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Rating: Hello Everyone, I’m new here and as you can tell from my name, I'm a fan of DT... not exactly a fan who would follow the Theater of Dreams even to Antarctica to play with penguins, but simply a guy who likes to listen to good music... and the album I'm about to review, released in June 2007, is proof that Dream Theater want to start making expressive music again, a characteristic they frankly lost back in 2001 with "Metropolis Pt.2", perhaps the last DT album that conveyed emotions, reaching the peak of inexpressiveness with "Train Of Thought", an album that personally seemed like a mere technical exercise.
But here they seem to have returned to being the dear old DT, revitalized in sound and groove, odd time signatures abound, breathtaking guitar solos (even though not typical of Petrucci, especially in "The Dark Eternal Night") and above all, a Myung who finally decided to turn up the volume on his Music Man! A series of elements that have led the DT to produce work on par with some of their previous masterpieces like "Images and Words" and "Metropolis Pt.2 Scenes From a Memory".
The album starts with a drum and guitar attack that truly takes you by surprise, then flows into an instrumental of over 5 minutes which is nothing but the first part of the first part of "In The Presence of Enemies", namely "Prelude" that doesn't bore at all thanks to the presence of virtuoso solos by Petrucci, which at the start of minute 5, cut off to make way for LaBrie's voice, noticeably improved vocally (especially the mid-low range) compared to the previous album "Octavarium". The track comes to a halt at the ninth minute with Rudess’s keyboard leaving us to understand that the song is far from over.
Next is "Forsaken", the shortest track on the album at 5.35 minutes, opening with Rudess's piano, which polymers the final part of "In The Presence Of Enemies Pt.1" with the aforementioned "Forsaken" which may seem more like a hit in the style of Evanescence than a Prog-Metal piece, although those who claimed this often change their minds around minute 4 when Petrucci unveils a solo worthy of his name.
After "Forsaken" we have a typical DT style song from the days of "Awake"; in fact, "Constant Motion" is a piece where odd time signatures abound and Petrucci's distorted guitar combined with Myung's bass on max highs make this song appear as the most Metal of the Album.
Also the subsequent "The Dark Eternal Night" appears very Metal thanks to Portnoy's double bass drum creating an atmosphere comparable to Manowar's, with odd time signatures present here as well. This piece is quite unique and tends to make "too much racket," especially with Portnoy's distorted background vocals. However, the piece remains very Prog, especially between minute 4 and minute 5, where at times you can admire Rudess's piano pieces reminiscent of "The Dance of Eternity"; too bad that the following guitar solo by Petrucci, as innovative as it is stylistically, remains a bit in the shadows. Definitely an experimental piece, but upon the first listen, it can sometimes be irritating.
The next "Repentance" instead gives the ears a rest thanks to a bass and guitar intro that somewhat recalls "Home." LaBrie's voice does not keep you waiting, the song is very calm, certainly, odd time signatures couldn’t miss at the end of every verse, we are treated again to a gorgeous, very expressive guitar solo by Petrucci around minute 5, which greatly resembles "One Last Time," followed by a sort of dialogue and then a kind of chorus that is very pleasant and typical of Dream Theater.
"Prophets of War" is perhaps the least innovative and experimental of the album, yet it remains a beautiful song full of sentiment compliments of LaBrie, who also wrote the lyrics for this piece, which is decidedly very expressive even if it veers at times into Pop/Rock genre.
But be careful, the next track, "Ministry of Lost Souls" with its nearly 15 minutes is a masterpiece from every angle. Not only is it the most emotional and expressive of the album, but Petrucci's solos, full of sentiment, are truly fitting in a song that might otherwise seem a bit tedious. Another factor that makes this song unique is the Lyrics. The song then, around minute 7, becomes decidedly more... how to say "Metropolis Pt. 1" especially in the keyboard, then returns to the main riff around minute 11, where for a few seconds it sounds like "Finally Free", concluding with a muuuch long and heartfelt solo by Petrucci.
To complete this album is the second part of "In The Presence of Enemies", itself divided into another 4 parts like "Heretic", which opens calmly, then becomes decidedly more metallic with odd time signatures and double bass drum "The Slaughter of the Damned," "Reckoning," a very beautiful instrumental and at times very intense! And to conclude "Salvation".
This album turned out to be a real turning point for DT, who seemed to have run out of ideas with their latest records but instead seem capable of churning out innovative albums like this one, which, even if drawing from previous masterpieces, is perhaps one of the best works of the greatest Prog-Metal band in history.
HONOR AND GLORY TO THESE MONSTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Forsaken (05:35)
For a while
I thought I fell asleep
Lying motionless inside a dream
Then rising suddenly
I felt a chilling breath upon me
She softly whispered in my ear
Forsaken
I have come for you tonight
Awaken
Look in my eyes and take my hand
Give yourself up to me
I waited painfully
For night to fall again
Trying to silence the fear within me
Out of an ivory mist
I felt a stinging kiss
And saw a crimson stain on her lips
I have to know your name
Where have I seen your face before?
