Dream Theater announces 16th Studio Album - Parasomnia

[evilasiojr]

By what we've heard of PS (abbreviation adopted), it seems it was a response to this feeling of the pointless technicality.

Hmmm, interesting. JP is the main force of the writing and even so couldn't avoid going to a direction they ended up not enjoying after all. It reminds me of JBL's comments on The Alien for ex. But I guess it's only natural, it happened a few album cycles that the next one is an answer of some kind to the one before right?! Let's see, it made me understand more and get a bit more excited for the album!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

The enigmatic man could have meant a few different things by it. I took it as Parasomnia isn't as technical because that doesn't always make for a better record (which is true imo).

I guess we'll get a better idea once we hear Parasomnia. Glasser says it's more stripped down. I'm not sure if that's what he meant but only 1 week and a few days more!

[TAC]

The enigmatic man could have meant a few different things by it. I took it as Parasomnia isn't as technical because that doesn't always make for a better record (which is true imo).

I took it as he was talking about Parasomnia and A View. That's just how the comment came across to me. Distance Over Time isn't really all that technical on the whole. Based on the three songs we've gotten already, the songs are pretty thick and technical.

[Ben_Jamin]

Almost a week away. So excited.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

When JP said they were changing some songs up, I couldn't tell if he was referring to the upcoming leg of the 40th anniversary tour or future tours. There are some songs I wouldn't mind them swapping out from the 40th anniversary setlist but there are also a bunch I'd be super bummed if I missed out on.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I seem to remember MP saying quite recently that this NA leg will have the same setlist, and changes won't come until the summer shows

[TAC]

When JP said they were changing some songs up, I couldn't tell if he was referring to the upcoming leg of the 40th anniversary tour or future tours. There are some songs I wouldn't mind them swapping out from the 40th anniversary setlist but there are also a bunch I'd be super bummed if I missed out on.

You know how I heard that? I'm probably way off, but I took it as there may be some rotation in the non Parasomnia set on that part of the tour.

[Progmaniac1988]

For those interested, the box set is available for preorder on the US inside out website again. Guess they got more in. Preordered mine and cancelling the Germany preorder I thought I was forced to get it from lol

https://centurymedia.store/products/dream-theater-parasomnia-ltd-deluxe-box-set

[dparrott]

There are some interesting things in Repentance, but 10:43 for a song where very little happens... I get completely bored.

Myung should have shouted to his colleagues saying "Guys, this song is boring, let's cut some stuff" 

YES!  The first half is good but it's way too long at the end.

[gzarruk]

I seem to remember MP saying quite recently that this NA leg will have the same setlist, and changes won't come until the summer shows

MP said they'll be adding Midnight Messiah to the set. I bet they'll replace AIA.

[ReaperKK]

For those interested, the box set is available for preorder on the US inside out website again. Guess they got more in. Preordered mine and cancelling the Germany preorder I thought I was forced to get it from lol

https://centurymedia.store/products/dream-theater-parasomnia-ltd-deluxe-box-set

I'm probably going to pull the trigger and order this. I was going to wait for the show but they may not have a tour edition vinyl.

[Progmaniac1988]

I'm probably going to pull the trigger and order this. I was going to wait for the show but they may not have a tour edition vinyl.

Yeah initially I was passing on it, but over time I regretted that choice. I like the green vinyl that comes with it too. So why not? It's my favorite band and I never splurge on box sets.

[Madman Shepherd]

Welp, I got to listen to the album a few times and figured I'd stop in to give my thoughts. I glanced at this thread a few times and there were some interesting and introspective posts about what our expectations are as DT fans. I feel I've been pretty good about tempering my anticipation, knowing that they're not going to reinvent the wheel or anything. After all, I don'tthink DoT was groundbreaking, but it was one of my favorite DT albums. It basically had every single thing I love about the band wrapped into one album.

So this one I come to with a bit of bias. In my case, my bias is that I haven't been in a huge DT mood. That has more to do with general busyness in my life and getting weird urges to checkout bands I never gave a second thought to like ELO. So when I got the opportunity to hear Parasomnia, having heard and been underwhelmed by the first single, I was almost dreading that the rest of it would be similarly disappointing. Sadly, I was right....for the most part.

