Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings review
| Band: | Dream Theater |
| Album: | Black Clouds & Silver Linings |
| Style: | Progressive metal |
| Release date: | June 23, 2009 |
| A review by: | Dream Taster |
Disc I [Black Clouds & Silver Linings]
01. A Nightmare To Remember
02. A Rite Of Passage
03. Wither
04. The Shattered Fortress
1 - X. Restraint
2 - XI. Receive
3 - XII. Responsible
05. The Best Of Times
06. The Count Of Tuscany
Disc II [Uncovered 2008/2009]
01. Stargazer [Rainbow cover]
02. Tenement Funster / Flick Of The Wrist / Lily Of The Valley [Queen cover]
03. Odyssey [Dixie Dregs cover]
04. Take Your Fingers From My Hair [Zebra cover]
05. Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt.2 [King Crimson cover]
06. To Tame A Land [Iron Maiden cover]
Disc III [Black Clouds & Silver Linings Instrumental Mixes]
01. A Nightmare To Remember
02. A Rite Of Passage
03. Wither
04. The Shattered Fortress
05. The Best Of Times
06. The Count Of Tuscany
One of my all-time favorite bands, Dream Theater, has been mildly disappointing me since 2002 with their newfound musical direction. After a step in the right direction with their previous album Systematic Chaos, I was anxious to get my hands on their new offering Black Clouds & Silver Linings. With an album title suggesting aggression and great melodies, I thought this would be a real treat.
With the same steady lineup, the progressive masters have not altered their recent sound very much with this release. Same setup, same incredible display of musicianship, and unfortunately same patchwork of bridges and chorus with way too many passages of pure technical display that are close to ruining the whole thing.
While some songs manage to get catchy, the second part of those are purely formal soloing that is abject on some level. The same heavy guitar sound is kept alive by John Petrucci, and you can tell that Mike Portnoy and John Myung are having a blast with the rhythmic section. Jordan Rudess provides the keyboard mastery and James LaBrie is his usual self-assured vocalist. But overall, while I remain impressed by their abilities, there is not a single track that makes me jump out of my seat. And this has been the same pattern of their albums of late. Bands such as Circus Maximus are blowing my mind while my Progressive Metal icons are getting softer in the songwriting department.
Two of the six tracks are ballads (or close to it) and most of the other tracks feature rock choruses at best, rendering this album too soft for my current tastes. And I do like progressive rock usually. The artwork is beautiful, I will give them that.
Don’t get me wrong though, the album has its moments. The opening track ‘A Nightmare to Remember' and ‘Rite of Passage’ probably feature most of those moments of magic. If only they had another couple of songs like those two on the CD, I would probably have stopped bitching a long time ago and would praise them right now.
Black Clouds & Silver Linings is interesting just because it is a Dream Theater album. However, where is the constant inspiration or great songwriting throughout heard on some of their previous albums? I much prefer Systematic Chaos than this new album. In my opinion, it sounds like their attempt to fulfill the album title failed along the way. It will be interesting to see them on the North American tour, they will get a second chance to change my mind about this album. Give it a listen and have your own opinion, I am known to be extra-critical with their albums.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
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Written on 30.06.2009 by
Bringing you reviews of quality music and interesting questions such as: "A picture is worth a thousand words. How many words is a song worth?" I have only got so much patience and skills, you do the math. |
Rating:
8.3
8.3
|
Rating: 8.3 |
After revisiting Dream Theater's discography and particularly recently setting my eyes on this album, it was my album of choice to review, for there are really a lot of notes and opinions I'd like to speak out about it. With Black Clouds & Silver Linings released in 2009, Dream Theater vowed to hearken back to the days of 2003's Train Of Thought, with more heavy melodies, a straightforward metal approach, calm ballad-like songs in between with the obvious progressive elements, solos and some experimentation; though, after so many jams and extended solos, are we to say that their approach to experimentation, too, hasn't become something too ordinary and expected? Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 105
Visited by: 637 users
| Dane Train Beers & Kilts Elite Posts: 8902  |
Decent review but still didn't inform me too much on the album. It seemed you complained a little too much about the song writing but don't really explain it all the way. I still haven't made up my mind on the album, so I can't comment on the ratting. And I know plenty of folks are waiting for me take on the album, but like an album from these guys, I wait at least 6 months to fully review it. As for now, I like it, but I am more focused on what tattoo I will have done from this album for my Dream Theater collage.
