DREAM THEATER — Black Clouds & Silver Linings (review)

DREAM THEATER — Black Clouds & Silver Linings album cover Album · 2009 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
The Block
Dream Theater's 10th and newest album has left nothing behind. It is awesome from start to finish with it's lyrics and musical ability. It has picked up where "Octavarium" and "Systematic Chaos" left off, though it's a bit heavier. Another great in the line of DT albums. Here are the songs:

1/6 "A Nightmare to Remember" starts off with thunder and sets the seen for a dark but very good song. Then Petrucci starts with a little keys that turn into Portnoy drumming. This song tells the story of a car crash from John Petrucci's past. It is alsmost told to you instead of singing but it has a good sound to it. Mike Portnoy's growl midway through the song really adds that DT touch and you can almost feel how Mr. Petrucci must have felt. When I first listened to the album I thought it was one of the best growls I had heard, but after I got more into metal I realized that it was more mediocre than good.

2/6 "A Right of Passage" is not one of the best DT songs but is has some good parts as in the begining were it starts with what sounds like guitar than transfers into drumming. You here a man talking then it goes to a deep growl. Overall the song has catchy choruses and playing that show some of Dream Theaters talent.

3/6"Wither" is another straight forward song though it is more like a ballad. It is compared to "Vacant" from Train of Thought. Though the comparison is not the best. It is mostly lead by the vacals and drum playing.

4/6"The Shattered Fortress" is the last step in Mike Portnoy's 12 step suite talking about his alcoholism. Portnoy and Labrie trade of vocals and Mike Portnoy adds his growls to make this blend in good with the other songs in the suite. It is also very instrumentally strong.

5/6"The Best of Times" is a tribute to Mike Portnoy's father(R.I.P) and the time that they spent together. It starts with opening piano that leads into a string section of the song. The lyrics show how Portnoy felt using the lyrics " the young boy and his father idol and best friend". Some people have even compared this a little to Rush. Has very strong emotions in it cansidering the topic.

6/6"The Count of Tuscany" is a very instrumental song that stats off with good guitars and what sound like either synths of keys. It is one of the best DT epics and the best on the album. Supposedly written about Mr. Portnoy meeting a strange count in Tuscany and being freaken by it. The song certainly shows his emotions and if you have only listened to it a couple times it can be unperdictable at times.

Great abum all the way through that includes one good epic and an awesome epic. 4 stars.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Unearthly Litanies of Despair Death Metal
ENGULFED
Buy this album from MMA partners
It Beckons Us All....... Black Metal
DARKTHRONE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Death Is Not The End Doom Metal
GLOSSA
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Way Forward Sludge Metal
BLACK TUSK
Buy this album from MMA partners
Till Aska Atmospheric Sludge Metal
WALK THROUGH FIRE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 2 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed