Citation :
FIRST INSIGHT INTO THE NEW DREAM THEATER ALBUM!: One of the companies I work closely with is re-issue label Rock Candy Records. The label is run by the legendary journalist and A&R duo of Derek Oliver & Dante Bonutto, who are also now working in conjunction with Roadrunner Records to bring new releases from classic bands to the market place. Their first signing is Dream Theater, as announced a month or so ago. Of course the guys are very familiar with the band, having signed them to Elektra all those years ago. Dream Theater have just turned in their new album Systematic Chaos to their label, and Derek Oliver was kind enough to forward me his thoughts on the album after living with it for a while and gave me the ok to run this as your exclusive first look into the album from someone who has a long and lasting passion for the band. Says Derek:
"Systematic Chaos is pretty full-on. You'll all be very surprised. It's undoubtedly the best record that they've recorded in many years - very accessible, very heavy and very melodic. They've managed to combine a sense of the past with the future and, unlike Rush, haven't dumped their glorious past in favour of annoying skinny tie affectations or garage rock pretence. There are two absolutely killer tracks, Constant Motion and The Dark Eternal Night, the former is like Metallica with keyboards and the latter showcases the most intense and heavy musicianship that they've ever recorded - think Pantera jamming with Iron Maiden. Those tracks will be regarded as master classes in progressive metal for years to come. And they both boast lashings of melody. The most accessible track is titled Forsaken, a blindingly obvious radio song that mixes contemporary modern rock ala Evanescence with the old school power balladry of Queensryche's Silent Lucidity whilst still packing a progressive rock punch. Do I smell a potential radio smash? Quite possibly. Surprise contenders for classic status include Repentance, a brooding 10 minute creepy crawler that seeps its way into one's inner psyche from the first few seconds of playback. The impact of this track is enhanced by an abundance of unexpected spoken word contributions from a number of well known musicians. I won't spoil it by revealing exactly who they are as its a lot of fun trying to decipher for yourself. Musically think Pink Floyd duetting with Metallica on a decidedly trippy space rock epic. The other major surprise is Prophet's Of War a magnetic and compelling six minute romp that appears to be a combination of electro pop and classic arena metal and it works brilliantly. Imagine walking into a Berlin discotechque at 2 in the morning with 2,000 nutters jumping up and down to a wild electro mash-up of the Prodigy, Queen, Robbie Williams, Metallica and Ramstein whilst Dita Von Teese dances in a cage.
Trad DT faire is offered up with The Ministry Of Lost Souls. Initially a piano driven ballad which builds into a colossal prog rock hoedown allowing Jordan Rudess to utilise every keyboard that he's acquired through the ages amongst a cacophony of wild jamming. Once the battle has been won, its all back to the main theme for a piping hot cup of cocoa and bed. The 25 minute epic In The Presence Of Enemies is indeed a pleasure to experience. Split into two parts, which bookend the album, the vibe here is dark and distant. The song is driven by a particularly impressive bass riff and a full, open chorus with evil lyrics delivered convincingly by a more assured and focussed James LaBrie. Then, in the blink of an eye, it all kicks off as Portnoy jumps in with double kick drums thumping at an alarming speed and its heads down for the final push with swords, guitars, knives and keyboards re-enacting the Charge Of The Light Brigade. Man of the match? Impossible to say as all of them are at the top of their game on this one. Portnoy? Well, he's just being Portnoy - crucially the most accomplished drummer of modern times. Petrucci? He's off his head on virtually every track delivering the heaviest riffs this side of Black Sabbath and the fastest most precise plank spanking I've ever heard. Myung? The guys doesn't have much to say for himself in interviews but his playing on this record speaks a thousand words. Rudess? Possibly the bastard child of Keith Emerson and Rachmaninov. His playing is historic and, understandably, quite perplexing. LaBrie? I have great pleasure in announcing that he, out of them all, has risen most magnificently to the challenge. Its clear that he's taking this particular moment in the bands career to up his game considerably, approaching each track with an intelligence that belies his previous output. By adapting his delivery to suit the mood of each song this fine fellow has breathed new life into an old frame. A great and significant accomplishment. I came away from this album thinking that - and I'm not taking a pot shot here - if Iron Maiden and Metallica were currently writing and performing to this level of excellence then the world of rock would indeed be a far better place."
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