Dream Theater

My happiness is presently seen due to the large smile that I have on my face that stretches from ear to ear. I can't help it cause the majesty of music that has graced my ear drums boldly is with out question....very remarkable. I'm so thrilled with the new album' A Dramatic Change of Events. I listen to it with pleasure and realize that its such a treat to listen to cause of whats happened this last year. Losing a Drummer is never easy, actually losing band member period is never easy, which is why i'm so impressed and happy the way Dream Theater has carried on and rebuilt themselves so gracefully and kinda returning back to old form. I have been a huge fan of Dream Theater music for long time and i have to say I was feeling a little nostalgic because i haven't heard that typical virtuoso type sound that radiates so wonderfully on their 2nd and 3rd albums respectively. We all know which albums they are: Images and Words and Awake . These are my 2 favourite albums from Dream Theater. I love both of them so much. To me they are one in the same except Awake is a more darker/moodier sound piece, which i love. Don't get me wrong, Dream Theater has put out some other great albums, but i feel that I&W and Awake take it all the way for albums being incredible from start to finish. This leads me to 2011 and not 1992 to1994 because 92' to '94 is one in the same musically with 2011 when it come to Dream Theater. With the 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' album I feel like i've been put into a time machine to be taken back to the 1992-1994 era. I feel that same joy that i felt when i listened to Dream Theater some 18 years ago. This Dramatic change of Portnoy leaving the band has allowed them to grab their sound back in Dramatic fashion. Lets face it, the last 5 albums really didn't embody that true Dream theater sound because they were constantly trying something different. This is in large part to the ego and control of Mr. Mike Portnoy. Come on, songs like ''Constant Motion'' really typlify the true ego of Mr. Mike. Always trying to create and to never stop at any coarse. This is why the Images and Words along with the Awake sound was lost for so many years. I understand in wanting to be different, but don't totally erase what made you great in the first place. Kevin Moore was a HUGE loss as well, which is why those epic keyboards were missing for a while, but not too long cause Jordan Rudess is amazing to say the least. Anyway Portnoy advocated that things were getting ''stale'' at times. Heck, he even said it in an interview on the ''Spirit Carries On'' bonus disc. My point is that this Dramatic change has turned out for the better. Dream Theater are getting their sound back and a lot of the tracks on the album remind me of the Awake album. I'm so impressed by how Dream Theater stood up for themselves and recaptured what made them wonderful in the first place. I'm glad to get a taste of the 90's again from this great band. thank you guys for curing my nostalgia. --NICHOLAS

Greetings, this, is RC, and I share my light with you at this moment. I totally agree with what you wrote. I&W and Awake have been two albums that truly exemplifies DT's music and their struggles within themselves of Light/Dark portions of the soul. Scenes from a Memory, to me, is a great album because of Jordan Rudess prowess on keyboards. To me, every album from 6 degrees to Black Clouds, shows a decrease in Light, and an increase in Dark for as the lyrics and music showed some Light, but were mainly Dark. That struggle between Light and Dark, and how Dark was continually trying to limit Light. This is not at all directed towards any member, but 2010 until the present moment has been a dramatic shift of consciousness. Light, being spiritual information, saying to the dark, 'This is enough.' I feel that members of DT are Light human Beings because of their Love and mastery of each instrument. This new album, to me, exemplifies this, in that, DT, as a whole, decided to show the world, that each member is defined by the Light in their own souls, of course loving the Dark, for its purpose, but not being defined by it. This shift in consciousness is happening all over mother earth, and in all her inhabitants. We, mother earth and all her inhabitants are shifting into a new level of awareness, and a new level of Being, and this new album shows us, the fans, where DT and its members stand with regards to this shift. They are saying that they are of Light, and will move in the momentum of change, and that change is that every soul's battle within oneself between one's dark and one's light portions of the soul, and how Light/Love will prevail. The Dark has controlled for far too long, and its time to move out of the darkness and into the Light. In, [b] Bridges In The Sky[b], one can see where the members of DT is coming from. In one lyric it says, "I will not grow in the Light, until I pass through the darkest caverns of my heart." All members of DT, as I have as well in my lifetime have struggled between the Light/Dark of our souls, and many others have as well, and thats why the connection of DT and us, fans, is one that will never be broken. But now, NOW, DT's members have pass through their deepest, darkest portions of their soul and have grown in the Light. Great album, the Album of the Ages, Cosmos. This is an important album for me, for I have grown in the Light, my Spiritual Being, while passing through, respecting, loving, but not being defined by the dark portions of my soul. Great topic you wrote, and thanks for sharing your Light. May Oneness Bless Us All, As One.

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I only like two songs on the new album: Lost and Forgotten and On the Backs of Angels. All other songs are lost on me. First, the mixing/sound of the drums is bad...just flat and without tone. Second, The keyboards are too much and too often. This says nothing of the talent level in this band...just my disappointment with the album as a whole. I'll still pay and arm and a leg to see them on tour (5 hour drive actually)...but the album has fallen far short of what I think I wanted or expected.

To a10fouru:

Your trip will be worth the journey. I understand what you mean by the drums being flat, but I feel that perhaps the other musicians had already created the foundation of this album, with perhaps a drum machine, and when MM, came on board the drum parts, for the most part, was created for little room for MM to create, and recreate. The diminished role of the drum, although there are some exciting parts in the music, is perhaps a reflection of what transpired in previous albums where the drums were the focal point. In this album, each instrument takes the lead in a certain point in the movement. I feel that this album is a welcoming back of Mr. John Myung, really, because I have truly missed his lyrical content, and awe-inspiring rhythmic bass riffs which are all evident throughout the album and in particular, "Breaking All Illusions". Also if you noticed closely on each song with regards to who wrote the lyrics and music, Mr. Mangini is not there, for in reality, he probably did not partake in the whole creation process of this album. Next album, will be breathtaking with Mr. Mangini being fully immersed in the process with the others.

For that I feel the tour is going to show MM true status as a drummer. He has probably been given the flexibility to re-create some 'simple' grooves, rolls, and other stuff. Thats why I think that you seeing them live will be beneficial. This album as other albums will grow on you. I had similar experiences with previous albums. "Systematic Chaos/Octavarium/Black Clouds" were albums that took a while for me to fully enjoy.

Enjoy the trip, listening to the album loud inside the car, and enjoy the Live Tour, because I feel it is going to sound a lot better than the studio album as they always do.

May Oneness Bless Us All, As One.

Never said anything about mangini's talent/ability. The actual mixing sounds bad. And I liked every other album a ton when I first heard them. This one just doesn't grab me the same. I've been following them since '90 when I first saw them live in Hampton Beach, NH.

@RC Towers:
If you didn't know who wrote the lyrics, would you still like them? Or would you be able to tell who wrote them? I'm just asking....

=RC Towers said:Next album, will be breathtaking with Mr. Mangini being fully immersed in the process with the others.