Dream Theater/ A View From The Top Of The World

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Dream Theater/ A View From The Top Of The World 

Genre: Progressive metal

Label: Inside Out Music 

Rating: ****

A burst of hyper-energetic drums is followed by a melodic guitar line, before vocalist James LaBrie launches the words, "Look beyond the earth, heading set for the stars, interplanetary, some are near, some are far, terraform a new world, survival for mankind, options but a few, we are running out of time".

Welcome to 'The Alien', the opening track of Dream Theater's 15th album A View From The Top Of The World. With its sheer power, it sets the pace for 70 minutes of raw brilliance, taking you to another world, beyond the earth. Over seven tracks, including the three-part, 20-minute title track, the prog metal giants keep you glued.

Though there's consistent virtuosity from each band member, it's drummer Mike Mangini who stands out. Replacing the outstanding Mike Portnoy over a decade ago, Mangini comes up with some astonishing work, complete with unusual time signatures, improvisation, artistry and yet enough power to supply electricity to an entire district.

Overall, the music might be a throwback to 2000s albums like Octavarium and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, almost continuing from its predecessor Distance Over Time. As such, there's little change from the standard DT sound. But what works is the sheer quality of the compositions and the class of the musicians, with guitarist John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and bassist John Myung complementing LaBrie's voice on 'Answering The Call' and 'Invisible Monster'.

A highlight is the 10-minute 'Sleeping Giant', which begins, "Some will be driven by conflict, others will fight the good fight, some will rely on the darkness, some will rely on the light, some elevate with compassion, yearning for knowledge and peace, some motivate with aggression, selfishly serve their own needs".

'Transcending Time' boasts of some outstanding keyboard and guitar work, leading to a melodic climax. 'Awaken The Master' opens with a flurry of Petrucci's shred runs and Mangini's power-o-technics, and has philosophical lines like, "Spinning through life, lost in a spiral of time, turning the stone, circles of darkness and light, remember hereafter; you made it to the top just to find out you're only halfway there, all along, missing the point of the journey".

The album concludes with the epic title track, which begins with marching-style rhythms and cinematic orchestration. Because of its length, it may take time to grow, and the slower portions may even bore the headbangers. But it's one of the band's most adventurous and 'dreamily theatrical' tracks ever, reminding you of the Scenes From A Memory days. This piece exemplifies the progressive element of Dream Theater's music, as they once again churn out a bagful of goodies. After Iron Maiden's Senjutsu, this is another great outing for the metalhead this year.