Dream Theater - Parasomnia

Parasomnia is Dream Theater’s 16th studio album, and almost feels like a comeback, even though the band never left.

It’s been nearly 15 years since co-founding member, producer and drummer Mike Portnoy’s surprise departure from Dream Theater to join Avenged Sevenfold for a brief stint following the tragic death of their drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan.

Portnoy’s complicated exit from the band he lovingly helmed for over two decades was a shock to all Dream Theater fans and, in the subsequent years, he was able to carve out a successful niche with other progressive projects like Transatlantic and Flying Colors.

Dream Theater braved on, bracing this blow with dignity, and through an audition process brought in drumming mastermind Mike Mangini to replace Portnoy. The band now were perhaps more freely able to express and embrace their own individual creative decisions in Portnoy’s absence, and Mangini added his own unique technical flair to their output.

Dream Theater have always been a pro-active and individualistic band and still put in a shift, dusting themselves off, and going in their own direction. They have continued to release solid, ambitious records in their Mangini era, however it's perhaps not too unkind to say that Portnoy’s lack of presence was felt, whether consciously or subconsciously.

Now Mangini has left Dream Theater, reconciliation has happened, rifts have been mended between Portnoy and the band. They have regrouped and released their first record together as a cohesive unit since 2009’s mighty Black Clouds and Silver Linings, with a 71-minute concept album about sleep disturbances called Parasomnia.

Surprisingly, this new album holds few surprises. It feels like no time has passed since the band were fully formed. The formula Dream Theater have used so well to success since 2003’s Train of Thought is well at play here.

Parasomnia is potentially Dream Theater’s heaviest album, any doubts are immediately dispelled with the crushing opening notes of the instrumental first track In the Arms of Morpheus, and the 10-minute long Night Terror which introduces a demonic motif, followed by energetic thrashy riffs. This song is littered with all the usual flamboyant technical style you’d expect from legendary guitarist John Petrucci and virtuoso keyboardist Jordan Rudass.

These openers really feel like a showcase moment, allowing you to settle back into the Portnoy-DT vibe. The meat of the album is in the following three tracks.

The harsh offbeat opening of A Broken Man is a wakeup call like the abrasive cockatoo screech in Citizen Kane. Dream Theater’s groove throughout is Tool-level pedigree, descending to moments of scatty jazz in a fun instrumental section. This is the strongest song so far and brings an unusual intense malice into the record. 

The eerie opening of Dead Asleep, is immediately punctuated by brutal riffage, Petrucci using low tuning to maximum effect. John Myung’s bass trails supportively underneath the ruthless guitars. I love the syncopated catchy chorus, James LaBrie’s reedy vocals feel very liberated here. Portnoy’s instincts areabsolutely essential in this track, his musical acumen and ability to sit back holding a straightforward beatthen adding his special sauce exactly when it’sneeded is the DT of old.

Midnight Messiah is just a fun straight-up metal song. When I close my eyes, I can almost see this one sitting comfortably on a Dream Evil record. I challenge you not to headbang when it exits the chorus into that swerving hard rock riff, it is bouncing. It is pretty much guaranteed this will play really well in a live setting. You can just tell this cheeky little number is a track they loved writing and recording, like five old friends rediscovering their groove together.

Are We Dreaming is a creepy, solemn interlude, leading naturally into the soft-rock ballad Bend the Clock. I must admit I was not taken with this track initially, but on subsequent listens I’ve really leaned into it. The composition is brilliant, LaBrie’s vocals are front and centre, Rudass adds so much texture, and the outro guitar solo by Petrucci burns as bright as ignited phosphorus.

The album concludes with a 20-minute finale The Shadow Man Incident. This piece expertly brings elements from all of the previous tracks together, providing a thematically creepy and punishing closing denouement. This is Progressive Metal at its absolute finest, giving each member of the band a chance to shine and providing layer after layer of crazy time signatures, offbeat playing, bonkers soloing and just a bit of good old-fashioned musical showmanship. Despite its demanding length this track has enough going on that it scarcely feels it, and of course, comparisons will be drawn to othersimilarly extended tracks in their discography like In the Presence of Enemies and The County of Tuscany. From my perspective this stands as is its own beast, and a statement of Dream Theater’s enduring technical prowess as they enter the final phase of their illustrious career.

Dream Theater aren’t particularly known for lyrical subtlety, they are story tellers, and in Parasomnia telling stories is exactly what they do. As someone who has frequently suffered from episodes of both night terrors and sleep paralysis myself, I know all too well how terrifying these experiences can be. The band effectively communicate the nightmarish scenarios that can befall us during that time when we are most vulnerable. The short ambient sections of Parasomnia feel very immersive, conveying thatpetrifying unease of lucid paralysis to tie everything together well conceptually.

Parasomnia really demands and requires repeat listens for full appreciation. I love it, and after the dust settles I expect it will gain ‘classic’ status in a few years amongst the greats of their discography.The technicality is never overwhelming, as a band they still have that nifty ability to keep the more Final Boss Level elements to their sound accessible.

Portnoy’s return brings something intangible back,like the feeling of putting on a sturdy old pair of boots again. The spark has been reignited, there is an energy here, and even if you’re only a casual Dream Theater listener Parasomnia is well worth checking out.

Available on Inside Out Records