The album's title is more appropriate than ever!

The wait is with this album in many ways gone forever: Not because you have just been waiting for the new, but the new DT album !!!
Perhaps it is only on the "what does not know the farmer, he does not eat" - Mentha formality of us so-called Dream Theater fans ... I can in any case the true and eingefleischtem fan the odd sideswipe against the musical development of this combo truly not blame: The musical losing streak it is welcome given!

Fact: The what Dream Theater was once, Dream Theater is no longer. Positive or negative is ultimately taste or even worse: a matter of habit!

Unfortunately, it is often only the fear of change ... I do not rule because, frankly, completely out!
But the silver lining and black clouds, the guys have (at least for me) again "gefrickelt" all the way forward !!!

Musically this album is again Prog Metal of all first class! Almost like in the old days:
Masterful-tempo passages, which can come up with "pleasant" hardness without drifting into the rail Speedmetal-. Ambient sounds and stunningly beautiful melodies give themselves with remarkably beautiful dark riffs the jack in hand! The longtracks serve here not the end in itself, but are in absolute Dream Theater style masterfully arranged and act therefore very harmonious and well thought out.

Above all, "The Count of Tuscany" which one or the other mouth wide open leaving just the last five minutes!

Insbesonde is "A Nightmare to Rememer" highlight! There a tragic car accident describes the John Petrucci to raise experienced as a child. If you listen to this piece and read the text, it runs down a cold back! Here the panic and anxiety is not only described captivating but musialisch also underscored yet the mood was the same! In this song everything is right, you have to understand both just to make it "feel" to. "A Nightmare to Rememer" is a perfetes example of that text and melody (right combination), can turn a simple song a unique experience!

Of course criticisms: The vocal performances by Portnoy hear frankly catastrophic and almost look like Deathmetal- grunts ... these passages go Fortunately relatively quickly past are therefore to bear.
The texts are (except mentioned exceptions) no longer so profound and captivating as written in earlier works, but so we can live, since in this album musically everything is right again!

And since LaBrie also sings much more moderate and less "squeaks", the vocals kudos are worth!

Conclusion: A top album !!!