My dear one don't you be afraid
Forsaken
I have come for you tonight
Awaken
Look in my eyes and take my hand
Give yourself up to me
Take me far away
Close your eyes
And hold your breath
To the ends of the earth
Forsaken
I have come for you tonight
Awaken
Look in my eyes and take my hand
Forsaken
Fly away with me tonight
Awaken
Renew my life
Now you are mine
Give yourself up to me
03 Constant Motion (06:55)
Tunnel vision at blinding speed
Controlling my thoughts, obsessing me
Void of any uncertainty
Throughout my very soul
Lost illusions of mind control
Resisting all hope of letting go
Racing impulse of dark desire
Drives me through the night
I try to shut it down
It leaves me in the dust
No matter what I've found
I can never get enough
Frantic actions of insanity
Impulsive laced profanity
Long for elusive serenity
Way out of my control
Traveling through both space and time
Out of body
Out of mind
Out of control
My wheels in constant motion
Spinning round and round it goes
I can't let up
I can't let go
Can't stop this flame from burning
Forever more
Into the night
Blistering
Focus here, focus there
Cannot see the light
Falling down through the night
Sprawling everywhere
Searching left, searching right
Panic setting in
I can no longer fight
When will this end?
Accelerate, dislocate
Set to crash and burn
Haven't got time to waste
Not planning to return
Aggravate, Agitate
When will I ever learn?
There's no way out of here
Nowhere to turn
Obsessive yearning
Compulsive burning
Still never learning
Insane random thoughts
of neat disorder
Scattered wasteland surrounding me
Tattered memories of what used to be
Apocalyptic mind debris
Until we meet again
Traveling through both space and time
Out of body
Out of mind
Out of control
My wheels in constant motion
Spinning round and round it goes
I can't let up
I cant' let go
Can't stop this flame from burning
Forever more
Into the night
Blistering
Traveling through both space and time
Out of body
Out of mind
Out of control
My wheels in constant motion
Spinning round and round it goes
I can't let up
I can't let go
Can't stop this flame from burning
Can't stop the wheels from turning
Traveling through both space and time
You get yours
And I got mine
Out of control
My wheels in constant motion
Spinning round and round it goes
I can't let up
I can't let go
Can't stop this flame from burning
Forever more
Into the night
Blistering
04 The Dark Eternal Night (08:53)
No one dared to
Speak of the terrible danger
The hideous ancient warnings
Forged in the void of night
He is risen up
Out of the blackness
Chaos
The last of the prophets
Sinister
A sickening monstrous sight
Through the stifling heat
Underneath the pale green moon
I burned with a thirst
To seek things not yet seen
Climbing endless stairs
Leading to the choking room
Eager to explore
His most shocking mysteries
Drifting beyond all time
Out of a churning sky
Drawn to the beckoning light
Of the dark eternal night
Black forces
Rage in the vortex
Fighting
Waves of destruction
Swallowing
The echo of the universe
I am the last
Born of the blood of the pharaohs
The ultimate god of a rotting creation
Sent to unleash this curse
Restless crowds draw near
Nameless hooded forms appear
Amidst fallen ruins
Grotesque creatures battle
Shadowed on a screen
Yellow evil faces leer
Vacant monuments
Corpses of dead worlds left behind
Drifting beyond all time
Out of a churning sky
Drawn to the beckoning light
Of the dark eternal night
Trapped in a hellish dream
Spinning past worlds unseen
And frightfully vanishing
Into the dark eternal night
Drifting beyond all time
Out of a churning sky
Drawn to the beckoning light
Of the dark eternal night
Trapped in a hellish dream
Spinning past worlds unseen
And frightfully vanishing
Into the dark eternal night
05 Repentance (10:43)
Hello Mirror, so glad to see you my friend
It's been a while...
Staring at the empty page before me
All the years of wreckage running through my head
Patterns of my life I thought adorned me
Revealing hurtful shame and deep lament
Overwhelming sorrow now absorbs me
As the pen begins to trace my darkest past
Signs throughout my life
that should have warned me
Of all the wrongs I've done for which I must repent
I once thought it better to regret
Things that I have done than I haven't
Sometimes you've got to be wrong
And learn the hard way
And sometimes you've got to be strong
When you think it's too late
Staring at the finished page before me
All the damage now so clear and evident
Thinking about the dreaded task in store for me
A pit of fear at the thought of my amends
Hoping that the step will help restore me
To face my past and ask for forgiveness
Cleaning up my dirty side of this unswept street
Could this be the beginning of the end?
I once thought it better to regret
Things that I have done than haven't
Sometimes you've got to be wrong
And learn the hard way
And just when you're through hanging on
You're saved.
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Other reviews
By Dolly_Quinn
This album is terrible and represents all those things that are fundamentally wrong with the prog-metal genre.
Systematic Chaos is one of the least valid works ever made in metal.
By paloz
Has no one noticed yet that the band does nothing but slightly modify songs already written in the past?
The DT want to be megalomaniacs, they want to act like they play endless suites...to amaze the drooling followers who would follow them to the world’s end.
By High Voltage
"Systematic Chaos is certainly the album that comes closest to what Dream Theater is today."
"The Ministry Of Lost Souls could be defined as one of the best tracks on the album—almost 15 minutes of pure progressive and pure Dream Theater compositions."
By MarkTwin
A truly brilliant start, that rapid and engaging prog note by note captivates immediately.
With this album, it seems they want to prove that they still want to amaze and experiment, and in my opinion, they have succeeded almost exemplary.
By lux
Today I consider the Theater of Dreams the ultimate embodiment of mediocrity and complete artistic nothingness made Rock.
What awaits you after inserting the disc into the player is, therefore, an Anti-Art endurance test.
