Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings (3 CD Special Edition)
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CD Details
Artist: Dream TheaterBrand: DREAM THEATER
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Extra tracks, Special Edition
CD Release Date: 2009-06-23
Music Label: Roadrunner Records
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- A Nightmare To Remember
- A Rite Of Passage
- Wither
- The Shattered Fortress
- The Best Of Times
- The Count Of Tuscany
- 6 Cover Songs
- A Nightmare To Remember (Instrumental)
- A Rite Of Passage (Instrumental)
- Wither (Instrumental)
- The Shattered Fortress (Instrumental)
- The Best Of Times (Instrumental)
- The Count Of Tuscany (Instrumental)
Music reviews of Black Clouds & Silver Linings (3 CD Special Edition)
Music Review: Prog Metal Kings Create Another Masterpiece
Rating: 5 Stars
After Systematic Chaos I have to admit, I knew the music was going to get heavier. Taking a look a James Labrie's own side project Elements Of Persuasion and Mike Portnoy's squeals of glee during the making of Dark Eternal Night who would have guessed?
With only 6 songs, I thought the fans might get screwed but I was wrong. Each song provides tons of variety that I really don't see how anyone could complain about that. This album takes more than a couple listens to get. Just like all Dream Theater albums. It's just plain wrong to review this album after one listen. Anybody who does should not have a review on here...okay rant over...here is the song by song.
A Nightmare To Remember - Classic heavy Dream Theater here. Plenty of melodies to soak your teeth into. There is a good amount of instrumental parts, and they will take plenty of listens to "get" and completely enjoy. Mike Portnoy adds his vocals here by himself at around 11:00 for like 40 seconds. I like the fact that he's getting more into singing on the albums even though he isn't the greatest singer. I enjoy the variety and just because it's just plain fun to hear him getting in to it. Petrucci gets a bit bluesy at some parts but delivers some heavy complex riffs that would have most Nu-metal bands curled up on the floor sucking on their thumb. Labrie delivers his vocals with some angry melodic tones at parts, and soft at other parts. I like it, the singing reminds me a bit of "Mirror" on the Awake album. Portnoy rips up on the drums at around 15 minutes with some godly double base peddling to compliment Myung's insane Bass playing. Jordan sets the mood with his amazing keyboarding most of this song. This song alone would be worth the purchase of the album.
A Rite Of Passage - I would say that this song is what Dark Eternal Night was to Systematic Chaos. You'll like it on first listen for sure. The song is just plain cool and very listenable. Heavy and melodic, was definitely the first song I liked off the album. The lyrics are just plain cool, and Portnoy does some awesome freaky backup vocals while James Sings. Watch the video if you can, probably one of the best Music videos I've ever seen Dream Theater do. At 8 minutes (it doesn't even feel that long) this song is sure to be added to Dream Theater's shorter amazing song repertoire. At about 5 minutes, if you don't lose your mind at how cool the middle instrumental is, you might just be deaf. Chill worthy insane soloing and drumming. This song delivers the instant hit feel but with the ability to be enjoyed a hundred times unlike most pop songs. Jordan's solo at the end is one of my favorite parts on the album.
Wither - The softest song on the album. Not much to say about it, the lyrics eventually catch on pretty fast. At about 5 minutes long, it's a classic chill out song on the album. The chorus is very nicely done on here. There is an awesome but poppy sounding keyboard part with james singing at 4 minutes which is probably the only part I don't like on the song. I'm sure you'll be singing "Let it out, Let it out" to yourself.
The Shattered Fortress - Holy crap! Was the first feeling I got when I heard this song. Mix "This Dying Soul", "Glass Prison", and "Repentance" and you get this song. Taking the most memorable melodies from the three aforementioned songs plus adding to it and changing it up (so you don't feel like they cut and pasted the song) with more awesome pounding riffs and solos and leads. This is the end of Mike Portnoy's story about the "Twelve Steps Of AA" and it's a very emotional song and probably the easiest Dream Theater accessible song to fans of the last few albums. There are so many tempo changes here, it's friggin ridiculous. The fact they bring back that riff from "Glass Prison" and "This Dying Soul" and make it sound just as cool but different around 6 minutes makes the song for me. I really loved that part in "Glass Prison". If this is your first time hearing any of these riffs go back and get the other songs. Together they create a super song. The drumming at the end of the song will have you going back to listen to "This Dying Soul" I guarantee it.
The Best Of Times - Any stratovarious fans reading this? Listen To Stratovarious's song "Elements" at around 7:20 seconds to the end of the album and then listen to this song. The melody is almost the same at certain parts of this song. That being said, it feels like an add-on to that song. But in a very good way. This song has to deal with Portnoy's father dying but instead of being sad, he wrote an uplifting song about his relationship with his father. He was able to sing it to show his father and sing it to him on his deathbed. Although they are simplistic lyrics, they come from the heart and I feel anyone can associate this song with a loved one or friend who passed away. This is how you should remember people who are gone. Jordan delivers the most atmospheric keys you've ever heard and Petrucci gives a performance of a lifetime on the song, as a veteran guitar player...you can really appreciate what he does on here. So memorable, so beautiful. It sounds like something off of Images and Words to me. It's very upbeat and if my son made this for me on my deathbed I'd die and go to heaven haha. labrie delivers the goods, keeps it feeling upbeat, does his best to get the emotion across and he does so very eloquently. For those who say James is unemotional, listen to this song. I would call this song more Prog Rockish than anything else. Very enjoyable.
The Count Of Tuscany - Finally wrapping up this review with this song. I am speechless. This is this album's Octavarium. The part of the album that sums up Dream Theater best. An epic 19 minute track that you will listen to time and time again. I was driving the other day listening to about 12 minutes in when Jordan Rudess's solo came in. I was driving on some farmlands all by myself while the sun was going down. Such a memorable experience. I'll never forget this song. I'm keeping this song a surprise. Just get it, I don't need to talk about the song haha. The whole Dream Theater team throws plenty of curveballs in this song.
The special edition is everything you could expect. Dream Theater covers six songs. The queen song is by far my favorite. Labrie is probably one of the few people who can sing like Freddie Mercury. On top of which you get the instrumental versions of the 6 songs and it's great if you want to sing it, noodle around with it on your guitar, drums, or bass or just don't want to hear singing. No solos on the instrumental piece really. Keep that in mind.
I really recommend the 3 CD Special Edition cause you get over 100 minutes of music for like an extra 5 bucks. And it's Dream Theater...what else could you want? I can't wait for the next album.
Description of Black Clouds & Silver Linings (3 CD Special Edition)
Special Edition includes the Black Clouds & Silver Linings CD, plus a CD of 6 cover songs, and a CD of instrumental mixes of the entire Black Clouds & Silver Linings album. 'This album's a musical and emotional rollercoaster, but most of our albums are,' Mike Portnoy says of Black Clouds & Silver Linings, Dream Theater's tenth studio album and second Roadrunner release. Black Clouds & Silver Linings marks another milestone on Dream Theater's iconoclastic musical journey, which began two and a half decades ago and now encompasses a hugely impressive body of music that's established the durable progressive metal outfit as a one-of-a-kind creative force with a fiercely devoted international fan base. The new album - produced by band members Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci, who also serve as the group's main lyricists - offers a vibrant manifestation of the world-class musicianship, vivid lyrical scenarios and ambitious, multi-leveled compositions that have established Dream Theater as a uniquely compelling creative force.Hard Rock & Metal CDs
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