Mike Portnoy leaves Dream Theater

His message says it all...

"I am about to write something I never imagined I'd ever write:

After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater....the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.

To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision...it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so....

After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater...

Please don't misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them...it's just that I think we are in serious need of a little break...

Dream Theater was always my baby...and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985...24/7, 365...never taking time off from DT's never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was "off" between cycles)...working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band...

But I've come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out...and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired.

We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a "hiatus" to recharge our batteries and "save me from ourselves"...

Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather...I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be...

While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way...so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes....

Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about "always following your heart and being true to yourself"...sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater...and I would simply be "going through the motions", and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.

I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come...I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played....

I'm sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world...I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work...I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)...but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within....

You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me....(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!)

Sadly...
Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,
MP"

Riding the rock and roll school bus to Iron Maiden and Dream Theater

Last week I mentioned the fact that I was going to see Dream Theater and Iron Maiden on Sunday, 11 July at the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel NJ. I promised a review.

I should start out the review by stating that I missed Dream Theater’s opening song, ‘As I Am.’ I missed it because I was sitting in a school bus in the North overflow parking lot about a mile or so up the Garden State Parkway from the venue. I was sitting in the bus because the show sold out…17,500 tickets, if the info on Wikipedia (and a brief Google search) is to be believed…and all the parking lots were filled. I’m not sure what it was about the whole situation, but I found it a little funny and a lot weird, as if I had been taken back in time 20-odd years (actually a little longer, but we’re not going to count, OK?) to my school days, and the rowdy noisiness of the kids yelling at the driver and generally making fools of themselves. Of course, the fact that most of them had probably been hitting their coolers pretty hard in the time before the show might have helped (or maybe hindered) their cause. In any event, I was standing in line at the merch stand to buy my two overpriced t-shirts (one DT, one Maiden, natch) as the band was finishing up their opening track.

‘A Rite of Passage’ was up next, off the band’s newest album Black Clouds & Silver Linings, and it got a decent response from the crowd, while the somewhat slower ‘Home’ seemed to set the audience where I was standing back a bit, despite it perhaps being a bit better known. The crowd’s energy was kicked back up with a pair of shorter, faster paced songs; ‘Constant Motion,’ from Systematic Chaos saw a big response from the crowd (some of whom were still flowing into the amphitheatre), while ‘Panic Attack’ seemed to be a big hit. It also got my one head shake of the night, as James LaBrie introduced it with the statement ‘If you have Rock Band 2 you’ll know this one…Panic Attack!’ I know it’s indicative of where the industry is these days, but it still strikes me as a bit of a downer that a video game has become a way of advertising a song, rather than the album its from. In any event, ‘Panic Attack’ got a very big response.

Dream Theater closed out their set with their biggest (and many would say only) hit, ‘Pull Me Under’ from the band’s 1992 release Images and Words. It’s become almost an obligatory track for the band to play, especially to audiences not necessarily familiar with the band’s catalogue, as it received extensive radio and MTV airplay despite its 8-minute length. As the opening notes played the crowd cheered, obviously familiar with this piece, and the band played the piece with enthusiasm, which was nice to see considering that by this point it’s likely that they have played the song over a thousand times since its release.

As things quieted down, I sat on the hill and thought a little bit about the show. The band sounded great…honestly. James LaBrie was in fine form, and I could hear John Myung’s bass playing pretty clearly. Mike Portnoy was killing it on drums, John Petrucci’s guitar tone was nice and crunchy, and Jordan Rudess sounded good on keys, albeit at times just a bit lower than I expected. It’s hard to tell if the band converted anyone…Maiden shirts outnumbered DT shirts by a 20 to 1 margin easily, and I know that amongst the cheers I did see people unmoved, arms crossed or talking to their neighbours. For me, while the set was strong, I know I'd have loved to hear some more diverse material. I know the songs were chosen to present DT at their heavier side to the Maiden fans, but it was a bit much of one thing for me. I will say this…I’ll try to make an effort to see them in more of a headliner position in the future, as I’d like to hear and see them play a wider range of material. That has to count for something, right?

1. As I Am
2. A Rite Of Passage
3. Home
4. Constant Motion
5. Panic Attack
6. Pull Me Under

As the sun began to set behind the hills of Holmdel New Jersey, the nearly 20,000 people gathered to see Iron Maiden play were growing restless. Every time another crewmember came on stage in the dark, a small cheer was raised in hopes that it was actually one of the band. A few idle strums or bass guitar thumps were evidence enough that things weren’t quite ready yet.

Then the lights went down. The crowd cheered. And as the opening kettledrum notes of Gustav Holst’s ‘Mars, the Bringer of War’ began to pulse out over the crowd, the expectant crown rose to life as one. The projection screens showed a series of images from the Hubble Space Telescope as Holst’s most recognisable tune continued to wash out over the crowd, with the slide show finally ending on an image of crossed halberds across a helmeted skull…the Iron Maiden ‘logo’ from A Matter of Life and Death. And as the band finally bounded on stage open with a powerful rendition of the newer classic ‘The Wicker Man,’ one thing was certain; Iron Maiden was in control.

Following on from the opening salvos of ‘The Wicker Man,’ Maiden kept things going with the epic ‘Ghost of the Navigator,’ with thousands of fans singing along. The band showed amazing energy on stage, with Dickinson running around the tiered, ramp bracketed stage like someone half or less his age. Bassist Steve Harris would jump, pogo, run and wield his bass like a machine gun, aiming it at the audience as he played his trademark galloping bass licks. While Adrian Smith and Dave Murray always seem a bit more restrained on stage, Jannick Gers is still playing the part of the energetic young hotshot, whipping his guitar around his back, dancing jigs, and generally continuing to act like someone getting to live his biggest dream even after almost 20 years in the band.

