A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS

Believe it or not, this is Dream Theater's BEST ALBUM in a very long time. I've been a fan for quite some time, and always look forward to each new release. That said, while every album since "Scenes From a Memory" has been at least OK, there have been a few hit and misses. The last record ("Dark Clouds...") is a good example of this. Complex music played with precision, but a purposely harder sound that seemed dominated by Portnoy's influence, James' tendency to over-sing, death metal vocals, and a vast quantity of pure prog wankery.

Having said that, the past is the past. Great bands can come back-to-basics and put out great stuff. Dream Theater did just that with "A Dramatic Turn of Events". First and foremost, this album is all about songs and melodies. The music is still extremely complex and there's not deviation from DT's brand of prog. There's just an obvious emphasis on song structure here. John P's guitar is somewhat restrained this time as well, and I happen to think that he's at his best when he's not in pure shred mode. Other things to note is that Jordan seems to be mixing up more too, James is singing at the range that best fits him, and you can actually here John M most of the time.

The last big change is in the drums department. First of all, Mike Mangini is a spectacular musician. He's a different drummer than Portnoy, for sure. But he can do it all. It's hard to tell whether or not his influence or style made that much of an impact here. However, I don't think it matters. His performance is superb, and I can actually envision the look on his face playing as I listen to the songs. The guy plays with heart, and it shows here in spades.

Whether you agree that DT lost it's way over the past few albums or not, I hope that you all give this album a listen. I think you'l be quite surprise by it. Amazing record....highly recommended!