Dream Theater
Systematic Chaos
Band: Dream Theater
|
When one thinks of the progressive rock field, Dream Theater instantly comes to mind. Since the group's inception in 1989, they have proven to be one of the most influential groups of the genre, rubbing off on indie rock and nearly every style of metal including death metal, doom, grind core, and avant-garde black metal. While inspiring bands from genres miles away from DT's eclectic, artful style, the group has unquestionably been prog rock's figure head of the last two decades. They are the impetus that keeps this style afloat. With their newest release, "Systematic Chaos," the group seeks to further maintain their legendary reputation.
"Systematic Chaos" delivers everything one expects to hear on a DT album: the trademark 70s-inspired prog keyboards, jazz-fusion breaks, ever-changing song structures, complicated time changes, and expert song writing. The multiple parts of each song are essential to keeping the music moving along. The group transitions into more interesting territories as soon as a part starts to stagnate, especially during some of the slower moments. Often the slower moments slowly gain momentum before breaking into a heavy verse, chorus or virtuoso jam session. Due to each song's massive length and DT's amorphic nature, every track features several memorable parts. Equally important, the use of various tempo changes and styles give the album a story-like quality. Much of the lyrics on "Systematic Chaos" tell a story. Some of the tracks like "In the Presence of Enemies" (Parts I and II) are divided into several sections that resemble chapters in a book. The said tracks tell the tale of angels and demons fighting for a man's soul. In the final section entitled "Salvation" the conflicted man wins his battle and finds salvation. This story seems the centerpiece of the album, both lyrically and musically. The first section is an intro that begins in a Rush-like jam session, with the band showing off their skills. Strong vocal melodies, complicated drum beats, and classical guitar scaling follow throughout the rest of the track. Sci Fi keyboards add to the song's spiritual theme. The soul side journey was just beginning on "In the Presence of Enemies". The epic's second track puts you in the middle of the conflict. The character of the story walks down the dark path on "III Heretic". Deep bass lines imitate the warm voice of an inviting dark spirit, and the chorus line "My soul is yours/Dark Master/I will fight for you" possesses the pilgrim's soul. It appears our hero is in the throes of the devil, however; near the end of the story, "VI Salvation" the music assumes a lighter tone when the antagonist chooses the righteous path. Another noteworthy track comes in "Repentance". The ten-minute-plus track is also split into several sections with the last section "IX Restitution" being a collection of guest vocalists. The special guest list includes Mikael Akerfeldt, Jon Anderson, David Ellefson, Daniel Gildenlow, Steve Hogarth, Chris Jericho (Fozzy), Neal Morse, Joe Satriani, Corey Taylor, Steve Vai, and Steven Wilson. Darren Cowan
|
|
|
