Dream Theater "Parasomnia" Review (PORTNOY RECLAIMS HIS THRONE AND INJECTS SOME LIFE INTO THE BAND!)
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- #thrallsofmetal #review #reaction #newmetalalbums #newmusic #newalbum #newreleases #dreamtheater #insideoutmusic #progressivemetal #anticipatedreleases #mikeportnoy #johnpetrucci
Shredlord and Necrotic Nick go over the latest offering from New York progressive metal legends Dream Theater with their new album "Parasomnia" out now!
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Bend the Clock is legit a perfect masterpiece
I got heavy octavarium and train of thought from this album. I am pleased and i am happy, MIKE PROCLAIMS THE THRONE
Excellent, in-depth review on the new Dream Theater album.
Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man!
Haven’t stopped listening to it since Thursday night-so cool to see a band this late in their career put out such a solid release! “Dead Asleep” is supposedly based on a true story 😵💫
Necrotic Nick- I've gone back to this one quite a bit so far. I mean, 4 listens but that's a lot of music lol. This recaptures something that was missing in the band... and it was definitely Portnoy's presence. I'll have to look more into the lyrics to Dead Asleep it seems. I'm kinda intrigued now.
Nick looks happy, Shred looks blown away! 'You Good? You Good? I'm Good!' I was definitely pleased with this release, the grand Portnoy return we all waited for!!!
Necrotic Nick- Shred's brain melted inside his skull and it wasn't just due to Petrucci's insane leads this time lol.
Bend the clock is my fav on the album. Period.
This is going to be fun 😁
Nice profile Pic. 👍
@@noogie1 in 2026 he will change his profile pic with the cover of the best 2025 album. Which is gonna be Iron Maiden.
@@rhino_force7679will see in 2026
Necrotic Nick- Oh... it was lol.
I absolutely love the album. They exceeded my expectations with MP coming back, which were high. You guys did a great job breaking this all down!
I'll be seeing DT on the 21st. Excited to see the musicianship on that stage. Great review.
Bend the Clock is my favorite song on the album. Ballads are part of DT too...and Labrie usually sounds great with ballads.
19:14 Systematic Chaos was released in 2007. Dream Theater released an album in 2005 called OCTAVARIUM.
Necrotic Nick- Those are both albums by Dream Theater.
@@thrallsofmetal Definitely! Lol!
The kid who first introduced me to Dream Theater ended up playing drums in Accused AD. People talk about metal like it's blown TF up but it really is a small world.
This record is great
I wanna say its Dream Theater's best album since Octavarium imo.
Album is pretty darn good.
I missed Portnoy. I’m so glad he is back. I received my copy. Have not listened to it from front to back yet but the singles were great.
Necrotic Nick- Mike brought out the best in the band... well, maybe not LaBrie but whatever lol.
Not a DT fan, but I gotta support my Thralls Brothers. Cheers!
Super stoked for my sixth DT show, coming up at the end of the month. I was pretty worried about this album after the artwork debacle(s) plus the AI video of A Broken Man, but Midnight Messiah reeled me back in, and then the full album drop gave me a big sigh of relief "oh thank fuck it doesn't sound like everything is AI". Glad to see you guys enjoyed it too!
Necrotic Nick- I still have yet to see them live actually. I'm still not sure if I want to with LaBrie still on vocals. The more recent footage I've seen of him live hasn't been good to say the least but of course the band sounds tight as hell. I didn't see the video for A Broken Man but I really dug the song. For me, this was kinda of a throw back to some earlier albums and pacing out the songs a bit better so they didn't just come off as shred fests. I really dug this one and honestly it might be their strongest since Systematic Chaos.
Frank Rizzo. Is that a Philadelphia reference? Or a Jerky Boys reference?... I AM THE EGYPTIAN MAGICIAN
4/5
I wouldnt call myself a hardcore fan, like an album or 2 out of their works. Really enjoyed this one.
Is this album considered by DT fans to be some of their best material in a long time?
I've been a hardcore DT fan in years, and I definitely think it's their best for years. Brought me back to the Black Clouds/Train of Thought sound! I loved the heavier approach this album has.
Necrotic Nick- My fandom has admittedly waned a bit over the years but this one just felt like home. This album reminded me of why I got into the band initially. I'd say with just the presence of Mike Portnoy in the band again it one of their strongest in awhile.
As a diehard DT simp, I would say this album sounds formulaic, but in the best way possible, like they ironed out all the kinks and refined things. And Bend the Clock is a Top Ten DT track.
