Dream Theater announces 16th Studio Album - Parasomnia

[Dedalus]

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.

Good to know

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.

Yes, the meaning you gave of "romper los huevos" is correct. It is similar to "encher o saco" in Portuguese. 

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

That review was done in a very strange way, as if the journalist hadn't even listened to the album and had written generic things.
But the magazine is an important Brazilian magazine, they certainly had access to the album.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I like that the guy stated up front he is a fanboy. It gives me the proper context.

Edit: now that I've finished his review, some of what he said about prior DT periods was pretty silly and if you ask me ahistorical.

[erciccio]

Well, the Italian translation is actually as hilarious as ever..
E.g. Portnoy is translated as "Porno" on a few occasions..
I was really not expecting the "return of Porno" in the Dream Theater world...so long after Erotomania? 

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

NEW Mike Portnoy interview with Australian podcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twq20_gEsDE

[TAC]

NEW Mike Portnoy interview with Australian podcast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twq20_gEsDE

Is this the guy that tells all his guests that he plays the bass?

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Is this the guy that tells all his guests that he plays the bass?

The subject of bass came up but he didn't say it!

[wasteland]

The Italian official Fan Club published two extremely well written positive reviews of the album. You can read them both here: Parasomnia.

I wanted to highlight their commentary on the two songs that I am most looking forward to hear, Bend The Clock and The Shadow Man Incident. If this review is to be believed, we shall not be left disappointed.
The reviews go in a somewhat deeper description of the songs, so I would advice those of you who are looking to go into the album fully unspoiled to steer clear of the quote below:

BEND THE CLOCK.
What to say about this gem? Bend The Clock is a marvelous power ballad, a ray of light within the darkness of this album, which cannot fail to make the listener's heart jerk.
For those who can catch the reference, we can call this track the "San Junipero" within Black Mirror; for everyone else, we simply say that it is a track that will put you at peace with the world, whatever you are doing at that moment.
Everything is in the right place; there is not a note out of place or too much. Mike, Jordan and John (Myung) are totally at the service of the song, while the absolute stars are James, with one of the best performances in recent years, and, above all, John Petrucci, who gives us a goosebump-inducing opening arpeggio and, at the end, one of those Capital S solos  that we wish would never end ... and perhaps, precisely because of this, the song ends with a fade out, making us hope that it will never end, just like a beautiful dream.
However, it is amazing to think how such a dreamy song actually speaks of one of the most terrifying disorders that can strike a person upon waking, namely sleep paralysis. However, the protagonist, despite being terrified of this disorder (to the point of wishing he could bend time and not have to relive them every night) manages to face these distressing moments with relaxation, with the knowledge that they will be over shortly. Or perhaps with the resignation of those who know that, even if they want to, they cannot scream....
Regardless of the anguish that reigns in the protagonist's mind, Bend The Clock is one of those songs whose emotion felt during the first listening is impossible to forget. And if listening to this track you do not feel a chill down your spine or the urge to be moved then it means only one thing: that you have a garbage can instead of a heart. [translator's note: this is an awkward metaphor used by a famous Italian sportsman's a few years back, and immediately stuck to become a staple in everyday parlance.]

THE SHADOWMAN INCIDENT
We have thus arrived at the concluding track, whose 19-minute duration obviously piques the listener's curiosity and expectations right from the start.
The "monster epic" opens with a melody played by a music box, which, as all horror movies have taught us, is the sweetest, yet most frightening and disturbing instrument in existence. And indeed, having finished this melody, which probably prompted you to turn up the volume so you could hear it better, the song opens with a real musical "jumpscare" that will make you jerk out of your chair (we warned you, eh!) with which the same melody from the music box is now played by the whole band. This is followed by a brief "military-sounding" interlude that sparked a bit of a diatribe between those who (again in a self-quoting vein) saw in it a reference to the intro of A View From The Top Of The World and those who thought it was a quote from Mars, the bringer of wars by Gustav Holst, an orchestral composition much used in the progressive world (from Emerson Lake & Palmer to King Crimson to Symphony X) and which, among other things, was also the inspiration for the famous Imperial March in Star Wars.
The rest of the first instrumental movement continues in a fairly classical fashion, by DT standards. A little over 4 minutes have passed and James finally enters, who, unlike what generally happens in the band's suites, tiptoes in with a somber, dark, and oppressive melody. Even his voice is heavily filtered, surrounded by unintelligible verses and vocals.
The song describes a child grappling with what, in his eyes, is his greatest fear: that of the monster watching him silently from across the room. He covers his head with the sheet, seeking protection from the being he is unable to see but whose presence he senses. The second stanza describes a similar situation, but this time the protagonist is a little girl.
Having finished this section, as we said slow and oppressive, the song launches into a furious tercinate that takes us back to the days of The Glass Prison or In The Presence Of Enemies Pt. 2 in which we are described the figure of this Shadowman, defined as a "demon of the night" ready to feed on the fears of the person who is sleeping.
This is followed by the ever-present instrumental section, which would be very difficult - as well as useless - to describe, but which turns out to be embellished by a "Spanish-sounding" solo by Jordan Rudess and a couple of sections, as mentioned further back, with vibes worthy of Liquid Tension Experiment.
The last 4 minutes of the song are the most classic manifesto of Dream Theater style, which (exactly as happened in Night Terror) do not want in any way to take us out of our comfort zone and thus give us exactly what is to be expected from the concluding movement of one of their suites, as happens in Octavarium, In The Presence Of Enemies or Illumination Theory. An orchestral repetition of the opening theme alerts us that we are now approaching the conclusion of the piece. This is followed by a last, intense, engraving by James LaBrie, who, after inviting all the children to sleep with one eye open and the light on, gives way to John Petrucci who, after the emotions given us with Bend The Clock, still has some magic notes in his fingers that allow him to delight us with another one of those Solos (capital S, remember...) with which to silence all those who still dare to call Dream Theater's music "cold."
The record closes as it began, with the Parasomnia theme, this time performed in an epic and triumphant manner.
But the record is not actually over yet; there is still room for a brief, eerie finale, during which we hear the theme of Parasomnia timidly peeping back, while a voice in the distance tells us "wake up!" And as the Shadowman's breath gets closer and closer, here is this voice, followed by the sound of the alarm clock, rescuing us from the monster's clutches a moment before it manages to catch us. The nightmare is over, yet another night of fear is over -- knowing full well that it will not be the last.

