Re: Deadeye Deep Dives: Dream Theater (A View from the Top of the World)

[BeatriceNB]

Might be an unpopular opinion, but the worst parts of ANTR's "over and over" section are the riff and drums, and the organ patch in the first half (the choir patch works); I think the drums and riff don't go completely in the Death Metal territory they hint, they're too groovy and not dissonant enough, respectively.

A Rite Of Passage reminds me a lot of Metallica, in lyrics, vocals and riffs (technique differences aside), even if I can't pinpoint any exact Metallica song or album it reminds me of. Although DT has more explicit references to them like Peruvian Skies, As I Am and Fall Into The Light.

Wither is a song my mom loves, and I think it's my second favourite song from the album.
Haken's Celestial Elixir at 10:42 has a very similar section to Wither, with the same or incredibly similar chord progression (but in a different key).

Shattered Fortress is also my favourite song from the suite, and I'm quite nostalgic for it because early on I was obsessed with the Breaking The Fourth Wall live album.

The Best Of Times is another song my mother loves, and it's her favourite Dream Theater song. Very beautiful song with poignant (first time I use this word, I hope it's the correct usage) lyrics, with an iconic solo; sadly, not a song I care too much about on its own 
I find Quiet Summmer by Yasushi Yoshida to be pretty similar to the intro to The Best Of Times

Lastly, The Count Of Tuscany is one of my top 3 songs by the band. I love everything about it. I'm particularly keen to the Happy Holidays version, for the extended ambient bridge and James' performance, as well the slightly slower outro section, with Mangini constantly keeping the 6/8 beat on the cymbals.

[Schurftkut]

i can't imagine MP isn't itching to be able to do something like that again, so 

[YngVai]

To this day, I cannot for the life of me fathom how the guy who penned "Voices" and "Lines in the Sand" thought the line "sucking on his pipe" made sense.
 

Preach lol

[durga2112]

To this day, I cannot for the life of me fathom how the guy who penned "Voices" and "Lines in the Sand" thought the line "sucking on his pipe" made sense.

Maybe he just had "Jack and Diane" stuck in his head and thought "Suckin' on chili dogs - what a great line!"

[Dedalus]

What really did it in was the lyrics. To this day, I cannot for the life of me fathom how the guy who penned "Voices" and "Lines in the Sand" thought the line "sucking on his pipe" made sense.

 

[devieira73]

From BCSL I really love Nightmare, Wither and Count. I think TBoT would be perfect without its intro (but beginning with that post "Rush intro" would have been amazing) - I know, totally unpopular opinion here. Rite and Shattered sound a bit forced to me. Because of its highs and not too lows, better album than SC, no doubt.
Quick Edit: I like Raw Dog more than Rite and Shattered, but below the rest of the album.

[devieira73]

Just elaborating more on TBoT, I can totally relate to song's theme, since I also lost my father under similar circunstances, to whom I was very close too. I just think that the repetition of the (excellent) main theme is a bit too much on the song, which diminishes its impact, and without the slow intro I think the song would be more uplifting, truly focusing more on the feeling of living the best of times with a father.

[Dedalus]

The main theme of TBoT always reminds me of this:

 

[CraftyCaleb2483]

I must, however, say that I'm pretty sure the melody at 10:17 is pretty much directly lifted from Muse's Knights of Cydonia, which was released in 2006.

Oh my gosh it so is, I can't believe I've never noticed that

[devieira73]

The main theme of TBoT always reminds me of this:

 

NOOOOOOOO!!!! (Darth Vader meme) "Cara, quê isso?!"  

[Dedalus]

NOOOOOOOO!!!! (Darth Vader meme) "Cara, quê isso?!"  

Prognejo

[fibreoptix]

The song's main riff has always felt very reminiscent to a riff from Misunderstoodto me, the one right after each heavy chorus.

I'm glad you said that. I've always thought the same thing, but never see anyone mention it.

It's a bit of a weird one for me, this album. It all feels a bit like a collection of brilliant moments in the middle of some not so brilliant songs for the most part. I can't think of any song I fully enjoy all the way through, but the highs are definitely some of the band's highest. All very frustrating.

Definitely JP's weakest album lyrically as well. The album could certainly have used a wider range of lyricists.

[BeatriceNB]

The main theme of TBoT always reminds me of this:

 

   
Very funny resemblance there

Also, I'm incredibly happy to not know what that Muse song sounds like, considering my extreme distaste for that band, and my extreme love for TCOT

[Zydar]

This was the first new DT album for me after I became a fan in 2007. As with the previous album I liked it a lot at the beginning, but as I discovered their earlier stuff this one steadily fell down on my album ranking list. It's now on the bottom half, but it's still a good one. I've always loved The Best Of Times, I don't care about the criticism over it, plus it has THAT gorgeous outro solo from JP. A Rite Of Passage was a cool first single, Wither is a nice ballad (I saw its live debut in Stockholm 2009). The Shattered Fortress feels like a mess though, with a lot of cut-and-paste from the other songs in the suite, they just feel cramped in there without much thought. 

