Dream Theater

I recently noticed something while looking at DTs Systematic Chaos and Black Clouds album arts

Systematic Chaos - Seems to be ants taking over a developed city
The ants - Portnoy's overwhelming ideas of the way the band should take their sound
The city - A metropolis, if you will, possible referencing Metropolis Pt 2, their magnum opus and their previous sound at its greatest
The album name - Possible a reference to the songwriting Hierarchy within the band, where it is well structured but poorly executed

Black Clouds & Silver Linings - A child opening a door to a clear blue skies, against a background of storm clouds
The door and clear skies - A new front for the band to venture towards, free from Portnoy's influence. Also, note that this small sliver of a scene is the same background as the album art of A Dramatic Turn of Events, their most recent album
The storm clouds - Portnoy's ideas of where the sound should go to
The child - Dream Theater itself, in a sense is the child of Portnoy
The elephant in the room - The problem of what they should do about Portnoy (Also back to the child, leaving it behind)
The canvas - This canvas has an eye on it similar to the eye on the cover of Train of Thought, the first of DTs heavy, thrash albums
The name - Black clouds could be Portnoy's ideas and the silver linings could be the song writing experience he left behind

Seems that Dream Theater has been thinking about leaving Portnoy behind for quite a while now

Dude I think your off, but I dig the way you read into themes and symbolism. There's a movie or a twisted documentary here I can feel it. Maybe someone will hit on these or similar themes in the Lost Not Forgotten Video Contest. Otherwise I can easily see the formation of a Dream Theater Cult that parallels something like the Free Masons. Your giving me ideas anyway. Cheers Most Progressiveful Secret Warden of the Glass Prisons Secret Knowledge of the Rite of Passage.

I like the way you've read into it, and it does appear understandable.
I like your thoughts into the Black Clouds album cover especially - and I'll agree that DT themselves seemed strained in the making of and touring for that album. You might be on to something at least. :)

A lot of time on that guy's hands, and way too much speculation and conspiracy stuff but its still cool!
I have an easy one .. how about this for a basic indication ... on the Systematic Chaos extra documentary DVD that came with it .. during the recording of the Dark Eternal Night .. Portnoy commenting 'these are some fucking metal lyrics, this is what our music has been missing!'

I would agree with you if Mike Portnoy did the album art, but he doesn't. Since Octavarium, the artwork has been done by Hugh Syme. He is also famous for all of Rush's covers from Caress of Steel to Clockwork Angels and beyond.