Black Clouds & Silver Linings opens with a thunder and you can sense that the storm is drawing near...raindrops (synths) start to fall...the atmosphere turns dark and then the storm unleashes his fury .... "A Nightmare To Remember" grabs you by the throat for more then 15 minutes...truly a beautiful agony.
The second act "A Rite Of Passage" takes you on a different musical ride. It sounds so different than all the other tracks that you wonder how it ended up on the album in the first place. 
Although "Wither" sounds very frail compared to the other songs it fits perfectly on the album. Just close your eyes and allow yourself to drift away for a while ...to strand at the gates of "the shattered fortress". Time to crank up the volume again as another thrilling & exciting act unfolds. "Shattered Fortress" is by far the most compelling song on the album. Seems like Dave Mustaine is holding the mike. "The best of times" gives you time to recatch your breath again as it sets a different, more melancholic mood.  Not as catchy as "Wither" but a nice breather to prepare for the final act. "The Count Of Tuscany" is the ultimate DT track on this album. Although Dave Mustaine pops up again it is the final chapter of the song that lingers on and on and which is ...undeniably Dream Theater .....75 minutes  6 songs ...Hail hail to progressive metal.

85/100

Filip Van de Gaer.