Without going into a full-fledged review, the opening track wasn't memorable. Night Terror is a decent track but reminded me so much of BC&SL that I was, I guess, triggered by the memories of one of my least favorite albums. And largely, the album is pretty dark, just like its predecessor. I mean, I love dark stuff, but that's not necessarily why I like Dream Theater. A track or two here or there shakes it up but it made the first several tracks sort of bland to me. To be honest, I even get a feel of Raw Dog. Now, I actually kind of like that song but it's not great or anything and that's how I feel about most of these.

Before MP left the band, a lot of people made a big deal about his fills being standard MP fare and uninspired. I thought that criticism was a bit much. But over the last 15 years hearing a lot of those same types of fills being used in Winery Dogs, SOA, etc, it did give me a bit of an eyeroll when I first heard it a time or two on this album. Maybe it's unfair because it is his signature style, and the drums have fewer possibilities than say the guitar, but it is what it is.

Speaking of MP, I definitely didn't miss his backing vocals. I don't think they always compliment James's voice. I like it best when James harmonizes with himself. Granted, he can't do that live so sure, MP doing that on stage isn't a bad idea, but it also seemed like it was overdone here.

So by the time we get to Are We Dreaming? I don't sense a lot of light and day between the tracks. But this one is a weird interlude. It kind of switches things up, so my attention is piqued. I didn't even know it was an interlude, I just got in my car and let the music play. So when I noticed the track switched to Bend the Clock with a JLB solo album feel, I perked up. After that,it sort of morphed into a much more upbeat rock sound giving me shades of everything from I&W, to SDOIT, to DOT. The vocals hit, the melodies are a huge contrast to every song before,and James is harmonizing with himself. Every instrument is on fire, not so much in a technical way, it just that every note they hit makes me fucking thrilled! Halfway through the song, I'm already ready to declare this might be one of my favorite Dream Theater tracks of all time.

Sadly, the song is only 7 minutes but I'm feeling optimistic about the direction of this album. The epic remains and again, without going into much detail, this song cooks! It's darker than Bend the Clock but still feels dimensionally different than the rest of the album. While a lot of trademark DT moments are there, it sounds fresh! Even the standard instrumental breaks seem original while maintaining that patented Dream Theater sound. Also, MP is harmonizing with James again, and it sounds GOOD! It's not that I don't think it should never happen, but it needs to be right. Here it certainly is.

So where does that leave me? 28ish minutes out of 70 is pure gold! The remaining 40 isn't terrible but I don't see myself listening to it that much. Im actually skipping out on seeing any shows, so this album and knowing the setlist will largely be the same as the European leg makes me not regret my initial decision very much (which had more to do with general dissatisfaction with the concert going experience, surge pricing, etc than DT specifically).

I guess that means if I had to rank the album it would be toward the bottom because overall, it's merely fine. But man, those last two songs really get my mind twisted about the possibilities of what this album could have been.

[lovethedrake]

Welp, I got to listen to the album a few times and figured I'd stop in to give my thoughts. I glanced at this thread a few times and there were some interesting and introspective posts about what our expectations are as DT fans. I feel I've been pretty good about tempering my anticipation, knowing that they're not going to reinvent the wheel or anything. After all, I don'tthink DoT was groundbreaking, but it was one of my favorite DT albums. It basically had every single thing I love about the band wrapped into one album.

So this one I come to with a bit of bias. In my case, my bias is that I haven't been in a huge DT mood. That has more to do with general busyness in my life and getting weird urges to checkout bands I never gave a second thought to like ELO. So when I got the opportunity to hear Parasomnia, having heard and been underwhelmed by the first single, I was almost dreading that the rest of it would be similarly disappointing. Sadly, I was right....for the most part.

Without going into a full-fledged review, the opening track wasn't memorable. Night Terror is a decent track but reminded me so much of BC&SL that I was, I guess, triggered by the memories of one of my least favorite albums. And largely, the album is pretty dark, just like its predecessor. I mean, I love dark stuff, but that's not necessarily why I like Dream Theater. A track or two here or there shakes it up but it made the first several tracks sort of bland to me. To be honest, I even get a feel of Raw Dog. Now, I actually kind of like that song but it's not great or anything and that's how I feel about most of these.

