Review Summary: Yep, this sure is a Dream Theater record, all right
The 2010s were a strange and frustrating time to be a Dream Theater fan. Despite the refreshing promise that came with 2011’s A Dramatic Turn of Events, the band seemed to plateau with efforts like 2014’s self-titled album and 2019’s Distance Over Time. It sometimes feels like their creativity has been cursed, forever barred from reaching the heights of their prime and only capable of unleashing an abomination like 2016’s The Astonishing if they ever attempt anything beyond the boundaries of pleasant stagnancy. Even the first listen of their fifteenth outing, A View from the Top of the World, can be summed up with a shrugged “yep, this sure is a Dream Theater record, all right.”
With that said, it’s hard to remember the last time Dream Theater’s musicianship sounded this lively. While this album doesn’t directly follow the overt heaviness of Distance Over Time, the turnaround that was established there is followed up here with even more vibrant performances. The usual dynamics are certainly in place with the guitars and keyboards leading the way for the intricate rhythms to follow, but the playing is fluid and the tones benefit from an organic heft that keeps from feeling too chunky. The vocals also seem to be considerably more comfortable this time around, still largely focused on a safe range but with a less processed feel than the last couple efforts. A mix/master courtesy of Andy Sneap might’ve also played a hand in boosting the presentation.
Of course, the songwriting runs through the usual assortment of Dream Theater tropes with the seven tracks bringing about a varied sense of déj* vu. Lead single “The Alien” kicks things off with an immediate recollection of “In the Presence of Enemies” with its lengthy shred-friendly intro and heavy transitions while “Transcending Time” serves as the mandatory Rush worship song. “Invisible Monster” and “Sleeping Giant” are the album’s most memorable tracks, the former putting in a nice series of hooks and the latter having an arguably more substantial epic presence than the twice-as-long title track.
But for all the efficiency that this album has going for it, the seeming lack of personality that defines modern Dream Theater is becoming impossible to ignore. While the musicianship and material reflect the band’s signature characteristics on a superficial level, the quirks that truly defined them have gotten phased out in recent years. I find myself yearning for the days when they openly flaunted their non-Rush influences, weirdly oversharing lyrics, and more overt aesthetic motifs. Considering how acolytes like Haken and others are beating them at their own game at this point, it would be nice to have something to hang onto beyond basic familiarity.
Like the other albums in Dream Theater’s post-Portnoy era, I feel rather conflicted about A View from the Top of the World. It would be the best album in over a decade if we were going by the playing alone, which sees everybody at the top of their game and sounding refreshed, but the songwriting continues down the path of unexceptional serviceability. It’s becoming clear that Dream Theater will stay in this plateau and go through these motions for the rest of their career barring a major shakeup or another attempt at an ill-fated high concept. Fans will fan, detractors will detract, the press will consider it a return to form, and the world will keep spinning. I’m not mad or even disappointed, just favorably indifferent.
