ChaosA.D.

Great review! I really like the album, although I consider it a transitional work, a way to reconcile with the past while establishing the foundations for the future. Regarding the 'trend' of criticizing DT, well, trust me, it's very much alive; it will take a few more years before it shifts to another group. Honestly, I think this year there have been worse albums than "A Dramatic Turn Of Events," like the latest effort from Morbid Angel. But in the end, everyone does as they please, and things haven't changed much: those who loved DT adore them even more after this work, while those who hated them continue to do so and criticize them with even more fervor. You'll see now that they've come in third place in the Italian charts; it's the end! Hello everyone and have a good evening.

Great review! I'm really drawn to the band; I listened to "Beyond The Flames" and was pleasantly impressed, especially by the vocalist—he has a beautiful, clear, and personal range. The other band members seem really talented, creating a balanced and powerful soundscape with truly interesting tempo changes that keep the listener engaged and interested. Truly a great recommendation, well done! I will definitely explore more. I'm sorry to have commented alone, as both the review and the suggestion deserve attention. Goodbye and have a great day :-)

I don’t like track by track reviews, especially for an album like this one, which is basically quite homogeneous and balances aggressive parts with calmer and more introspective moments. However, it’s all well written, so the 3 for me is justified, in fact, even a bit more. I don’t agree with the judgment given to Mangini; in my opinion, the choice to keep a "low" profile (I put it in quotes since the work done on the album isn't bad or anything) was quite spot on. I think the band could have moved in two directions: either highlight the immense technical qualities of the new drummer to the max, risking criticism for trying to prove that good old Portnoy wasn't all that great (absolutely false, he's a true master on the drums, acrobatic, powerful, and expressive like few), or opt for a sound and use of the instrument that is softer, possibly getting criticized for not fully utilizing Mangini's capabilities. In these cases, there's no perfect solution; one must take the path that minimizes the drawbacks, as they have done, in my opinion. Of course, hearing more intricate and powerful passages and admiring the great speed and skill of the new band member would have been a pleasure, but in the end, it has worked out better this way—fewer controversies and discussions like: "Would Mike Portnoy have been able to pull off that passage?", "Sure, but Portnoy would have definitely done it better," etc. I eagerly await to see what will happen with the next album, in which Mike Mangini will surely be more involved in the songwriting! Hi everyone, and have a good evening.

@Radioactive Toy. You’re not wrong; judging without knowing the subject at hand is perfectly pointless, as well as a sign of a certain presumption. However, my discussion relates to a purely subjective factor. For example, a fan of Spears who hates rock (not that either of these things necessarily implies the other; one can be a rocker and listen to Spears) might not care about the importance of the VU, and if they listen to them, they might well say they suck because their sensitivity doesn’t lead them to appreciate certain types of music. Then, of course, people tend to rationalize and create some sort of interpretative grid; for us, who write about music on this site, it's easier to try to be objective so we can discuss professionally, exchanging opinions and advice. But for others, the discussion is different; some listen to a genre solely because it moves them, even if, on a purely musical and technical level, it might literally suck. But for the person in question, that’s ‘real’ music. That said, I’m not saying that judgment shouldn’t exist—far from it! It’s just that determining which music is worthy of listening to and which isn’t is, for me, quite difficult. Regarding your point about the means, I’m not sure how much I can counter; taking myself as an example, I can tell you that I can talk very little about jazz on a purely technical level because I lack the appropriate knowledge, but this doesn’t inhibit my ability to be emotionally moved when listening to a live performance by Keith Jarrett's Standard Trio and maybe to engage in a fairly sensible discussion regarding their proposal. In conclusion, I’ll try to answer your question by talking about the emotions or doubts that the composition has stirred in me. Then, if an expert tells me, “Look, this piece is a masterpiece for this reason,” and starts explaining, I listen to learn and understand. But if the piece doesn’t stir anything in me, it’s not a masterpiece for me. I certainly respect it; that goes without saying because respect is fundamental in every field, but I will continue to listen to other things. Anyway, I wish you a good evening and hope I haven’t bored you too much :-D

In my opinion, the discourse on subjectivity in music is too predominant to be easily bypassed, because each of us, including professional reviewers, has tastes we must inevitably confront. Sure, one should strive to be objective, but the mere existence of magazines and webzines in the industry (Pop, Rock, Metal; in the latter case, there are even sites focused solely on a branch of heavy metal) shows how pure objectivity cannot be applied to certain contexts. Of course, there are "universally recognized" masterpieces, but how many times do we hear phrases like: "I recognize the importance of the album, but for me...," "Sure, it's a masterpiece, but...," etc.? Based on this, I believe that ratings also reflect this discourse; in fact, those who listen to, breathe, and live Pop will probably give a five to a Lady Gaga or Britney Spears album, ignoring the various Mozarts and Beethovens, whom I consider incomparable to the aforementioned artists for a simple matter of logic—it's like trying to sum apples and oranges; they teach you in elementary school that you can't do that!

