Opening with a peel of thunder we get a slow build up before the tune really lets rip with a riff that makes the hair on the back of neck stand up, James belts straight into the first verse while Petrucci on guitar tease's with a lovely display of gear changing and fret run before we settle down into the story of this sixteen minute opening track.

Mike Portnoy talks about epic's in his interview, and he ain't kidding, the song climbs and soars through the emotions with time to explore the quite moments this is a magnificent opener. The second track on Black Clouds & Silver Linings has already been dealt with in our earlier review last month, but suffice to say that hearing that burbling riff again is just perfect.

The third track on this album, Wither is also the shortest song at just over five minutes which means that compared to most recent Dream Theater songs, it is simpler then what you would expect, but that is the secret of short songs, melodies, great lyrics that don't lose impact and just enough time to slot in a little wizard guitar work for the beautiful moment.

Shattered Fortress builds up a momentous threatening feel with its short repetitive riff before racing away aggressively, the album has seven tracks with the longest The Count of Tuscany saved for last at nearly twenty minutes long. But before that we have The Best of Times with its opening melancholy feel reflecting on what's gone, before the cobwebs get blown away with some upbeat melodies as the lyrics reflect on the good times,
strongly representing the lose of Mike's father the lyrics are an insight into a strong relationship.

While The Count of Tuscany is a typical Dream Theater Progressive metal track through and through it will surly end up on all future compilations without any doubt as it is brilliant.

A near perfect album of melodies done in perfect modern progressive rock style with a hard edge to qualify as metal but not losing sight that the best song is always the song that everyone likes.

James LaBrie - Vocals
John Myung - Bass
John Petrucci - Guitars
Mike Portnoy - Drums
Jordan Rudess - Keyboards

Album Tracks

1. A Nightmare To Remember
2. A Rite Of Passage
3. Wither Listen
4. The Shattered Fortress
5. The Best Of Times
6. The Count Of Tuscany

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Interview with Mike Portnoy