Dream Theater – Systematic Chaos
There are a few things you can count on in life, beyond death and taxes. One is that Dream Theater will release a new album every couple of years; and it will galvanize the metal community into opinionated ranting. One side will inevitably say that Dream Theater is either no longer relevant or never were, that those who listen to them are snobbish fanatics. The other side will point out every obscure instrument and musical influence on the new album as parts of a whole that average people can’t be expected to grasp. Generally, the band will continue to be ignored by the media except by select music critics and instrument publications such as Guitar Player and Drum! Magazine.
On the new album Systematic Chaos the trend towards heavier thrash influenced compositions continues, so expect your opinion of the last two albums to carry on to this one. Personally I find myself pleased but in no way surprised. Since it takes fewer risks than some of the prior albums, that means that it has less hits and misses, seeming almost too homogeneous. Still, I can see myself spinning this album a whole lot more than I ever did with Octavarium, Train of thought, and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Unfortunately I think the reason is that this album is more comfortable to listen to, which is not what the band is about.
The album opens strongly enough with “In the Presence of our Enemies”, offering up about 4 minutes of the crazy fusion stuff that keyboardist Jordan Rudess excels at. This gives way into a pretty good mix of all the bands elements, including an amazing solo by guitarist Jon Petrucci. Vocalist James LaBrie feels like the only odd man out. Despite his efforts, his vocals seem too melodic for the heavy road Dream Theater has been traveling for the past few years. “Constant Motion” might as well be a song about Mike Portonoy’s drumming and love for Metallica, as it honestly reminds me of “Through the Never” from The Black Album only with better percussion and bass. “The Dark Eternal Night” has a lot of crunch to it but ends up showcasing how much Dream Theaters lyrics have gone downhill from “A Change of Seasons”. Their complex and personal musings on art and philosophy are gone, and songs like this feel like painfully standard metal fare; demons and darkness and all that. Jordan Rudress nails the coffin shut on this track with another out of place cartoonish synth solo. The ballad “Repentance” leads into a better part of the album, as it is followed by tight focus of “Prophets of War”. “The Ministry of Lost Souls” and “In the presence of our enemy’s pt 2” are excessively long but pack enough variety to make them tolerable, if not quite good. What this album accomplishes is sharing with us an updated look into the bands musical growth and provides more tracks for the band to perform live, which is by far their biggest strength.
In my opinion, don’t pick up the CD until you have seen the current live show, their recent albums work better on stage and don’t move you much unless you have a great memory to attach to it.