Who Is The MVP of Parasomnia?

[SeRoX]

It is either early to decide or you already have him in your mind... Vote!

I'm tie between James LaBrie and John Petrucci. As a fan boy of LaBrie I think I'll vote him. Bend The Clock is just where he shines more and more. The song alone is enough for me to vote for him.

[Northern Lion]

Mike Portnoy. Outside of his excellent drumming, his signature is all over this album.

[Metro]

The Choruses.

[MinistroRaven]

JLB hands down

[Zydar]

Hugh Syme

[genome]

Petrucci.

[hefdaddy42]

The Choruses.

That's a pretty good answer. 

[TAC]

I think it's JP. He is an absolute monster on this album.



If there's a comeback player, it has to be MP obviously. I said in another thread that I feel like MP's game was really stepped up.

[HOF]

The Sleeper

[TAC]

The Sleeper

So..not the Miracle?

[TheCountOfNYC]

Mike Portnoy. As TAC said, he really stepped up his game on this album. Obviously a lot of his signature grooves and fills are still present, but this is the freshest his drumming has sounded in years. He's clearly rejuvenated by being back in Dream Theater, and in turn his return breathed new life into the rest of the band as well.

[SeRoX]

Honest question: Do you guys really vote Portnoy because he returned and you just celebrated his drumming again or you really think he is the real MVP?

I mean I do love his touch and chemistry with the other guy. It is like puzzle is completed but I have to say he is not the true dealer on Parasomnia. Other than some songs (exp:Night Terror) or feeling (whatever it is) I am like I just hear Mangini drumming. (Not a bad thing.)

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Hugh Syme

Huge Crime

[TAC]

Honest question: Do you guys really vote Portnoy because he returned and you just celebrated his drumming again or you really think he is the real MVP?

I voted JP, but MP really exceeded my expectations. I felt that way after Night Terror as I thought he was really bringing it. There's some familiarity in his playing for sure, but like I said in the other thread, I listened to DoT and AVFTTOTW the last couple of days, and I find the drumming right in line with those.

[Dedalus]

Shadow Man

[Mr.Mister]

Dream Theater - seriously everyone shines on this album.

Two listens in a Jordan's patches and passages are tasty tasty tasty. MVP? not sure but I will bet he will be underrated by a lot.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

It's such a guitar drive riff and solo fest that musically it's JP as usual.

Edit: there's a way to look at it and say MP because of things around narrative and where this album fits into the bands legacy. Musically he's playing all the same things he always has so I don't see why it would be. It's not like the drums or any particular pattern are driving any song.

[brakkum]

Lots of sick JP on this one

[nobloodyname]

Mike Portnoy. Outside of his excellent drumming, his signature is all over this album.

It really is. It's exactly what JR and JP were referring to in multiple interviews regarding his cinematic awareness.

[Northern Lion]

Honest question: Do you guys really vote Portnoy because he returned and you just celebrated his drumming again or you really think he is the real MVP?

I mean I do love his touch and chemistry with the other guy. It is like puzzle is completed but I have to say he is not the true dealer on Parasomnia. Other than some songs (exp:Night Terror) or feeling (whatever it is) I am like I just hear Mangini drumming. (Not a bad thing.)

To be honest, if you had asked me this question before I heard the album, I would not have guessed I would choose Mike. I was a huge MM fan especially on View, and still am, but this album and Mike's drumming as well as his obvious influence on the final product simply amazed me. So I am being very honest about picking Mike in your poll 😊

[NoFred]

Just doing this for fun (else JP is always the MVP in my book) and going with JLB. Best he's sounded since TA

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

I have to say although John Petrucci's guitar tone absolutely rips that the MVP for me is Jordan because he's the one responsible for carrying the atmosphere on so many different levels of the album. He really went very dark and original, and his playing can only be described as super smooth such finesse if I could say it was in a tie for first with something else it would be having Mike Portnoy's background vocals back, oh yes and his sample style. Do they have a video of any music for like an official music video where he's singing in the microphone?

[macneil]

I ultimate picked MP, though what I like about Parasomnia is it really feels like a team effort this go around. JP is of course on absolute fire like he seemingly always is, MP's re-introduction I feel has had a big impact on the sound, he just brings an energy and drive that can't be replicated. I'm particularly impressed by James' contribution - sure he doesn't have the range he used to but I think he did a fantastic job and gave a very strong performance, especially on Bend the Clock. JR is a little more in the background than maybe the previous album, but has some fantastic solos and I feel he contributes a lot to the ambience/atmosphere, which is a really strong aspect to this album. Myung is ol' reliable in the bass department and I think he's mixed very well.