Before MP left the band, a lot of people made a big deal about his fills being standard MP fare and uninspired. I thought that criticism was a bit much. But over the last 15 years hearing a lot of those same types of fills being used in Winery Dogs, SOA, etc, it did give me a bit of an eyeroll when I first heard it a time or two on this album. Maybe it's unfair because it is his signature style, and the drums have fewer possibilities than say the guitar, but it is what it is.

Speaking of MP, I definitely didn't miss his backing vocals. I don't think they always compliment James's voice. I like it best when James harmonizes with himself. Granted, he can't do that live so sure, MP doing that on stage isn't a bad idea, but it also seemed like it was overdone here.

So by the time we get to Are We Dreaming? I don't sense a lot of light and day between the tracks. But this one is a weird interlude. It kind of switches things up, so my attention is piqued. I didn't even know it was an interlude, I just got in my car and let the music play. So when I noticed the track switched to Bend the Clock with a JLB solo album feel, I perked up. After that,it sort of morphed into a much more upbeat rock sound giving me shades of everything from I&W, to SDOIT, to DOT. The vocals hit, the melodies are a huge contrast to every song before,and James is harmonizing with himself. Every instrument is on fire, not so much in a technical way, it just that every note they hit makes me fucking thrilled! Halfway through the song, I'm already ready to declare this might be one of my favorite Dream Theater tracks of all time.

Sadly, the song is only 7 minutes but I'm feeling optimistic about the direction of this album. The epic remains and again, without going into much detail, this song cooks! It's darker than Bend the Clock but still feels dimensionally different than the rest of the album. While a lot of trademark DT moments are there, it sounds fresh! Even the standard instrumental breaks seem original while maintaining that patented Dream Theater sound. Also, MP is harmonizing with James again, and it sounds GOOD! It's not that I don't think it should never happen, but it needs to be right. Here it certainly is.

So where does that leave me? 28ish minutes out of 70 is pure gold! The remaining 40 isn't terrible but I don't see myself listening to it that much. Im actually skipping out on seeing any shows, so this album and knowing the setlist will largely be the same as the European leg makes me not regret my initial decision very much (which had more to do with general dissatisfaction with the concert going experience, surge pricing, etc than DT specifically).

I guess that means if I had to rank the album it would be toward the bottom because overall, it's merely fine. But man, those last two songs really get my mind twisted about the possibilities of what this album could have been.

Appreciate the review.   ELO is amazing, El Dorado is one of my favorite albums.

[The Letter M]

LaserCD just notified me that my Parasomnia box set is shipping! Got my tracking number email just a bit ago!

-Marc.

[Stadler]

New interview with JP:

https://youtu.be/uLGSpuBzSs4?si=mMLJiFZx3G_wvyoO

I don't know why, but that interviewer was a little annoying.  "Wow it's been that long?" when John said Mike was back after x years, and later "you've had some great drummers since Mike left"... more than one?

I love John's answer to "how do you stay inspired?".  "I don't really know, I just am". 

[durga2112]

I don't know why, but that interviewer was a little annoying.  "Wow it's been that long?" when John said Mike was back after x years, and later "you've had some great drummers since Mike left"... more than one?

Maybe the interviewer glanced at the audition videos and assumed that the other guys were also in the band for a while? 

[Glasser]

My first impressions of Parasomnia were WAYYY off. Going forward on any album I will wait until I can fully sit and digest it before spewing. It has been an interesting rollercoaster posting all my thoughts getting to this. What changed? Letting my expectations dictate and resist letting the songs come at me with an open mind based on what I wanted it to be which is INSANE. When this albums clicks it's brilliant.

[Wim Kruithof]

Have we discussed the abbreviation for this one yet? Will this just be; P?

If we just could stop all those abbreviations, what a wonderful world it would be.

You'll would be spending more time on posting a message, but I would have so much more spare time, not have to figuring it out.