A brief trip to the past for ‘Wrathchild’ (from 1981’s Killers) set up the sole new track in the set list. Coming from the band’s forthcoming release The Final Frontier, ‘El Dorado’ is a crunchy mid tempo rocker that was released as a free download on 8 June. It seemed obvious to me that a good bit of the crowd had availed themselves of the download, as they seemed pretty familiar with the track. It was a powerful rendition of the new song, one that bodes well for the rest of the material to come on the forthcoming album. ‘Dance of Death,’ the title track from Maiden’s 2003 album, was played next, but it honestly seemed overshadowed by the tracks to follow.

A pair of tracks from A Matter of Life and Death (‘The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg’ and ‘These Colours Don't Run’) got a huge response from the crowd, especially ‘These Colours Don't Run,’ which Dickinson explained was about people who believed in what they were fighting for…not necessarily wars, but also including people fighting for peace or whatever. The crowd ate both tracks up, and the energy continued through an epic take on Brave New World’s ‘Blood Brothers,’ which featured some of the most passionate audience response of any song in the set. Dickinson used this song as an opportunity to ‘indoctrinate’ the new audience members into ‘the brother and sisterhood of Iron Maiden,’ and after seeing what an Iron Maiden show is like, I can see that.

A few more newer songs led the band toward the end of their set, and a trip down memory lane. Maiden took the crowd back to the early 1990’s with ‘Fear of the Dark’ from the album of the same name, while the opening notes of the band’s ‘title’ song caused the crowd to go nuts, as much for what they knew was going to happen on stage as for the song. Sure enough, part way through the track Eddie the ‘Ead made his appearance on stage, harassing and interfering with the band as they played. All of this could be seen on the projection screens via the ‘Eddie-cam,’ which gave the crown a band’s eye view of the mayhem. Eddie finally stole one of the guitars and began to ‘play’ as Harris and Gers attacked with their guitar and bass, with the crowd screaming along in joy. Let me tell you, when you consider that Live After Death was a major album in my youth, hearing Bruce Dickinson call out ‘Scream for me New Jersey!’ in person was a huge thing :-)

As the final notes of ‘Iron Maiden’ finally faded and the band retreated from the stage, the lights dimmed and the crowd began their chant of ‘MAI-DEN! MAI’DEN!’ A few minutes passed before a familiar recitation came across the PA system:

‘Woe to you, oh earth and sea…for the devil send the Beast with wrath, for He knows the time is short.’

What little bit of sanity the crowd had was gone, as evidenced by the lanky gentleman near my spot on the hill, who was flailing around, headbanging and thrusting one hand in the air, fingers forked, as he tried to video the band playing through his violent dancing. It was a difficult decision, choosing to watch the band or watch this guy acting like a jittering fool. A second track from The Number of the Beast album, ‘Hallowed be thy Name,’ followed on, with the audience singing as loudly as their lungs would allow. Maiden finally drew the night to a close with a hilarious take on ‘Running Free,’ memorable for the audience participation Dickinson instigated. Between his comments to the audience about his hat, which he finally tossed to the crowd, to his British Bobby’s hat and his comment about getting one young lady’s ‘particulars’ later, by this point the crowd was fully in the band’s capable hands.

Dickinson came to center stage one last time as the band built to a final climax, barking out ‘You think it’s over? Well, it is now! Good night New Jersey!’ One last curtain call, and the lights came up as Monty Python’s ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ played across the PA.

The Wicker Man
Ghost Of The Navigator
Wrathchild
El Dorado
Dance Of Death
The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
These Colours Don't Run
Blood Brothers
Wildest Dreams
No More Lies
Brave New World
Fear Of The Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
The Number of the Beast
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Running Free

Some brief thoughts about the upcoming Dream Theater/Iron Maiden concert

So…

I’ll be seeing Dream Theater and Iron Maiden in just a few days…1 July, at what used to be called the Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel NJ. I’ve got lawn seats, which runs counter to my general loathing of general admission seating in my ever so advanced dotage. Seriously…you try having a sclerotic right S.I. joint and early onset osteoarthritis and then decide to stand for several hours in what will likely be 90+ degree heat for a metal show. I have a feeling I’ll be wheeled out of there because my one leg is gonna stiffen so much it’ll resemble a 2x4 stuck in a pair of jeans.

But I digress. This is my blog after all, and I am allowed the occasional digression.

Here’s what’s interesting about the whole situation: I have been a fan of Dream Theater, to one degree or another, since the release of Images and Words in 1992. Somewhere I even have a copy of the review I wrote of that album for my college’s newspaper, and while I don’t currently have a scanner, if I find it I’ll scan it and append it to this post at some future date. That’s not the point right now; the point is that as of this month, I’ve been listening to this band for 18 years, and this will be the first time I will be seeing them in concert. If I were to be honest, it’s likely because they are opening for Iron Maiden that I am seeing them this time. And I am not sure how to feel about that.

All bands change; all bands evolve. I’ll admit that I was not a huge fan of Images and Words, as I found some of the ballady stuff too cloying, and the production gave the songs a 90’s metal sheen that was not in keeping with the more progressive sounds I was looking for, and found in some of the songs. Their 1994 follow-up, Awake, was much more in keeping with my tastes at that time, and it still gets a decent amount of play here. Falling Into Infinity took, well, almost an infinity to come out, and it was at the time way less than satisfying (I’ve since re-evaluated my position, and while I like it more than I did, it’s still not great).

