Tracks from new album have great potential to be summary for new DTCU (Dream Theater Cinematic Universe) movie release.
It finally happened...
The Alien and Invisible Monster are Answering the Call and have decided to Awaken the Master.
But Sleeping Giant has other plans!
Transcending Time, he has his own mission on how to get A View From the Top of The World and...
Actually, the more I write, the more I see it is losing potential. Just like this album.
It's OK, I guess. There are 3 tracks that I really like (
Answering the Call,
Awaken the Master and
Transcending Time).
Being exposed to
LTE3 and
Terminal Velocity a lot in this past year, I quite like
The Alien. But every time I listen to it, I have this urge to just skip the rest of the album and put on something instrumental by Petrucci. Luckily,
Answering the Call comes after it. It's heavy, it's melodic, has a lot of hooks, drama and I would like to see their mindset which made them decide to put those 3 songs as a singles instead of this one.
By these first two tracks, I see that AVFTOTW to me is really a Petrucci/Rudess show backed by amazing Mangini. The guy is a machine, and I mean that as a compliment. Anybody who says he doesn't have
the feel has never heard how would drums really sounds with a drummer who is just trying to keep 4/4 with occasional drum feel. A funny example here
: LINK He may not be as playful as Portnoy but that's got nothing to do with what people usually throw at him. I can't really think of another album where Myung is so... subdued? I can hear he's there but I miss those moments where he really shines ie. where he takes the spot or just wanders on his own and makes the song a notch better. James is OK. There.
Invisible Monster sounds like Dream Theater tribute band doing their first original song and managing to get lukewarm results from their 300 people fanbase on Facebook (which is mostly consisted of their friends and relatives).
Transcending Time is such a good-feel song! You want to sit with it on the porch, pour some iced tea and reminisce about high-school times. I wish they made more songs like this on their later albums.
Awaken the Monster is just what it's title says. Now, if the album was consisted of 5 songs like this I'd give it 5 stars right-away. I wouldn't need ballads, rockers, epics, interludes or anything else. Just give me longer songs with several different yet coherent parts and I'm satisfied. Oh, and lyrics in this one, to me, tackled the topic of climbing much better than the title track. But I'm not really the one to say since I don't really notice Dream Theater lyrics unless they're incredibly stupid. Then (if the song is good), I absolutely adore them - take any random line from
Black Clouds and Silver Linings and I could see it on a motivational poster hanged in my living room.
DOT had much more to offer, in my opinion. It had its ups and downs, but there is so much more to pick from there.
Sleeping Giant, for example, is the songs which I should like (in theory). Somehow it doesn't click. Maybe because it has so much going on in 10 minutes, or maybe those parts don't stick good together or maybe some of those parts need more time to breathe - whatever. I'm somehow of opinion if they decided to take this one to 20 minutes (instead of the title track) I would like the result better. And speaking of title track, there is nothing that I don't like but... Instead of picking it apart, here's a situation that could paint what I think about it.
Your friend invites you to a restaurant. 'They have this amazing course, you have to try it! On my expanse.' Wow, great, you haven't had a 4-meal course in a lifetime and you really like those! Even if there's something you don't like, there's, like, 4 different meals! Something out of it has to be amazing! So you sit at a table, your expectations high and the waiter brings hors d'oeuvre (cold appetizer) - homemade beef jerky and homemade potato chips. You eaten a ton of that, but this one is done differently and it's OK. So far, so good.
Second meal, warm appetizer - from large pot on the table you can smell beef soup. As you grab ladle, you pick up a piece of boiled potato. "This is basically meat-and-potato fest!" you say jokingly as your friend already slurps from his plate. 'Yeah, but it's really good, try it!' It is good, but... There are so many soups, couldn't it be from something else, you ask yourself.
Your stomach is a bit full, but you are rubbing your hands because you know the main course will come soon. As the waiter opens the lid of the main course in front of you, your friend sees your reaction and his smile turns to frown ' What's wrong?' You look at it and you try to explain. The beef looks well-done, just how you like it, there's bit of bacon in that potato salad, but... You feel cheated somehow, don't you? 'Nah, it's all good' you answer as you try first bit. And it is good, it's grilled nicely, the potato salad is tasty, but... Meat and potatoes, again? As you eat, you and your friend reminisce of the times you went to other restaurants and the more you talk, the more you remember all meals and variations you had - fish, pasta, mushrooms... There is so much food in this world! And the more you remember, the more you come to conclusion how poorly thought the course in this restaurant is.
'Wow, I'm full. This was great!' your friend pats his stomach, leaned backward in his chair. His eyebrows lift up and the question is hanging in the air 'Up for dessert?' Damn, after all this, something sweet would be really nice. It's a fancy restaurant, maybe they serve crepe. Or a piece of chocolate cake. Damn, even plain pancake would sit well now! The table is cleared, the conversation became quieter, you see people from other table paying the bill and leaving. What am I complaining about, you ask yourself, this was a good night! OK, course may be a bit better, but you cleared every plate, didn't you? It's not like it was awful so you had to spit the first bite of your food in the tablecloth and moved the plate aside. 'Here he is' your friend nods behind you back announcing the arrival of the waiter who carries two desserts high in his hands.
Suddenly, the chair flies back as you stand up and scream 'Where are they?!' The waiter takes a step back, balancing the plates in his hands and muttering 'Sir, I have no idea what you're talking about...' "Hidden cameras, that's what! Where are they, what kind of show is this?!?!' the veins on your forehead jump up as your friend tries to calm you down. 'We have cameras, yes sir, but they are only for security reasons.' the waiter speaks to you but his eyes are looking for help from the kitchen. 'I assure you, this is a restaurant, not a show...' the kitchen staff is already on the door 'Oh, yeah?!' you reply, your face now resembling to young Jack Nicholson on cocaine. "Well then..." you grab plates from his hands. "Fuck this meat pudding and fuck you!" you throw the first one and it flies across his head, but the second one hits his head, splattering the potato cream all over his face. In a matter of minutes, police comes and untangles the brawl you and your friend gotten into with the kitchen staff (the waiters stood aside and recorded everything with their smartphones).
4 AM, just awaken from bed, your wife waits for you in front of the police station. The cold wind carries her hair and the bathrobe she is clutching on this cold November night. 'What happened?' her eyes are painted with worry. You feel the bruise on your cheek. 'You wouldn't understand it, honey.' You pick up a cigarette and clutch your hands, trying to light it up. Behind your wedding ring, you see her face and you know. You just know it. The thought of divorce has ran trough her head. 'It was just meat and potatoes, honey.' You take a long inhale and the tear rolls down your cheek involuntarily. "Just meat and potatoes..."