[Jamesman42]

The king of bloat of an album. But it's solid and better than SC.

ANTR: Some great stuff but a lot of bloat. Beautiful Agony is where DT needs to spend more time.
AROP: mediocre or terrible by DT standards
Wither: Very solid midrange song
TBOT: See: ANTR, replace the second blurb with the gorgeous guitar solo.
TSF: I love this song, and besides one part, I don't find it disjointed at all. 
TCOT: Top 10 song, they nailed it with this one on every part.

[Deadeye21]

TSF: I love this song, and besides one part, I don't find it disjointed at all.

Which part is disjointed for you?

[Jamesman42]

Which part is disjointed for you?

The spoken word Repentance call back into the Root of All Evil callback. It's not the worst, don't me get me wrong, but it never felt quite right.

[DragonAttack]

The album:  there's good and epic stuff here, but too much that should have been altered or left on the cutting room floor.  My edited version gets a spin about every five years.  Not in my wheelhouse, as it's so dark and quite depressing.

Tenement Funster / Flick Of The Wrist/ Lily of the Valley: Of course I was interested in this cover. I'm not a fan of 99% of Queen covers I've bothered to give a listen to, but this was 'nice'.  It's actually slower than the originals, and I actually would have enjoyed some non growling MP vocals (or BVs) on 'Tenement Funster'.  The last word in almost every line of 'Lily of the Valley' has BVs on the original, which really adds to it. None used on the cover version.

Wish there was more DT 'spin' on this, much like Metallica did with 'Stone Cold Crazy', which I think of as an absolute treasure.

[Deadeye21]

The Holiday Spirit Carries On

Well, it's Christmas. I'm posting this at 6am on the morning of Christmas Day, just to keep the Dream Theater spirit alive.

We're jumping from Portnoy's "last" release to one of the last things that Dream Theater released with Mangini here, but I feel that it's only fitting to jump ahead into this one now. Officially released for only a one-month period in December of 2020 as a fundraiser for the road crew during COVID, The Holiday Spirit Carries On is a medley of some classic Christmas tunes, infused with the progressive elements that we've all come to know and love.

Starting with the funniest count in you'll ever hear, The Holiday Spirit Carries On opens with a fairly rocking intro that gets into the holiday spirit right from the start. Jordan's keyboard tone has a nice festive bell sound, while Mangini launches into some killer drum fills almost immediately. As the song takes into it's second riff, a heavy riff that almost feels like an Astonishing groove, we're into a fairly Dream Theater version of Deck the Halls. James takes this verse with the same approach as Barstool Warrior to my ear. Following a solo that references We Three Kings and O Come All Ye Faithful, yet feels like a proper JP lead, the song breaks down into the full O Come All Ye Faithful in a very Astonishing feel to my ear. James absolutely nails this, but I have to say, hearing "oh come, let us adore him" in a Dream Theater context definitely harkens back to A Change of Seasons. Mangini has a cool little drum breakdown here as well. I really love the inclusion of a bit of the Jewish Dreidel song before a really proggy version of Jingle Bells in a way that on;y Dream Theater could. The whole song finishes up with a reference to Auld Lang Syme, a New Year's Eve staple!

Yeah, it's a pretty short song by Dream Theater standards, but it's a great way to celebrate the day. And as it turns out, Dream Theater have just covered O Holy Night on the last night of South American tour. They are no strangers to the festive season either, having famously covered O Holy Night acoustically back in the day. Of course, there is the reference to Christmas with those few seconds of Octavarium, not to mention the oft-quotedd line that kicks off not just 6:00and the whole Awake album, but this short review as well.

Well, that does it for this one. Catch you all next year for the proper Mangini era, kicking off with A Dramatic Turn of Events on January 3rd.

Merry Christmas, happy new year, thanks for sticking it out with me.
-Deadeye21

[Deadeye21]

A Dramatic Turn of Events – 2011
Tracklist. 1. On the Backs of Angels. 2. Build Me Up, Break Me Down. 3. Lost Not Forgotten. 4. This is the Life. 5. Bridges in the Sky. 6. Outcry. 7. Far from Heaven. 8. Breaking All Illusions. 9. Beneath the Surface.

A Dramatic Stream of Events

Happy new year, Dream Theater fans!

Welcome to the world of 14 years ago. The world was still reeling from the departure of Mike Portnoy from Dream Theater, an announcement made in September of 2010, following the end of the Black Clouds tour and while he was touring with Avenged Sevenfold. I don't think anyone was quite prepared for it at the time.

On April 29th of 2011, Mike Mangini was officially announced as the new drummer of Dream Theater, though he had joined several months prior. Dream Theater, albeit without a drummer, had entered Cove City Studios on January 3rd (I promise this was not timed to coincide!), and had started working on new songs. Legend has it that demos were completed for the album with programmed drums, then sent to Mangini to "add his own stuff". By April 14th, LaBrie had started his vocals and by June 28th the new album was fully mastered and ready to go. Despite everything that had transpired in the last few months, Petrucci would insist that the album's title, A Dramatic Turn of Events, was not about any one person but rather about the dramatic changes in history which continue to alter people's lives. For what is apparently the 14th anniversary of the day that demoing began, let's dive into A Dramatic Turn of Events.

