Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events

“A Dramatic Turn of Events” is the aptly named eleventh studio album from American prog-masters Dream Theater. Produced by guitarist John Petrucci, with Paul Northfield back in the engineer’s seat, the band have taken a fresh approach to writing following the shock departure of drummer Mike Portnoy.

Opener “On The Backs of Angels” slowly builds up, but will be of no surprise to fans who have seen this song showcased on Dream Theater’s recent tour dates.

The surprises really begin with next track, “Build me up, Break me down” which kicks off with a nu-metal feel as though Linkin Park had suddenly decided to branch out into progressive music. An odd combination on paper, but in reality it works quite well.

The balance between heavy songs and, dare I say it, ballads, is achieved quite well. “Lost Not Forgotten” and “Bridges in the Sky” bring the noise, trading off with the slower sounds of “This is the Life” and album closer “Beneath the Surface”.

The true gem of the album however, has to go to “Far from Heaven”, a track that allows vocalist James LaBrie to show the power and emotion that can be pushed into a song when the vying between vocals and instrumentals is taken away. It clocks in at a shorter time than all other songs on the album, but I can guarantee that this will be the song that gets everyone talking.

“Breaking All Illusions” ticks all of the Dream Theater boxes; several time signature and melody changes, epic solos, fantastical lyrics and, of course, clocking in at no less than a whopping twelve minutes.

Overall, it’s interesting to hear the subtle changes in Dream Theater’s sound compared to previous albums. This is a solid release that will definitely please the fans.

“A Dramatic Turn of Events" is released on 12th September through Roadrunner Records.