
Parasomnia Album Review: Exploring Dream Theater’s Latest Work
The last time Dream Theater’s legendary lineup created an album, the 2009 release marked a significant milestone for the progressive metal quintet, achieving their first Top 10 placement and becoming their highest-charting LP to date. Since the acclaimed Black Clouds & Silver Linings, the iconic band members—singer James LaBrie, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess—have consistently delivered a series of five albums, albeit without their cofounding drummer Mike Portnoy.
However, after a long absence of over a dozen years, during which Portnoy explored musical avenues with various groups like The Winery Dogs and Twisted Sister, he triumphantly returns to Dream Theater for their 16th album, Parasomnia. This album offers a captivating 71 minutes of music that masterfully showcases the band’s distinctive progressive sound without compromising their artistic integrity.
Reflecting on their journey since the 1992 masterpiece Images and Words, which was their second album and first featuring LaBrie, Dream Theater has continually refined their analytical approach to music. With roots in the prestigious Berklee College of Music, band members Petrucci, Myung, and Portnoy have consistently blended intricately composed 10-minute songs with profound lyrical themes drawn from sources as diverse as Shakespeare and the Twelve Steps to Recovery. The eight tracks of Parasomnia delve into the realm of sleep disturbances, creating a musical experience that exists intriguingly between the realms of sweet dreams and haunting nightmares.
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Right from the outset, the album sets a striking atmosphere. The opening instrumental track, “In the Arms of Morpheus,” transports listeners through its melodic guitar riffs and thundering drums that evoke the essence of a classic mid-’70s Genesis track. As the music evolves, it accelerates to a metal tempo; the nearly 10-minute “Night Terror” and the eight-and-a-half-minute “A Broken Man” aptly reflect their ominous titles both in thematic depth and sonic execution.
While some of the lyrics on Parasomnia, such as in the track “Midnight Messiah,” may occasionally come off as straightforward and obvious—like the line “Eyes open wide, but I can’t see“—the accompanying musical composition rarely follows a simplistic path. The band’s signature head-spinning guitar solos and rhythmically intricate passages, which have long been pivotal to defining Dream Theater’s reputation, continue to thrill listeners in this album. After a 16-year hiatus from collaborating, the band members have clearly shed any doubts about their ability to reconnect and create compelling music together.
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Gallery Credit: Michael Gallucci