DREAM THEATER
“TRAIN OF THOUGHT”
(Elektra)

When heard some months ago that prog metal kings will release new album during 2003, only one year after their double CD "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence", and knowing that it usually takes them 2-3 years for a new full album, I thought that it could prove a false-hasty move. How much good material can a band produce in less than 11 months? Those who have already listened to "Train Of Thought" know already the answer: Unlimited, as long as band's members are inspired. And this is the surprise: Theater, not only releases a good inspired album (this wouldn't be a surprise rather the normal procedure), but a CD that is placed among band's three best works, and one that will potentially create a new wave of imitators as happened in the beginning of the 90's after "Images..".

Let's put things in order: First of all whether you like its music or not, when Theater releases a new CD it is in terms of quality a priori at least one-step above all other releases. Secondly there are only 3-4 bands known to me these days that have the ability to produce music that takes the art one step forward, via presenting something new. Theater is among those bands and this is what they do with this new album. Forget everything you've known in the past. This is by far the heaviest, most furious, darkest, guitar-based album they've ever produced. It is meaningless to criticise each musician's artistic and executive capabilities, which are uncontestable. However I should say that John Myung this time seems to be much more involved in the composition of the songs, transferring thus to them a sweet desperation under an unearthly approach. Plus it becomes here evident to everyone what was apparent only to those who had experienced their live performances: that band's sound is based on his bass lines, which here play a leading role in creating the canvas for the rest to draw on.

The riffs are heavier than ever - and according to my opinion Petrucci is creating a new school of guitar riffing that will feed heavy metal music for a long time. By the way he does not hesitate to add a nu-metal breath at times. The striking part is that these heavy riffs and Portnoy's extravagant drumming are combined at times with classical piano and melodic guitar harmonies, pushing the limits of artistic creation to the maximum. The whole thing takes an even more dramatic tone with LaBrie's vocals, coming out as if he is crying out elegies. The songs here are very long (on average exceeding the 10 minutes) leaving space for the musicians to develop their ideas. The solos in each song are complete musical phrases, to such an extent that even when LaBrie "disappears" for a while you still feel that Portnoy and Rudes (the keyboard player who created the best possible chemistry with the rest of the band, giving it the chance to create masterpieces - I think band's excessive inspiration owes much to him) have been "singing" with their instruments.

I now suspect that this is the album that Metallica envisioned and indented to release earlier this year in order to change the tide of modern heavy metal. But they forgot something important, that in order to do such a thing you have to be flooded by inspiration and be a talented musician with top knowledge of your instrument. So - naturally - this album comes from Dream Theater. I can bet that in a few months a new wave of imitators will break out, trying to combine heavy riffing with extreme drumming and basing in long compositions. The thing is that the Theater of Dreams is already open and is welcoming you...

by Alex Savatianos 10/10