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Dream Theater's tenth long-player is about as dense and challenging as any album in the band's discography and emphasizes not only the virtuoso members' stupefying musicianship, but also their most aggressive and thoroughly metallic songwriting tendencies. The sixteen-minute opener "A Nightmare to Remember" quickly establishes this agenda via frequently thrash-paced staccato riffing, some of John Petrucci's most blistering guitar solos ever, and the return of drummer Mike Portnoy's syncopated growls, which provide contrast for singer James LaBrie's soaring melodic elegance. "The Count of Tuscany" is a heady prog-metal magnum opus brimming with more ideas, notes, and time changes over 19 minutes than most bands bother with over a ten album career. In fact, "Whither," a tender ballad and mere babe at five minutes in length, is the album's only concession to commerce. Black Clouds & Silver Linings, for all its abundantly positive qualities and minor but clear distinctions from prior efforts, is still an archetypal Dream Theater album; one that's unlikely to broaden their audience all that much, but is conversely guaranteed to thrill their hard core converts with its renewed devotion to the most exigent and stimulating facets of the band's chosen musical domain.
Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (10/2008-03/2009).
Illustrator: Hugh Syme.
Photographer: Dan Mandell.
Personnel: John Petrucci (vocals, guitar, guitars); Mike Portnoy (vocals, drums, percussion); James LaBrie (vocals); Jerry Goodman (violin); Jordan Rudess (keyboards); John Myung (bass instrument).
Audio Mixer: Paul Northfield.
Record Collector (magazine) (p.80) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "'A Nightmare To Remember' kicks things off as you'd expect, with a 16-minute exemplar of the genre -- gothic keys and whirring guitar battling it out with mammoth percussion..." Black Clouds & Silver Linings Music Dream Theater Black Clouds & Silver Linings Songs Black Clouds & Silver Linings Music Black Clouds & Silver Linings Music Review Average Rating: (4.2 out of 5 stars)    List All 34 Reviews WOW am I pleased!
I was wary of this release, after the past three left me thinking they were on the wane of their career...but this is their best work since Six Degrees in '02; maybe even since Scenes in '99. I am so glad the magic is still there, and it clearly is. Once again DT have proven they are THE standard for intelligent prog metal.
If you are longing for creative, twisting songs with immense style, musicianship and just plain shredding, this album is what you have been waiting to hear for years. But, just when I thought it was starting to head into the "in favor of indulgence over melody, the fifth track "The Best of Times" rolls in and reminds me of the hooks, harmony and feel that DT are so good at. And the closing track epic "The Count of Tuscany" is just as good as anything they have ever written. I also favor the short slow number "Wither" quite a bit.
Overall there is just no way ANY fan of DT could possibly be disappointed with this.
Submitted by The Man (Somewhere In Time)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 4 of 4 found this helpful.
DT's finest hour
Dream Theater's "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" is one of their best releases to date.
The progressive rock kings 10th album catches the band at their finest.
With James LaBrie's vocals stronger than ever, along with the per usual outstanding playing of Petrucci, Portnoy, Myung and Rudess this disc soars from beginning to end.
All the songs are strong from the opening and one of my favorite's
"A Nightmare to Remember" to the very last "The Count of Tuscany".
This will be in my cd player for a long time to come.
Submitted by Doug (Arundel, ME, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 3 of 3 found this helpful. Excellent
Don't listen to those who "claim" to be fans and then slam this album. BUY IT NOW!!! I've had this album in heavy rotation since it came out and I'm still amazed at how great it is! It's EXCELLENT vocally, instrumentally, lyrically, and in all other aspects of composition/production. Classic, epic, strong.....DT. Enough said.
Submitted by SDMF71 (Sioux Falls, SD)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No Amazing!
This is DT's best album yet. It combines all of their strengths as musicians and songwriters into one solid album from start to finish. The lyrics on this album are also equally strong. Best lyrics since Awake. Much improved over Systematic Chaos. Get it.
Submitted by Brian Q. (Dallas, TX, USA)
Was This Review Helpful? Yes No incredible
even though there are only 6 tracks, the length of them makes up for it. this album combines some of there older stuff (images and words) with their newer stuff (train of thought, octavarium)its a very intresting album, one of my favorites. especially the count of tuscany, soooo epic.
Submitted by nick (Dayton, NJ, USA)
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