The ambient sounds that open On the Backs of Angels could almost be a continuation from The Count of Tuscany, yet as soon as the intro hits, you know you're in for something special. I must say, while the riff itself is more intricate, the intro of this song doesn't fail to remind me of Pull Me Under. In fact, much of A Dramatic Turn of Events reminds me of Images and Words. On the Backs of Angels is a killer opening track, which wastes very little time in introducing the drum style of Mangini. Angels is a very timely song, speaking of the current era of political corruption and the financial crisis. The whole structure is very similar to Pull Me Under, and yet, I find myself enjoying this song quite a bit more. Blasphemy, I know, but there is a certain refinement to this one. I genuinely prefer the chorus of Angels, and I think this is a killer song to have kicked off a new era with. Petrucci's solo is awesome, Jordan brings his A- game, as his always does, but on this one, it's just perfection. In fact, this song was up for a Grammy for greatest hard rock/metal performance, but lost to Foo Fighters' White Limo which is a song I don't like from a band I enjoy.

Build Me Up, Break Me Down is not the strongest song on the album by a long shot, but it's one that I enjoy on occasion. This is something of a followup to Never Enough about the tribulations of being a celebrity and the hypocrisy of the mainstream media that follows them. By Dream Theater, I'd say this is a fairly simple song. It follows a bit more of a linear progression, and adopts the sound of an alternate metal band somewhat like a Disturbed progression. However, there is the killer unison phrase that serves as the song's primary instrumental section which is very much a signature Dream Theater sound. This is one of only three songs that feature James LaBrie screaming in the studio, following on from In the Name of God and Octavarium, and it's an iconic moment for the song. However, this is not one that I think a lot of fans come back to. I think this would get some heavier fans into the band though, so it might be worth extending it to your younger metalhead friends if you're ever looking to get them hooked.

The instrumental coda of BMUBMD fades into a wind sound, not unlike that from Systematic Chaos, before turning into a beautiful piano melody which begins Lost Not Forgotten. To my ear, when it kicks in fully, this intro is reminiscent of Under a Glass Moon. Of course, that only lasts up to an absolutely blistering unison section where Petrucci and Rudess absolutely break the mould. Here, the lyrics follow a story like a twisted version of Rush's Xanadu. This could be seen as Kubla Khan losing his kingdom if you followed that thought. A powerful man reflects on the empire he has lost whilst living amongst the gods. While many have come to fear him, he now longs for the ghosts of yesterdays. I've also heard it said this song is specifically about the ancient Persians, but I'm not that big of a history buff to be able to refute that. I must say that while the lyrics have not managed to capture my interest as much as they could have, this song still absolutely slaps on the merits of the instrumentation alone. The riffs are simple, yet powerful. The solos are technical and I'd dare say elegant. I love the way the band plays off each other here, especially in the chorus which features the same "off-cuts" as Under a Glass Moon. Jordan's solo is easily my favourite part of the song, as there's a certain feeling there that I can't really put my finger on but leaves me smiling each time. Great song!

This is the Life would be the Another Day of A Dramatic Turn of Events.  This is a great song, though it's one that has taken me a while to come around to. In fact, not until very recently have I had this song click for me. As the title suggests, This is the Life is about living life to the fullest. Not wishing it away or wishing you were someone else. Life begins with an empty slate, and it's up to us to make it what we want it to be. I've heard it said that John wrote this song as a reaction to Mike leaving the band, almost a "you left, but we're fine without you" kind of song. I don't think it's entirely true, and it would be super ironic if it were, given its return on the latest tour which I feel has given the song new meaning. This is a more straightforward song again, as many DT ballads are, but there's just something so tranquil in it that really locks me into it. John's solo is awesome, and I love the ending with the reprise of the theme from the intro.

Up next, a song that is definitely one of my favourites. Bridges in the Sky was originally announced as The Shaman's Trance, though changed its title late in development. I personally think it was for the better. The intro of this song is a very atmospheric one, featuring Gregorian chanting and shamanic drumming before a longer passage sung by a choir. Bridges in the Sky is a heavy hitting song, the first to feature JP's seven-string on the album. I would almost say that if it weren't Mangini's first album with the band, this would have been a better choice for the opening track. The band might agree, given this was the opening song on the Dramatic tour. The lyrics are perfectly written, and take us on a the journey with the subject. James' vocals on this song are brilliant, and really guide the journey brilliantly. His tone on this album has a certain grittiness to it that I really like. It's kinda unfortunate timing to bring up how much I like James' vocals on the song that caused such controversy on the View tour, but the less said about that, the better! Honestly, this song is fantastic and would have to stand in my top 10 songs from the Mangini era. I think many of us would agree. It certainly stands as one of the most fresh ideas on the album for me.

