I know this has been going less than a day but, soon after creating it, I discovered Tumblr and decided I preferred it! I'll keep putting reviews here, but my main blog is now over at:
Busker's Banter (Tumblr)
Busker's Banter (Tumblr)
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
A Dramatic Turn of Events
I'm hoping to do reviews of all sorts of books, music, films, etc. and to kick things off, I thought I'd review my latest purchase: Dream Theater's 'A Dramatic Turn of Events'.
First things first, the track listing:
- On The Backs of Angels (8:42)
- Build Me Up, Break Me Down (6:59)
- Lost Not Forgotten (10:11)
- This Is The Life (6:57)
- Bridges In The Sky (11:01)
- Outcry (11:24)
- Far From Heaven (3:56)
- Breaking All Illusions (12:25)
- Beneath The Surface (5:26)
From the track times it looked to be a return to the Progressive side of things, which has been a bit lacking (despite a few epic songs) in their last few releases.
Also of note is the change of drummer. After founding member Mike Portnoy left the band rather unexpectedly just over a year ago, they were left with the challenge of finding a replacement. Not an easy task. Eventually, they ended up recruiting Mike Mangini as Portnoy's permanent replacement.
Also of note is the change of drummer. After founding member Mike Portnoy left the band rather unexpectedly just over a year ago, they were left with the challenge of finding a replacement. Not an easy task. Eventually, they ended up recruiting Mike Mangini as Portnoy's permanent replacement.
I wasn't disappointed! I had already heard 'On The Backs of Angels' a good few times before buying the album itself, as they released it as a single about a month before the album's release in mid-September. It was a good sign of what was to come. Characteristically impressive musicianship is highlighted in the many instrumental passages and the vocals of Canadian singer James LaBrie have mellowed and intenified over the years.
It's not just the musicianship that's impressive though. The songwriting has taken on a new level, with some passages of absolute genius and some interesting lyrics to boot. A few tracks jump out straight away as being something special, namely the short but brilliant 'This Is The Life' and the longest track 'Breaking All Illusions'. It also showcases Dream Theater's talent for writing ballads, as both 'Far From Heaven' and 'Beneath the Surface' reveal.
It's not all good, of course. No-one's perfect afterall. There is a section (between about 1:59 and 2:30) in Lost Not Forgotten which verges on the unlistenable. Later on in the same song is another bad bit, but much better than the first. The rest of the song is very good, but it's unfortunately let down by these, admittedly short, passages.
Overall, I think it's a fantastic album, returning to the form of previous releases such as Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Train of Thought. Do I think it's as good as Scenes From a Memory (in my opinion their best) though? No, I can't say I do. However, that's nigh on impossible.
My rating: 4 stars.
It's not just the musicianship that's impressive though. The songwriting has taken on a new level, with some passages of absolute genius and some interesting lyrics to boot. A few tracks jump out straight away as being something special, namely the short but brilliant 'This Is The Life' and the longest track 'Breaking All Illusions'. It also showcases Dream Theater's talent for writing ballads, as both 'Far From Heaven' and 'Beneath the Surface' reveal.
It's not all good, of course. No-one's perfect afterall. There is a section (between about 1:59 and 2:30) in Lost Not Forgotten which verges on the unlistenable. Later on in the same song is another bad bit, but much better than the first. The rest of the song is very good, but it's unfortunately let down by these, admittedly short, passages.
Overall, I think it's a fantastic album, returning to the form of previous releases such as Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Train of Thought. Do I think it's as good as Scenes From a Memory (in my opinion their best) though? No, I can't say I do. However, that's nigh on impossible.
My rating: 4 stars.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)