Following the departure of long time drummer Mike Portnoy, Dream Theater fans were a bit skeptical about the band's future. Though Dream Theater has in the past changed out keyboard players and frontmen, Portnoy was a founding member of the band and is considered by many to be one of the greatest drummers alive today. So, with equal parts apprehension and excitement, Dream Theater fans turn to the band's latest offering, A Dramatic Turn of Events (Roadrunner).
My first reaction to this album was not a favorable one, though for reasons other than Portnoy's replacement (Mike Mangini). The overall musical style of the album is something of a throwback to the band's early days. The album is a bit meandering and directionless compared to the airtight Octavarium or the sprawling opus, Six Degrees of Inner Separation. While this may endear many older fans, I am part of the group that believes that Dream Theater got better as time went on.
This return to formula may be signs of a band who is unsure of its identity. Portnoy served as a chief songwriter and was the driving force behind some of the band's more memorable songs, including The AA Suite, a massive collection of twelve songs chronicling his struggles with alcoholism. Dream Theater seems reluctant to let Mike Mangini write so guitarist John Petrucci has taken over writing the majority of music and lyrics. A fine songwriter in his own right, Petrucci was nevertheless more effective as part of a team.
Collectively, the album is fine. The level of musicianship is what fans have come to expect from Dream Theater and Mike Mangini proves himself more than capable of matching Portnoy's technical ability. But while the album on the whole is fine, nothing stands out. Every previous Dream Theater album had a track that completely blew me away and this album is sorely missing such a track. In the course of writing this review, I had to go back and listen to the album again because it lacked an identity of its own.
The plane on the album cover is very descriptive of this album. Dream Theater seems to be stuck in a holding pattern; still flying but not really going anywhere
Score: 3/5
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