Dream Theater
Systematic Chaos

After more than twenty years of career, with 8 studio albums, numerous fans and just as many detractors, Dream Theater, the quintessential prog metal band, release the 9th chapter of their saga, titled "Systematic Chaos", the first album after signing with the record label Roadrunner Records.

The album opens with the first part of the long suite "In The Presence Of Enemies", with a powerful and incisive instrumental intro that already gives a glimpse of the new sounds adopted and explored in the new album. The song develops in 2 parts for the first section and in 4 for the second, for a total of six. The song is split into two parts for a simple reason: it was necessary to make it clear that the album was not connected in any way to the previous one (something that has often happened in their productions) and that it was not a concept album. For the first reason, the track couldn’t be placed at the end, as it would have been similar to "Octavarium," and for the second reason, it couldn’t be placed as the opening track (it would have recalled productions like "2112" by "Rush") so it was deemed appropriate to split it. However, when combined, it results in a composition of more than 25 minutes, which constitutes a new record for the band. The lyrics talk about a man who, by selling part of his soul to the devil before death, joins his ranks and must fight for him. In the end, he is redeemed by a savior, probably identifiable with Jesus. Some parts are very well elaborated and fitting (especially in the second part, with a fantastic refrain in the third part about the dark lord) while others need revisiting.

Next comes "Forsaken" opened by an excellent piano intro, which, however, fails to elevate the entire track's outcome. The solo, despite being very well developed, doesn’t quite fit within the composition, although there is a decent chorus, which often recalls some songs within "Octavarium." The third track is "Constant Motion", a good song, with many references to the typical sounds of the best Metallica, rethought in prog style by Dream Theater. The instrumental part is very well executed, and this time Petrucci and Rudess manage to give their best, bringing a decisive twist to the track. A video was also made for the song, but it cuts out part of these evolutions’ completeness.

Next is the most powerful and dark track of the entire album, "The Dark Eternal Night", in which Labrie's voice is supported by Portnoy’s, which is heavily "dirty." To enhance such sound, Petrucci uses a 7-string guitar, with which the song opens, followed by the rest of the band. It’s noticeable how the keyboard in the initial part is very much in the background, while Myung uses an atypical technique for this song, and Portnoy completes it all with extensive use of the double bass pedal, to give typical metal sounds. Excellent is the instrumental digression where the mad Rudess adds a ragtime piano solo part, reminiscent of the wonderful "Dance of Eternity". Even if not executed with the same mastery, it manages to break the powerful and dark whirlwind created by the other three instrumentalists.

Following is "Repetance" (the only reference to other albums) narrating parts 8 and 9 of the saga about anonymous alcoholics (which in the end should be 12, mirroring the 12 steps). The track is very calm and marks the close of the album's first part, characterized by a heavier and more metallic sound, in favor of the second, with new sounds and more tranquility. Interesting is the concluding part of overlapped speaking featuring famous names from the music scene such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Stephen Wilson, and Chris Jericho, to name a few. Then we find "Prophets of war" where the 5 New Yorkers transform into the 3 Muse, elaborating the sounds experimented by the British group in more prog keys. Such a similarity can be noticed from the voice and synth intro, the vocal technique used (lots of vibrato on mid-high notes), and the guitar technique (extensive use of 5 chords). It’s interesting to note how the chorus is not sung by any of the band members but by the fans (I think it will be a truly great experience to hear and sing this piece live), gathered in the New York studio (the most daring waited in line for 7 hours to be admitted).

We come, amidst ups and downs, to the seventh track of the album titled "The Ministry Of Lost Souls", which talks about a woman saved from drowning by a man who, however, gives his life for this noble gesture (fantastic text and figures used). Remorse grips her, and she can’t live serenely. The song recalls typical Pink Floyd sounds, always readapted and re-elaborated, resulting in a truly well-constructed ballad, sometimes moving and engaging, where the simplicity and beauty of the melodic parts blend with a fantastic LaBrie managing to modulate his voice, making it very soft and fully suited to the track. Then opens a vast instrumental section leading towards the final apotheosis of the song, which ends with a breath of wind, sweeping away the tears before the final piece. One of the best tracks on the album.

We return to "In the Presence Of Enemies", but with the second part. If "The Ministry Of Lost Souls" had warmed you, the gloomy and barely hinted guitar and keyboard riffs really give chills. LaBrie perfectly sings the initial part, which evolves and intensifies (as I already said, the chorus of this first section of the track is truly fitting), till it explodes in the second (fourth for the whole track) section where screams of war give way to powerful lyrics and an equally powerful singer, who manages to make the song whirl to a new instrumental part. We then reach the conclusion (not bad but far less beautiful than the one of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence") and the definitive closure. Nice is the idea of postponing the last notes after a brief silence.

In essence, "Systematic Chaos" is a good album from the fathers of prog metal; it’s certainly not at the level of the production in the early '90s, but it holds up very well even this time, always considering the high standard that Dream Theater consistently maintains.