Progressive Metal

Inside Out

Here we have the fifteenth studio album from Dream Theater, and I was going to say it is unexpectedly good, but really that’s not true, it is expectedly brilliant. To be honest, I don’t think the band have ever released a bad album, but even for Dream Theater this is an excellent piece of work.

The album has just seven songs, ranging from six to twenty minutes in length, opening with ‘The Alien’ and closing with the title track. ‘The Alien’ has been on YouTube for a while now, and it is typical Dream Theater, really. It is excellent. It is also probably the weakest track on here. The levels of musicianship are stellar, the way Rudess and Petrucci weave their parts around each other is just stunning.

The album starts fairly dark and heavy, but the band throw in plenty of light and shade. ‘Transcending Time’ is one of the more melodic pieces that they have done, presenting a much more uplifting sound than is usual. The title track is a bit of a slow burner; it took me a couple of listens to fully appreciate it, but believe me, it’s worth sticking with it, as it’s another classic. Personal favorite, at the moment anyway, is ‘Sleeping Giant’. The musical interplay is good enough to remind you of the Scenes From a Memory album, especially that bit where Jordan kicks in with a little honky-tonk piano.

Utterly brilliant from start to finish.

Powerpoints: 10

—Martin Howell