Black Clouds & Silver Linings

What do You think about the last Dream Theater CD? This album has great reviews and what are Your feelings about it?

Well, as an admin and editor-in-chief for Your Majesty (DT french official fan-club), my opinion is pretty biased

Long story short, BC&SL is their best album among the last 4. Some great songs (ANTR, TBOT, TCOT), some fillers (AROP, Wither), James sings a bit lower which is a good thing considering he has a hard time reaching those high notes nowadays, John P is the real king of the album (his solo on TBOT is amazing), John M is sadly buried so deep in the mix you can't hear him for one second, Mike delivers a solid but standard performance, and Jordan, is, well, let's say he's a bit less focused on flooding the music with notes and weird solos, and more on atmospheres and melodies, which is a good thing to me.

Here you go. Imho, the album deserves a good 8/10. Better than the last few albums but still way behind their earlier masterpieces.

Dream Theater Band always was for me the most important in prog music. Their performance is always so perfect an cooool....but, ...to the BC&SL album I was listening so many times!!! Have to say that this album doesn't work on me. I was trying many times to listen to this album again and again. I even said to myself - it is impossible, why? But it doesn't work on my feelings. Tracks are long , great performance, perfect playing as always but without music heart. I can't find it there. So in my opinion it is goooood album in performance and very high level of music compositions but in this album DT lost their feelings which I always found before in their music.

I was writing a review about it for more then half an hour, and then my computer crashed (FUCK WINDOWS)
I'm not gonna write it again

It's a very good album, but it has some flaws... like the fact that it has lost, most of its progressive concepts

hmm...it is a pity that I can't read your review but lucky You give last sentence which explain your opinion a little

ok, don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Dream Theater fan, and they have done a great job wit this new album, but a have the feeling that they have changed their style again, like they did with Octavarium and Train of Thought. I prefer the style of the previous album. Modern Progressive. but The last album leans more to the dark metal side... I know they think it's the new type of metal, but they would be more special if they'd hold their foot ad remain in the modern prog style...

greeting
Paul

I'll pitch in my review I guess. I must have listened to this thing 30+ times by now, and then I went and saw it all live on PN09 back in July. I must say my opinions have definitely changed since my initial listen...most all of these songs have grown on me, others haven't. I'll try to keep each short and sweet:

A Nightmare to Remember - Tied with TCOT for my favorite. This was an amazing concert opener...JR beginning and ending with piano always screams "EPIC" to me. Aside the blast beat part (which I don't think fits at all, and isn't even executed well...ESPECIALLY live) and the MP vocals (not bad, just sounded forced) -- probably a very cohesive song. Aside a few awkward transitions, I think the thought was conveyed well by the textures in the music. JLB is spot on here.

A Rite of Passage - Got horribly sick of this song, now I love it again. Probably one if DT's catchiest choruses to date, honestly. Wasn't sure what to think of Bebot soloing at first, but now I simply view it as innovative, which is why I listen to these guys in the first place. Also, probably one of my favorite JP solos now...takes you through many styles...shred...technical start/stop stuff, blues-ish, etc. Lyrical topic I didn't care for really.

Wither - Pleasantly was surprised with this one. Very restrained, and DT's ballads are always well written IMO. They do know how to tone it down when necessary, contrary to popular belief. The acoustic/clean tone is immaculate (intro) -- JLB is again spot on...great chorus, great everything. Guitar solo is definitely a highlight...very Queen-ish to me. I like. My favorite lyrics on this album.

The Shattered Fortress - I don't understand the hate for this one. This song is fantastic. They definitely altered each old riff rhythmically, which made it a treat to listen to. The guitar tone here is my favorite on the album...especially on the TGP themes (right after the TDS thing in the intro). Lyrical content is great, as always for these AA songs.

The Best of Times - Eh, not much replay value here. Intro is very organic and fresh sounding...very LTE a la Hourglass, State of Grace...interesting chord progressions. Very prog/rock Rush-like verses. My favorite thing about this song is that it isn't strictly solemn and grim as I was expecting. Conveys the album title well. JP is on fire toward the end. I respect this song because for once they do a song focused around the lyrics, and it's different, though not my cup of tea, but, again, innovative. They don't always have to write about ambiguous stuff about windows and sleeping. And those who complain about lyrics...they're true -- very real and to the point.

