SYSTEMATIC CHAOS

Since 1992, I've highly anticipated each DT album. In some cases it was pure genius (SCENES, AWAKE), in others there were brilliant tracks among average ones (SIX DEGREES, TOT, OCTAVARIUM), and then there was the one big disappointment, INFINITY. Although there were some decent tracks on it, the general sound sucked. Not metal enough, too open, too few songs that stuck in your head.

Then there was SYSTEMATIC CHAOS. Although there are definitely sparks of what made DT big (CONSTANT MOTION is an exception in the positive sense), in general it is a horrible disappointment. I cannot for the life of me understand what many fans are so happy about. The elongated tracks lack coherence and catchiness, sport dismally childish lyrics, and mostly seem to be a collection of pyrotechnics, simply lacking good song material. I also find myself wishing they'd record an album with Russell Allen or Jorn Lande, as James is starting to annoy me with the ever-recurring vocal bends and melody lines. When I think about it, DT has been on the slide ever since SCENES, and I am starting to wonder if they are over the hill, and the crown will soon be claimed by Symphony X, Threshold or Mind's Eye. I even went to their concert in Rotterdam, October 2007, and found myself being completely bored because they played new tracks almost exclusively. Thank god for Symphony X's short but brilliant opening act. One can only hope that its follow up will be just as brilliant as the next album after their other glitch, INFINITY. The experience here is similar to Metallica following up AND JUSTICE FOR ALL with the BLACK ALBUM. Those of you who appreciated Metallica's first four albums will know what I'm talking about. Nothing lasts forever I'm afraid.

2 stars out of respect for their previous work.