  
Dream Theater are currently gearing up to release
their self titled twelfth studio album which is
due for release on the 23rd September on long
term record label Roadrunner Records, now 2011’s
‘A Dramatic Turn Of Events’ was the
first Dream Theater album to feature Mike Mangini
on drums following the public feud and departure
of founding member Mike Portnoy but the bands
new self titled album happens to be the first
album that Mike Mangini has been given full creative
control over the drums and it has been well worth
the wait.
The self titled album features 9 tracks but the
opening track of the album is split into 3 parts
and the closing track of the album is split into
5 parts and altogether the album runs for an epic
68minutes and is easily a must have purchase for
all Dream Theater fans.
The album opens with ‘False Awakening’
and the track is pure instrumental track that
runs for just uinder 3minutes and the best thing
about the track is the fact that it is split into
3 parts which are ‘Sleep Paralysis’,
‘Night Terrors’ and ‘Lucid Dreams’
and each movement is so noticeable as the band
jam their way through a perfect opening track
which sounds like an epic piece that has been
written for a movie soundtrack, seriously if Disney
are looking for a band to write some music for
the forthcoming Star Wars fans I would look no
further than Dream Theater.
‘Enemy Inside’ opens up with force
as Mike Mangini goes all out with his drumming
whilst John Petrucci knocks out some fantastic
fast paced riffs whilst James LaBrie’s vocals
come in for the first time at the 1minute 24seconds
mark, towards the middle of the song Jordan Rudess
treats us to some great keyboard work which is
truly outstanding whilst Mike Magngini really
makes his mark with his constant machine gun style
drumming which becomes the driving force for the
song until his final drum beats end the song.
‘The Looking Glass’ sounds like a
radio friendly Dream Theater tune, it’s
the kind of song that will remind many dream theater
fans of some of their material from back in the
early 90’s, the song is really easy on the
ears as James LaBrie takes centre stage with his
melodic singing whilst the rest of the band hold
back on their technical ways a bit until John
Petrucci shows off his skills with a mouth watering
guitar solo.
‘Enigma Machine’ is a technical instrumental
masterpiece as the band pretty much put everything
into the song as they all go all out to play their
instruments as fast as possible whilst creating
sounds that work so well together.
Both ‘The Bigger Picture’ and ‘Surrender
To reason’ James LaBrie starts off with
laying down gentle sounding vocals in a power
ballad kind of way but as the band mix up their
instrumental work LaBrie changes his vocals to
match what’s going on around him.
The best is left till the end as the album closes
with the massive 5 part ‘Illumination Theory’
as the song is split into ‘i. Paradoxe De
La Lumiere Noire’, ‘ii. Live, Die,
Kill’, ‘iii. The Embracing Circle’,
‘iv The Pursuit Of Truth’ and ‘V.
Surrender, Trust And Passion’ , just like
the opening track it is clear to see when each
movement starts and finishes but this time around
things are that little bit more epic as each movement
is on for a longer period of time and there is
so much going on throughout from huge keyboard
solos, pounding drum beats, tasty guitar solos,
various different soundscapes and LaBrie twisting
and turning his vocal style throughout the next
22minutes.
With ‘Dream Theater’ I feel that certain
members of the band have been given more time
to shine for example it is the first album that
Mike Mangini has worked the drums from start to
finish and I feel that it is something that fans
of the band are going to appreciate as yes the
legendary drumming that we have all come to love
and expect from Mike Portney over the years has
gone but Mike Mangini is one hell of a fast drumming
and he makes the drumming his own here, keyboardist
Jordan Rudess has also been given more time to
shine as he has been given more keyboard solos
than ever before and overall I feel that ‘Dream
Theater’ is as diverse sounding as any of
the bands back catalogue but I feel that this
is the start of a new chapter in the journey of
Dream Theater.
4.5/5
Review by Trigger
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