Necrotic Nick- It sounds like old Dream Theater with a fresh coat of paint on it. Portnoy brings back as much fun as he does structure to the band. They feel tighter but also invigorated. The back half of Bend the Clock with that glorious solo is easily one of my favorite moments on this album.
Best album since Systematic Chaos! This is an infinitely better return to form than the new Opeth. I've thought DT have been uninteresting since The Astonishing, but holy shit, this ruled! Definitely Mike Portnoy to thank for this
Necrotic Nick- I'd have to agree here. I think Opeth wanted to do something different with their new one but I think there was a bigger push for Dream Theater to recapture something of their old sound on this album. Outside of The Astonishing I haven't hated anything in the Mangini era but this just feels like home to me.
I really liked this new Dream Theater album and I thought it was their best since Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Mike Portnoy was what this band needed. Mike Mangini is an amazing drummer but the chemistry between Portnoy and the other members Petrucci, Myung, Labrie, and Rudess was missing on the last five albums (especially the Astonishing, that overbloated mess). With Portnoy back in the band, DT feels more rejuvenated and this album feels like a sequel to Black Clouds. My favorite songs are In the Arms of Morpheus, Night Terror, Midnight Messiah, Bend the Clock, and the Shadow Man Incident.
Necrotic Nick- For me it's the best since Systematic Chaos which pretty close to where you're at as well I'd say. Portnoy brings back an old flair that hasn't been in the band for awhile when it comes down to the songwriting. Again, no shade being thrown on Mangini in the least. That dude is an amazing drummer in his own right but Portnoy is also more involved in the songwriting which I think shows on this one.
This is definitely their best album in a while 4/5 welcome back Mike Portony
Necrotic Nick- Mike was the key to getting this band back on track.
Enjoyed the review as always, for me this album could have been released after systematic chaos, definitely enjoyed Portnoy's return and obvious impact and influence which in my opinion was sadly missing from the last few albums, i think the theme of this album also works a lot better for the band. Being a fan of this band, welcome back dream theater....for now anyway...Cheers!
Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, this definitely has that older sound and Portnoy's impact on the band definitely goes beyond just his awesome drum work. He has a lot to do with the composition and I think with him in the band he kinda settled everyone down and got them more focused on songwriting rather than making songs a shred fest. Cheers, man!
I’m in the middle of listening to the album. I think we all missed Mike Portnoy because he has such a unique drum style that makes up a huge part of the band
Necrotic Nick- I missed that but also the fact he was always heavily involved in the songwriting. He and Petrucci really work well together and I think they balance each other out well.
I absolutely love this album, DT has been in a 3 way tie for my favorite band alongside Porcupine Tree and Rush and it has made me so happy to have Portnoy back!
Just out of curiosity do you think you guys might check out the new Steven Wilson album when it comes out? I know his work isn't the heaviest but fuck that's the album I'm really excited about and I'd be interested to hear what you think. Hope you're doing well brother!
Necrotic Nick- My fandom might have slipped a bit in recent years but this brought me and Portnoy was pretty much the key. We might check out the new Steven Wilson when it drops. I know Jon and Shred are big fans so there's a chance. Doing well here and I hope you're doing good yourself, man! Take care!
Definitely a step up from the last decade imo. Still DT doing DT things but I think they really capture the mood they were going for with the theme. Reminds of Hakens Visions, which is very good thing
Necrotic Nick- Portnoy brought out a lot of the old school charm in terms of the songwriting and for me that hooked me along with the more dark tone of the album.
As a huge fan of DT that has been let down for many years, this album is just what I needed 🤘
Necrotic Nick- Outside of the disasterpiece that is The Astonishing I haven't minded the Mangini era but it did feel like a band going through the motions. This feels like the Dream Theater I became a fan off in my youth.
I think I’d maybe say their best since Octavarium for me. Pretty good album. Night Terror, Bend The Clock, and The Shadow Man Incident are some of my favorites on the album.
Necrotic Nick- I thought Octavarium was decent but not a favorite for me. I'd say it's the best since Systematic Chaos. Either way, it's been awhile since I've felt this strongly about a Dream Theater album.
