Dream Theater
Systematic Chaos

THE REVIEW

Introduction: forgive me if my second review comes after years, and moreover it concerns an album that has already been abundantly reviewed, but I HAD TO...

During one of the few free hours of my average day, while I was searching for the translation of a track from this album, I realized something: how many among sites, forums, and web pages in general do Dream Theater occupy today? A TON, whether people speak well or badly of them, still a ton. This shows how the goal of "notoriety" for this band, as for any other I imagine, has been fully achieved. What does a band want when it is born? To play... What do they want when they play? Success... What do they want when they achieve it? To maintain it... Can Dream Theater maintain it? Just look at the sales, concerts, and finally how much they are talked about on the internet. In conclusion, YES, Dream Theater still have significant success. Systematic Chaos is yet another demonstration of this: criticized, slandered, butchered, and mocked, but above all, HIGHLY sold, HIGHLY commented on, HIGHLY reviewed, and HIGHLY followed on the Live Tour.

It's not the band's best album, just as none were at their release... maybe in a few years we'll better understand what impact it had.

When "Train of Thought" came out, after the first listens, I said: what is this? What is this Trash? if I wanted a trash album I'd buy "Kill'em All" by Metallica, but I like Prog, Melodic, Hard Rock, in short, I wanted Dream Theater and I find myself with this? Years later I find "Train of Thought" one of the best albums in their history, and I believe that even this latest work of the band will have the same story.

"In The Presence of Enemies, Part I" - The album doesn't start very well, it's not a particularly incisive piece and it doesn't represent the rest of the album well, even technically it presents itself poorly, unless you listen to it Live: intro of "2001: A Space Odyssey" in Rock version and then the power of the initial riff of this piece, radically changes the entire listening experience, exuberant.

"Forsaken" - A good track, not legendary but decent; you enter the album and realize it won't drive us crazy, "Scenes From A Memory" is a distant memory.

"Constant Motion" - It reminds a little of "Lie", but I consider it an unnecessary piece, it's the only one for which a video clip was made that, among other things, anticipated the album's release. A bit inexplicable.

"The Dark Eternal Night" - It holds as much as what was said about "Constant Motion" some interesting parts, but overall insignificant.

"Repentance" - Everything starts to improve: it's not a magnificent piece, actually a bit strange on the psychedelic move, but in some parts, it proves to have sense. But still, the authors don't seem to want to play.

"Prophets of War" - Here is the first real standout track: you more or less notice the much-cited musical influences of the Band and a good piece comes out of it, with decent performances from all members, but it's only the prelude to what represents the real masterpiece of the album...

"The Ministry of Lost Souls" - ...it may have been enough to talk about this track without wasting time with the rest of the album. This is one of those songs that write the history of an album, like "the goal that alone is worth the price of the ticket." A sumptuous piece in every aspect, engaging and passionate, rich with emotions and mood changes, with a goosebump-inducing ending... you just have to listen.

"In The Presence of Enemies, Part II" - A good ending that recalls the first track, but without shame or praise, decent also to close a concert (as happened in the Live Tour before the "Grand Finale" Medley).

In the end, without "The Ministry of Lost Souls" this album would have little to exhibit but WITH IT it makes sense. But I repeat, in a few years, many of us me first, will have other ideas and other judgments, as has always happened with Dream Theater, and as will always happen. After all, their purpose is that, to continue to be the talk of everyone, and they continue to succeed...