Outcry is the anthemic song of the album, though it is pretty much just a bleak Metropolis, let's be honest here. I'm not just saying that because of the instrumental bridge which absolutely slaps, but the structure of everything that comes before it feels cut from the same cloth. A simple chugging riff setting the stage for the vocals and the progression once it kicks in, even featuring a softer breakdown partway through are all present in a very similar guise to that of the original masterpiece. However, the lyrics are much darker. Outcry is written about the oppression and revolution that took place in North Africa during 2010 and 2011. Once we reach the instrumental section itself, it loses much of the Metropolis 'personality', though what is here is pretty great. However, altogether, Outcry is not a song that I find myself returning to all that often. Through no real fault of it's own, I feel like I've already been there and done that with everything this song presents, and that's not really something I want to feel with a Dream Theater track. My favourite moment of the song is definitely the bass breakdown during the instrumental passage. The ending of the song once again brings back some of that Images and Words identity with it's softer entrance into the later vocal passages. I really like the final stanza of the song, "the world watches on, while we risk out lives". It really puts the whole thing in perspective well as a final moment. Still, not an overall favourite for the album. Lyrically, I think its one of the stronger pieces here, but I just feel this isn't quite enough here.

Far from Heaven is a piano and vocal piece, similar to Wait for Sleep. This is the only lyric on the album that wasn't primarily written by Petrucci. This one was written by James LaBrie abut pushy parents and the struggle to relate when someone else's will is pushed on us and doesn't meet our own. While I love my parents, I find myself relating to the lyrics in other ways. Despite being the shortest piece on the album at just over three and a half minutes, James and Jordan manage to create something truly beautiful here. I think the lyrics, while very sad, are easily relatable for a lot of people, but. ido love the ending line "Nothing you can do to change me but accept me as I am" shows a bit of a positive ending to the whole ordeal.

Much like Wait for Sleep plants a seed that Learning to Live will later build upon, so to does Far from Heaven in the next track, the monster Breaking All Illusions. I think this is very easily my favourite song of the whole Mangini era, and I believe that sentiment is shared by many, if not most, of us. Breaking All Illusions is the first song in 12 years to have a lyrical contribution by John Myung, having last contributed to Fatal Tragedy back on Scenes From a Memory. It is also the first song since You Not Me to receive a dual songwriting credits with Petrucci and Myung having written the full lyric together. Illusions is very much the next generation of Learning to Live, though with some different twists and turns thrown in for good measure, like going into the bridge section before the first chorus. Nonetheless, this is an anthem for anyone who has ever dealt with one of life's biggest battles like depression or addiction and come out swinging on the other side. Life's biggest battles often are fought alone, but if we can find the faith in ourselves, we can arrive where we began and come back to life. The opening riff alone should be enough to hook any keen Dream Theater fan and John's solo is easily the greatest on the album and structurally reminds me of Rush's La Villa Strangiato, starting bluesy and reserved before becoming something much shreddier and far more powerful. The song also ends with a reprise of the bridge section of Far from Heaven with new lyrics, before coming to a head with a huge orchestral version of the short instrumental motif from that one.

And now, I'm sure you're expecting me to absolutely blast Beneath the Surface as I did Space-Dye Vest. "A sappy ballad that ruins a glorious ending from Breaking All Illusions", right? Wrong. Beneath the Surface is actually one of my personal favourite ballads from Dream Theater. Bet you weren't expecting that one. See, these lyrics speak my truth with love and life. Someone once said to me "it isn't sappy if you can relate to it" and I really do. It doesn't hurt that the song sounds absolutely beautiful, including a great synth solo from Jordan before the bridge. I actually play this one in some of my solo sets, and though it's a song that no one really knows (hell, it's a song that most fans forget until they're revisiting this album or Live at Luna Park), I feel it goes over pretty well. Is it the perfect closer to A Dramatic Turn of Events? No. That was definitely Breaking All Illusions. However, I can't think of anywhere else on the album it really could've fit on the album. The run from On the Backs of Angels to Breaking All Illusions is excellently paced, and I feel this just gives it a little personal touch to finish on. Supposedly, this song was brought in at the last moment as the band didn't feel that Illusions had enough closure. As such, this is another ballad brought in by Petrucci in a mostly completed state and credited to him alone.

And that's A Dramatic Turn of Events. Oh man, this is gonna sound controversial when I have said so many great things about the songs. I don't think this is the best Mangini album, despite it containing some great works. To me, this rehashes a little too much of the same ground as Images and Words specifically. Sure, this is probably the most significant change in the lineup since James joined the band, with no offence intended to Kevin, Derek or Jordan, but I feel with this the same as I do about The Force Awakens. You've given me great moments from an album I already love, but that makes it predictable. To me what makes On the Backs of Angels and Breaking All Illusions so great is that they take the formula of songs that I love and expand upon them. Refine them. Meanwhile, Outcry is a lesser imitation of Metropolis. It's what makes a song like Bridges in the Sky so special here is that it's the one that's the least like anything that's come before. There are no other parallels I can draw to it. And yet, I feel like I'm making the complaint that I made against The Force Awakens. It's too much like something I already like, so that makes it bad? Don't get me wrong, there are some truly fantastic songs on this album. I just feel it isn't the greatest album viewed under that light. I feel this is the one that is likely to have moved the most from when I ranked the albums as part of my Six Degrees deep dive. I will reveal that ranking, plus a revised version, at the end of the View from the Top of the World discussion.

