So finally, I got a chance to listen to my second favorite band of all time's most recent release, Systematic Chaos twice so far today.
First of all, let me say that this is a very good album. I think it is a very solid release. However, I see some problems here and there that have been rooted since Octavarium and are becoming more apparent on this one. (I have not watched the "making of" documentary yet)
1. in the Presence of My Enemies - What a great start! Cool progressions, all band members got to be involved-very cool. Starts of with a hammer in the forehead blasting. Great. The beginning of an epic. So I have got the mood of the album... (I assumed. I mean shit, there is a part two at the end.) the lyrics were different. Somewhat fantasy oriented, rare for Dream Theater, not for my other stuff-I liked it-but somehow something seemed... awry.
2. Forsaken - eeee. The pop side of Dream Theater shows its face once again. I am not against pop music or great melodies but this was an Evanescence rip off!! Come on guys. It did not shock me like "The Answer lies within" did last time-and honestly by the second time I heard it it really wasn't that bad.
3. Constant Motion - When i heard this released as the single, I freaked out. It sucked so bad. As a single. But when i heard it this time, I loved it! (Maybe because of the stuff before...) It was raw, different-and some technical stuff finally thrown in! I had been waiting for Portnoy to go off, but it took him until the third song to even warm up it seems. And Portnoy's debut on vocals by himself melodically on the chorus was horrible. Portnoy, please stick to backup and... rapping? (Another trend...)The chorus was overall lackluster. I liked the Hetfield-esque stuff going on in the verses though. Although the song was good, it did not fit the whole overall mood of the album. It felt just kind of thrown in there.
4. The Dark Eternal Night - Best one. To me, this is the first song since ItPoE pt1 that actually fit in with the album. This one was the first one that was ACTUALLY heavy like has been claimed numerous times. Obviously Dream Theater does not know what "heavy" really means I guess. So far it's really a softer album-like Octavarium. But this one really fit the mood of the first track and the lyrics also kind of related to the first track - I think. All the instrumentation was good, good technicality and originality.
5. Repentance - Teh Suck. the worst part of the 1000 part series about Portnoy making sucha big deal about his past where he oh my god, drank... alcohol! Really on the depths there... This one pissed me off it sucked so bad. No instrumentation, rehashing of old shitty material. No where does it fit in the album.
6. Prophets of War - uh. Hold the phone, what's going on? Did James Labrie take over on this one? Actually it wasn't that bad. Sounded like partial rip-off of Disco Queen by Pain of Salvation which sucked. But really it was different, and interesting. Does not even come close to fitting on the album, it sounded like something Labrie would have put on his solo album.
7. The Ministry of Lost Souls - Eh... another slow poppy ballad thing that's really long and boring. The second time around I liked it a lot better-and the mood definitely fits the album. I won't knock it too bad. DId sound like there was some rehashing going on.
8. In the Presence of Enemies Part II - Good track. 2nd best one. I feel like ItPoEpt1, tDEN, tMoLS, and ItPoE pt 2 should have been on this album. The rest should have waited for another one. Pt 2 was like the first cept longer and better. Great stuff.
9. Wait. The album is over? Wtf.
There was a lack of technicality of olden days. Basically like a slightly rougher version of Octavarium. Do not know why it was considered that heavy. Sure some parts to it but NOTHING compared to Train of Thought. Usually Dream Theater tries to keep a central idea- or theme if you will. Not on this one. It's like the band members keep pressing in seperate directions with less and less connectivity. Scenes and 6 Degrees had it. Train of thought had a "rock-out" idea that made it work. Octavarium began to lose it-but made up for it with all the interesting little connectiosn with the album artwork and key progressions of the album itself as a whole. Plus the track octavarium made up for everything with it's greatness. First of all, Systematic Chaos? Wow, leave of the Systematic and replace randomness. Dream Theater needs a shocker-something to get them back on the same page. Roadrunner might make them into trivium wanna be's like the metal world is right now.
I NEVER though i would say this, but Portnoy needs to go home and practice! It's not that his parts are bad, or shabby, but we HAVE heard them ALL before! Octavarium was the same way. He is not pushing the envelope anymore. Petrucci, same shit man. New ideas. It's like Dream Theater has almost used it up because they include so much in each song. I can understand. But Neil Peart really kicked Portnoy's ass this time around. JLB shined on this album-sometimes too much(I don't like a whole lot of emphasis on vocals) This album definitely was about some vocals. LB- keep it a little straighter-not as much eh's and ah's like a female. LB you are the least important part of this band-stay that way. Myung and Rudess both did well as always.
Like I said, I liked the album I bet it will grow on me. But the small problems from octavarium have gotten bigger on this one. I hope it does not become a trend. If so, I would suggest a new band member-getting rid of an old one (that hurts just to even think of that), or some fire getting under these motherfuckers to practice and start making ALBUMS and not just some songs here and there to form together on a cd. It's all up to Portnoy, it always has been. He's got to shake them up out of the rut-but lately it seems like he's leading them into it. And the cover art is cool-but what the fuck does it have to do with anything? I just finish hearing about the Dark Master and I turn the page and there is ants at a picnic crawling around with food happily. Okay then.
Good Luck Dream Theater.