[MinistroRaven]

If this review is to be believed, we shall not be left disappointed.

I think the review is pretty spot on in the description of the songs. 

[nikatapi]

Yes the review is spot on, and these 2 are actually (along with A Broken Man - for me) some of the best songs on the album.

[emtee]

Anxious to hear the whole album!

2/7 is just around the corner.

[MirrorMask]

Very excited for the last two songs!!!

2/7 is just around the corner.

Well, not really, we're at the end of January so it will take a lot of time for early July to arrive   

[MinistroRaven]

The Prog Report's album review:
https://progreport.com/dream-theater-parasomnia-album-review/

[Glasser]

Very excited for the last two songs!!!

Well, not really, we're at the end of January so it will take a lot of time for early July to arrive   

Ok, then 7/2 for Europe.

[gborland]

.

[hefdaddy42]

The Prog Report's album review:
https://progreport.com/dream-theater-parasomnia-album-review/

I love those guys, but I'll take this with a grain of salt.  I've never known them to be overly critical of any major release.

Of course, I take every review with a grain of salt.  Even the critics I trust the most occasionally lavish praise on things that just don't connect with me, or revile things that I think are really cool.  So whatever.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I love those guys, but I'll take this with a grain of salt.  I've never known them to be overly critical of any major release.

Of course, I take every review with a grain of salt.  Even the critics I trust the most occasionally lavish praise on things that just don't connect with me, or revile things that I think are really cool.  So whatever.

Not to mention MP regularly guests on their podcast. I love them too, and I don't think they're being dishonest... They're good dudes, and I'm a fan, but I don't see a world where they give the new DT album a 5/10.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Not to mention MP regularly guests on their podcast. I love them too, and I don't think they're being dishonest... They're good dudes, and I'm a fan, but I don't see a world where they give the new DT album a 5/10.

Realistically few if any small organizations that receive the album ahead of time are going to publish a negative review.

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

Well, the Italian translation is actually as hilarious as ever..
E.g. Portnoy is translated as "Porno" on a few occasions..
I was really not expecting the "return of Porno" in the Dream Theater world...so long after Erotomania? 

...I mean the initials of the forum are DTF....  

[Stadler]

I love those guys, but I'll take this with a grain of salt.  I've never known them to be overly critical of any major release.

Of course, I take every review with a grain of salt.  Even the critics I trust the most occasionally lavish praise on things that just don't connect with me, or revile things that I think are really cool.  So whatever.

Yeah, that review is useless, if I'm being honest.  It's publicity for the album, not that there's anything wrong with that.

"From an audio production standpoint, and regardless of personal preference, Parasomnia becomes Dream Theater's best-sounding album."  That sentence is nonsensical; to label something "best" like that, without any numberical or objective standard, is the very example of "personal preference".

Look, the only review I trust is my ears.  I only read these to collect facts; how many songs, what is the instrumentation, etc. 

[gzarruk]

I love those guys, but I'll take this with a grain of salt.  I've never known them to be overly critical of any major release.

Not to mention MP regularly guests on their podcast. I love them too, and I don't think they're being dishonest... They're good dudes, and I'm a fan, but I don't see a world where they give the new DT album a 5/10.