But hey, that's just one man and his opinion. What are your feelings on this album? Looking forward to getting these conversations rolling for 2025! Happy new year! We're only a couple weeks away from Parasomnia now, and I'm looking forward to covering all of these Mangini albums in the leadup!

[Jamesman42]

ADTOE: The album is excellent, save for one song. Might be a top 5 DT album. I think they nailed it coming off the heels of MP leaving, this was a statement album. I have strong memories of listening to it during my drive to student teaching, I could listen to the whole album on the way there and back combined.

OTBOA: Best song on the album, though it's close. This is the way I wish DT would write more of their songs, it's kind of like Endless Sacrifice to me (which is my favorite off of TOT), it is straightforward at a basic level, but the song has so many little things that add up to big things. 

BMUBMD: Yeah, no.

Lost Not Forgotten: Pretty cool song but very long. Deserves another listen as I haven't heard it in a while.

This is the Life: 4th best song on the album, but I still think it's a stellar song. The atmosphere in this song is elevated with great keyboards and enough tension. Though I know it has a few big fans, I think it's underrated.

Bridges in the Sky: This would be my favorite if not for the long intro. The verses are cool, and then that chorus is another level. JLB is 10/10 here. 

Outcry: This is a fine middle song. Also deserves another listen to see what I am forgetting.

Far From Heaven: Solid little ballad.

Breaking All Illusions: This song is amazing, and the fact I rank it second or third speaks how much good music is on this album. It's bright and colorful while still being that DT true sound. Yeah, it feels like IaW a lot, but....that's a good thing. It stands apart from that album.

Beneath the Surface: Awesome ballad.

[durga2112]

This is one of only three songs that feature James LaBrie screaming in the studio

What exactly are you implying here? 

Overall, I get the feeling that I like this album less than most fans do. It's my second favourite from the Mangini era (View ended up growing on me more than I ever expected a new DT album could at this stage in their career), but I'm not sure if I would rank it above any of the MP albums. "Breaking All Illusions", however, is one of my favourite songs they've ever done, and one of only a handful that I've ever listened to over and over on repeat. I also really like "Bridges in the Sky", and I was very happy that they played it when I saw them live for the first time on the View tour.

That's not to say I think it's a bad album or anything - it's just not one of my personal favourites, but I absolutely understand why anyone else would rank it highly.

this is probably the most significant change in the lineup since James joined the band, with no offence intended to Kevin, Derek or Jordan

I honestly don't think there's any "probably" about it - Portnoy was much more than just the drummer, and this was a cataclysmic lineup change that could have meant the end of the band if everyone hadn't stepped up their game the way they did.

[mariner]

Love these writeups, Deadeye.

ADTOE actually rates the highest of the Mangini era for me, and it rates above SC, BC&SL, WDADU, and even ToT for me.

OTBOA is a solid, great opener, that I really like.  Still in my regular DT rotation of songs.

Agreed with both posters about BMUBMD - never cared for it.

LNF is actually my second favorite song from this record.  The shredding section could be one of DT's greatest moments... and they were actually able to recreate that live.  Insane!

TitL (unforunate acronym) - nice ballad, inspired playing, shocked that MP picked this of all Mangini era songs.

BitS - the clear standout on the record for me (and many others).  In my regular DT rotation of songs that I listen to.  LOVE everything about this.  Disappointed that you didn't point out the use of the didgeridoo in the opening and closing!

Outcry is the one song I disagree with Deadeye on - I love this song.  Yes, it is topical and was lyrically more poignant at the time.  The unison/harmony shredding is another album highlight.  And this song did really well live.

Far from Heaven - nice ballad, largely forgettable.

Breaking All Illusions - loved this song and another in my regular DT rotation.  But it has been a bit overplayed during the Mangini era and I can see why they didn't do it on this tour.

Beneath the Surface - I like this the most of the ballads and love the keyboard patch on JR's solo.

Great review!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Great review Deadeye!

I feel like most albums have some elephant in the room - in this case the similarity to I&W. I like how you addressed it up front on OTBOA and in the wrap-up. I think I feel similarly about a lot of things but I came out more positive overall on it despite the very noticeable I&W inspiration. The elephant is there but the songs in question are also very differentiated. In the end it just works and many of those songs are considered DT classics.

[Deadeye21]

What exactly are you implying here? 

Only that he has screamed more parts in the live performances, but these moments are quite rare in the studio recordings.

[Dream Team]

Thanks Deadeye. GREAT album, with the poor production the only thing holding it back really. Every song has a strong chorus, strong melodies, inspired playing. It's my #3 DT album. Also love Mangini's playing on this one; too bad you can't hear much of it  .

