Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2910 in Music
• Released on: 2009-06-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

CD Description
Tenth studio album from probably the biggest and most popular prog rock band in the world today and the follow-up to their 2007 Roadrunner debut 'Systematic Chaos'. Like that album, this release accentuates their metallic side with chunky,dense riffing. However, the band have not forgotten their roots, and their trademark guitar and keyboard prog pyrotechnics and monumental song lengths are all present and correct.

Customer Reviews

A much more personal affair.
The best thing about a new Dream Theater album is that it is so varied. Both Lyrically and musically, there are passages of music that could be completely different to the next part, within the same song. After the previous albums often fanatasy lyrics and themes, the new album feels more personal which is refreshing. Reading the lyrics, the all the songs are based upon real events in the members of the band's life, except for Rite of Passage, which is about stonemasons. My current standout, after a couple of listens through would be Best of Times. Written about Mike Portnoy's father, it is a majestic celebration of his life, rather than a depressed mourning. Wither also is another great song, an unusually short one from the band, but a great showing of the more subtle side of the band. Then there is the Count of Tuscany, which deserves no other word, but Epic. Octavarium, Change of Seasons, epic. Have to love them for it.

A very good album!
I can't find much wrong with this latest offering from DT. Systematic Chaos went a little flat and boring in this middle of the album, not so with Black clouds and silver linings. It contains two radio friendly tracks "A right of passage" and "wither". "The best of times" is a very good track. I really like this album much more than SC. I don't know what some fans out there want from DT, this gets very progy in places, so if you don't like DT like this, then this isn't for you. I think some fans get a little too critical, and don't know what they want from these guys, give this album a few listens and then review it.

Nothing short of amazing...
Is this an amazing album? Yes, it is. It's technically amazing, it's song structures are mind blowing and the key changes, time signature changes are flawless. However its exactly what you expect from Dream Theater.

Jordan Ruddess hinted that the new album would be dark and gothic, and that is audible in the first few minutes of the album, however the cheesy beginning of the opening track "A Nightmare to Remember" is almost as bad as its name. A crash of thunder followed by what can only be described as a Hammer Horror soundtrack homage.

The album is a visible departure from earlier albums such as Images and Words with definitve key changes, and time signature, clever breaks and solos. Instead it feels more watered down, like Petrucci and Ruddess are soloing for the hell of it, the time signature changes are barely noticable over the thrash of the guitars, and any key changes go right over your head.

Its a Dream Theater album, but if you are a hardcore fan you might be disappointed. It feels more of a rehash of Train of Thought, where they found success with heavier songs and it feels like they are clinging on to that success in this album and need to move on and find a new sound.

The Shattered Fortress was the one track I was looking forward to in this album, but even that disappointed me by being a song made up entirely of old riffs. It just doesn't gel for me.

All in all a lot of Black Clouds, not many Silver Linings.