DREAM THEATER

This new album is easily their best since SDOIT and I believe it may even surpass that effort. It's jam packed with the standard DT fare of riffs and solos, but it's also heavily edited and focused, with melodies and concise song structures moving things along at a speedy clip. Add in the orchestral parts, the experimentation by Rudess, and the great mix on the bass, and you've got yourself something very special.

The album is also a "grower." The more I listen, the more I pick up great nuances, echoes of themes, allusions, etc. The drums are especially interesting to unpack. On my first spin, I counted them as solid but not particularly inspired (compared to Portnoy's drumming on SDOIT, for example, I found them to be following the songs, not leading them), but the more I listen, the more Mangini's genius comes through.

It is just a brilliant effort all-around. I disliked SC and BC&SL but am loving this one. 5/5 for me.