In conclusion, I think that discussions like "you can't listen to this or that" lack a solid foundation because it all depends on the context in which one finds themselves. For example, if we enter a hypothetical room where the only 'real' music is Hard Rock, the Classical or Shoegaze listener will be labeled as someone "who knows nothing about music," and the same happens in a myriad of other similar contexts. Ultimately, a crowd listening to a certain genre will always be present, even in the most crude underground! Returning to the hypothetical room: here everyone listens to Drone, a genre that is certainly not commercial, but among all these listeners, there’s one who loves Vasco Rossi; well, in such a paradoxical situation, the latter is the alternative one, and the others are the trend-followers! With this, I conclude by saying that absolutes in the artistic field are truly too little legitimate. Art is in constant movement, and the past has taught us that what is objectively okay today can be judged just as objectively obsolete or even inconsistent and flawed tomorrow. Then, if we enter the realm of opinions, that's a whole different ballgame. There one could say: "For me, you can't listen to Jazz because the only real music is House," which is an opinion and, as such, can be debated, criticized, or shared, but it will always have the dignity of being expressed; this much is certain. I hope I haven't bored you, and good evening to everyone :-)

I'm back to share my opinion on the album, which is absolutely positive! A brilliantly played album, with well-articulated and structured songs where the special effects of the theater blend perfectly with the dreamlike aspect of dreams; I'm truly satisfied! The only downside is "Far From Heaven," a ballad that's a bit too sugary and not very 'mystical' (no ethereal aura like "Wait For Sleep," if you know what I mean), well sung but overly simplistic for an album that is overall intricate and rich in structure. Regarding the criticisms made, well, I was expecting worse – could it be that soon the role of the band to mock will fall to someone else? Just kidding, of course! In the end, we find ourselves in front of a classic DT album, and it certainly wasn’t created to attract new admirers or change the minds of detractors; rather, the latter will, upon listening to tracks like "Build Me Up, Brake Me Down" (which I love so much, but then again, you know I'm a blasphemer!) confirm all those elements that led them to detest this band. In conclusion, what can I say: I absolutely love the album, it makes me dream, and it balances technique and feeling perfectly. Now I'm curious to see what they will propose when Mangini is more involved in the writing process! Speaking of Mike Mangini, I was really pleased with the gracious way he integrated into the band, almost on tiptoe, without grand proclamations or trying to produce over-the-top technicalities just to make fans forget good old Mike Portnoy (a truly daunting task!). They are two different musicians, both brilliant and with a strong personality, so, at least in my opinion, there’s really little to complain about concerning the new drummer; on the contrary, he can only receive praise from me for the work done. Maybe the drumming was a bit subdued, but if they had opted for a sound more focused on percussion, many would have objected that it was a maneuver to showcase the newcomer, so... Hello everyone and have a great day :-D

Thank you for reading the review and for the rating you’ve given! I wish you all a great day :-D

What a lovely review! I really liked it, despite being track-by-track: knowledgeable and well-written. As for the album, I'd prefer not to comment just yet; I plan to buy it between "bravissimo" and after listening to it with the artwork in hand, reading the lyrics and the notes I'll dive into a judgment. I know, I'm sentimental, but what can I do? I have to experience and touch certain albums. Anyway, from what has emerged online in these months, it seems like an excellent work, different from the previous period (which I liked; I've really reevaluated albums like "Train Of Thought" or "Systematic Chaos," although "Black Clouds And Silver Linings" still leaves me a bit perplexed!). Hi everyone and have a good evening; I'll be back once I've purchased and dutifully listened to the album! I was thinking of writing a review myself (not that I cared much about various insults and teasing), but I believe this one is explanatory and well-constructed, so mine would be completely useless (I can already hear the sigh of relief from the debaseriani, saved from yet another review of DT on the homepage). :-D

In the end, it's a horror film, and it's not like movies of this genre are required to provide some kind of wisdom or reveal hidden truths! The film does its dirty work, which is to entertain, especially on evenings with friends dedicated to a small dose of 'collective fright.' Once it's over, 'Saw' leaves nothing behind, but to tell the truth, personally, I really don't have any great desire to be taught something! Regarding the review, I have to say well done, a bit too enthusiastic in some parts, but all in all, well written and attentive. Hello everyone and good afternoon :-)

Progg_Nait, with what I said, I absolutely did not want to belittle Progressive Metal; on the contrary, I really love it as a genre! My point was only to show what I believe to be the most accurate angle from which to frame the phenomenon of DT, understood as a group that operates within purely Metal coordinates, yet enriches the genre with elements typical of a certain way of understanding Rock. Let me explain better: in DT, rather than pure progressive, I find the application of the prog philosophy to the world of heavy metal; in fact, the great bands of the '70s took the best that world music had to offer to mix it with the language of Rock! DT have initiated a similar process; many Progressive Metal bands take everything that heavy music has to offer and then "blend" it all together, giving it a stable and enjoyable architecture. Just think, say, of Opeth, with their mix of death metal bursts, sweet gothic litanies, and '70s passages, or Orphaned Land, who combine Middle Eastern folk with the power of extreme metal and beyond. In this whole picture, I see DT as pioneers, capable of laying down not just foundations, but a line of thought, followed and modified later by many other innovative bands! Cheers and have a good day :-)