Dead Asleep and Bend the Clock specifically can stand up with ANY song in their discography. Midnight Messiah too, but to a lesser extent for me. First listen The Shadow Man Incident didn't really stand out to me, but now on 3 listens I've grown to enjoy it. I still feel like the first chorus "the shadow's always watching" is missing a "me" at the end and it's just grating on me for some reason lol. I feel like the song as it progresses was written at a slower tempo then sped up, the "endless night" hook. I've really grown to love that section, actually really enjoy it now. Then the Jordan PIANO solo goes so hard, his piano solos always hit harder than his Synth ones for me.
We all knew going into this that this wouldn't be a perfect album and that a lot of lofty expectations wouldn't be met, but this album has some really, really good moments in it that as I mentioned could stand toe to toe with any song in their discography. I'm excited for the future of Dream Theater again. If I could afford a 200 dollar ticket to see them at Northfield MGM I would go see them in a heartbeat after listening to this album.
Necrotic Nick- Dead Asleep is a banger through and through. I like the end of Bend the Clock just for that amazing lead. I legit got goosebumps listening to it. Midnight Messiah is a banger too. I really love that rocker energy it has but that thrash chorus section is my favorite part of that song... minus LaBrie's vocals. My expectations for the this one only a bit higher than with previous ones just because I wasn't sure if they would gel like they did in the old days. Thankfully this exceeded my expectations and honestly gets me excited about this band's future as well again.
I had when dreams and day unite and images and words on cassette. Damnit I'm old lmao. Images and words is still an amazing album. Through all the peaks and values it takes. It was more about the time of my youth and how that album and music can do that
Necrotic Nick- I didn't get When Dream and Day Unite until a couple of years ago honestly. I always overlooked that album but honestly it's pretty solid too. I got into DT with either Awake, Metropolis or Six Degrees. I kinda got them all around the same time.
It's been a bit of a slow start to 2025 for me with new releases. A few have piqued my interest but this was the first one I've genuinely been excited for this year, and yeah it didn't disappoint at all. It's the best thing Dream Theater has done for years, and it's absolutely going to end up on my year end list. It is a bit sad to see how downhill James's voice has gone over the past few albums but this plays to his strengths really well. He's still very solid in his mid-range and is doing a good job when he sticks to it.
Also, Portnoy is the guy who influenced me most as a drummer and, as much as I love Mangini as a drummer, it's great to see him back where he belongs. A Broken Man, The Shadow Man Incident and Dead Asleep are the main standouts for me but pretty much everything is killer. Very strong 4/5 from me, not up there with my favourite DT albums, but a great effort nonetheless and one I'll be returning to very regularly this year 🤘🤘
Necrotic Nick- There's been some good stuff in the way of some underground material but I'd say this was probably the first big release of the year and honestly it lived up to the hype. While I've never been much of a LaBrie fan even he didn't make this a difficult listen because the songs were so good. Portnoy brought some of that old school DT flavor back into the band and while Mangini is an incredible drummer Portnoy is just the missing piece. He's always been a writing presence in the band too which I can hear his influence on this one with all the more old school grooves and more biting riffy sections. This was the album they needed to make honestly.
Not much of a DT fan, but what I have heard is pretty good. I prefer the heavier, more riff based stuff, so Train of Thought is my favorite by far. I LOVE that album. You said they "sit on a riff for awhile" more on this album, so I will have to spend some time with this one.
Necrotic Nick- I have to say this really had more riff driven stuff on it which was definitely a throwback and the darker tone of the album keeps it from sounding overly cheesy. Train of Thought is still a favorite of mine. They got pretty damn heavy on that one.
Probably their best album since before Portnoy left originally.
Necrotic Nick- I'd have to agree.
I gotta give it a few more listens. After one spin, I've caught a bunch of really cool parts but I probably won't have a decent opinion on it for at least a few more weeks. Still, good to have Portnoy back. Saw him play on JP's solo tour a few years back and the chemistry was immediately apparent.
Necrotic Nick- I've jammed it about 4 times now and I'm latching on to this one more so than any of the Mangini stuff. I think Portnoy brought back a lot of older elements in terms of their songwriting. This doesn't feel as showboaty but rather more about writing catchy songs that are still creative and wild.
Portnoy is a beast, and I'm glad to see he is back in dream theatre. Him and Danny Carey from Tool do some absolutely zany shit on the drums that never gets old. With that being said, outside of the song "Pull me Under" I never really got Dream Theatre, it felt like the musical version of trying to do a trigonometry equation, and i hated math in school, and i sure as hell dont want to be thinking when i'm listening to my metal music 😅
Necrotic Nick- I have missed his work in this band. The man is a god tier drummer and with something like this you can really hear that he's an integral part of their sound. With any band, especially more lavish, technical ones, I can totally understand that they're not for everyone. I will say however that there's a lot of juicy riffs to sink your teeth into on this so it might be worth checking out.
