Since I was fortunate enough to get my pre-ordered copy of Dream Theater’s new album Black Clouds and Silver Linings a day earlier, I can write a review of it the day it’s released. Once again, Hugh Syme has masterfully executed the artwork on the album. His touch for the photorealistic and surreal is a wonderful fit for Dream Theater (don’t forget how many Rush albums he has worked on also—keep that in mind later). The production is one of the best, not only for Dream Theater, but for many recent releases. The draconian over-compression and rampant clipping found on their last album is far far away! Instead, engineer Paul Northfield (who has worked extensively with Rush also—hmm, interesting . . .) has done an outstanding mix, placing the drums a bit further back without losing its power and taking care not to allow the guitar and key leads to overpower the rest of the band. I recommend listening to the cd on a good pair of headphones or quality speaker setup with a good subwoofer—this is where the bass really comes through—you can really feel it thundering as the title of the album suggests. Again, technically, this album just sound superb, every facet of the band can be heard clearly without shortchanging a single lead or solo.
This is a testament to the quality of musicianship more than anything else. Notably, guitarist John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess on keys, continuum, iPhone, and whatever electronic device that emits sound he can get his hands on, offer their usual feast of notes and riffs, but have really made an effort to use their make their offerings work more cohesively with rest of the song structures. That really is the rallying cry of this whole album—the band, who had let their hair down and had some fun the last album, has returned with an album, that while not short on epic and extended compositions (the average song lasts 12 minutes), has made a focused effort on creating songs that are structured better and do not wander aimlessly. James LaBrie has seemed to found a new level of comfort with his vocal range as well as his limitations and come through with stellar performances throughout without sounding overly cheesy. Drummer Mike Portnoy excels once again. The problem with him is that since he is so consistently good, he only stands out if he delivers a sub-par performance. John Myung has dialed in his bass with the best tone he has ever had. It is big, crisp and still has enough punchiness. Myung has also given some of his tastiest bass lines to this album.
The first track, “A Nightmare to Remember”, is epic Dream Theater at their best. The opener is replete with one of the most soaring vocal lines in the chorus. Though there are very heavy and intense moments that can fit comfortably among the riffs of Train of Thought, during the softer moments, much of Petrucci’s guitar tones are reminiscent of the Awake days. And no Dream Theater epic is finished without a guitar and synth duel, but both Petrucci and Rudess know when enough is enough and move quickly to the meat and potatoes of the composition. The only disappointing point comes toward the end when Portnoy adds his own take on the aggressive growling vocals found in extreme metal—it comes off a bit too cheesy and takes a bit of the luster away from an otherwise great opening number
The first single of the album, “A Rite of Passage” takes a few listens to get into. If anything, it tries too hard to be big and epic, but then it falls into another catchy and rather commercial sounding chorus—seemingly a token single that will probably play well to the rest of Roadrunner Records metallic fan base. There are moments that if you didn’t hear the distinctive vocals of LaBrie, you would have thought some of the riffs and melodies come from a power metal band such as Blind Guardian, especially a riff that comes after the chorus that sounds much like one found in Blind Guardian’s “Another Stranger Me”.
Like many other reviewers have said, “Wither” is a welcome breath of air in the midst of the heavy and quicker-paced duo of beginning songs. Its vocal lines during the verses seem a bit too reminiscent of “The Ministry of Lost Souls” on their previous album. That being said, this is still one of the best ballads that Dream Theater has composed—blending the best of the string synth arrangements and supporting key work of Rudess and a stunning guitar solo that in the beginning echoes a bit of a Queen-esque run.
Much like the overtures on Six Degrees of Separation and Scenes from a Memory, “The Shattered Fortress” recaps much of the musical and lyrical motifs from the rest of Portnoy’s AA chronicle from the previous four albums. By itself, this song seems a bit thrown together, but seen as a capstone to a suite of songs, this works pretty well—a fun listen.
Following a rather somber, yet exquisite opening two minutes, “The Best of Times” is carried by an energetic riff totally inspired by Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio”. After a warm, nostalgic elegy to Portnoy’s late father, the song drifts into a quiet expression of sorrow. This song also bears the strong reflective tone of Rush’s “Red Barchetta”.
The album’s closer, “The Count of Tuscany”, bookends the album with yet another epic. It launches with an opening that again evokes the feeling of “Pull Me Under”, with a guitar tone that echoes those of Awake, as well as Rush’s “Xanadu” (which in turn reminds me of Dream Theater’s own “Trial of Tears” in a weird way). With so many connections to Rush, this album perhaps has more ties to classical prog rock than many might concede. “The Count” is filled with many of the tasty prog-metal twists and turns that has become a landmark of Dream Theater. It is the dominating chorus that is the most commercial sounding than anything else on the album that one would be accustomed hearing from a band like P.O.D. or the like. Oh, and the story of someone being enticed to check out some vintage wine in a creepy cellar only to be walled in by an eccentric aristocrat is absolutely inspired from Poe’s story “The Cask of Amontillado”!!
It is sometimes unfair to compare bands with substantial discographies based on their previous landmark albums. Good band change, they evolve, adding elements while hopefully losing ones that can date their music. Black Clouds and Silver Linings recalls the heaviness and brooding qualities of previous albums, such as Awake and Train of Thought. This offering lies somewhere in the middle, calling back the tight songwriting skills of Awake, while employing the heavy, metallic virtuoso music of Train of Thought. There are stunning, soaring, anthemic choruses throughout this album that hasn’t been heard from Dream Theater in quite a while. The subdued, supportive keyboard work of Rudess, again is a return to what made Dream Theater initially popular in progressive circles without losing his characteristic intricate and ornate leads. There are a few places don’t quite work, such as Portnoy’s attempt at aggressive vocals that falls short and the few melodies and choruses that sound a bit too polished and commercial, yet this is a triumphant return of a more focused and ever evolving Dream Theater.
