 | Tracklist:
1. On the Backs of Angels
2. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
3. Lost Not Forgotten
4. This Is the Life
5. Bridges in the Sky
6. Outcry
7. Far from Heaven
8. Breaking All Illusions
9. Beneath the Surface
| Ranking: #114 for 2011 | |
| | other reviews | jybt (4.5)
After 25 years of Mike Portnoy's drumming, Dream Theater's in-studio response to his mercilessly pub... | BugZoid (4.5)
Pulling in influences from their one worthy source has proven to be one of the best moves, creativel... | AlbumReviewMan (4.5)
... | SethPutnam (4)
Free from the turbulence and systematic chaos wrought by "black cloud" and "root of all evil" Mike P... | Sig (3.5)
Dream Theater emerge from their dramas refreshed, if not exactly fresh... | Trey Spencer STAFF (3.5)
Only the bland drum parts and inclusion of three ballads affect the overall quality of A Dramatic Tu... | Austin (3)
A decent album that fails to stand out in Dream Theater’s catalog.... | Irving Tan Zhi Mian CONTRIBUTOR (2.5)
Not so dramatic after all.... |
On 54 Lists
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| Summary: Dream Theater's spiritual rebirth also reveals Mangini's perfect musicianship - playing the beat instead of expressing it. |
7 of 7 thought this review was well written
"You know, just to give you an idea of how deep this was to lose him, how difficult it was... after we got off the phone with him... I literally sat on the steps of my studio and cried. This is a guy who's a friend of mine, who we all love and admire. We didn't want to see it come crashing down." – Jordan Rudess
At the heaviest anticipation of their career, Dream Theater's 11th studio album 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' arrives not only to show the difference of Mike Portnoy's departure, but the result of his replacement Mike Mangini, a musician as proficient as Mike Portnoy who now has to fill the shoes that led Dream Theater and fans. The aforementioned quote begs questions against the band for leaving Portnoy as it doesn't explain the breakup at all. According to an interview with Rudess, the real reason stems from Portnoy being the essential 'Dream Theater' police. Unlike Mike Portnoy’s bombastic drum strokes, Mangini plays the part with no qualms as if being graded on proficiency instead of emotion. It's hard to distinguish his drumming from a drum track when he avoids the technical prowess that many Dream Theater fans are anxious to see.
Nothing dares to be as grandiloquent as ‘The Best of Times’ or the brutal opening of ‘A Nightmare to Remember.’ Instead, John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess now lead the band's direction through a maze of creative songwriting that immediately shows the freedom gained from Portnoy's departure. It now leans toward a Petrucci and LaBrie solo album, caressing the edge of hip-hop on 'Build Me Up, Break Me Down' as well as an overblown importance of piano with a tad too many ballads including the relaxing ‘Far From Heaven’ that instantly brings ‘Wait For Sleep’ to mind. There's a sense of a spiritual rebirth with the previously mentioned song and ‘Beneath the Surface,’ with a sense of uplifting beauty in the face of disaster. Previous Dream Theater songs were nearly unanimously about sad or depressing topics or in a minor key, and now the band appears to be re-thinking their musical purpose with uplifting chords. What startles me though is that A Dramatic Turn of Events isn't remarkable. In comparison, Octavarium and Systematic Chaos are more effective. I didn't say amazing, just effective. They got their point across with a solid approach. On the other hand, A Dramatic Turn of Events avoids any method of amplification, and Mangini appears to perfectly emulate the emotionless drum track that he was given to perform. Nothing here is as profound as the four minute ending to ‘The Count of Tuscany’ or the striking last moments of 'In The Name of God.'
The problem with this release is that Dream Theater forgets to bring effectiveness to the table. Any idea of a trademark Dream Theater album goes hand in hand with grasping culminations, perceptible drumming, massive melodies and an album chalked full of small cordial details, and ironically, all of those are missing. This isn't a Dream Theater record, it's a weird mix of drumming and keyboard wizardry with all the features from LaBrie and Petrucci's solo albums. Although Dream Theater has been able to continue a solid sound while giving a new appearance with every release, A Dramatic Turn of Events is a stereotypical Dream Theater album. There's no real emotion without Mangini's passion. The keyboard technicality remains active on the four longer tracks 'Lost Not Forgotten,' 'Bridges In The Sky,' 'Outcry,' and 'Breaking All Illusions' with moments of gliding wonder and mid-sections that are more maniacally twisted than anything before it. While the other 'epic' tracks of this length from earlier albums can stick with a listener long enough to make it through an entire song, the moments here are drawn out without any solid appeal. As a dedicated and attuned fan to the 'Dream Theater' sound, I find myself yearning to delete numerous moments of material that simply shouldn't have existed on the record. There's a tiny shred of hope in me that the impossible will occur and Portnoy will be offered to return to Dream Theater at some point in time, but it's more likely that they would rather try their hand at being more dramatic with two drummers in the same way that Iron Maiden has three guitarists. Whatever, at least in that case Portnoy would be back.
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| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
Was gonna put this up yesterday, but Willie beat me to it. lol
(Album was already released in Japan)
Digging: King's X - Dogman Digging: King's X - Dogman | | | Album Rating: 3.5
Solid review! Solid album!
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Good review, but melodrama like this: While the sincerity in that quote causes me to stifle with tears simply doesn't work in a review.
Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless Digging: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless | | |
im buying this for sure
| | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
Uhhuh Irving. lol Thanks guys
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ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
| | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
Does the person who negged care to explain why they did?
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^ hate it when people dont explain
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
So your review is basically saying that Mike Portnoy's influence = Effectiveness.. You nailed it. Have a pos.
Digging: Meshuggah - Koloss Digging: Meshuggah - Koloss | | |
to earn his approval. Unlike Mike Portnoy’s drumming technique where every drum stroke was bombastic, Mangini appears to simply play the part given to him, accentuating notes from pianissimo to forte as if in a symphonic band and avoiding his technical prowess that Dream Theater fans are anxious for.
I'm sorry, but Portnoy was the same (as your above desription) throughout his last few albums with the band. This guy just sounds like he's nicely settled in to where Portnoy left off.
Other than that, your review was great to read and I fully agree. Album is like a 2/5 though.
Digging: Vaura - Selenelion
| | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
Hmmm... Alrighty. I was trying to get across that Mangini plays really quietly. Thanks as well.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Don't think I'll be reviewing this as this more or less sums up what I would say with less words. I'll probably just put up a soundoff.
But if the rest of the epics were like Breaking All Illusions this album would rule.
Digging: Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here Digging: Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here | | |
shit
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Hmmm... Alrighty. I was trying to get across that Mangini plays really quietly.
I think I'm just disappointed with Portnoy's drumming on their last few releases as well.
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Turd
solid review
have a pos
Digging: Goldie - Timeless
| | | Album Rating: 5
"In comparison, Octavarium and Systematic Chaos are more effective. I didn't say amazing, just effective. They got their point across with solid and condensed songwriting."
Systematic Chaos is many things, but condensed definitely isn't one of them.
| | | Album Rating: 3
Nice review
| | | Album Rating: 3 | Sound Off
@MelbCro I thought about that, and you're right. I'll change that blip.
Also thanks Jacquelyn!
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