Dream Theater announces 16th Studio Album - Parasomnia

[Glasser]

I don't quite get the complaint of revisiting themes and motifs. I actually LOVE that.  King Crimson is big for that, and it's inspired some of what I consider their best music.  Why not? It's THEIRS, amirite?

Dude seriously? I literally just put Red by King Crimson on. 

[durga2112]

Yes, that logic makes sense. But in reality it's both at the same time. I think the songs were made to work both in the context of the suite and to be played in isolation (well, Repentance maybe not), so much so that even with Portnoy out of the band they played TSF alone.

I think that's more or less the logic of SFAM. It's a unit, but most of the songs there work on their own or at least in pairs.

TA, on the other hand, works more as a block (for the few who think it works in some way). A few songs would work well in isolation: TGoM, ANB, MoB and ONW.

Going back to the 12-step suite, I think it was one of those cases where the idea seemed better than the execution, thinking about it as a whole. When Portnoy started I thought he had a great idea to take the 12 steps and make a series of songs about them. When he finally finished it I felt a certain relief, kind of like "thank goodness this is over and we won't have a continuation of the suite on the next album". Musically I also find it tiresome. I've listened to the whole thing in one go a couple of times, and that was when they finished it, which is 15 years ago. It doesn't work for me.

But I know a lot of people appreciate it and that the shows Mike did as The Shattered Fortress were successful..

All very valid points. I happen to love the whole suite and have listened to it in its entirety many times (I even made my own version of it in Audacity once the entire thing was finished), but I originally came at Dream Theater from the metal side, so this stuff is right up my alley. I've always been fascinated by the way DT seems to have roughly equal amounts of prog and metal fans, and they don't always agree on what the best songs are. 

Didn't Portnoy once say that by the end it felt like trying to finish it was like doing homework? So you're obviously not the only one who was relieved that it finally ended.  I just happen to think it's one of the coolest things they've ever done, along with the meta-album - things like that are what make Dream Theater stand apart from other bands in my mind, and I really appreciate them for it.

[BeatriceNB]

Dude seriously? I literally just put Red by King Crimson on. 

Have you listened to the The Great Deceiver (Pt. I) live album? It's the show where they recorded Providence.
The whole show is incredible, and there's an insane rendition of 21st Schizoid Man that sounds like they went to the future, binged The Mars Volta, and came back

[Glasser]

Have you listened to the The Great Deceiver (Pt. I) live album? It's the show where they recorded Providence.
The whole show is incredible, and there's an insane rendition of 21st Schizoid Man that sounds like they went to the future, binged The Mars Volta, and came back

Wow! Thank you! I'm on it.

[HOF]

Spooky, I had just been reading this back and forth about KC, and then 21st Century Schizoid Man popped up on shuffle.

[Kyo]

I think a lot of the problems people have with the latter parts of the 12 Step Suite stem from the fact that these were never really meant to be standalone songs. "The Shattered Fortress" is the culmination of the entire suite, so to me it makes sense that it is made up of riffs and motifs from the rest of the suite.

But can you think of any other suites, concept albums or extended pieces where the last 15% of the whole thing are mostly just reworked riffs and melodies from earlier on? I really can't think of anything even close to this. Some main themes being brought back, sure. But there's usually that closing song with its own identity and original ideas at its core.

[durga2112]

But can you think of any other suites, concept albums or extended pieces where the last 15% of the whole thing are mostly just reworked riffs and melodies from earlier on? I really can't think of anything even close to this. Some main themes being brought back, sure. But there's usually that closing song with its own identity and original ideas at its core.

So in other words, it's an original idea (a kind of "reverse overture"), yet they still get criticized for it? 

[devieira73]

It's not my fave part of the suíte, but the idea of making TSF as a closure, like a reverse overture, was really cool and original.

[SwedishGoose]

Dude seriously? I literally just put Red by King Crimson on. 

Fricking awesome album...
Was browsing for used vinyl on thursday when I noticed that they had the Steven Wilson mix of Red on ltd 200gr vinyl. Couldn't resist

Such a total masterpiece!

[Pettor]

It's not my fave part of the suíte, but the idea of making TSF as a closure, like a reverse overture, was really cool and original.

I always loved TSF as a standalone but it's supposed to be the ending and culmination of the entire suite. Having the pieces reprised but now with the flipped messages. Instead of the struggle for each individual step it's now the knowledge and strength to overcome them. I also think the new "I am responsible" section ending the suite is really powerful and the outro with the glass prison theme. Shit I get goose bumps thinking about it 😁

[durga2112]

But can you think of any other suites, concept albums or extended pieces where the last 15% of the whole thing are mostly just reworked riffs and melodies from earlier on? I really can't think of anything even close to this. Some main themes being brought back, sure. But there's usually that closing song with its own identity and original ideas at its core.

Actually, thinking about this further, yes: the closing credits of many movies with orchestral scores (I'm thinking of things like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings) do this - you get the main theme, followed by themes for various characters, and then it often ends with a big flourish. TSF basically does exactly that, and why should it be surprising that a band with "Theater" in its name does something theatrical in its music? 

