Dream Theater
Distance Over Time

It is not too often I write about a band who needs no introduction but I think that Dream Theater is one of those, with millions of albums sold and lots of respect among rock and metal fans. I also know this band rather well as I own all their albums and some are among my absolute favourites, like Scenes From a Memory and more recently A Dramatic Turn of Events. The most recent album The Astonishing was less impressive to me though, the vinyl records have never been played and the music files in the iPod just sits there and never gets run through as that album never caught my attention and I like other albums they have done better. So how about this one then? The artwork is really good and thought provoking, and the music caters to their usual trademarks.

Progressive metal of course, what did you expect? And it bears many similarities with much of their previous stuff but with some new and fresh angles, maybe some surprises even though it sounds a bit like what you can expect. I think the album is well produced with good sound and LaBrie sings well even though ha has done better on previous albums. The album also offers good variation and good depth with lots of changes in time signatures etc. at the same time I think that it is a long album, perhaps a little bit too long. It is also lacking the kind of hit song that most of their album has to offer, there are none of those radio friendly massively catchy hits that you want to play over and over. And I also think that the album is needlessly complex, Dream Theater is in my view better when they are less complex and more melodic – like the stuff we hear on the albums I like best from them.

Of course this album is good, what did you expect? Dream Theater knows their craft and would not put out a poor album. The songs are good, the melodies strong, the musical craftsmanship excellent – but I miss that hit song. And I do think that they complicate the songs a bit too much and could easily have done away with several minutes of instrumental masturbation without loosing anything, I think the album would be better if they had done that. Overall I think that this album is not as good as their best and that they are a bit off what we all know they can do when they are on top of their game. I would perhaps not call Distance over Time a Disappointment, not like I think The Astonishing was but it is not one of the best albums they have done either.

Solid effort, it will most likely please legions of Dream Theater fans and probably not disappoint too many of them. Distance over time sounds like Dream Theater does, a bit predictable and unimaginative to be an album by a band this good and this exciting. But it is good enough and enjoyable enough to be quite likeable even though there are albums I chose to listen to before going for this album. In the end I think we can conclude that Dream Theater has once again put together another good album, once again showcasing that they are a great and dependable band.

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