listen to it on the AWFUL,just plain AWFUL, synths in this one

Beneath The Surface

ahh some music concrete with the water effects but then into the shitty sellout pop song :(

all in this album is nothing new nothing inspired, and honestly this could easily be passed off as a porcupine tree album especially with the way Steve Wilson is going these days with Blackfield. while it's very technically good it's really boring to listen to. i do not suggest buying it, i know i at least will because i'm fan but that's really the only reason (also i like physical copies of my albums)

i'm giving this album a 3/10 :/ sorry dream theater you really missed the mark on this one

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