Dream Theater: Black Clouds and Silver Linings
AsSiMiLaTeD
Posts: 11,728
Anyone pick this up yet? I grabbed it on the way home, been through it once already.
I'll post some more thoughts later, but my initial impression is somewhat mixed, here's what I'm thinking on a song by song basis:
A Nightmare to Remember - This is my favorite so far on the album. I like the higher energy of this song, love the way it starts out and the way it ends. There are lots of time changes here, and they can seem a bit disjointed, but overall it works well. I could do without the fake growling that Portnoy has carried over to this album.
A Rite of Passage - This is the single off the album, and is also one of the heavier songs, although the chorus seems kinda wimpy to me. The solo section is good, but where are the unisons between guitar and piano? That's one of my favorite aspects of DT music and it's missing from this album almost completely.
Wither - bleh. Okay it's a ballad, I get that, but it's just so...bland, and wimpy. I feel like I'm watching the intro to Dawson's Creek or something. I'm not a huge fan of ballads, but DT has done some good ones over the years - this isn't one of them IMHO.
Shattered Fortress - Again with the fake growls, jeezus. It's actually a good song, and put together fairly well. The one thing I couldn't help thinking all the way through is 'medley'. This is the last of the songs in the AA series by Portnoy, and you'll hear parts of all the previous songs in this one. In fact, that's the flaw IMO, there's really nothing new and original in this song, it's just a rehashing, albeit a good one, of all the previous songs in this series.
The Best of Times - Rush called, and they want their music back! Yep, this ones' got Rush all over it, at least musically, and that's not a bad thing. I don't much care for their version of the melody of Barry Manilow's "I write the songs" that crops up a couple times in the song, but whatever. I 'get' what the song is about the message it tries to convey, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired IMO. There is a good solo section towards the end, although it's short.
The Count of Tuscany - Here's the 20 minute 'epic' song we've come to expect from DT. I love longs songs! When compared to something like Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies, this doesn't hold up so well for me. It is arguably more progressive than those other songs, but just doesn't reach out and grab you like those other tracks do. The subject matter isn't compelling, and the lyrics aren't the best. The music itself is really good though. It again has some of that Rush vibe near the beginning, but at 11 minutes in or so you're back with early DT, with the general sound being very similar to the beginning of Trial of Tears from Falling Into Infinity. The song has a slower, ambient feel for about 3 minutes from there, somewhat similar to Octavarium but not quite as well crafted. Then at around 15 minutes in or so they go into a kinda Porcupine Tree vibe with the acoustic guitar and keyboard work - the chord structure and key is very different, but the general vibe and feel reminds me of "Drown with me" from In Absentia. The end is rather non-climactic for me - listening to the end of Octavarium where there's all this emotion pouring out and this listening to this, it just doesn't do it for me I guess.
I make it sound like I hated this album, and that's not the case at all. I think they did a great job overall, and know that the more I listen the more I'll like it. Some DT albums are very easy to listen to the first time through, and some take a little more growing on you. This will fall in the latter group, and those sometimes end up being my favorites all time.
I'll post some more thoughts later, but my initial impression is somewhat mixed, here's what I'm thinking on a song by song basis:
A Nightmare to Remember - This is my favorite so far on the album. I like the higher energy of this song, love the way it starts out and the way it ends. There are lots of time changes here, and they can seem a bit disjointed, but overall it works well. I could do without the fake growling that Portnoy has carried over to this album.
A Rite of Passage - This is the single off the album, and is also one of the heavier songs, although the chorus seems kinda wimpy to me. The solo section is good, but where are the unisons between guitar and piano? That's one of my favorite aspects of DT music and it's missing from this album almost completely.
Wither - bleh. Okay it's a ballad, I get that, but it's just so...bland, and wimpy. I feel like I'm watching the intro to Dawson's Creek or something. I'm not a huge fan of ballads, but DT has done some good ones over the years - this isn't one of them IMHO.
Shattered Fortress - Again with the fake growls, jeezus. It's actually a good song, and put together fairly well. The one thing I couldn't help thinking all the way through is 'medley'. This is the last of the songs in the AA series by Portnoy, and you'll hear parts of all the previous songs in this one. In fact, that's the flaw IMO, there's really nothing new and original in this song, it's just a rehashing, albeit a good one, of all the previous songs in this series.
The Best of Times - Rush called, and they want their music back! Yep, this ones' got Rush all over it, at least musically, and that's not a bad thing. I don't much care for their version of the melody of Barry Manilow's "I write the songs" that crops up a couple times in the song, but whatever. I 'get' what the song is about the message it tries to convey, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired IMO. There is a good solo section towards the end, although it's short.