A weird thing happened then. Dream Theater got a new keyboardist, their third one, a guy named Jordan Rudess, who went to Julliard and played with Annie Haslam and the Dixie Dregs, among others. They released a 78 minute long concept album that blew everyone’s socks off, and which left me again somewhat less than impressed. Oh, there were some killer songs on there, but a lot just…I missed whatever it was that the band was doing that others fell in love with. This would end up being the theme from here on out; each successive album would come out, and I’d buy it hoping to capture in a bottle whatever it was I was looking for, and each time finding things to enjoy, and often just as much that didn’t do a thing for me. Six Degrees, Train of Thought, Octavarium, Systematic Chaos, Black Holes and Silver Linings…I’ve bought them all, listened to them all, and while there are moments that I nod my head and smile, it’s not a constant. And maybe never was, as we can see.

I’ve seen the band live on DVD, of course…being the fan I am, I’ve bought Live in Tokyo and Five Years in a LIVEtime and Live Scenes From New York and (pantgaspforair) Live at Budokan and Score and Chaos in Motion and…you get the message. I’ve seen how they are live, and I’ve heard enough of their live material to know they can bring it in concert. Yet I’ve had no desire the last couple years, as they’ve toured more heavily, to see them in concert. I’ve had chances…I could have seen the 2004 summer tour where they opened for Yes, but couldn’t get out of work (that didn’t stop my boss from telling me the Monday after the show how he saw Yes in concert with ‘that band Dream Theater that you like’ opening for them). I had a ticket made available for me for the Radio City show that they shot Score at, but no way to get into the city for it. And then, the past few years, just no longing, no burning need to see them.

Some of this, I am sure, is because the past few albums I have returned to less and less. While I am listening to Black Holes and Silver Linings as I type this, I can say this is maybe the fifth or sixth time I have listened to anything from this release that isn’t the cover songs since it came out on 23 June last year. There’s next to nothing on this album that drives me to want to listen to it, and I am not one of those people who believes that you have to listen to something twenty or thirty or a hundred times to ‘grasp the subtle nuances of what the band has to offer.’ This is Dream Theater; there ain’t a blasted thing subtle about them. Even Systematic Chaos gave me 40-odd minutes of music I liked, even though I still bristle at how much 25 minutes of that was taken from the manhwa Priest sans any crediting or attribution.

Lest anyone think I am just not metal enough to dig Dream Theater…three of my favourite albums released in the last six months are from Ihsahn, Triptykon and Finntroll. I think Enslaved is far more progressive than Dream Theater is; prog metal doesn’t mean just adding keyboards to the mix. I think Thomas Gabriel Fischer has done more to progress metal, and Ihsahn is breaking down huge boundaries, especially on After, which sees his patented symphonics mixed with crushing black metal and skronking saxophone to create a wonderfully flavourful melange that sweetens the tongue as it repeatedly bashes you in the face. I am far from afraid of metal; I do seek out great metal music to balance the lush symphonic rock of Banco and Yes, powerful metal to be the dark, brutal yin to the light, pastoral yang of Jade Warrior and Gryphon. Yet I am going into this concert with Dream Theater’s presence being more of an added bit to the fact that I am getting a chance to see Iron Maiden, also for the first time. If not for them, there’s every chance that I’d still not have seen Dream Theater in concert.

Am I going to skip seeing Dream Theater? Nope.

Am I going to whinge about seeing them? Not a chance (though I bet some reading this will assume I am doing just that here).

Will I feel the same way I did years ago? Probably not.

Will I enjoy the set? With 95% certainty, most assuredly.

I’m tossing this out there as it is. I’m not offering up any deep insights, though perhaps there’s something in here that is actually insightful. I’m sure that among you reading out there, some of you have certainly gone through the same thing with other bands, and will be nodding your heads sagely, stroking your goatees while sipping a nice single barrel scotch. I’m equally sure there will be people out there who will be looking for me at the show to administer a beat down, verbal or otherwise (ok, not so much on the second bit...I hope), for daring to besmirch the name of Dream Theater. And it’s OK to feel that way, it really is. I’m defensive of the bands I love (I still can’t believe there were people who didn’t get The Enid at NEARfest). Just because I’ve fallen out of love with Dream Theater doesn’t mean the band and I still can’t see each other from time to time and reminisce about the good old days, after all…it just means we’ve both moved on.

CD REVIEW: Dream Theater, Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009, Roadrunner)

There are some things in this world more life threatening than reviewing a Dream Theater album. I’d try to list them, but as most of them deal with handling toxic or nuclear waste, and/or wrestling large wild animals, I’m not sure such a list is necessary or desired.

I exaggerate some, but not much. In the world of progressive music, not many bands have a fan base as…well…fervent and devoted as Dream Theater does. Quite a bit of this is warranted; the band does go it of its way to give their fans as much as possible, with constantly revolving set lists in concert, a regular series of official bootlegs containing demos, alternate tracks, and live shows. From their 3+ hour ‘evening with’ sets to the last two Progressive nation tours, they make every effort to give the fans as much bang for their buck as possible. So their fan base is well deserved.

The down side to this, if I am to be perfectly frank, is that the fan base tends to turn on its own. The majority has a tendency to eat the minority at almost every juncture. If an album is loved by the majority, no criticism, no matter how intelligently spoken, will be tolerated…until such time as time allows people to look back at the material without the freshness of newness and see it more accurately…then the tables may turn (or, of course, they may not). If band member A says song B sucks, all of a sudden song B sucks, even if the week before people were raving about how wonderful it is.