[TAC]

I have to say although John Petrucci's guitar tone absolutely rips that the MVP for me is Jordan because he's the one responsible for carrying the atmosphere on so many different levels of the album. He really went very dark and original, and his playing can only be described as super smooth such finesse if I could say it was in a tie for first with something else it would be having Mike Portnoy's background vocals back, oh yes and his sample style. Do they have a video of any music for like an official music video where he's singing in the microphone?

This might be the most Kevin Moore-like album that Jordan has done.

[BlackInk]

While pretty much everyone is doing more "technically" impressive stuff, I ended voting for LaBrie because of how much he surprised me on this album. JP is always going to do impossible shit that would make him an MVP on anything, so that's not really new. But I don't JLB always shines the way he does on Parasomnia, and the more catchy and structured vocal melodies are really helping in my opinion.

On a personal level, I love Portnoy's vibes back in the band, and it's probably the element I'm most excited about. He always had a talent for taking complex parts and craft his playing in a way that makes them easy and intuitive to follow anyway. All that's still here, and it works very well as a rhythmical compliment to the rest, but I don't consider him to be the MVP of the album.

Though I'm just imagining how awesome and refreshing it would be to get a DT album where JM stands out as the MVP.

[ytserush]

It really is. It's exactly what JR and JP were referring to in multiple interviews regarding his cinematic awareness.

More impressed with that than the drumming if I'm honest. (Not that I'm disappointed with drumming.)

[ariich]

Gotta be JP. It's not really about quality of performance, as the guys all sound really good, but even by DT standards this is a pretty guitar focused album. A lot of the songs are very riff-driven. 

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Gotta be JP. It's not really about quality of performance, as the guys all sound really good, but even by DT standards this is a pretty guitar focused album. A lot of the songs are very riff-driven.

I think it gets taken for granted these days how critical he is to the band. I'm probably guilty of it too. He writes all the guitar solos and riffs, produces the album, does most of the lyrics and probably more.

[Trav]

Jordan does his thing. I'm not sure if I've ever been disappointed by him.

MP brings it. The classic style fills, and his innate ability the dance around time signatures and make it feel natural. Feels like home. Pun intended.

JMX is probably great but I don't hear him. Other than that one slide into the main riff of The Shadow Man Incident.

JP feels like a real return. His guitar paying sounded kinda uninspired on the last three albums. Save maybe Barstool Warrior and At Wit's End. There are many moments on here that I'm loving that aren't just solo spots.

And finally JLB. The man delivers here. His performance, the vocals melodies and the lyrics. The guy is almost 62 and he fucking rocks. He's been my favorite DT lyricists for the last decade, and he doesn't disappoint here.

JLB is my MVP, but everyone delivers on this one. Except maybe Andy Sneap for not pushing the bass guitar fader up more on the mix.

25 years a fan, I still love this band.

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

Shadow Man

Yeah, he caused quite a lot of havoc throughout 😂

[wolven74]

Mike Portnoy. Outside of his excellent drumming, his signature is all over this album.

THIS. You can tell he's back in the driver's seat. There are non musical intros and outros that have been missing during the Mangini era. There is a theme to the overall album that screams MP's creativity. It's not just about the songs, it's about atmosphere - an over all feel - to this album that has been missing without Portnoy.

[Dedalus]

You can tell he's back in the driver's seat

He certainly brings back all his influence, something that no replacement could have in the same way, because it was built over a long time, from the beginning. And that influence can be felt.

But to say that he is sitting in the driver's seat? I think the fact that he didn't get back the producer credit screams, to anyone who wants to listen, that the driver's seat is taken in this band.

[Pettor]

Honestly, I'm happy to say that everyone delivers at a high level here.

JLB and JP stand out the most, but just barely.

JLB is always great in the studio, though View wasn't exactly a high point — perhaps due to the melodies not quite clicking. I thought maybe that would be the new standard. Here, however, both the melodies and his delivery are on fire. Hearing him belt out those notes on BTC and TSMI is simply remarkable.

In the end, I have to go with JP. He somehow manages to elevate his performance even further on this album, and I'm genuinely impressed with everything he does here. It's incredible how, after 40 years, he continues to be this creative and deliver at such a high level.

[Zydar]

Considering MP was always the "nugget master", and this album is full of nuggets/throwbacks, I wonder how much influence he really had since JP is the sole producer. 

[KevShmev]

I feel like the answer here is the same as it is for most DT albums (except for I&W and maybe Scenes):

John Petrucci