Originally published in Vintage Guitar magazine · September 2019
Distance Over Time review
By Distance Over Time
Review1 min read
Dream Theater
Melodic, dense, and intense, Dream Theater’s latest abides by the earmarks that diehard fans pay hard-earned bucks to hear. Like a caffeinated sequel to The Astounding from 2016, Distance Over Time is a marvel of technical and sonic brilliance.
John Petrucci’s guitar solos are astonishing as he zigzags with breathtaking scalar runs on ‘Paralyzed.’ It’s an album of larger-than-life precision, with lyrics that speak of humanity and the band’s personal evolution. Bassist John Myung is at the top of his low-end game, and his intro to ‘S2N’ sets the tone for ominous riffs, dialogue sound bites, and brutal chord work.
Keyboard maestro Jordan Rudess duels with Petrucci on the album’s opening track ‘Untethered Angel,’ as drummer Mike Mangini crushes, changes feels, and swaps time signatures throughout. ‘At Wit’s End’ is an alternate-picking marathon with repeating figures that would give most mortals a hernia. Clocking in at over nine minutes, this mind-altering composition journeys through furious solos, pummeling grooves, pastoral movements, and melodic fadeouts that take their sweet time.
Despite the band’s mutant musical chops, vocalist James LaBrie grounds the ensemble with thoughtful topics, a la Carl Sagan’s book Pale Blue Dot.
—Oscar Jordan