And so it goes.

I am not trying to denigrate the DT fan base…I am a fan of their music. But I don’t follow blindly. I like what I like because it resonates for me, not for any other reason. And so it is with trembling fingers that I begin to type out a review of Black Clouds & Silver Linings, the 10th studio album from Dream Theater. Like their last release (Systematic Chaos), the album has been released in two basic editions to retail; a standard single disc and a special edition. This year’s special edition is a 3-CD set; the first disc is the album proper, the second is a selection of 6 newly recorded cover versions, the third disc is the album in instrumental mixes. This is the edition I am reviewing.

The six songs on BC&SL can each basically be broken down to single sentence descriptions:

A Nightmare to Remember (ANTR) – this is a song about a car crash and its aftermath.
A Rite of Passage (ARoP) – this is a song about Freemasonry.
Whither – this is a song about writer’s block (seriously).
The Shattered Fortress (TSF) – this is the final part of Mike Portnoy’s 12 step suite.
The Best of Times (TBoT) – this is a song about Mike Portnoy’s dad who had recently passed away.
The Count of Tuscany (TCoT) – actually, I am still not sure what this song is about.

Of course, the songs deserve more than a single line of description. ANTR, as I will abbreviate it, features some relatively heavy DT playing, along with one of the prettier mid-tempo ballad sections I have heard from them in some time. Like many recent DT songs, the structure is somewhat abrupt, going from the quiet, restrained Yes like passage to pretty straight ahead metal thrashing with wild, widdly Petrucci and Rudess solos that at times almost feel out of place. Yes, we know they can play…they have proven it time and time again. The more sustained lines around 10:20 in or so, followed by Wakeman like synth runs, are far more enjoyable than the out of control sweeps and arpeggios that usually feature in instrumental sections.

The wah-ed out bass opening of ARoP (again with the abbreviations) is pretty interesting and enjoyable, but the song then settles into a mid-tempo Megadeth type groove (my girlfriend, in fact, called to me ‘Hey, I didn’t know you were listening to Megadeth’ as it played). James LaBrie sounds quite good, and the playing behind the vocal passages is solid and tightly arranged. As far as the lyrical content is concerned, well…as someone with more than passing knowledge of eastern esoterica and metaphysics, I’m not sure that the lyrics tell a very accurate story of freemasonry, but at the very least I can say that they don’t seem overly negative. Each of the last two Dream Theater albums has seen the band moving toward more of a metal sound rather than progressive, and this song is no exclusion.

TSF completes Mike Portnoy’s epic 12 Step Suite. I have to give him major commendations…across the five songs that make up the suite (nearly 60 minutes of material), he’s spilled his heart and soul out more than the rest of his prodigious lyrical content combined. Addiction is a horrid beast to overcome, and the fact that he has allowed his listeners in to his process is pretty inspiring. The suite has had high points and somewhat less high points, but TSF wraps them up pretty nicely. After the much more restrained and sombre “Repentance” on Systematic Chaos, I had a feeling the final movement would have to up the ante some energy wise, and I was not wrong at all. Heavy double bass drumming, slabs of metallic playing, gruff LaBrie vocals…all are here in spades. There are plenty of musical quotes and repeated motifs tying this into the rest of the suite…an arranging toy that some may find weak, but I feel was almost necessary. Is this my favourite movement in the suite? Not by a long shot (that acclaim is directed toward “Repentance,” in case you are truly curious), but I think it’s a solid conclusion.

I am not going to touch TBoT. I think it’s a pretty song, it feels a little lightweight musically, but I won’t deny the personal lyrics or the fact that some of Petrucci’s most lyrical playing in years can be heard here.

This brings us to The Count. Where to begin? I think musically this is the most solid piece of material the band has put together in the last ten years. I think it features some of the most progressive rock sounding stuff the band has issued since “Octavarium.” I think it shows that when the mood strikes them, they can create a piece of prog rock that shows they can be more than just a metal band. I think in a lot of ways this song rivals some of the material Dream Theater released on their first few albums (yeah, I went there…). But then we come to the lyrics. I am being honest here…I really don’t know what to say about them, mostly because I am still unsure what the song is about. It is apparently, from what I have read, inspired by an event that happened to John Petrucci in Italy…but what? Was he taken to some palatial estate where wine is made from the bodies of the dead? Did he fear that the same fate was going to befall him? I don’t know. I know, as a prog fan, that I have to really take lyrics with a grain of salt…after all, this is a genre where mountains come out of the sky and then stand there…but I just don’t know what to make of the story this song is telling. Instead I listen to the music and am satisfied that the band wrote a 19 minute epic that sits alongside their best material musically.

Moving on…

Disc 2 features, as mentioned above, 6 specially recorded cover songs. We start off with a solid take on Rainbow’s “Stargazer.” I am a huge Rainbow fan, and I was satisfied by this rendition. LaBrie is no Ronnie James Dio, but he acquits himself well here. The same can be said of the band’s so-called Queen ‘medley,’ actually a very nicely done take on “Flick of the Wrist,” “Tenement Funster” and Lily of the Valley” from the seminal Sheer Heart Attack album by Queen. This was one of two covers that caused my nerves to go through the roof, but DT came through with a great cover that even caught the ear of Brian May. “Odyssey” follows, originally performed by the Dixie Dregs (Steve Morse’s original band). Thankfully DT invited Dregs’ violinist Jerry Goodman to guest here, and so we’re treated to real organic violin rather than keyboard samples.