You mentioned Andy Sneap stepping in on this record, and I'm pretty sure he did co-produce the previous DT record with John Petrucci. This one might be Andy Sneap and John Petrucci *plus* Mike Portnoy all on production.
Necrotic Nick- I didn't see Portnoy mentioned in the production initially but I think this one has more of that Sneap sound versus the last one especially in the drums. Petrucci's guitars sound a bit warmer and slightly more crisp but they still sound like his guitars versus the more crunchy tone I associate with Sneap. It might have been a collaborative effort on this one. Either way, the results are pretty awesome.
@thrallsofmetal Strongly agreed! Tbh, my whole "MP helping with production" thing is probably completely wrong. I was going entirely on remembering him and JP often sharing production duties back in the day 😅
My favorite since Black Clouds. Mangini is awesome, but there’s a chemistry with Portnoy that’s undeniable. I thought LaBrie sounded good here, but I don’t think anyone is listening to DT for the vocals. I saw them a couple of years ago and LaBrie was having a terrible night. He couldn’t hit a note for shit and was turned way up in the mix. The band of course was incredible. Not gonna hate on LaBrie though. Living the album. Also am I the only one who loves the first half of Systematic Chaos but is bored as hell with the second half? Maybe it’s just me.
Necrotic Nick- I'd say since Systematic Chaos for me but Black Clouds was good too. The chemistry and having someone that's going to contribute to the songwriting that'll keep things on the rails. They held back a bit in terms of going overboard on leads and keys on this one and just let the riffs breathe and it made such a difference. LaBrie has kinda always been the weak link in the band and it's clear his abilities have dropped off. I tend to give him more shit since he was one of the main reasons that Portnoy leaving. I still really enjoyed Systematic Chaos but it does seem to be a tad divisive with people so I get it.
Excellent in depth review, guys! 👍
Musically this is a solid 4 out of 5 DT album for me, but I have to deduct 0,5 points because of 'Mr. LaCheese'; I simply don't like that man's voice, never have, never will.. 🤷
Petrucci and Portnoy are on fire though.. 🔥🔥
So a 3,5 out of 5 for me.. 🤗
Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, LaBrie can be hard to get past so I understand. Musically, this impressed the hell out of me and you can hear the chemistry of those dudes jamming together again. That was what kept it at a 4 for me.
I don't like Dream Theater but I like Thralls of Metal so begrudgingly watched the video. lol I like prog elements in metal but not full on prog.
Necrotic Nick- Hey! We appreciate that, man!
Album rips. Plus, I also love the album concept based on sleep and uh, dreams.
But did you say the band formed in 1980?
I thought he said 1988 but either way it’s wrong lol
Necrotic Nick- I dig it and the darker themes and tone of the album really makes it stand out for me. I said 1988 but I said it quickly so it might have sounded like I said 1980.
Necrotic Nick- 1988 is what the Archives have listed. I'm not counting the "Majesty" years though, just when they were called Dream Theater.
Mangini is a great drummer, technically and on the non-Portnoy albums, he held fort but didn't really add anything to the songs.
On the other hand, Portnoy has a certain style and feel that adds a depth to the songs which make DT special.
The weak link, as usual, is James Lavrie. I would love DT to record their best songs with a better vocalist. Just to see the ceiling for this band.
At least it's not James' live singing which has become a lot of senseless wailing sounds. He is bearable on record.
Necrotic Nick- Mangini is a hell of drummer without a doubt but I'd say he was probably not as involved in the songwriting as a Portnoy was which, with him being the "new guy", I can't knock him much there as the rest of the guys are probably more prominent writers. Portnoy was always involved in the writing and outside of his killer drum work I think that was what makes him still the best fit for the band. As for James, I agree. The dude's vocal abilities have been diminishing over the years and I'm with you in terms of wanting to hear the band with a more dynamic vocalist. Who knows if that will ever happen though but he's at least tolerable on an album where the cracks can be managed.
Catch you later watching you on TV and my cousins
Necrotic Nick- Cool, man.
LaBrie actually sounded a lot better from the show last night. The first show of the tour for this album. He has gotten over a lot of his issues. He’s far from perfect but definitely and pleasantly better
Necrotic Nick- I don't know. To me he's still the weak link in the band but I'm glad to hear he's doing better live because the footage I've seen recently didn't look good at all.
