A Dramatic Turn of Events

Dream Theater | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Roadrunner Records
• ASIN: B005974CDU
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (229 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,047 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

A Dramatic Turn of Events is an album born from transition, crafted with studied persistence and possessed by newfound freedom and free-flowing invigoration. The album strikes the perfect balance between Dream Theater's intimate history with all that is heavy, progressive and melodic with each element fully realized. Longtime fans of the band intrigued by the speediness of the notes on display from Dream Theater have much to study on the album, while fans of melodic hooks will find equal pleasure within the songs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

138 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reaches high, almost gets there, September 13, 2011

By 

Murat Batmaz (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Dramatic Turn of Events (Audio CD)

The first Dream Theater album without founding member and original drummer Mike Portnoy, A Dramatic Turn of Events will certainly continue to divide the fans, especially those that are extremely upset or pleased by Portnoy's departure. Without getting into that debate, I will just mention that the sound achieved on the album is still unmistakeably Dream Theater with a few minor differences.

The album has a great flow to it. The songs are tied together organically exuding some of their freshest ideas in a while. Jordan Rudess, in particular, expands the songs' chordal parameters and no longer strictly functions as Petrucci's shadow, coming to the fore prominently both during the choruses and solo passages. He also avoids using his more eclectic synth patches and tones as he plays to the strength of the compositions. Of course, he is integral in the unison leads of tracks like "Bridges in the Sky" and "Outcry," both of which exceed the ten-minute mark. Rudess also showcases his experimental side: the Tuvan throat singing at the beginning and end of "Bridges in the Sky" is obviously sampled from Omnisphere as are the gothic-like cathedral-sized 'choirs' and string arrangements.

Having recorded the vocals on his own in Canada, James Labrie adds his sonic imprint to some of the tunes much the same way he does on his solo material. Two of the album's ballads, "This is the Life" and "Far from Heaven," both boast majestic piano lines and great melodic segments. There is none of his more aggressive vocalizations present on this disc, though he still exploits his darker tones, as witnessed during the intro of "Lost Not Forgotten," arguably his finest moment on the album. Instead of screaming, he builds tension over several notes. This track also eerily recalls the band's majestic track "Under a Glass Moon," not in terms of melody construction but arrangement. The band adopts a similar approach to developing the piece using plenty of harmonized fretwork atop a powerful theme introduced in the beginning of the song, which climbs throughout the whole piece until the finale.

John Petrucci's playing is surprisingly restrained apart from the whacky instrumental sections the band is known for. Even then, though, his playing takes on a dreamlike quality. Penned by John Myung, "Breaking All Illusions" is possibly his most emotionally draining guitar solo since the reworked "Hollow Years" version. It builds slowly, but has a defined purpose and melodic weight to it at the same time. It seems almost improvised, but due to its climax, also painstakingly composed and well arranged. Petrucci's tone here has more definition which heightens the scope a notch, obviously. Simply wonderful.

Some may argue that, because Mike Portnoy is out of the band, John Myung's tone is audible and the most central aspect of the album. Well, that assessment cannot be further from the truth. Myung still plays much the way he has on the past releases. Apart from the obvious bass lines here and there (check the album opener or "Outcry"), he still utilizes deep bass notes rather than extraneous, protruding lines, and this is for a reason. His bass sits in the back in order to create a deeper guitar sound. Petrucci's tone is heavier because of the bass. Myung's playing has never really been about standing out, not since Falling into Infinity at least. They choose to play in each other's sound in order to create a unique sound, just like flutes and oboes, or violins and violas in an orchestra, play unisons without worrying about "standing out" in the composition. Myung's role within the song is all about establishing additional portals for a tighter rhythmic flow, and he achieves this feat perfectly.

