Dream Theater

The album has been out for a while now, and this song still sounds as incredible as it did on day 1. Perhaps even more so. The first verse is brilliantly chilling, and the part after the vocal sample always gets the hairs on my neck to stand on end.

A Dream Theater song hasn't made me feel like this since Lines In The Sand. The reason is that not only is the musicianship incredible - the instrumentation on BAI is incredible, there is emotion pouring out of every aspect of it - but the lyrics are fantastic. I was very skeptic when the album was about to be released, and I didn't want to get excited because there was no way that Myung's lyrics could live up to expectations. I expected something that wouldn't be as good as his previous outings, and what I got was incredible.

What I heard when I got to this track was a song so beautiful, that when Beneath The Surface started, I already had an enormous smile on my face. Every track (except maybe BMUBMD or OTBOA) would stand out as best on the album if it were on any of the previous two albums, but the majority seem like filler compared to this song. I couldn't believe it when I heard it. The kings are back.

This song is a perfect farewell to the Portnoy era (the drums right at the end very much feel like a tribute to him), and a stunning debut of the Mangini era. The spirit definitely carries on, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Thank you, DT, for this spectacular performance.

yo dude, you couldn't be more right! also, dunno if anyone noticed this, but the ending of BAI is the same as the break of Far From Heaven, and so holds an uncanny resemblance to Wait for Sleep/Learning to Live? still, it could ba a homage to when MP used to be in the band, so they do something similar to their first really good album.

=John Petrucci Jr (I wish) said:so holds an uncanny resemblance to Wait for Sleep/Learning to Live

Agreed wholeheartedly. When I heard 'Breaking All Illusions', I thought 'yep. The kings have returned'. It's their best song in many years. Bound to be a live concert fave for years to come

I completely agree that this is the best, if not one of the best, DT song/s in years.

It's also my favorite song on the album and it was awesome in concert! We got to see it performed in Boston (10/10/11) just before the encore. The place was rocking anyway but it kicked up even another notch.

You realize that this song wasn't even played every night at the beginning of the tour? It was every other night for the first few months of the tours. I saw them in Atlanta, and by that time they had started playing it every night. And yes, it freaking rocked in Atlanta as well.