[Dedalus]

Angra has done this twice, although in a slightly different way than DT, but the idea is the same (what you are calling a "reverse overture"). Gate XIII on the Temple of Shadows album (which was released before BCSL) and ØMNI – Infinite Nothing on the ØMNI album.

The difference in relation to DT is that these are orchestral works, not the band playing.

Another difference is that these are orchestral works to mark the end of concept albums. In the case of DT, it is a song that ends a concept suite spread across five albums. In other words, Angra's tracks were not meant to work as standalone tracks.

[EPIC Outro]

I decided to listen to King Crimson's discography for the first time last year.

I respect them, but this is torture. Especially the live albums and endless improvs. No disrespect to anyone who digs them. But a year later and I'm still struggling to finish this discography run.

[hefdaddy42]

I decided to listen to King Crimson's discography for the first time last year.

I respect them, but this is torture. Especially the live albums and endless improvs. No disrespect to anyone who digs them. But a year later and I'm still struggling to finish this discography run.

Well, I mean, stop. 

[EPIC Outro]

Na, it will bug me if I leave it unfinished. I am half way through!

[Nissim]

King Crimson Is my favorite shit of all Time, I worship da fripp

[Schurftkut]

King Crimson Is my favorite shit of all Time, I worship da fripp

i thought you were a mike worshiper

[Metro]

King Crimson is one of my favorite bands of all time, but if someone tells me they're the worst band they've ever heard, I totally get it honestly

[SwedishGoose]

Na, it will bug me if I leave it unfinished. I am half way through!

You have some fricking amazing stiff coming up.


The last studio album The Power To Believe is soo good.

And the later live albums with the seven or headed beast are amazing.
Three drummers on stage was amazing to see.

Keep it up  hopefully it clicks for you eventually.

[SwedishGoose]

King Crimson is one of my favorite bands of all time, but if someone tells me they're the worst band they've ever heard, I totally get it honestly

Sure I get it as well.... they are not for everyone.

[EPIC Outro]

I'm going to stick it out. They do have some stuff I enjoy. And I saw Ringo's All Star Band perform Court of the Crimson King 20 years ago, which was a highlight of that show for me.

[Glasser]

I'm going to stick it out. They do have some stuff I enjoy. And I saw Ringo's All Star Band perform Court of the Crimson King 20 years ago, which was a highlight of that show for me.

It seems they're a band that people love or can't stand. It took me years and it just clicked. It's definitely mood specific.

[TAC]

Count me in the Can't Stand group.

[Glasser]

Count me in the Can't Stand group.

Have some bacon.

[TAC]

Have some bacon.

Count me in the Love group.

[SeRoX]

One can hate King Crimson but can you even hate Epitaph? Their magnus opus! 

[wolfking]

Never understood KC myself either.  I tried but soon realised they were not a band for me.

[Glasser]

Never understood KC myself either.  I tried but soon realised they were not a band for me.

Some LSD and a bowl of Lucky Charms would fix that.

[wolfking]

Some LSD and a bowl of Lucky Charms would fix that.

I'll just take the Lucky Charms. 

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

The BEAT show would have been a great intro to 80s King Crimson.

[DTA]

KC didn't click with me until I heard Starless. That song is so interesting and powerful that it put the rest of their discography into much clearer focus.

[HOF]

KC didn't click with me until I heard Starless. That song is so interesting and powerful that it put the rest of their discography into much clearer focus.

Yeah, it wasn't the first KC thing to click for me (was already familiar with the Belew era), but it was what got me into the 70s stuff for sure. Starless is up there for one of the greatest prog rock, nay, greatest rock songs of all time.

[Glasser]

KC didn't click with me until I heard Starless. That song is so interesting and powerful that it put the rest of their discography into much clearer focus.

DTA? Is that Don't Trust Anybody from Lock Up? Epic!

[Dedalus]

For me, this is the most interesting review of Parasomnia so far. The reviewer goes into more detail about the album (perhaps too much for those worried about spoilers?).

However, it is in Spanish (with the unmistakable Rioplatense accent  ). I haven't tested the automatic English subtitles, but I think it could work if someone wants to try.

[BeatriceNB]

For me, this is the most interesting review of Parasomnia so far. The reviewer goes into more detail about the album (perhaps too much for those worried about spoilers?).

However, it is in Spanish (with the unmistakable Rioplatense accent  ). I haven't tested the automatic English subtitles, but I think it could work if someone wants to try.

Good review, I don't agree with some points (as expected; mainly in the conclusion). The automatic translation is good enough, with some mistakes that require understanding through context; it's incredible how translation machines evolved from what they were years ago.
Although, "romper los huevos" translated as "I'm so excited about"? I guess it's hard to translate, or at least I can't think of an equivalent expression in English; "romper los huevos" —and synonym expressions— (lit. "breaking the eggs", eggs used an euphemism similar to "balls") means that something/someone is an annoyance/annoying.

About reviews, I think it's fair to assume the very first review shared here was fake