Dream Theater
Systematic Chaos

THE REVIEW

After reviewing Manowar's Gods Of War, I couldn't refrain from analyzing the other pillar of the amazing 2007 metal scene: Systematic Chaos, the ninth studio album by John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, John Ro Myung, Kevin James LaBrie, and Jordan Rudess, the incomparable Dream Theater.

If 2005’s Octavarium was the perfect album, encompassing all the band's facets (from metal to pop, passing through rock, progressive, electronics, ballads, and more), SC is a fusion of Octavarium's melody and the hard, metallic impact of 2003’s Train Of Thought, as evident in the beautiful booklet images dominated by the constant presence of ants, an allegory of something ordinary yet mysterious and unsettling. The lyrics follow this direction, offering us themes with a strong esoteric flavor: the vampiric suggestions of "Forsaken", the complete loss of control in "Constant Motion", the monstrous visions of "The Dark Eternal Night", love at the borders of life and death in "The Ministry Of Lost Souls", and especially the allegorical battle between good and evil, temptation, and demonic visions in the absolute masterpiece "In The Presence Of The Enemies".

It's precisely "In The Presence Of The Enemies, Part 1" that opens the album: starting with a bang with the instrumental section Prelude, five minutes of unleashed keyboards and guitars that create an atmosphere of great electricity and tension, until halfway through the track when singer James LaBrie enters with his splendid voice to narrate the story of a man lured by a demonic cult promising him redemption. The protagonist succumbs to the promises, but just when things seem promising, the song fades away in a breeze. An excellent start, but nothing compared to what we will encounter at the album's end.

Thus begins, on the trembling notes of "Pelatone" Rudess's piano, "Forsaken", one of Dream Theater's most beautiful pop-rock songs: Petrucci’s fiery guitar crafts simple yet hard, fascinating, and impactful harmonies that exalt a grandiose LaBrie. The lyrics speak of a nocturnal encounter with a mysterious woman-vampire.

"Constant Motion", the album's lead single, presents lyrics reminiscent of "Panic Attack," but it delivers a wicked thrash metal track for pure headbanging with evident nods to 2002’s "The Glass Prison." An additional touch comes from Mike Portnoy's vocal lines, who, besides being a drum god, is also able to give every song a truly incendiary touch.

"The Dark Eternal Night", what can I say, the first 3/4 minutes are a true lava flow of molten metal, sung by a slightly growling Portnoy with LaBrie relegated to a secondary role, all supported by the heavy riffs of an exceptional Petrucci. It’s a pity that the song then loses itself in a too technical and convoluted instrumental part, unconvincing. The extraordinary lyrics evoke nocturnal monsters and ancient curses "I am the last of God's creations/Born of the blood of Pharaohs".

The mood calms with "Repentance", the fourth chapter of AAS, which reprises the opening verse of "This Dying Soul": a sad and psychedelic ballad phenomenally interpreted by a pained and suffering LaBrie. The second part contains sampled phrases from various artists including Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Marty Friedman, and Corey Taylor. Magnificent is the long and intense instrumental tail dominated by the intense groans of James LaBrie.

"Prophets Of War" caused me at least a week of total addiction just like "Never Enough" from Octavarium. Electronic inserts and a socially conscious theme against war for these six minutes of pure thrill supported by Petrucci’s explosive riff and various tempo and key changes in a more unique than rare emotional crescendo. The background choirs are performed by fans directly invited by Dream Theater into the recording studios (oh my, I would have sold my soul to Satan just to be there as well).

It's impossible not to be moved by "The Ministry Of Lost Souls". Already the orchestral intro and the following acoustic guitar arpeggio fill the soul, fourteen minutes that enchant as much as, and perhaps even more than, the six in "The Spirit Carries On." This song tells the story of an impossible love suspended between life and death, otherworldly atmospheres wonderfully evoked in the instrumental part. The song ends with a breathtaking and tear-jerking crescendo (in a good way) before fading away in a breeze of wind...

Here the interrupted narrative of the first track continues. LaBrie does not sing, he almost whispers (a whisper that gives chills) a very dark and unsettling text, then rises in intensity in the chorus "Angels fall, all for you, heretic, the demon's chants bleed for us." This is the third section of the suite, Heretic, leading into the increasing thrash metal of Slaughter of The Damned, incendiary at just the right point thanks to the constant back-and-forth between Portnoy and LaBrie. In this section, the song's protagonist begins to have doubts and renounces his choice to side with evil, but the conclusion comes only after the instrumental whirlwind of The Reckoning, at the end of which the protagonist manages to regain control of himself and free himself "My soul is my own now, I do not fight for you, Dark Master," effectively sealing the happy ending, but not the dark tension of this suite, which almost gives the impression of not being fully concluded. We will see in the next Dream Theater album, but for now, let's enjoy this "Systematic Chaos" another masterpiece of art from these 5 extraterrestrials, true bastions of the concept of genius not devoted to mere experimentation but to intertwining metal-melodic and always new and surprising themes and texts.

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