Goodman also guests on the group’s cover of another seminal prog instrumental, King Crimson’s “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Part II.” It’s a solid enough cover, but sadly the mix doesn’t push bassist John Myung high enough up. Wetton’s driving bass was what propelled the original, not Bruford’s drums or Fripp’s searing guitar, and without a similar punchy Myung bass, this cover feels a bit flat and lifeless. Zebra’s “Take Your Fingers From My Hair” precedes the Crimson cover, and…well, I’m not too familiar with the original, so I can’t vouch for the integrity of this cover. This also means that in some ways this cover should be the more intriguing one to me, yet it does little. I’d perhaps have liked to see DT cover another Z band, like a Zappa song, but this would probably mean another instrumental, and that’d not be overly fair to LaBrie.

The set is closed out by A solid performance on the Iron Maiden tune “To Tame a Land.” This is the only cover not specifically recorded for this set, having been issued on a magazine cover disc in the UK as a tribute to Iron Maiden. DT has proven in the past that they are more than adequate Maiden interpreters, and they do not disappoint here. In fact, one might be tempted to say that Dream Theater may well be the pre-eminent active cover band, but I am sure that is an appellation they’d not be too proud of having, as it certainly overshadows the quality of their original work.

Finally…

Disc 3 features the original studio album in its entirety a second time, this time without any solo performances. This, there’s no guitar soloing, no (or minimal) keyboard widdly widdly, and no LaBrie singing. Ever wanted to solo along with your musical faves in Dream Theater? Here’s your chance! Have a DT karaoke party! The options and opportunities are only as limited as your imagination. Honestly, I think the idea of the instrumental disc is a good one, and I’m glad in a way that they didn’t just remove the vocals. This gives listeners a chance to check out some of the stuff you’re not usually listening to as the rest of the band flies wildly up and down their respective instruments over these musical backings.

“Now wait a minute, man…”

In the final reckoning, where does BC&SL lie? Is it a return to Dream Theater’s progressive roots? Is it a release riddled by the band bowing to label pressure to write a dark, spooky, metal album with 3 discs, each with 6 songs on them (oh my god it’s 6-6-6) to appeal to the black clothed metal masses? It’s not really either. The days of Dream Theater releasing material like they did on Images & Words or Awake are as long gone as the years 1992 and 1994 are. That band is gone…they have grown, changed, and this is the band the way they are today. Taking the cover songs out of the equation (as one should), I look back at the albums the band has released following their creative rejuvenation (which I date to 1999 and the release of Scenes From a Memory) and tally the number of songs I still feel are fresh and playlist worthy today:

6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence: 2 (The Glass Prison, The Great Debate)
Train of Thought: 2 and sometimes 3 (Vacant, Stream of Consciousness, sometimes In the Name of God)
Octavarium: 2 (The Root of All Evil, Octavarium)
Systematic Chaos: 3 (In the Presence of Enemies…yes, despite the cribbed lyrics, Forsaken, Repentance)
Black Clouds & Silver Linings: too early to tell after 1 week, but “The Count of Tuscany” will likely be one despite the wonky lyrics…

In the end, it’s a Dream Theater record. I know this is a cop out. But let’s face it…you’re either going to like it, or you’re not, and there’s not a blessed thing I will be able to do to sway your mind one way or the other. “All the finest wines improve with age,” but only time will tell if this album is a fine wine or destined to be little more than vinegar…


Studio album tracklist:
"A Nightmare to Remember" 16:10
"A Rite of Passage" 8:35
"Wither" 5:25
"The Shattered Fortress
X. "Restraint"
XI. "Receive"
XII. "Responsible" 12:49
"The Best of Times" 13:07
"The Count of Tuscany" 19:16

Cover album tracklist:
"Stargazer" 8:10
"Tenement Funster / Flick of the Wrist / Lily of the Valley" 8:17
"Odyssey" 7:59
"Take Your Fingers From My Hair" 8:18
"Larks' Tongues in Aspic, Part Two" 6:30
"To Tame a Land" 7:15

Instrumental Mixes tracklist:
"A Nightmare to Remember" 15:39
"A Rite of Passage" 8:36
"Wither" 5:28
"The Shattered Fortress" 12:47
"The Best of Times" 13:20
"The Count of Tuscany" 18:47


James LaBrie - vocals
Mike Portnoy - drums, vocals
John Petrucci - guitars
John Myung - bass guitar
Jordan Rudess - keyboards

Beardfish/Pain of Salvation replaced on Prog Nation tour

Just read this from Mike Portnoy...when I talked to the Bearfish guys over the weekend, they were so looking forward to this tour too:

"It is with the utmost disappointment that I am forced to share the unfortunate news of both Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish having to pull out of this summer's Progressive Nation tour....

Their label Inside Out just recently lost the financial funding for the tour as a result of their distributor SPV recently claiming bankruptcy...which effectively meant that both Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish lost the tour support that was essential to their ability to come to North America for Progressive Nation.

All parties involved (myself, both bands, Inside Out, etc) are beyond devastated at this turn of events and are truly sorry to all of the fans that were looking forward to this lineup. We tried everything we could do to salvage the situation, but in the end it was not possible...

Well as the album title says, every Black Cloud does indeed have a Silver Lining....so with this unfortunate news, I bring to you the good news of 2 incredible bands that will jumping on board Progressive Nation to join Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa this summer: Bigelf and Scale The Summit.