[Glasser]

If we just could stop all those abbreviations, what a wonderful world it would be.

You'll would be spending more time on posting a message, but I would have so much more spare time, not have to figuring it out.

I think we should post DT album titles in Latin only. Imaginibus et Verbis is my favorite.

[erciccio]

I think we should post DT album titles in Latin only. Imaginibus et Verbis is my favorite.

Imagines et verba, I wouldn't use the dative/ablative there...

[wolfking]

My first impressions of Parasomnia were WAYYY off. Going forward on any album I will wait until I can fully sit and digest it before spewing. It has been an interesting rollercoaster posting all my thoughts getting to this. What changed? Letting my expectations dictate and resist letting the songs come at me with an open mind based on what I wanted it to be which is INSANE. When this albums clicks it's brilliant.

It's taken over 3 years for A View to finally open up to me and today have a totally different opinion on it from when it was released.  I too am not jumping the gun on Parasomnia at all.  Even if I'm underwhelmed, it's no big deal, it may change.  You are dead on that we let our expectations dictate our opinions at times.

[TAC]

I don't know why, but that interviewer was a little annoying.  "Wow it's been that long?" when John said Mike was back after x years, and later "you've had some great drummers since Mike left"... more than one?

I caught that. WTF?

[wolfking]

I didn't last long watching that interview because of the interviewer.  He just pissed me off for some reason.

[Madman Shepherd]

Appreciate the review.   ELO is amazing, El Dorado is one of my favorite albums.

I've been going in chronological order so I'm only at On the Third Day which I love. The first two were interesting but not amazing. I was checking out The Move before that. Excited to hear El Dorado.

[jammindude]

Just got my notification that laser edge has created my invoice and begun shipping.

 

[The Curious Orange]

MP said they'll be adding Midnight Messiah to the set. I bet they'll replace AIA.

I reckon replacing UAGM, sorry, replacing Sub Vitrum Luna.

[Bentower]

I reckon replacing UAGM, sorry, replacing Sub Vitrum Luna.

God forbid. I think they ought to switch out Noctis Terrore (saw it live, wasn't too keen).

[emtee]

My first impressions of Parasomnia were WAYYY off. Going forward on any album I will wait until I can fully sit and digest it before spewing. It has been an interesting rollercoaster posting all my thoughts getting to this. What changed? Letting my expectations dictate and resist letting the songs come at me with an open mind based on what I wanted it to be which is INSANE. When this albums clicks it's brilliant.

Yes, you have definitely gone back and forth on this.

[nobloodyname]

God forbid. I think they ought to switch out Noctis Terrore (saw it live, wasn't too keen).

I think there's zero chance of that happening. Aside from the band's comments on the track, it got a fabulous reception in London and Paris.

[Pettor]

I'm really hyped for Bend The Clock and The Shadow Man Incident! I have high hopes for both of them. Also, that JP solo at the end of BTC sounds like an absolute treat! Always happy when I know there's a song with a special JP solo incoming.

Also a bit hyped about what the lyrics for TSMI will be. Such a strange name for a song. Before the release of BC&SL I was really curious what the lyrics for TCOT would be and haha, I was in for a surprise 😁 Will TSMI be the spiritual sequel where JP meet a strange man in his dreams. He was smoking a pipe, all dressed in black and really quiet. Long dark hair. JP got really weirded out by this, but in the end the man was just JM in the middle of the night searching for the bathroom and it all ends with this epic section with choir and "you don't need to be afraaaaaid, I aaam just searching for the batttthroooom ohhhh ahhhhh ohhhhh". Man I hope it's something like that.

[Progmaniac1988]

This is the first useful review I've read lol. I'm actually now even more hyped lol

https://amnplify.com.au/portfolio-items/dream-theater-parasomnia-album-review-30th-january-2025/

[emtee]

Excellent review. Thanks for posting.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Agreed - much more thoughtful than others

[Pettor]

Petrucci plays his finest solo on the album at the end of 'Bend the Clock', nodding to the likes of Rothery and Gilmour and reaching deep into his own bag of tricks. Its a truly epic closing solo.

I am ready!