---- (space for rent)
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| Nicko's Nose Posts: 490  |
The Count Of Tuscany is one of their best songs (musically) and The Best Of Times gets better and better with every listen. This review fails. "but like an album from these guys, I wait at least 6 months to fully review it" Yeah, you should always listen to a prog album for atleast 2 weeks before reviewing it.
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| Dream Taster The Enemy Within Staff Posts: 1337  |
Written by Nicko's Nose on 30.06.2009 at 05:52 I have had this album as an advanced promo CD since end of April  So I waited a while to write my thoughts about it. My point is, take any album from "the competition" and it is way more enjoyable than this one.
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| Damnated Churchburner Posts: 4943  |
this review is a joke. you say you're whining, but you're barely critical. and then you give an 8 for originality?  are you actually deaf, man? don't you realize that this album sounds EXACTLY like everything else they've done in the past 15 years, only it's gotten even more drawn out and boring? and then the overall score, a 7.5? which means that this is a mostly great album. you even contradict yourself. you're not allowed to give low ratings or what?
---- Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men.  Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01
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| Dream Taster The Enemy Within Staff Posts: 1337 |
Written by Damnated on 30.06.2009 at 06:15 7.5 means it's somewhat good for most of the target audience, a far cry from mostly great. I never rate based on my own review or I would get more offensive dimwit comments like yours to reply to. I am allowed to give low ratings, as I matter of fact, I am allowed to do anything on Metal Storm (including giving out warnings and banning users, you get the picture  )As far as my score for originality, it is original. How many other bands you know that would put up music like this? That does not mean it's any good. And no, I'm not deaf but since you seem to be so nuanced of a Prog connoisseur... 
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| Nicko's Nose Posts: 490 |
"As far as my score for originality, it is original. How many other bands you know that would put up music like this?" Exactly. Then again, some bands do sound like them, but that's because they copy them. Btw, songs like Prophets Of War, The Dark Eternal Night, Never Enough, These Walls, I Walk Beside You, etc... Don't sound like anything else they've done. I'm not saying that they're good or whatever, my point is that saying that everything they've done in the past 15 years sounds the same is truly ignorant. In fact, all of their albums from the 00's are pretty different from each others. Nah, actually, all of their albums are different. They always add something new. Does Train Of Thought really sound like Falling Into Infinity? What about Octavarium?
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857  |
What I get from this review is "same old, same old, but solid"... Which is pretty accurate. The band hasn't really taken any chances in originality lately, but they are still releasing solid music. It's the same band we all love/hate/used to love.
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| lord artan Posts: 297  |
I love this album very goooooooooooood and Wither best in album Let it out, let it out Feel the empty space So insecure Find the words And let it out
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
It is a good album. Had some good time listen to it. 
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| zavijava Posts: 5 |
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| Talvi Posts: 825  |
This review: "I'm a Dream Theater fan so even if they sold shit I'd still buy it" This album is pure fail. Same shitty music for God knows how many years and not only that, it gets worse than ever. Minimum rating for me, worst album of the year so far.
---- My account on other musical pages: http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/ http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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| Njord njord Posts: 1129  |
My friend Demonic Tutor, I like your review. It's a real and sincere tough about this band and I agree with great part of it. It's true you don't talk much about the album itself, but I think your critique of DT historic moment is valid. For me the climax of this band was "Scenes from a Memory" and, since then, DT contructed good and fascinating albuns, but none of them brought anything new on DT's music. What they improved till Scenes is what they are still improving now. In my opinion, 6 Degrees and Octavarium are albuns with something new to offer (maybe some elements of darkwave and nu) but they aren't musical revolutions in DT's discography like Change of Seasons, Images or Scenes. Either way, this Black Clouds is a catchy album and deserves praise because it reveals the band doesn't want to stop. That's for me the best of the album.
