Send "Dream Theater " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Sputnikmusic |
 There’s probably not a single Dream Theater fan that doesn’t already know that Mike Portnoy is no longer in the band. In fact, thanks to Mike’s stint with Avenged Sevenfold, even people that are apathetic towards Dream Theater’s music know the general details. At any rate, bad publicity is still publicity and the band member drama has definitely created more of a buzz for this album than it would have probably had otherwise. There’s the question of whether Mike Mangini can capably fill Mike Portnoy’s shoes as the new drummer. There’s also the question of whether the rest of the band can step up their songwriting without Mike’s (iron-fisted) direction. The answers, as should be expected, are a little more complicated than a simple yes/no answer.Musically, this is probably one of the band’s most traditional albums in years. Instead of trying to sound like Metallica with a keyboard player, the band have returned to the solid, song-oriented melodic prog that made Images and Words and Awake so special. In all fairness, Dream Theater did make a minor move towards more song-oriented tracks on Black Clouds and Silver Linings, but without ‘metal’ Mike Portnoy the band have entirely returned to that focus. That isn’t meant to imply that the band have given up on a bit of musical indulgence from time to time, but just like in the band’s early days, they actually complement the songs and are surprisingly brief (by Dream Theater standards). Also, without such an obsessive focus on belting out the metal, there’s a lot more diversity to be found on this album. On past releases, it really seemed as though Jordan Rudess’ keyboard sections were saved for choruses and the inevitable solo parts, but this time his playing is much more of an equal partner throughout the entire album. This ability to play a larger role throughout the entire song seems to have really tempered his propensity for wildly inappropriate sounds/melodies and has lead to songs with a lot less ‘WTF’ moments (“Outcry” being an exception). John Petrucci, as well, seems to be enjoying a renewed creative streak now that he doesn’t have to string multiple chugging riffs together throughout the majority of each song. All of this has lead to tracks that are actual songs first, and musical displays of showmanship second. Of course, we still haven’t touched on the new guy, Mike Mangini. As the YouTube videos proved, Mike Mangini is more than capable of reproducing Mike Portnoy’s parts in a live situation, but it still left us wondering what he could do on his own. Unfortunately, the results are less than spectacular. It should go without saying that Mike Mangini is a technically proficient drummer, but he is also entirely bland. On previous albums, Mike Portnoy always created drum parts that were cool, memorable and pretty creative and that is sorely missed with his absence. Mangini’s drum parts always seem to stick to the simplest beats possible and rarely (if ever) provide the kind of quirky patterns that made Mike Portnoy so interesting to listen to. His playing also lacks any kind of power or passion, and instead sounds clinical and detached. While on the subject of missing Portnoy, and this is just speculation, but I have to believe that Mike Portnoy would have ***-canned the decision to include three ballads on the album – but that is what we have here; each more cheesy and tepid than the last. On the other hand, without Mike Portnoy’s terrible ‘harsh’ vocals, James Labrie has been allowed to display his entire range. Whether it’s his backing screams on “Build Me Up, Break Me Down” or his overall gritty delivery on “Bridges in the Sky”, he has really been able to show his true vocal talents (that fans of his solo work already knew existed) – and his bad Dave Mustaine impressions are entirely absent....full text |
| Musicradar |
| On Dream Theater's highly anticipated upcoming album, A Dramatic Turn Of Events, the undisputed kings of modern-day prog rock emerge from what might have been a career-threatening blow - the loss of drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy - better, stronger and more daring musically than ever. "Going into this album, I felt a tremendous sense of responsibility," guitarist John Petrucci tells MusicRadar. "When Mike Portnoy left the band, I think it put a big question mark in the minds of a lot of fans because they saw him as a very big figure in Dream Theater. So I owed it to those people to show them that everything was grounded, intact and extremely creative within the band. “As it was the first time I was the sole producer for Dream Theater, it presented a challenge. But I thrive on challenges – I feel as though that’s when I do some of my best work." A Dramatic Turn Of Events also marked the first time that Petrucci contributed the bulk of an album's lyrics, an opportunity he relished. "I’ve been wanting to write an entire album of lyrics for a long time now," he says. "The process of connecting music to a message is so gratifying, especially when I have a singer like James La Brie, who can make words come to life in ways that are spine-tingling." 'Spine-tingling' is a term that can be applied to the whole of the album, MusicRadar can report after hearing an advance preview of Dream Theater's stunning new masterpiece, which sees the band - Petrucci, LaBrie, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and new drummer Mike Mangini - performing at the top of their game. Mixed by Grammy Award winner Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine), it's a sonic wonder that keeps revealing surprises even after multiple spins. “I’m so happy when I listen to the record," says Petrucci. "We had goals in mind, and we achieved them. All of the conversations everybody had about what kind of album we wanted to make had meaning because we accomplished what we were aiming for. I only hope that everybody enjoys the record as much as I do.” Dream Theater's A Dramatic Turn Of Events will be released on 13 September (12 September in the UK). On the following pages, John Petrucci walks us through the album track-by-track....full text |
| Rocktopia |
| As a result of the departure of drummer and band leader Mike Portnoy towards the end of last year, there's no doubting that this album will be one of the most closely scrutinized releases, not only of Dream Theater's career, but of recent times in general. Portnoy's control of the band was so all-encompassing that few really expected business as usual, least of all Portnoy himself, whose attempt at an eleventh hour reconciliation was politely declined by the remaining members. That's all water under the bridge now and the band have the amazing Mike Mangini behind the kit for the foreseeable future. The speculation was that because Portnoy had been responsible for the heavier elements of the band and the shouty vocals, this album would probably see Dream Theater returning to a more progressive and less metallic style. You know what? That's exactly what they've done. The first thing you notice is that there's an awful lot of music on this album, the nine tracks clocking in at over 76 minutes, with four of them over the ten minute mark. Most fans will have already heard the lead-off track, 'On The Backs Of Angels', as it's been available to stream for the last couple of weeks. It's a real throwback to more melodic times and starts with acoustic guitar and keys before Mangini is heard for the first time when his 'Pull Me Under'-like syncopated rhythm comes in just before the classic John Petrucci guitar riff. James LaBrie is singing well within his comfort zone and the track has many twists and turns, with the guitar and Jordan Rudess' keyboards sharing equal billing. The clarity of both is stunning, as are the drums and John Myung's six string bass, and the song has a very strong 'Images & Words' vibe about it with some familiar themes and sounds. The following song, 'Build Me Up, Break Me Down', has more of an 'Caught In A Web' feel about it with loops and samples and LaBrie's processed vocals, but it's still very melodic and Rudess' string section is a joy to hear over Petrucci's caustic riffs. 'Lost Not Forgotten' is the first real epic and builds from a piano motif to a staccato riff and soaring chorus, with ridiculously technical parts balanced against some of the simplest riffs they've ever recorded. It speed up for the chorus and also has a really melodic part halfway in, as well as another throwback to 'Images & Words' in the instrumental section, whilst Petrucci's guitar solo is one of his very best. Again Rudess' keys can be heard more clearly than ever before and he even does a fairly normal synth solo before the song returns to the vocal part. It's actually surprising how many mellow parts there are on this album, and despite the fact that there's too much going on towards the end of 'This Is The Life' to call it a true ballad, it's mostly quite sedate with gorgeous melodies, an impassioned vocal from LaBrie and a superb solo from Petrucci, but as brilliant as it is, it still isn't the best of the lighter songs on the album!...full text |
Dream Theater lyrics