Los Angeles' Bigelf are my personal favorite new band to come along in many years...their latest CD "Cheat The Gallows" is my favorite album of the year and I already had positioned them onto the European run of Progressive Nation in the Fall....with them now joining us on PN09 in North America as well, it looks like world domination is now not that far out of reach for them! Pretty soon, everyone will hopefully be falling for their retro, psychedelic, progressive, hard rock, doom metal as hard as I have!

Houston instrumental band Scale The Summit are a recent discovery for me and their top notch musicianship will be a perfect fit to this Progressive Nation lineup stylistically falling very nicely between the musicality of Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa. They bring the instrumental elements of prog rock and fusion into today's contemporary hard rock/metal sounds and are one of the most talented group of young musicians I've seen assembled in many years.

Once again, apologies to anybody disappointed in this unexpected and unavoidable lineup change...but the circumstances were beyond our control... In any event, PN09 will carry on and still deliver the most musical bang for its buck this summer throughout North America and we look forward to sharing the evening with you!

Sincerely,
Your Progressive Rock Ambassador,
Mike Portnoy "

DREAM THEATER - Summer tour dates as of 6 April 2009

SUMMER EUROPEAN TOUR
06/06/2009 - Sweden Rock Festival (Main Stage) - Solvesborg, Sweden (FESTIVAL)
06/10/2009 - Luzhniki - Moscow, Russia (DT Headlining show with Special Guests TBA)
06/12/2009 - 02 Academy - Leads, UK (DT Headlining show with Special Guests FROST*)
06/13/2009 - Guildhall - Southampton, UK (DT Headlining show with Special Guests FROST*)
06/14/2009 - Download Festival - Castle Donington UK (FESTIVAL)
06/16/2009 - Exhibition Grounds - Tel Aviv, Israel (DT Headlining show with Special Guests EPHRAT)
06/18/2009 - Coliseum de Lisboa - Lisbon, Portugal (DT Headlining show with Special Guests FROST*)
06/20/2009 - Kobetasonik Festival - Bilbao, Spain (FESTIVAL)
06/21/2009 - Hellfest - Clisson, France (FESTIVAL)
06/23/2009 - Tollwood Musikzelt - Munich, Germany (DT Headlining show with Special Guests FROST*)
06/24/2009 - Amphitheater - Gelsenkirchen, Germany (DT Headlining show with Special Guest Neal Morse)
06/26/2009 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium (FESTIVAL)
06/27/2009 - Sportzentrum - Wettingen, Switzerland (DT Headlining show with Special Guests CYNIC)
06/28/2009 - Gods Of Metal Festival - Milan, Italy (FESTIVAL)
06/30/2009 - Tesla Arena - Prague, Czech Republic (DT Headlining show with Special Guests CYNIC)
07/01/2009 - Sportarena - Budapest, Hungary (DT Headlining show with Special Guests CYNIC)
07/03/2009 - Kaliakra Rock Festival - Kavarna, Bulgaria (FESTIVAL)
07/04/2009 - Kucukciflikpark - Istanbul, Turkey (DT Headlining show with Special Guests CYNIC) *NEW*

PROGRESSIVE NATION 2009
08/29/2009 - The Greek Theater - Los Angeles, CA

DREAM THEATER: new album details announced

Progressive metal veterans DREAM THEATER have announced BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS as the title of their tenth studio album. The band commenced work on the album – their second for Roadrunner Records, following up 2007's Systematic Chaos — in October of last year.

Roadrunner will release the record on June 23. In addition to the standard version CD, the album will also be available on vinyl LP, as well as a 3-disc Special Edition CD that will include the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs, the titles of which will be revealed at a later date. Six weeks prior to the June 23 street date, Roadrunner will release one cover song per week through digital retailers.

Drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci are once again at the helm as producers, while Paul Northfield mixed the record.

The band will embark on a world tour in support of the album beginning in Europe throughout June which will be followed by the second edition of the band’s PROGRESSIVE NATION tour featuring Zappa Plays Zappa, Pain Of Salvation and Beardfish throughout North America in July/August.

A video for the first single, "A Rite of Passage" will be shot in late March.

The track listing for BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS is as follows:

1. A Nightmare to Remember
2. A Rite of Passage
3. Wither
4. The Shattered Fortress
5. The Best of Times
6. The Count of Tuscany

Dream Theater: Euro 2009 tour dates (as of 2009.03.03)

06/06/2009 - Sweden Rock Festival (Main Stage) - Solvesborg, Sweden (FESTIVAL)
06/12/2009 - 02 Academy - Leads, UK (DT Headlining show with Special Guests FROST)
06/13/2009 - Guildhall - Southhampton, UK (DT Headlining show with Special Guests FROST)
06/14/2009 - Download Festival - Castle Donington UK (FESTIVAL)
06/16/2009 - Exhibition Grounds - Tel Aviv, Israel (DT Headlining show with Special Guests EPHRAT)
06/18/2009 - Coliseum de Lisboa - Lisbon, Portugal (DT Headlining show with Special Guest TBA)
06/20/2009 - Kobetasonik Festival - Bilbao, Spain (FESTIVAL)
06/21/2009 - Hellfest - Clisson, France (FESTIVAL)
06/26/2009 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium (FESTIVAL)
06/27/2009 - Sportzentrum - Wettingen, Switzerland (DT Headlining show with Special Guests TBA)
06/28/2009 - Gods Of Metal Festival - Milan, Italy (FESTIVAL)
07/01/2009 - Sportarena - Budapest, Hungary (DT Headlining show with Special Guests TBA)
07/03/2009 - Kaliakra Rock Festival - Kavarna, Bulgaria (FESTIVAL)

Progressive Nation 2009 announced

New York progressive metal veterans DREAM THEATER will take their Progressive Nation tour back on the road for its second incarnation with a run through America and Canada in July/August 2009.