Because he joined the band after the songwriting process, new drummer Mike Mangini is given little room to demonstrate his full talents as a drummer. Gone are Portnoy's in-your-face drum parts that dominate a typical Dream Theater album, and this will undoubtedly please or disappoint fans depending on their preferences. As much as Mangini is to be commended for his technical prowess and skill, the drums are mixed too low in the mix and lack some of the additional flair the songs could benefit from. It would have been great if Mangini had created more extreme dynamics within a groove and accentuated the compositions, but he performs more like a session player replicating the intricate lines both rhythmically and melodically. Rather than directing, he is supporting the melodies. His beat construct is pretty standard, which stems from him coming aboard in the last minute. I look forward to the next album with Mangini behind the kit to see how he'll contribute to the band's music.

Personally, I feel the mix by Andy Wallace is not the band's best. I don't know how much of that can be attributed to Wallace's not having worked with a progressive metal band before (he is known for his work with modern bands like Atreyu, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, System of a Down, etc.) and I don't understand why the band chose to bring in Wallace when long-time producer Paul Northfield was already available. Also, some songs are mastered too loudly which was not the case on prior Dream Theater albums. Finally, the second track, "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" is atrocious; it is one of the worst Dream Theater songs I have heard. I don't think the blend of industrial sounds, modern-day guitar riffs, gothic-like synths, and Labrie's 'catchy' vocal part works. The band obviously has had other radio-friendly songs in the past, but tracks like "Wither" and "Forsaken" are light years better than this one.

Without doubt, many reviewers will proclaim this album their best since whatever album they like the most, but these claims will always be debatable, as everything is in the ear of the beholder at the end of the day, and Dream Theater certainly has some of the most "demanding" fans on the planet.

93 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, complex and very nearly a masterpiece of modern music, September 13, 2011

By 

Dave Hall (Ekaterinburg, Russia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dramatic Turn of Events (Special Edition) (CD+DVD) (Audio CD)

Dream Theater fans tend to be an obsessive bunch, almost invariably skilled and knowledgeable musicians themselves. As I sit here writing this on the morning of the CD's release in the UK, there are debates raging on various forums about Dream Theater's latest album. Some are analysing the music like it's a crime scene, dusting through every bar looking for odd time signatures and evidence of earlier influences. Others are obsessing over the mixing and mastering. And yet another group is combing through the lyrics (particularly those by John Myung) looking for clues to the secret of life. I'm going to take a radical angle here and discuss the music itself, and how it affects me. I'm not saying those other issues don't matter. Clearly they do, or else so many people wouldn't write so passionately about them. But I'm not a gifted musician, I know nothing about the techniques of recording and mastering music, and if I want great words, I tend not to look to rock stars for them. Why I fell in love with Dream Theater back in 2001 was the exceptional musicianship and gorgeous textures of their music. So this is how I'll try to appraise this latest album.

Firstly, as we all know, Portnoy left in September 2010. What affect has this had? Well, immediately, only Labrie sings. There are no more growls and toe-curling death-metal rapping, for lack of a more apt description of that abomination that marred A Nightmare To Remember. And Labrie sings brilliantly. Nowhere on this record does he sneer or snarl or bark or shriek his way through passages, as he occasionally did on the previous 2 or 3 releases. He merely sings, and his voice has colour and charm and beauty and power. It is becoming a cliché on those forums I mentioned, but it is nonetheless true: this is the James Labrie of Images and Words and Awake. It is among his best work.

His contribution to the song-writing is also evident. Build me Up, Break Me Down sounds like something that would have fit nicely onto one of his solo albums, and has a wonderful chorus. Not my favourite track on the album, but a good, solid piece. Lost Not Forgotten works for me on many levels (Petrucci's guitar solo is wonderful. Echoes of Under A Glass Moon, but this could never be a bad thing). The opening contains an over-the-top segment of (it seems to me) completely aimless widdling, but it doesn't last too long.