BaI
O
TiTL
LNF
BitS
BtS
OtBoA
BMUBMD
FFH

[macneil]

Great album, and I still think the strongest of the Mangini-era. All the big songs are fantastic, and I even love all the ballads on here. I don't think they've written an individual song as good as Breaking All Illusions in any album since.

Only marks against it is the mix and BMUBMD. The similarities in structure to Images and Words is one of those things that's pretty obvious once it's pointed out, but it's never really bothered me. It's an interesting idea for writing an album, though one that could be not used well, but I think it's used well here.

[BeatriceNB]

ADTOE sounds amazing in my TVs, but not in any headphones I had.

I don't dislike Build Me Up..., not a favourite of mine, but I don't skip or anything; the pre-chorus is really good, maybe it should have been the actual chorus.

Outcry has a really, really good instrumental section, and if I recall correctly, the only moment in DT's discography that has a melody harmonized in minor seconds.

In my opinion, Breaking All Illusions is their best song (depending on the day I will say it's Octavarium, but both are great), and has the best Petrucci solo. As for Beneath The Surface, it's a beautiful epilogue, and deserves the last song spot.

A very enjoyable listen from start to finish, as it is dynamic, catchy and Prog-y. Something that hasn't been mentioned yet, the album features string  and choir patches notoriously, which gives it a characteristic epic sound.

[Deadeye21]

I don't dislike Build Me Up..., not a favourite of mine, but I don't skip or anything; the pre-chorus is really good, maybe it should have been the actual chorus.

Depends which part we're calling the pre-chorus. To m, the part I think you're calling the pre-chorus is the melodic part. "You build me up, you break me down, until I'm falling to pieces". In which case, the scream would serve as a post chorus.

[BeatriceNB]

Depends which part we're calling the pre-chorus. To m, the part I think you're calling the pre-chorus is the melodic part. "You build me up, you break me down, until I'm falling to pieces". In which case, the scream would serve as a post chorus.

It could be a way to see it, and it's probably the correct one.

Something I'll add regarding choruses:
One thing I profoundly love about the early MM-era is the amount of Pop-y yet epic, "big sustained chords" choruses in 6/8 or 4/4.
On The Backs Of Angels, BMUBMD, This Is The Life, Bridges In The Sky, Outcry, Breaking All Illusions ("live in the moment"), The Looking Glass, The Bigger Picture, Behind The Veil, Surrender To Reason, Along For The Ride. And many from The Astonishing I'm sure.
(In bold the ones I consider the prime examples of what I mean).

After that, D/T has two (Barstool Warrior and At Wit's End), and A View only has the outro of The Alien ("I am the alien, out here in the stars") which I think it's better than the original chorus.

Previous examples of these are In The Name Of God, Sacrificed Sons, and maybe Home.

[Deadeye21]

Dream Theater – 2013

Tracklist: 1. False Awakening Suite. 2. The Enemy Inside. 3. The Looking Glass. 4. Enigma Machine. 5. The Bigger Picture. 6. Behind the Veil. 7. Surrender to Reason. 8. Along for the Ride. 9. Illumination Theory.

Stream Theater

Alrighty, I'm getting this one out a little later than I had hoped, I do apologise. Things have been a little hectic in camp Deadeye this week, only just starting to hopefully settle down.

Anyway, we're not here to talk about me, we're here to talk about an album released on September 24th, 2013. Written during the A Dramatic Tour of Events and once again recorded at Cove City in NYC, the self-titled album is somehow more concise and yet further reaching than its predecessor. It is, however, one that is often maligned due to its production, with many complaining about the snare tone Mangini uses. This is also the first album to feature Mangini as a songwriting partner, having joined after the first writing sessions for the previous album. Well, there isn't a whole lot else for me to say but let's dive into DT12 – Dream Theater.

The first track on the album is an instrumental, the first to feature on an album since Train of Thought's Stream of Consciousness. False Awakening Suite serves as something of a prelude to the album, written to be used as the intro tape for concerts, replacing the movie soundtracks that they had been using on previous tours. This is a fairly captivating instrumental piece, serving three distinctive sections in it's sub three minute run time. At the time, this was the lowest tuning that John Petrucci had ever used, dropping his 7 string down two whole steps from BEADGBe to GCFBbEbGC (for the less musically inclined, the lowercase bs represent flats, a note between two whole tones going down to the next instead of up which would be # - sharp).  This is honestly a pretty cool way to start the album, and it really makes you feel like the whole album is about to begin which serves it's point beautifully. This track also features three different named sections being Sleep Paralysis, Night Terrors (oddly enough, I don't think it slipped their minds that they'd used the name when Parasomnia was being made) and Lucid Dream. I could almost see the orchestral version of this making a return to the stage on the Parasomnia tour, maybe in the second half. Would fit in well with everything the new album is looking to be.

