The song itself is a little clinical and Petrucci sounds like he’s putting on a bit of an exhibition of his techniques. Cool on one level but I can’t imagine a non-guitarist getting a ton of enjoyment out of it.
I WILL say this though- Petrucci sounds more energetic here than he has in a long time and the reason for that is Mr. Portnoy. They have a chemistry that’s undeniable. MP just “gets” JP and he knows what to do in situation. MP brings tension, drama, and he knows how to drive all the transitions.
I’ll also say (and this is just as much a compliment to JP, Andy Sneap and Jimmy T) the drums sound amazing, sonically. It sounds like real drums, being hit with real sticks by an actual human being.
Really, it sounds good overall. A/Bing the mix with DoT on Spotify on my headphones and it’s alarming how much better Terminal Velocity sounds.