The real surprise on this album was the 3 ballads. With a few notable exceptions (Anna Lee, Hollow Years, Disappear) I've never really taken to DT ballads. Too sickly, too banal. The appeal of Dream Theatre is usually the formidable musicianship and wholly unique arrangements of their pieces. Water them down to a 3rd-rate Coldplay and what's the point? But on this album, the ballads (I'll repeat, 3 of them!) are a) well placed on the CD, and b) beautiful. This Is The Life has a soaring guitar solo (2 of them in fact), and tasteful playing from Rudess. Far From heaven ddn't do it for me at first, but after many listens, is now one of my favourite DT tracks. It's a short one, but...such a beautiful, gorgeous vocal line from Labrie. And finally, what may be the most purely sublime piece DT have ever written, the album's closing track: Beneath The Surface. I like to think I hold myself together quite well, I'm not an overly-emotional person, and very few things move me to tears - but this track did, the first time I heard it. And with each repeated listen, it somehow becomes more and more beautiful. One of those tracks (for me at least) which, once it's sunk in to your soul, it's hard to imagine a time before it was a part of your life.

The other tracks on the album are very strong. Bridges In The Sky begins oddly, with a noise that any lover of a spicy mutton vindaloo will find familiar (first time I heard that guttural growl I was afraid Portnoy was guesting on vocals), but turns into quite an epic song, with a soaring melody and - lord be praised - a tasteful instrumental section which fits with the song, as opposed to a collection of impossibly difficult technical exercises. Some chap on the Dream Theater website's forum is currently engaged in a forensic examination of this song, claiming that its structure exactly mirrors that of Metropolis. Maybe so, maybe so. I personally couldn't care less about that degree of analysis. To me, it's just a great song, and to my ears sounds nothing like Metropolis. Besides which, I'd much prefer Dream Theater draw on their own catalogue for inspiration rather than any other band's, which is what I feel they were sometimes doing with Octavarium, Systematic Chaos, and Black Clouds. After all, nobody ever did it better than they themselves did.

Outcry is an album highlight, a great balance of technique and beauty. Breaking All Illusions is the album's masterpiece, with one of the most beautiful and spine-chilling endings I've ever heard in a song. I know the album is still fresh and it's tempting to be hyperbolic before it's really had a chance to sink in fully, but nonetheless, if I were stranded on an island I honestly think I could be happy with only this track for company. Dream Theater have often written exceptionally beautiful endings to otherwise mediocre tracks (Octavarium, Best of Times), but here, the entire track is one flawless gem.

So, in conclusion...I loved Mike Portnoy (still do). I think his drumming on In The Name Of God was a masterpiece of technique counterpoised against emotion. He was that rarest of entities - a truly musical drummer. But I didn't like the direction DT was taking with recent albums, and I feel that he was the reason for that change. Too much death metal growling. Too much musical masturbation, too little music. Sometimes it was just plain silly, and other times, embarrassingly derivative (watch the Systematic Chaos `Making Of' DVD and count the number of times Portnoy says things like: "Wow, this is great, we sound like Biohazard here!" Or "This is our cool Meshuggah section". Just be freakin' DT please!). This album is the sound of a group of preternaturally talented musicians playing as a tight unit. The songs are well constructed and brilliantly executed. They are original and inspiring, sometimes sending chills down the spine. There are moments which are supremely beautiful, but never childish and mawkish as seen on previous albums ("The Answer Lies Within" - is that right? There was I thinking an unexamined life was the way forward). This is not an easy record, it takes time to even begin to get a grasp of all that is going on here. Hence, it is classic Dream Theater. God forgive me but I'm happy Portnoy left if this is the result. This is what made the group wholly unique, and this record - while drawing on their past - is entirely new and fresh.

Album highlights, in order:

Breaking All Illusions
Beneath The Surface
Outcry
This Is The Life

My whole-hearted recommendation is to buy this album. And thank you Dream Theater, on the off-chance you're reading this. The music you create makes my life so much better.

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dream Theater Avoids Hiatus, Returns with Renewed Strength, September 13, 2011

By 

pdurbin - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Dramatic Turn of Events (Special Edition) (CD+DVD) (Audio CD)

One year ago, progressive metal masters Dream Theater would have announced their indefinite hiatus if drummer and de facto leader Mike Portnoy had gotten his way. Feeling the band had grown tired and stale, he believed time away from the limelight was necessary for rejuvenation.