I love Prog Report too, but yeah their DT content is usually "Portnoy good, Mangini bad, we need nostalgia" kind of thing. For their DT Wheel of Prog episode they just automatically sent the MM albums + WDADU to the bottom of the ranking and focused on the rest  

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I'm dating myself but I wish there were a Siskel & Ebert show of sorts for this stuff 

[hefdaddy42]

I'm dating myself but I wish there were a Siskel & Ebert show of sorts for this stuff 

They were the best.  A great book on them called Opposable Thumbs came out in 2023.  If you haven't read it yet, I recommend it.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I love Prog Report too, but yeah their DT content is usually "Portnoy good, Mangini bad, we need nostalgia" kind of thing. For their DT Wheel of Prog episode they just automatically sent the MM albums + WDADU to the bottom of the ranking and focused on the rest  

I saw that and I remember it kind of woke me up to the fact a lot of Dream Theater fans are kind of just Mike Portnoy fans. Which is fine! I totally get it. Iron Maiden are one of my all-time favorite bands and still to this day I never bothered to listen to the Blaze Bayley albums. I don't think that's an apples-to-oranges situation with the Mangini era but I see where people are coming from.

I will say, the one dude put The Astonishing in his personal S or A tier, which I respected!

[Glasser]

I love those guys, but I'll take this with a grain of salt.  I've never known them to be overly critical of any major release.

Of course, I take every review with a grain of salt.  Even the critics I trust the most occasionally lavish praise on things that just don't connect with me, or revile things that I think are really cool.  So whatever.

I'll give it to you straight hef! Parasomnia is an enjoyable album at best. Nothing is going to blow you away on it but I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it. It's a cool DT album. There you go. That's the real on it. No grains of salt, only bacon

[hefdaddy42]

I'll give it to you straight hef! Parasomnia is an enjoyable album at best. Nothing is going to blow you away on it but I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it. It's a cool DT album. There you go. That's the real on it. No grains of salt, only bacon

I'll take that with a grain of salt too.  But thank you.

[illusionist]

I haven't listened to the album yet, i haven't even heard the singles that came out.
The reviews aren't that enthusiastic either, to the point i anticipated them to be, at least.
No one i read said this is a masterpiece,as i -and almost everyone else - had hoped.
But we're talking Dream Theater here.
Our favorite band. For over 25 years personally.
I don't think they will ever release an album that will disappoint me. Well, Systematic Chaos was the exception.
I have faith in their talent, chemistry, and ability to create beautiful melodies, intricate passages and intense atmospheres.
What i am looking forward the most in any new DT album, is the ritual that always comes with it.
Headphones on, lights off and 'Play'
And, most importantly, the moments that will paint smiles of excitement and tears of pure emotion on my face.
And i do believe I'll hear a bunch of them on Parasomnia.
11 days left..

[Northern Lion]

This is the first DT album since I became a fan where I have thoroughly enjoyed all the released singles. At this point, I don't think it's possible for this album to be mediocre or bad. I'm not looking to be blown away, I just want a really great album, and so far that is exactly what I'm getting.

[Glasser]

This is the first DT album since I became a fan where I have thoroughly enjoyed all the released singles. At this point, I don't think it's possible for this album to be mediocre or bad. I'm not looking to be blown away, I just want a really great album, and so far that is exactly what I'm getting.

Very cool! When did you become a fan?

[Stadler]

This is the first DT album since I became a fan where I have thoroughly enjoyed all the released singles. At this point, I don't think it's possible for this album to be mediocre or bad. I'm not looking to be blown away, I just want a really great album, and so far that is exactly what I'm getting.

See, that's me.  I just want to be able to relax and lose myself in the music.  I don't want to be worried if there's 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 strings being played, I don't want to worry about if that drum fill was a recycle or not, I just want to forget about Patrick Mahomes, tax season, and the state of my truck's rusty manifold, and enjoy some music.

[Glasser]

See, that's me.  I just want to be able to relax and lose myself in the music.  I don't want to be worried if there's 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 strings being played, I don't want to worry about if that drum fill was a recycle or not, I just want to forget about Patrick Mahomes, tax season, and the state of my truck's rusty manifold, and enjoy some music.

Amen 

[Northern Lion]

Very cool! When did you become a fan?

I became a fan just after the release of ADToE.

[Northern Lion]

See, that's me.  I just want to be able to relax and lose myself in the music.  I don't want to be worried if there's 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 strings being played, I don't want to worry about if that drum fill was a recycle or not, I just want to forget about Patrick Mahomes, tax season, and the state of my truck's rusty manifold, and enjoy some music.

I like the technical prowess of Dream Theater, but at the end of the day, I just want to listen to music I enjoy.  And I enjoy Dream Theater's music.

[CraftyCaleb2483]

only bacon

[noxon]

I stopped doing my reviews because i became too close to the band and would not be believed to be impartial. After all, when I'm involved in the planning of the release of the album, I'm too deep into the business side of it...

[Northern Lion]

I stopped doing my reviews because i became too close to the band and would not be believed to be impartial. After all, when I'm involved in the planning of the release of the album, I'm too deep into the business side of it...

I'm glad you're back Noxon!  It's good to see you.