In addition to a headlining set by DREAM THEATER, this year's package will feature the outstanding musicianship of ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA as well as two incredibly talented imports from Sweden: PAIN OF SALVATION and BEARDFISH.

Progressive Nation was created by DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy and its successful inaugural run in 2008 also featured OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and THREE.

Portnoy once again hand-picked all of the bands for the 2009 bill based on their diversity and musicality. He comments: "This year's lineup is so exciting for me. Every band is bringing something very unique to the package to create an incredibly well rounded musical experience. I am just as excited to be watching all the bands from the side of the stage as I am to be performing with mine in the center of it!"

Fresh on the heels of his Grammy win, Dweezil Zappa is pleased to announce his plans to join forces with DREAM THEATER as part of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour: "It's no secret that I started ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA with the intention to diversify and expand the audience for my father's music. I figured I'd probably have to do it one concert at a time. Playing with DREAM THEATER on the Progressive Nation tour is a great way to accomplish that goal. Music fans who are seeking something to challenge their senses should definitely consider attending this great bill."

Portnoy adds: "It is an absolute honor for me to have ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA on board. Frank Zappa is one of my all-time biggest heroes and his music practically invented the term 'progressive.' Dweezil is doing an amazing job carrying on the tradition of his father's daring spirit and like his dad, has surrounded himself with a band of jaw-dropping, incredible musicians."

Sweden's PAIN OF SALVATION will bring their unique brand of cutting-edge progressive metal to Progressive Nation. Vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw comments: "We are truly very happy to be part of the Progressive Nation tour, and to be back in the States again and bring all the sweat and flesh to our music and our well deserving American fans. We feel honored to have been asked."

Gildenlöw also joked: "Actually, Mike has been on our backs now for two years in what we believe to be a personal campaign, bordering on harassment, to make us come over. So when he asked us about Progressive Nation, it was a joy to finally be able to say yes. And if Mike didn't give up on us, then hopefully America hasn't either."

Vocalist/keyboardist Rikard Sjöblom of BEARDFISH is equally excited: "When we read on a website that Mike Portnoy had our album 'Sleeping in Traffic Part 1' among his favorite releases of 2007, we just couldn't believe it and we were really happy about it! And now we once again gasp for air since we've been asked to join Progressive Nation 2009 together with DREAM THEATER (one of the biggest bands in this genre today!), PAIN OF SALVATION (hey, fellow Swedes!!!) and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA (being a HUGE Zappa fan myself, I think this is really cool!). Since we've only played the U.S. once before we simply can't wait to come over and rock out!"

Progressive Nation will be the first North American tour for DREAM THEATER in support of the band's newest Roadrunner Records CD, which is slated for a June 2009 release.

Dream Theater: Chaos in Motion DVD/CD sets forthcoming

From the press release:

Few bands inspire such fanaticism among their fans as Dream Theater. The best way to satiate this dedicated legion is to provide them with even more material to devour and Dream Theater are doing just that this September. The band will release Chaos In Motion 2007/2008, which documents their "Chaos In Motion" world tour, which kicked off June 3, 2007 at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Milan, Italy and concluded almost a year to the day later on June 4, 2008 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's essentially a travelogue of their most recent touring experience and it hits shelves on September 23. Chaos In Motion 2007/2008 will be available in two configurations: as a double DVD set and as five disc collector's set which includes two DVDs and three CDs, containing 14 live tracks featured in the DVD set and expanded artwork.

The Chaos in Motion Tour was a trek that found the band traversing the globe, playing 115 shows in 105 cities in 35 countries on five continents to hundreds of thousands of fans. It also included the first annual Progressive Nation Tour, an idea that the band had kicked around for a few years and finally launched into action this past spring.

Chaos In Motion 2007/2008 is the latest in a series of DVDs from the band and it features performances captured throughout the entirety of the tour, unlike their last three RIAA-certified Platinum DVDs, Metropolis 2000: Live Scenes From New York, Live at Budokan and Score, all of which focused on as single concert event.

Drummer and DVD creative director Mike Portnoy plumed his personal archives for footage in order to provide fans with the ultimate tour souvenir. He assembled over three hours of complete live performances, taking footage from shows in Rotterdam, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Boston, Bangkok and Vancouver. The tracks were mixed and effectively brought to life by Kevin Shirley. The second disc is packed with bonus material, including promo videos, live screen projection films, a photo gallery and a 90-minute documentary that'll make you feel like you're riding in the passenger's seat of the band's tour bus, as it takes you on the road and behind the scenes with the band and crew. It's like a virtual backstage pass that grants fans further unprecedented access.

The official content and tracklisting for the DVD are as follows and are subject to change:

Double DVD Set

Disc One:

“Around The World In 180 Minutes” Live Concert Footage

1. Intro/Also Sprach Zarathustra
2. Constant Motion
3. Panic Attack
4. Blind Faith
5. Surrounded
6. The Dark Eternal Night
7. Keyboard Solo
8. Lines In The Sand
9. Scarred
10. Forsaken
11. The Ministry Of Lost Souls
12. Take The Time
13. In The Presence Of Enemies
14. Medley: I. Trial Of Tears II. Finally Free III. Learning To Live IV. In The Name Of God V. Octavarium

Disc Two:

“Behind The Chaos On The Road” Documentary

Promo Videos: Constant Motion, Forsaken, Forsaken (In Studio), The Dark Eternal Night (In Studio)