Portnoy was right on one count; his band was not quite what it used to be. While recent albums certainly contained some magical moments and garnered the band ever-growing popularity and sales, longtime fans couldn't help but hear the sound of a band on autopilot. However, this past year has show that Portnoy was fortunately mistaken about the need for a hiatus, as is evidenced by his band mates' defiant decision to instead carry on without him and release their stellar 11th album, A Dramatic Turn of Events.

Perhaps the band owes a debt of gratitude to Portnoy for stepping aside, as they have looked deep within themselves to create their freshest piece of work in a decade. Gone are the failed attempts at metal vocals ("A Nightmare to Remember," "The Dark Eternal Night"), pedestrian lyrics ("The Count of Tuscany" - an otherwise brilliant song), and influences worn on sleeves (the Metallica dead-ringer "Constant Motion" and Muse knock-off "Never Enough"). Instead, we have Dream Theater sounding like none other than themselves.

And perhaps it can be said that they sometimes sound a little too much like themselves here, as multiple tracks follow eerily similar structures to some of their most beloved songs from 1992's breakthrough Images & Words. That being said, if ever the members were to look somewhere for inspiration, the majority of fans would likely agree there's no better place than that album. Opener & lead single "On the Backs of Angels" harkens back to the band's lone hit "Pull Me Under" with its clean guitar intro building into a majestic all-band attack and classic prog-metal riffing. The epic "Lost Not Forgotten" follows the syncopated attack and sweeping solo section "Under a Glass Moon," but with a few new twists. And while "Outcry" is reminiscent of the classic "Metropolis Pt 1" in both structure and spirit, it simultaneously sounds modern and fresh.

Two of the album's highlights, however, are completely removed from the aforementioned comparisons. "Bridges in the Sky" may very well be the band's best blend yet of prog, metal and unforgettable melody, with a chorus so unbelievable you wish it would happen again despite the song's 11-minute length, while acoustic album-closer "Beneath the Surface" is an undeniable example of how well the band can shine when holding back.

And then there's the heart-wrenchingly beautiful piano/vocal piece "Far From Heaven," which is so good on its own you almost forget it's simply paving the way for what comes next - "Breaking All Illusions," a song so near-perfect that it practically overshadows even the best moments of band's past five albums. Built on the foundation of longtime fan-favorite "Learning to Live," "Breaking All Illusions" ups the ante by taking the former's powerful progressive dynamics and pairing it with a chorus that could serve as the soundtrack to the gates of Heaven opening. If ever a band could write a "classic" nearly 25 years into its career, this would be it.

Ironically, the album's weakest points are the two tracks with the most obvious mainstream potential. "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" nearly falls into clichéd nu-metal riffing before it's saved by a killer chorus, while ballad "This is the Life" lacks the emotion heard elsewhere in the album's mellower moments (despite stellar guitar work in the intro/outro and solo).

What makes the album work so well on the whole, though, is that Dream Theater sounds like a band again, without anyone being relegated to the backseat. Guitarist/producer/arguable new leader John Petrucci relies less on driving riffs and focuses more on textures , while keyboardist partner-in-crime Jordan Rudess adds more to the mix sonically here than ever before. Bassist John Myung remains the least-distinctive, although his playing is undeniable and his first lyrical contribution in 12 years hints at some form of rejuvenation.

Perhaps the most credit, however, must be given to singer James LaBrie and newcomer drummer Mike Mangini. LaBrie has followed in the footsteps of Geddy Lee by actually sounding better with age, relying more on crafting perfect melodies than hitting big and often unintelligible notes. And behind the kit, Mangini effortlessly pulls off the difficult task of replacing one of world's leading drummers by fitting in seamlessly with the rest of the band, never quite showing off but subtly letting you know every now and then he's capable of all his predecessor's work and then some.

Ultimately, A Dramatic Turn of Events will surely rank as one of the band's shining moments, perhaps more so with long-time fans yearning of the inspiration behind Images & Words, Awake and Scenes from a Memory than with newer fans bent on the band's more metal-leaning material.