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| Enissa Posts: 816  |
I think that the rating is suitable for the review..... If I were him, I would give it the same.... I havent listened to this album yet, but this review is not encouraging me, cause already last album got me bored after few listens, but dont get me wrong, It was a good album, Its just...I dont know how...
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| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
For me, this is their second worst album (Octavarium is their #1 fail IMO). I'm used to them being corny, but sometimes here it's too much.... plus often times it just sounds too happy. I actually don't have any problems with James' vocals (most people seem to be bitching about it), it's the music that doesn't interest me at all. When it was streaming on YouTube, there was only one song I liked, but I don't even remember the name... it was somewhere in the middle and fairly heavy. I understand that prog has to grow on you, but this album just turns me off.... it's almost pop-prog or something. @Joose
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| nb Posts: 248  |
I have only listened to the album 2 or 3 times. So far it sounds catchy and every song has its appeal. I agree it is not mind blowing, but it is a good new Dream Theater album.
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
IMO this by far better than the mediocre Octavarium and Systematic Chaos, and also superior to Six Degrees Of Separation and the imo horrendously overrated Metropolis Pt 2, of course way way way better than their worst ever Falling Into INfinity. Currently I regard this new one as their 4th or 5th best.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Elio Red Nightmare Posts: 4920  |
Damnated and Talvi, I totally agree with you. God bless our ears.
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| Sellathurai Posts: 81 |
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464  |
'cking fabulous album, what're you on about?  The Shattered Fortress is the worst part of the 12-Step Suite, I'll give you that, but the other 5 songs are excellent.
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| Nicko's Nose Posts: 490 |
Written by Fat & Sassy! on 30.06.2009 at 10:49 What a load of bullshit. Train Of Thought doesn't sound like Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, Octavarium doesnt sound like Train Of Thought (at all), Systematic Chaos doesn't sound like Octavarium and a couple of songs on this album sounds dark like In The Presence Of Enemies, but overall it doesn't sound like Systematic Chaos. They add new ideas with each album. In fact, MANY fans complain because of that. It's funny really... Some fans complain because they think they always play the same thing and some other fans complain because they think they change their sound too much! About those who complain because they think they always play the same thing: What the fuck do they want? They want them to stop playing Dream Theater music? They want them to start playing a completely different genre of music or what? About those who complain because they think they change their sound too much: Why can't they accept that they won't release another Images And Words? I bet that a couple of the fans who think this album is bad think it's bad only because it isn't as good as Images And Words or Awake. Some DT fans are probably the best fans at whining constantly. "it's almost pop-prog or something" There goes your credibility... The only song on the album that sounds A BIT poppy is Wither. Nah, actually, it doesn't sound poppy, it's just soft. I bet that you think that soft = poppy. If you think that A Nightmare To Remember, A Rite Of Passage, The Shattered Fortress and The Count Of Tuscany are poppy, then you're either musically retarded or you just couldn't come up with a good argument to bash the album. These songs would completely turn off any pop fan. Well, any pop fan who can't stand metal.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by Nicko's Nose on 30.06.2009 at 23:27 Judging by your posts, I'd figured you were 14 or something, but... Let me lay this out for you. When I speak of originality... I speak in relation to this kind of music in general, ok? In relation to Dream Theater themselves... they have been making the same fricking album since Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence... which is fine... if you like that kind of stuff. My favorite band is Iron Maiden, so I really can't complain about bands making the same albums over and over. The way I look at it, an album like Train of Thought is not really all that original. It's pretty much a 70-minute The Glass Prison. In other words, it's a long, sometimes tedious, over-produced Metallica album. Don't get me wrong, DT is one of my favorite bands and will always be a big fan of their work. The album is solid. I've been listening to it daily. If I wanted something "original" though... I'd listen to something more avant-garde kinda stuff. Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.06.2009 at 15:56 HEY! I really like that album! Stop not agreeing with my views and opinions, cus I'm over-sensitive and might get angry! 
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| IronBlackZepp Posts: 180  |
This album is great, I dont get all of the people who did everything DT comes out with latel. Get over it they write different music now. I do not agree with this review at all, I think that this is a great album. I like all of the bands albums, some better then others of course. This is one of my new favorites.
