Dream Theater – “Distance Over Time”
19th February 2019 0 By Gavin GriffithsThe year 1985 held some key moments in cultural history; Nintendo released itās now legendary NES console in America, changing gaming foreverā¦there was THAT Live Aid concertā¦and there was also the birth of one of rock and metals most long-standing, respected bands of all time; DREAM THEATER. The prog rock pioneers (Now consisting of vocalist James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, bassist John Myung and drummer Mike Mangini) have set the bar for progressive rock and metal for over three decades now and they show no signs of stopping as they unleash their fourteenth studio album āDistance Over Timeā. The question isā¦if speed equals distance over time, how quickly over the next hour will it take this reviewer to decide if this album is actually any good?
The album opens up with the lead single āUntethered Angelā and while initially starting as some soothing, softly plucked guitar piece, it quickly descends into a barrage of riffs and crushing percussion; appropriately becoming free and untethered itself, like a cathartic release through noise. Vocally LaBrie is clean and clear and brings subtle elements of power metal to proceedings in places, though there are times something a touch grittier would benefit the instrumentation. Speaking of, itās not long before weāre met with lashings of solo guitar work and countering keyboard play, the latter taking on an old-school toneā¦properly indulgent prog rock this, very much as youād expect. āParalyzedā initially opens up with a deeper, chugging riff and the atmospheric slow build leads us to what sounds like it should be an enjoyable slab of metal, but again LaBrie lackās that certain oomph, and as soon as the piano comes into play, all hopes of that metal mauling are lostā¦which is a shame.
āFall Into The Lightā more or less does the same; coaxing you in with some more traditional metal riffage getting your hopes up, and really goes for it when the song kicks into gear with an up-tempo sense of urgency, but itās not long before the song meanders into more self-servicing; over seven minutes long, thereās plenty of drawn out instrumentation and already patience begins to wear thin. āAt Witās Endā goes one step further clocking in at three weeks long (I jest itās just short of ten minutes) and again, its rich in its off-kilter progressive polyrhythmic riffs and key changes, but boy does it drag onā¦you know, just because you can, doesnāt mean you should. The title is fitting mind as by this point I really am at my wit’s end. āOut Of Reachā combines elegant piano and emotive guitar play to deliver a soothing ballad, while closing bonus track āViper Kingā blends hard-rock riffs and more old-school synths for a more energetic, ballsy piece, ending the album on a higher note.Ā
While the musicianship simply has to be applauded here; the grandiose fret-wankery and general level of instrumentation is impressive, thereās no argument there, but the ten tracks run for what feels like foreverā¦and this is meant to be one of Dream Theaterās shortest records! If there was a little more substance vocally I might be more invested in this; and itād do the riffs justice at the same time. Distance over time is sadly too far, and takes far too long.
Score: 5 / 10
Record Label: Inside Out
Release Date: February 22nd
Track List:
- “Untethered Angel”
- “Paralyzed”
- “Fall Into The Light”
- “Barstool Warrior”
- “Room 137”
- “S2N”
- “At Wit’s End”
- “Out Of Reach”
- “Pale Blue Dot”
- “Viper King” (Bonus Track)
Release Date
22nd February 2019
Label
Inside OutFor all things Dream Theater, click HERE and to purchase the album, click HERE
About the author
Gavin Griffiths AKA GavTheGothicChav 31 Based In South Wales Favourite Bands: HIM, The 69 Eyes, Paradise Lost, CKY, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Type-O-Negative, Turbonegro, Depeche Mode... Enjoys: Pizza, Jack Daniel's, Comedy Roasts, WWE, Horror Movies, Sloths, Panda's, Eurovision Dislikes: The Concept Of Being "Offended", Hype, Instrumental Tracks, Interludes, Overly Long Tracks