The Count of Tuscany - Probably my favorite musically on the album. Very I&Wish intro, and very Satch/Vai too. Lyrics were a bit "eh" at first, but now I just laugh and sing with them because they're fun. I am so sick of the 3 minute ambient volume swells part...so pointless. I try to fast forward through this in my car and my skip button goes slow so I'm holding down this button for 60 seconds while driving. Very annoying. Chorus is very massive, and the outro SCREAMSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS epic. When I saw this live, I was awe-struck.

That's all.

Album: 9.2/10

Rank: 4th favorite DT album under 6DoIT, I&W, and SFAM respectively.

yey, review!

and i mostely agree.

only, the Best of times... i know the lyrics are so true, he's writing abbout has father who died... but his words aren't always chosen that well. for intance at the end the sound "AY" like in DAY, irritates me. still a good song, buti have te feeling they could have done a LOT more then they did now...

DT had few various albums. Every album had own fans and they will always expect the continuation of the sound of their lovely album. The last CD surprised many fans after Systematic Chaos which was stronger and more heavy than other!!!

Has anyone here listen to the Wither EP ? (digital EP released on iTunes and such)

Quite interesting stuff there : two alternate versions of Wither (original JP demo and piano version), and the original version of TBOT with Mike on vocals.

Most definitely worth a listen if you ask me ! The piano version of Wither is especially neat and totally redeemed a song I never liked until then.

I even didnt know that it is EP for these songs...I will try to find it. I always like piano versions for songs. It has to be interesting. I have instrumental version for these songs. You mean that versions?

I snagged the JP Vocal Demo from iTunes. Very interesting. He's a decent singer for not being a singer...although his vocals are EXTREMELY auto-tuned, it's still interesting. You said the piano version was good...I think I might take your suggestion and get that song too.

I just found this EP of Dream Theater:
DREAM THEATER - new EP "Wither" (the news from 15.09.09)


There are four tracks there
1. Wither (Album Version) (5:25)
2. Wither (Piano Version) (5:07)
3. Wither (John Petrucci Vocal Demo) (5:24)
4. The Best of Times (Mike Portnoy Vocal Demo) (13:04)

That's the one

Mark> go ahead... It should have been this version on the album imho. Less catchy, really gets to you in a completely different way. I hope there will be a live rendition of this Jordan/James duet, it's simply beautiful.

And yes, JP is terribly auto-tuned, but it's a great exemple of "homebrew" song. This version is probably very similar to the one he submitted to Mike during the sessions, and show just what a songwriter he is, not only for the guitar parts, but also regarding vocal melodies, arrangements and so on.

Overall it's a great EP with really interesting takes and rare cuts, as opposed to the usually lame Edit version and such. Cool stuff ; a pity it's only available as a digital EP, I'd like to have a "real" one home. Well, technically there's still the promo CD version, but it's reaching at least 100 bucks a piece on Ebay... I'll pass

Got the piano version. VERY, very good.

Quite surprised with this one.

Told ya

I wonder why they didn't go with that version. Such a simple, beautiful piece of music. James never carries more emotion in his voice like when he gently sings like this, and it proves that Jordan is a melodic god, despite his tendency to go weird sounds-happy nowadays.

Well, next is the MP vocal demo for TBOT ! Definitely worth checking out too, a very emotional cut given the circumstances. He sang it to his father on his dying bed, that's a powerful context for a song. I like how simple and intimate it is, as opposed to ACOS which was, sadly, also a song dealing with loss, but was very much a bombastic epic.

I have already listened to piano version of Wither too ...it is sure that piano sound always give more and more sadness, feelings, pompous and good performing help in it too....so in this version it works more....

yestrday i downloaded this EP

and, after listening to it for a while, I like all versions, except for the John Petrucci version... this one just fails

and like everyone else here, i agree with the piano version, it's so much more intense then the original song.

too bad so few people know 'bout this EP, however! that makes it more worth it to have it!!

I can't wait to see them in Brussels the 17th!!

I'm seeing them next Sunday ! But I'm not really excited since they're only gonna play like an hour and a half, which is ridiculous when you're used to see them play for 3 or 4 hours... Nevertheless, this will be a cool evening since Opeth and Bigelf are also here

This will be my 5th DT concert !

indeed it will be!

it's my first!

DT will be in Poland too!!!

Marta wrote:DT will be in Poland too!!!

Did you go see them? I saw them earlier this summer. Great show.

One of the best albums they've released in a long time! It probably ranks 4th for me out of all their albums.

Can't wait for next year when their going to be doing their headlining tour. They skipped the Northwest on their Progressive Nation tour so I didn't get to see them this year.