Track two is our main single from the album, The Enemy Inside. This is a dark, heavy song with a lot of more straightforward moments to it, once you get past the monster riff that is the intro. This is a song about PTSD, though never going too far as to specify what the traumatic event was. Petrucci's lyrics paint a very clear picture of the effects of an episode and the mental anguish that comes with it. In an almost atypical form for Dream Theater, most of this song is in 4/4, giving great drive to the song. I really like this one, and I think it makes for a good single for the album. There's a lot of great moments here. I love the keyboard riff that Jordan brings in after the first chorus which John then uses for the start of the instrumental section and JP's solo is killer. One thing that is pretty apparent to me is that James is favouring his lower register on this song, and it's something he does a lot on this album. He sounds great doing it too, bringing it in a little more reserved, but not to the extent that he doesn't let rip when it needs it.

The Looking Glass was a song that I didn't like for the longest time. As the third single from the album, this one is a very conscious effort to pay homage to Rush, feeling almost a little too close to Limelight to me. The theme of the lyrics are very much in a similar vein as well, being about younger artists who are mesmerised by fame and can't ever get enough of it, plus the strain that puts on the people around them. But I have to say, when you accept this song as being an homage to Rush, it's actually a really good one. This is Dream Theater at their most poppy since Falling Into Infinity, bringing out a full stadium rock anthem sound. I think it's a song I prefer live than on the record, but it's definitely one that has grown on me a lot.

Up next, Enigma Machine. Heavily inspired by the music from spy thrillers like the James Bond films (a personal favourite series of mine), this is the second instrumental on the album and the first full length one. The song takes name from the enigma machine, a German cipher device used in World War II to send coded messages that were supposed to be uncrackable, though the British would eventually succeed. This is a killer instrumental, with some really fun solos. I especially like the half time section from around the 3:37 mark. Live, this song would be extended out with a Mangini drum solo that starts at his fantastic fill before the last "chorus". It's perhaps not as strong as other DT instrumentals, though it is a pretty killer one. I really enjoy it, and I'd rank it highly on the album overall.

Up next is a personal favourite of mine, The Bigger Picture. It's so hard to encapsulate how great this song is in words to me, and I think it might be one of JP's best lyrics to date. This is one of the only songs from the Mangini era output that I got to see, since my only show was on the Images and Words anniversary tour in 2017, and I damn near cried hearing it live. Jordan has said in an interview that part of this song was originally in The Enemy Inside, but ultimately it was decided that it was too good to just be dropped but didn't fit that song, so they expanded upon it. While I was looking for an interview where Petrucci talked about the song, an older post from this forum came up and I actually really love this take on the song, so I wanted to share it. This is from ReaPsTA, so I hope if he reads this it's ok with him. ReaPsTA's analysis
All in all, The Bigger Picture is just a fantastic song and almost serves as something of a mini-epic for the album, being it's second longest at only 7:40. I think it's a perfect contrast to something like Illumination Theory, eliminating any redundant sections or overblown solo sections for an effective song.

Behind the Veil is up next, opening with an ambient intro unlike anything else Dream Theater has ever done before slapping you in the face with riffage. According to LaBrie, Petrucci wrote these lyrics about three Ohio teenagers who were kidnapped and held for ten years. Behind the Veil is a song with some pretty cool riffs and a really good solo, but ultimately I feel this is probably the most Dream Theater by formula song there is. There's a riff here that feels very much like "what if John Petrucci wrote Fuel" to my ear, though I must say I really like his take on it. It's a weird song for DT, coz I like it, but as I said, it feels kinda generic. Still, sometimes generic is good. The post-solo riff is one of my favourite moments on this song, and I do like the pre-chorus lyric of "I am bent, not broken".

Surrender to Reason is another song that I feel was pretty Rush inspired, especially with the opening riff reminding me a lot of Closer to the Heart. However, that said, Surrender to Reason is definitely my preferred song over The Looking Glass. Myung is back on lyric duty for this one, fully writing them as opposed to his collaboration with Petrucci for Breaking All Illusions. Being Myung, it's never the most direct thing to draw meaning from, but here his lyrics speak of life's ups and downs and how love will be the stronger force to give strength and lead the way when it's getting rough. There's really a lot to love here, and it's the only song not played live from this album (excluding False Awakening Suite as it was the intro tape as intended). There's a great moment where just before the guitar solo starts, Myung really gets a chance to shine and he actually stays as the main backing to Petrucci's solo, almost as a second lead part in the lower octave. It really is a shame that this one was never played live as I can see it being a great singalong, especially with the "restless angels" bridge. I think this is one that I can see Portnoy bringing into the setlist at some point if he feels a little adventurous. I can dream, anyway.

Along for the Ride is the only real ballad for the album, and it's an absolutely beautiful one. I would put this above This is the Life personally. The lyrics just seem to hit me better, going a little harder in the chorus. To me, it's actually something of a spiritual sequel to This is the Life, speaking about how we're all on this planet with little control over what happens to us, but we're along for the ride. This is the only song on the album where there's a bit of JLB vocal I don't overly like with his overdubs in the final chorus. It's the first time he goes super James belt and it just takes me out of it each time. Jordan's synth solo is pretty cool. It's probably the one I have the least to talk about, but it is a pretty good ballad.

