Dream Theater
Constant Motion

Ridiculous. Ehm, sorry, I meant.. Dream Theater.

I listened to the latest single "Constant Motion," available for free download from their record label's website, from the album 'Systematic Chaos' which will be released in early June.

"Oh what a strange deja-vu," the DT sang in one of their songs, and the same can be said of this latest single; a thrash attack in full Metallica style, and at times it really seems like listening to "Blackened" again. Labrie's voice is heavily filled with effects in the harder parts because he could never reach them; as soon as it calms down, here comes our Labrie, the more syrupy and pathetic one.

It's evident that the DT are not playing themselves, but playing other bands, it was evident already with "Train of Thoughts." After the first 3 minutes and 40 seconds, where we've heard more Metallica than Dream Theater, there's a brief, very predictable bass passage by dear Myung, followed by a progressive interlude this time made by DT, only that it's made in DT 1993 and not 2007.

And then, the SOLO! Ahh, Petrucci's solo! Could it be missing? Can you imagine a DT piece without a solo by Petrucci? I can't! And here it is, it seems straight out of "Scenes from a Memory", from "Home" in particular, and here he seems to propose it again, with a myriad of tricks that after Hendrix and before Petrucci have been used and overused by thousands of guitarists. Oh, what a strange deja-vu!

After THE SOLO ends, the thrash part (the Metallica one) and Labrie's mellifluous voice, who pathetically tries to imitate Hetfield, resume. And, after 6 minutes and 55 seconds, this whine finally ends.

"In this album all the elements that made us famous are present, such as attention to technique, complex riffs, progressive epicness, and melodies” - Mike Portnoy of the band reported last February. “We have the most loyal and devoted fans in the world, and we are sure they will be thrilled with the new material".

The only positive note is that I was not disappointed, as I expected it.