I dooooon't mind Dream Theater....but a 19 minute song...is...kinda...tough.
Necrotic Nick- I don't mind a long song as long as it goes somewhere and they did a solid job on The Shadow Man Incident.
Even back when labrie was good i didnt like his voice too much,i like the tates,the dickinsons and the halfords but not this guy too much
Necrotic Nick- I grew used to it and in the early days he really did have an impressive range. Now... I just want to hear a different vocalist take the helm.
I love dream Theater but magini needs some love too. ADTOE could be in my top 5 dream Theater records.
And i can really confirm labrie is not the best anymore. He is the worst part in the band, especially live. On the records its still good, but Images and words was the best time for him. There it was perfect for me.
But anyway the new Album is great, but it could be a 9-10/10 with a old labrie. So is it more 8,5/10 for me. Great songs and i really like the Production.
Mangini is still on the throne with the Grammy award for the “Alien”MP fans sorry
Necrotic Nick- Dude, no one cares about Grammys lol.
Thank you for the Grammy, Mangini. Now, the other Mike wants to return. Please go.
Haken did this already and much, much better with their album Visions. LaBrie is holding this band back.
Necrotic Nick- I would take Affinity over Visions when it comes down to Haken but I'd also take Jennings on vocals over LaBrie under just about ANY circumstances lol. Dream Theater has needed to pass the vocal torch to someone else for years now.
You're very much in the minority saying bend the clock isn't good as most fans say it's the best song on album. How can you not love the ballad emotional songs by DT? They are the best ever
This is typical DT and it's a pretty good release so 3 of 5
thnx
Dunno what it is …. This band lost me after Awake
Sneap only mixed it.
Necrotic Nick- It had Petrucci and Sneap listed in production but I figured it was a Sneap mix when I heard it.
Im not a fan of them and I really enjoyed it
Necrotic Nick- Wow. That pretty cool that this kinda won you over then.
Really wasn’t impressed by this album.. Lots of long boring intros to songs.. The singles were all paint by numbers DT.. I will concede that the epic has some really cool riffs and ideas, but man, songs like Dead Asleep go nowhere for 11 minutes.. I just don’t get the hype on this one, but to each their own
Gotta opine on this one. I hate Dream Theater & I always have. Easily one of the most awkwardly embarrassing “acts” to come along in a while. Hell, their image is even lame af! Honestly I can’t name even one song from these lame fucks. And I’d bet that I’m not alone with that! Easily the most overrated band of the 90’s. I’d rather listen to 2 cats 69’ing!!!
The worst album in years,I disagree.MP has done absolutely average job on the drums.Basically you have to force your self to like this song .DT has reached the limits of their own creativity.Thr only thing left is recycling old ideas .MP is boring and mediocre .
Necrotic Nick- Well, I obviously disagree and man is that spicey take on Portnoy. Even if you don't like the band's music it's pretty obvious Portnoy is an insanely talented drummer.
Great music, can’t stand the singing.
You be nice to Andy Sneap Nick!!
Necrotic Nick- He did change the setting this time lol.
First the good...awesome production, world class instrumentation, killer album art. The bad.....the actually songs. Aside from Midnight Messiah I cannot recall a single vocal or guitar melody. I found Jordan to be particularly annoying on this new album as well. For me, this is the most boring DT album since Octavarium!
Necrotic Nick- Production was solid but honestly Dream Theater albums for the most part do sound pretty good. I do agree with the vocal melodies not being super catchy but I tend to tune them out just because I'm not a fan of LaBrie's vocals after about the mid point of their career. Riff wise, honestly... these might be their catchiest riffs in years. While musically they impress me I haven't had a lot of big ear worm riffs from these guys in years and Dead Asleep and A Broken Man really did it for me. I thought Jordan wasn't as flamboyant this time which I appreciated but we all hear music differently. For me, this was a banger.
For a band full of such virtuoso players, I'm surprised James Labrie wasn't let go long ago. This review sounds hopeful because the last album I really liked was Systematic Chaos...with my favourite (and first) being Train of Thought. I love their darker, heavier stuff.
Necrotic Nick- Yeah, me either honestly but at the same time I know he's got his fans. I'm just not one of them. Systematic Chaos was the last one I was really into and I think this is the best thing since that one. Train of Thought is a wild album. I haven't jammed that one in a minute so I might need to revisit it at some point.