And now, Illumination Theory. This is everyone's least favourite epic, I'm pretty sure. However, I kinda love it. While the intro movement Paradoxe de Lumiere Noire or Paradox of the Black Light, is a really short section without much noteworthy to talk about except for the string ensemble. However, the killer intro of Live, Die, Kill is a hell of a riff fest. The lyrics, in my interpretation, all stem from this first movement's question. What in life are you willing to live for, die for, or kill for? Beyond these opening lines, the lyrics aim at love, hate and faith as main instigators to our perception of these things.

What really makes this song feel a bit bloated to me is the third movement, The Embracing Circle. Jordan wrote a great orchestral part for this song, and I'm really happy for him, but I don't feel we needed just under two minutes of ambient sound to bring it in. I also don't know that it needed to be slapped in the middle of the song when it could have served as a nice intro. I think this is really the only major misstep this song makes. However, I suppose when the rest of the song is as heavy as it is, with JP dropped down to A standard, it kinda needed to be here as a blancing act. I know there was a fan edit of it where they did this, but I can't find it for the life of me now.

We kick back into high gear with The Pursuit of Truth, which is full of more reasons that people in certain roles may live, die and kill for their beliefs. This is only a short vocal section, but it leads into one of the best DT instrumental sections on this whole album, before leading into a killer double solo from JP and Jordan set over the intro of LDK (Do I really need to write it again?). Then the song comes crashing into quite easily my favourite section of the whole album, Surrender, Trust & Passion. This is a huge section of great lyrics over huge sustained chords. These three verses are probably my second favourite lyrics on all of this album, and James' delivery is amazing. JP finishes it out with a beautiful melodic solo and then the song comes to an end with just a few chords, finally ending on a triumphant orchestral chord.

Or does it? If you wait through a little patch of silence, we're treated to some extra melodies from John and Jordan that are really worth sticking around for. Treat it like a Marvel movie, this is the post-credit. Is it building to something on the next one? Not really. But was it worth waiting? Yeah, I reckon so. I'd set this as an alarm personally, would be super relaxing to wake up to.

The album is pretty middle of the road for Dream Theater, but it's actually kinda great because of it. This is jack of all trades, master of none. Illumination Theory is their least cohesive epic, by far. Behind the Veil is a great rocker, but a formulaic Dream Theater song. I don't think there's anything that really rises above the rest of the catalogue on this album. But maybe it's worth it. The album is self-titled, it should be a bit of a celebration of what Dream Theater is and what they do. And maybe it doesn't lead to the most original music of their career, but it's still a good album to lose yourself in. If you want super arty stuff, you listen to anything before this, but if you just want to listen to some songs, go for this one. Not all albums they've done have to follow some grand concept, and we don't have to have a super in-depth conversation about every single song. This one is just right.

But hey, what do I know? Well, I only know what you wanna tell me. Does DT12 suck? Is it a way better album than I'm giving it credit for? Where do you rank it? I wanna hear from you before we start our Astonishing deep dive on Wednesday and Friday next week.

[YngVai]

Far from their most impressive work, but a solid release that brought me back into the fold after putting DT on the back burner during the previous album cycle.

I remember hearing a spark in the Enemy Inside single release that, to me at least, seemed to be missing for the previous few years. The album itself held enough of that "spark" that I missed in BCSL and what I'd heard from ADOT (which wasn't much    though I did give it a proper appraisal after ST) for me to follow/get excited by new DT releases in the Mangini era.

I'm grateful this album gave me that, at least, as I really really enjoy View and DoT. Happy to be proven wrong in thinking that DT were "over," as I had before this release.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Nice review!

I rank it top 5 all time DT. The biggest issue I have is the mix.

I think it's an extremely consistent high quality record that sounds fresh. It's hard to remember where we came from at the time but the prior albums consisted of much longer arguably bloated songs in some cases. As you point out there was a conscious effort to present concise songs. Then there was the addition of a totally different musician in the process. You had a single like TEI which was a statement. I don't think at that point there was ever a DT intro with the drums driving the song forward in such a way. You had IT which dropped an orchestral piece smack in the middle of an epic and had a cool little Easter egg at the end.

People always say every record is DT by the books but they actually did a number of things differently on the self titled. I said it about View as well but sometimes the thing that people want the most is right under their nose. DT12 is very much under appreciated.

[mariner]

Yet again, great write-up, Deadeye!

I am actually a huge fan of Illumination Theory and when the orchestra comes in, I tear up every time.  It's just so beautiful to me.

I also really like The Enemy Inside - brutal riff as you stated, but so much tightly compacted into a DT epic song.  I remember when this was released I was on vacation in Maine and I listened to it with my wife (not a DT fan).  I loved it.  She loved that I loved it, but that was about it, LOL.

Also like The Looking Glass and The Bigger Picture, and I remember thinking how epic it would be live.

Got to see this one live... at the performance memoralized as Breaking the Fourth Wall - one of three DT releases I was lucky enough to be present for!  (Score and Chaos in Motion's TDEN was filmed in Boston).

Can't wait for you tackle The Astonishing next!

[Dream Team]

Top 5 or 6 album for me, and I don't rank IT last amongst the epics. That snare drum though  .