Live Screen Projection Films: The Dark Eternal Night (N.A.D.S), The Ministry Of Lost Souls, In The Presence Of Enemies Pt. 2

“Mike Portnoy Stage Tour"

“Mike Portnoy Backstage Tour”

Photo Gallery

Deluxe Collector’s Edition 5-Disc Set

Chaos In Motion 2007/2008 Double DVD Set PLUS:

* 3 CD’s containing the live 14 tracks featured in the DVD set
* Expanded artwork and more

Dream Theater's Progressive Nation 2008 Tour

North American Tour Dates
Tues April 29th - Mexico City, Mexico - National Auditorium*
Fri May 2nd - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheater
Sat May 3rd - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theater
Mon May 5th - Seattle, WA - Wamu Theater
Tues May 6th - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum
Fri & Sat May 9th & 10th - Calgary, ALB - Macewan Hall
Mon May 12th - Minneapolis, MN - Myth
Tues May 13th - Chicago, IL - Rosemont Theater
Wed May 14th - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
Fri May 16th - Columbus, OH - LC Amphitheater
Sat May 17th - Cleveland, OH - Time Warner Amphitheater @ Tower City
Sun May 18th - Albany, NY - The Armory
Tues May 20th - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theater
Wed & Thurs May 21st & 22nd - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Mon May 26th - Washington DC - DAR Constitution Hall
Tues May 27th - Richmond, VA - The National
Wed May 28th - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
Fri May 30th - Miami, FL - The Fillmore
Sat May 31st - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock
Sun June 1st - Tampa, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
Wed June 4th - San Juan, Puerto Rico - Coliseo of Puerto Rico *

* the Mexico and Puerto Rico dates will be Dream Theater with special guests Between The Buried And Me (Opeth and 3 will NOT be appearing on these 2 dates)

New York progressive metal pioneers DREAM THEATER are set to unveil the maiden voyage of “PROGRESSIVE NATION”. A package tour they will headline that will also feature the talents of OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and 3.

The tour is the brainchild of DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy who explains: “I’ve been wanting to assemble a package tour like this for many years now. With all of the festivals and package tours that go through America, I’ve been talking with our manager and agent for over 10 years now about doing something that focuses on the more progressive, musician-oriented side of hard rock and metal. I decided it was time to stop talking the talk, lace up and finally walk the walk”

While DREAM THEATER co-headlined 2005’s GIGANTOUR along side MEGADETH, as well as embarking on previous co-headlining runs with both QUEENSRYCHE and JOE SATRIANI and opening slots for YES, DEEP PURPLE and IRON MAIDEN, they have primarily built their 22 year career on the road playing solely to their own audience. Portnoy comments: “I’ve always prided myself on personally hand picking new and exciting opening acts to open for DREAM THEATER in the past. Bands such as PORCUPINE TREE, SYMPHONY X, SPOCK’S BEARD, FATES WARNING, PAIN OF SALVATION and KING’S X. In all of these cases, it was important for me to pick bands that I respect and admire but also ones that I know our fans will enjoy. And I think playing with DT has helped expand all of those band’s fanbases as a direct result. I am hoping PROGRESSIVE NATION will continue to do the same thing in offering an audience for more daring and experimental acts that otherwise may not get the mainstream exposure they so rightly deserve.”

Joining the bill for this inaugural run is Sweden’s legendary OPETH who have been enjoying an ever-growing and expanding audience of their own for many years now. DT’s Roadrunner Records label-mates will be ready to unleash their new album "Watershed" next spring and PROGRESSIVE NATION should be a great launching pad for their next World Tour cycle. Guitarist/Vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt adds: "We're very excited about this upcoming tour with DREAM THEATER. It will be the first tour that we're doing in support of our upcoming record, and also somewhat of a dream come true personally as I've been a fan of theirs for a long time. It's quite intimidating to be on the bill with such amazing musicians but obviously we'll try and give them a run for their money and pull out a few nice licks of our own. I guess we'll need to practice a little bit for this....how boring! Yet, I can't wait for this tour to start and I'm sure we'll have a blast with the DT guys as well as together with the other bands on the bill!"

North Carolina’s BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME are enjoying rave reviews and critical acclaim for their latest CD “Colors” and are looking forward to sharing the stage each night with both DREAM THEATER and OPETH. Vocalist/Keyboardist Tommy Rogers comments: "We are very excited to be touring with two bands that have been such an integral part of our musical upbringing. It is a wonderful opportunity to have our music heard by new ears."

Also on the bill with their unique blend of pop, funk and hard rock is upstate New York’s 3 who issued the following statement: "3 is very pleased to announce its participation in the PROGRESSIVE NATION tour. For well over a decade DREAM THEATER has been the vanguard of progressive rock and we are completely psyched to flex with these heavyweights, playing much of our new record "The End is Begun". This package will rock and awe fans everywhere as one of the most important tours of the year. It's a progressive way of music, a progressive way of life....welcome to the PROGRESSIVE NATION tour.”

DREAM THEATER are currently in the middle of their “Chaos In Motion” World Tour which has already traveled extensively throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Australia in support of their latest Roadrunner Records CD “Systematic Chaos”. The World Tour will continue through March in South America before concluding with PROGRESSIVE NATION in North America.

Portnoy hopes that this first venture of PROGRESSIVE NATION will prove to be a success that can enable himself and DREAM THEATER to continue the package into future years and begin a tradition that musicians and fans alike can count on for quality musicianship and artistic integrity on future tours.

ONE NATION, UNDER PROG...
www.progressivenation2008.com (coming soon!)