The Count of Tuscany - Here's the 20 minute 'epic' song we've come to expect from DT. I love longs songs! When compared to something like Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies, this doesn't hold up so well for me. It is arguably more progressive than those other songs, but just doesn't reach out and grab you like those other tracks do. The subject matter isn't compelling, and the lyrics aren't the best. The music itself is really good though. It again has some of that Rush vibe near the beginning, but at 11 minutes in or so you're back with early DT, with the general sound being very similar to the beginning of Trial of Tears from Falling Into Infinity. The song has a slower, ambient feel for about 3 minutes from there, somewhat similar to Octavarium but not quite as well crafted. Then at around 15 minutes in or so they go into a kinda Porcupine Tree vibe with the acoustic guitar and keyboard work - the chord structure and key is very different, but the general vibe and feel reminds me of "Drown with me" from In Absentia. The end is rather non-climactic for me - listening to the end of Octavarium where there's all this emotion pouring out and this listening to this, it just doesn't do it for me I guess.
I make it sound like I hated this album, and that's not the case at all. I think they did a great job overall, and know that the more I listen the more I'll like it. Some DT albums are very easy to listen to the first time through, and some take a little more growing on you. This will fall in the latter group, and those sometimes end up being my favorites all time.
Post edited by AsSiMiLaTeD on
Comments
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Also, I bought the 3-CD special edition. i have not yet listened to disc 2 which has a handful of cover songs or disc 3 which has an instrumental only version of the album, will get to those tomorrow sometime and report back
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AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »Also, I bought the 3-CD special edition. i have not yet listened to disc 2 which has a handful of cover songs or disc 3 which has an instrumental only version of the album, will get to those tomorrow sometime and report back
I wish they would sell the instrumental only version of all their albums. Those vocals can be really annoyoing. Let us know how it sounds."They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
Benjamin Franklin, February 17th, 1775.
"The day that I have to give up my constitutional rights AND let some dude rub my junk...well, let's just say that it's gonna be a real bad day for the dude trying to rub my junk!!"
messiah, November 23rd, 2010 -
Yes, how is the mix/sq?
Thanks for the synopsis.
I'm a big fan of the early DT, (Awake is my fav) been to a LOT of their shows.
IMO, they've steadily lost their edge since Kevin Moore left. (even though I think Rudess is a better musician) I think they should go back to working with a producer again....one not named Mike Portnoy, or John Petrucci.:D -
This mix is pretty good, better than the last couple albums as they went away from the loudness wars mix. There is still some distortion in a couple places, but overall a good mix.
I've listened to it a few more times, and us usual have really come to like it alot. I was probably a bit harsh on my first listen. I'm still not digging the fake growl in places, thankfully it's used somewhat sparingly.
I still don't like Wither, probably never will - IMO it's the cheesiest ballad they've ever written.
But other than that song and the fake growls, and maybe the lyrics on The Best of Times (grown men singing about their daddy doesn't work for me, although this is about his dad dying of cancer during the making of the album so I'm probably going to hell for saying that), it really is a great album. It's some of the most creative stuff since Scenes From A Memory, at least musically.
I really do wish they would have done something different with Shattered Fortress. Upon further listening, it does have some personality of it's own, but to me overall just sounds like a mashup of the other AA songs (The Glass Prison, This Dying Soul, The Root of All Evil, Repentance), but it's still a good song as-is.
As for DT losing their edge, maybe I guess, I just think they've changed, more than lost their edge. Bands like DT and Queensryche get alot of crap for going 'soft' or even changing their style of music. DT started going in a direction with SDOIT that brought in new fans, but still without going mainstream. I do think they've gotten away from songwriting and moved towards displaying technical ability, which some don't like. They've changed direction with this album, focussing more on the music and less on technical ability.
I'd call their last few albums closer to being mainstream music from a songwriting perspective than something like Awake or I&W, but there's still a large gap between their music and meainstream stuff.
I'm also glad they haven't gone away from the format of longer songs, the shortest song (excluding Wither, which I'm going to pretend didn't happen) on this album is over 8 minutes, with the masterpiece at the end clocking in at just under 20. I love long songs!
I'd like to know whhat happened with Kevin Moore, but something tells me we're never going to get that full story. Although, SFAM is my all time favorite album, and therefore by default my favorite of theirs, and was well past his time with the band.
I keep hearing people say they need to hire a producer, but Paul Northfield has recorded and mixed their last couple of albums. I guess I don't get the difference between the two roles. Their albums do clearly state produced by MP and JP. and Recorded and Mixed by Paul Northfield, so obviously there's a differnece... -
Well assimilated I am glad you posted o this and not me. I thought a lot about doing it, but in the end I am really on the fence over this CD.
A Nightmare to Remember was/is such a great opening track, but I really feel this CD falls flat after that.
And I think for me I expected something completly Epic from a Shattered Fortress, and all we got was a rehash from the previous AA Saga songs. There was nothing revealing about this song. It just felt like it was slapped together.
TCOT is okay I guess. But the lyrics are so lame. And DT critics around the globe point to that. That lyrically, they as a group revert to this cheesy 80ish writing. Although I do think ANTR was done very well, and gives an indepth look on how a car crash can effect you.
I could go on, but overall a "C" is all I can give.