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| Nicko's Nose Posts: 490 |
"they have been making the same fricking album since Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" ...and how exactly do songs like Misunderstood, Honor Thy Father, I Walk Beside You, Never Enough and Prophets Of War sound like each others? They always alter their sound. Yeah, they always sound like Dream Theater (the way they play, the technical riffs, etc...), but what's wrong with that? It's as if some of you wanted them to change their sound drastically, throw away everything that makes their sound and start sounding like a completely different band. Saying that all of their albums since Six Degrees are the same is like saying that The Number Of The Beast and Somewhere In Time (the best album ever) are the same. Of course, they have some similarities since they're from the same band, but SIT is much more melodic, atmospheric and epic than TNOTB. Like you said, many people think that Iron Maiden keep making the same albums over and over, but I don't get that either (I do realize that some of their albums sound really similar though). Killers, Somewhere In Time, Fear Of The Dark and Dance Of The Death are pretty damn different from each others. It's like saying that any band that didn't change their sound drastically always sound the same. What's the point of changing your sound drastically when you have a good sound? Just altering it is enough.
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
The new Riverside totally beats this imo
---- loves 小巫
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by Nicko's Nose on 01.07.2009 at 00:25 I think the key word here is ALBUM. A-L-B-U-M. You are comparing specific songs to each other. You could probably use your argument with any band... even repetitive, monotonous-sounding bands like AC/DC. I'm think you are missing the point, to be honest, and it 's driving me nuts. Honestly, if you want to discuss this further, please post in the Dream Theater thread.
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| Damnated Churchburner Posts: 4943 |
Written by Dream Taster on 30.06.2009 at 06:38 i am dimwitted for not agreeing with you? ha. and please, don't generalize; DT is A prog metal band, not THE prog metal band. (or perhaps you haven't heard of others, and that is why you are so amazed of everything they're doing.) just because i don't like this piece of crap, it doesn't mean i have something with prog. also, original means: new; fresh; inventive;. this album sounds just like every other dream theater album, it's neither fresh or new, and it's definitely not inventive.
---- Blessed is he that murders Christ in himself and in his fellow men. Written by TheBigRossowski on 10.02.2009 at 16:01
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| Dream Taster The Enemy Within Staff Posts: 1337 |
Written by Damnated on 01.07.2009 at 04:43 We are all entitled to our own opinion. That is what a review is about, nothing more.
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| Nicko's Nose Posts: 490 |
So, for a band to be original they have to change their sound completely on every album? Then I guess that many metal bands (like Iron Maiden and Symphony X) are unoriginal because, like DT, they just alter their sound. If you can't hear a difference between let's say Octavarium and this album, then there's something wrong. Or maybe you didn't even listen to them. What should a band do to be original? Release a progressive metal album and then a death metal album? Change their sound drastically on every album so much that you can't recognize them? A band shouldn't keep a main sound? What exactly should Dream Theater do to be original? Throw their sound in the trash and start playing like a completely different band? Really looks like that's what you and many others are asking. Now please try to explain how Falling Into Infinity sounds exactly like Train Of Thought. Thank you.
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| Fat & Sassy! Elite Posts: 3857 |
Written by Nicko's Nose on 01.07.2009 at 06:12 No one is saying that Dream Theater HAS to be putting out ground-breaking albums. They have already done that and have found a comfort zone and seem to be sticking with it. I think what the problem is that prog bands seem to have an obligation by listeners to be releasing fresh, creative, thought-provoking music. If you ask me, DT is WAY past their pinnacle of creativity and "freshness" (naturally). Prog outfits like Pain of Salvation (even though they seem to be maybe running out of steam with their last release) have been and are releasing very creative and original albums... but they also don't have ten albums released. From WDADU-Scenes From a Memory DT did just that. Honestly, I'm not sure why I am expanding on these thoughts and ideas, because you are being very fickle and thick-headed, but there you go. I'm sure you are just going to repeat yourself, though, and say something relative to comparing *insert DT album or song here* to *insert DT album or song here*, but whatever. I'm bored enough for this crap.
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