Black Clouds and Silver Linings

Welcome redemption

I had almost lost the faith. Dream Theater's previous album, Systematic Chaos was appropriately named; it was a formulaic descent into an uninspired, chaotic (albeit technically masterful) mess.

Black Clouds and Silver Linings is a complete reversal. Welcome back melody, solid structure, moving harmonies and emotion-laced composition to the hard-hitting riffs we know and love.

All the songs on the album are outstanding. My favorites include The Shattered Fortress, which satisfyingly concludes the 12-part recovery saga by touching on elements of the previous journey.

Wither is the most radio-oriented piece on the album, and for me is a highlight. Full of feeling, LaBrie's soaring harmonies offer a welcome break between the heavier pieces on the album.

The true masterpiece of the album is The Count of Tuscany. The epic 19-minute piece combines all the most progressive flavors we've seen from DT, and it stands shoulder to shoulder with their other great epic one-piece, A Change of Seasons.

This is not an album I had to work to get into. It hooked me from the first measure and continues to delight. Consequently, I give it a very solid five stars.

Album Review: A Gentleman's Hurricane by Mind's Eye

Take the best of Symphony X, Queensrÿche and maybe a dash of Pain of Salvation, and you have my favorite album of 2007. (I discovered it in 2008.)

The perfect concoction of progressive rock, metal and melody, A Gentleman's Hurricane is one of those rare works that keeps the ear entertained with complex structure, and that penetrates the mind with catchy riffs and melodies. Virtuosity isn't the focus here, though the musicianship provides excellent support to the structure, incorporating an appealing balance of guitar, keyboards, vocals and drums. The music is rife with vocal harmonies that give the album a level of depth that's rarely achieved in the genre.

The album holds true to its prog identity as it follows a story concept. The story is rather hackneyed, and the lyrics can be quite cliche (even hokey at times). This is easy to overlook, however, given the outstanding high quality of the music. In fact, it's often difficult to pay attention to the lyrics with so many other wonderful elements to listen to.

Each and every track is a masterpiece on its own, but the most exceptional of these include: Seven Days, AssassiNation, Chaos Unleashed, the radio-friendly Feed My Revolver and Pandora's Musical Box.

Learn more about the album and group over at Prog Archives.

Brucifer Music Review: Hear in the Now Frontier by Queensryche

Check out my review on Prog Archives!

Brucifer Music Review: 01011001 by Ayreon

Check out my review on Prog Archives!

New Symphony X Album Soon

PLfullcover
Originally uploaded by Senor Velasco

This has been the summer of the sequel--and not just in the box office. I've relished in new works from my favorite author (J.R.R. Tolkein) and bands, including Dream Theater, Rush and now Symphony X with Paradise Lost, to be released on June 26.

Symphony X is a prog-metal outfit with a distinctive penchant for what I call Dungeons and Dragons themes. It's melodramatic, kinda silly and loads of fun. The songs are driving and catchy, and the instrumentation is blazing.

Check out a sample from the new album.

Also, follow the link under the picture to check out the new album art. I think it's one of their best. Makes me want to go on a quest or something.

New Dream Theater - Constant Motion

Few are more excited about Dream Theater's upcoming new studio album than I am. It seems like they outdo themselves with every album, and that's saying quite a bit, considering the height of the bar they have set. According to drummer Mike Portnoy, the defacto leader of the band, "the new record breaks tradition in that it is does not have a central theme."

With that in mind, I thoroughly enjoy the song the band has released in advance of the album Systematic Chaos. Constant Motion definitely comes across as more of a "shredder" song, with supernatural chops and little in the way melody--at least until you get to the chorus. But I am pleased to learn that this is no overarching theme or sound to the entire album. As good as this song is, I could see myself tiring of the style after a few plays.

Download it, and give it a listen. Seeing as the file was released directly from the band's website, I don't think it should be a problem.

Dream Theater should be in town in August. They skipped us last time around--so I'm making sure not to miss them this time.