Latest Dream Theater

[matman]

Anyone else got/heard Dream Theater's "A Dramatic Turn of Events"? What did you think? I got it for Christmas and have been listening to it in the car over the last couple of weeks. A few quick thoughts:

ADToE has some of Petrucci's best playing ever imho. He really seems to be finding a better balance between shred and feel and there are some really great solos on the album (including one track where he gets in touch with his inner Gilmour to great effect).I actually really like his (lead) tones on this album though his rhythm still sounds like a dry dog bark.

The songs aren't as strong as on previous albums...there's some goodies on there but there's very few that have stuck in my brain when I get out of the car.

There's several songs on there that could have been great but get derailed by going into extended musical masturbation sessions. You always expect a bit of that with DT but it seems like it happens on almost every track and Jordan Rudess stuff in particular always seems to veer off into the atonal 'cat stuck in a piano territory' - I'm not always a fan of his sound selection either. It's not so much the extended musical breaks that put me off, more that usually they seem like they are going somewhere and are like a smaller part of a greater whole - here they sometimes just seem to lack direction/focus.

Mangini is awesome and fits it really well but I find it hard not to be prejudiced against him because he seemed so gonky on 'the Spirit Carries On' doco. I also keep imagining his annoying facials when I hear his playing. No surprise that the drums are much lower in the mix now that Portnoy is gone.

Anyway...it's a good album. A step down from Black Clouds and Silver Linings but worthy because of some decent songs and awesome Petrucciness.

[Basket Case]

It has some good moments, but as with everything DT has ever done that I've tried hard to like, the vocals and lyrics ruin it for me.

This is the Life and Bridges in the Sky are the two best tracks imo.

[sopachrga]

Agreed.
The only DT album I've liked every track on is Train of Thought.

[matman]

Yeah DT lyrics can be a bit earnest 5th former/Spinal Tap! I like 'Breaking All Illusions' best I think. 'On the Backs of Angels', 'This is the life' and 'Bridges in the Sky" are good too.

Agreed.
The only DT album I've liked every track on is Train of Thought.

Yeah that one is pretty consistent. I like Black Clouds as well because of "Nightmare", "Rite of passage", and "Count of Tuscany" (those 3 tracks acount for about 2/3s of the album ) but there is definitely some filler in that other 1/3rd.