Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events review

I have to admit that when I began listening to “A Dramatic Turn of Events,” Dream Theater’s new album, I flinched a little bit expecting the album to be full of distorted guitars, incomprehensible lyrics screamed at the top of the singer’s lungs, and nonstop driving drums from the first to the last track. I was so happy to discover that I was wrong. “A Dramatic Turn of Events” provides nine tracks of energy and emotion, but none of them are overcome by volume. The lyrics are clearly sung and easy to hear and understand. There’s no screaming. Even with the multiple instrumental layers on many tracks, the music never becomes muddy. In fact, it’s tight – the musicians clearly all agree on just where the beat is, and use it to drive the music forward instead of covering it up with too many sounds. And rather than fill up the album with guitar solos, Dream Theater dares to include ballads and lighter sections, utilizing their versatility to hold the listener’s interest instead.

The first track, which is also the title track, offers an introduction sounding Led Zeppelin-esque. Parts of the track could easily serve as background music for a movie action sequence. Lyrics include phrases such as “You’re blinded by your hunger / beware your days are numbered.” This 8 minute track establishes the energy for the tracks to follow.

“Beneath The Surface” closes the album on an entirely different note than it began on. Essentially a ballad, the track is sung gently and the background music is beautiful. The lyrics are quite poetic (“Is there ever really a right time / You had led me to believe some day you’d be there for me / When the stars above aligned / When you weren’t so consumed”). Completely heartfelt, this track immediately became my favorite from the album.