Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events

[TIM (2)]

Non DT and prog fans probably won't get too much out of this, as per usual, but for the rest of us who have a bit of taste outside of the usual run of the mill 'stuff', there's plenty of great music on here to get our teeth into. The DT boys come up trumps yet again, with a very very fine album (as if there any doubt)

 

Yes. Thank you, Jez. I don't know why so many people that aren't very fond of Progressive music leave negative remarks toward Progressive albums. What are they expecting?

 

With respect, that's nonsense. DT play in both camps, as it suits them. Their general style might be progressive but their most successful & highest-selling album ("Images and Words"), as well as "Awake" were pure crossover albums. Frankly they're not Spock's Beard, they're a commercial prog.rock/metal band. Right up to "Octavarium" - with "I Walk Beside You" - they've always included a shorter punchier tune that can be used as a single, and had generally stuck to the verse/chorus/verse/chorus formula. But this and "Systematic Chaos" seemed more chaotic (sic) and less structured. If they were pure prog and didn't follow the standard songwriting formula then I wouldn't have touched them with a bargepole, but they were never like that until recently. IMO songs like "I Walk Beside You" make "Octavarium" worth the entry price alone, so I always check this band out, but given I've followed this band and spent my hard-earned money on them as a fan then I think that entitles me to an opinion on their music.

[heaven&hell]

I like this album and it has gotten better with each spin but it is a little more laid back and not near as heavy or dark as they had been for the most part the last 8 years or so. The playing is excellent and I like every song. I still rate the Arch/Matheos disc ahead of it for my fav 2011 Prog but this is still a damn good album. It's still weird that Portnoy isn't there anymore but I'm looking forward to his new projects with Adrenaline Mob and the upcoming one with John Sykes.