Band : Dream Theater
Album title : A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Label : Roadrunner Records – CNR
Distributor : Roadrunner Records – CNR – Concreteweb Promotion Office
Release Date : 09/09/2011
Release : CD

I’e been more or less following the career of Dream Theater since their second album came out, not closely, but from a distance.  So not each of their successive studio albums are well known to me, but I must admit they always had a certain quality.

When it was announced that one of the founding members of the band, Mike Portnoy, their drummer, was leaving the band, I wondered how their next album would sound like.  Well, I think their sound has not suffered by this ‘incident de parcours’. They seem to have found a suitable replacement in Mike Mangini, and sound still as good as in the beginning. As always James Labrie’s vocals are phenomenal.    Production was done completely by John Petrucci. From the first track onward my curiosity was raised as to how the next song would sound, and never ever was I disappointed.  This is Dream Theater at its finest.
The have in no way suffered by Mike Portnoy’s departure, instead they sound as fresh and eager as ever. Seems they will be undertaking an extensive tour after the release of the album.  Let’s hope they come to Belgium as well.

98/100

Erik Morren.