Dream Theater's 'Distance Over Time' - Album Review

When considering progressive metal, there is arguably no band more important than Dream Theater when it comes to forwarding the genre and helping to maintain it's popularity. Since 1985 Dream Theater, or Majesty as they were known then, have continually been at the forefront of the genre. They took what bands like Queensrÿche and Fates Warning had done before them and made it big business. Nearly 35 years on, Dream Theater a real world force. In a UK context, with which metal has often had a rocky relationship, Dream Theater are a big deal. Their tours often take in large theatres (and sometimes arenas) and their albums often reach respectable chart positions. There are few metal bands outside those who are either genuine living legends or those who have successfully broken into the mainstream who enjoy this kind of success in the UK - making Dream Theater some what of an anomaly. The band are certainly not household names, but have amassed an army of fans over here. As a result, the release of a new Dream Theater album is often an exciting prospect. Unlike many bands who have been in the business for well over three decades, Dream Theater have kept up a regular release schedule. Especially in recent years the band have released a new album every two or three years which, along with often drastically shaking up their setlists from tour to tour, has helped to keep the band's loyal - but notoriously vocal fanbase (mostly) satisfied. This remains true in 2019 as, despite releasing an epic two-disc rock opera in 2016, last month the band unleashed their fourteenth studio album, titled Distance Over Time, into the world. It is often thought that, in some cases anyway, that a band's recent studio album is in many ways a reaction to their previous effort. With Distance Over Time that certainly seems to be the case. The short run time, compared to the band's usual CD-filling lengths in any case, and the more direct approach to songwriting certainly feels like the antithesis to The Astonishing (which I reviewed here) - the aforementioned epic rock opera. Dream Theater's work often divides their fanbase, but The Astonishing certainly seems to be their most divisive work to date. Clocking in at well over two hours in length, The Astonishing is mammoth task to sit through for even the band's most hardcore fans. I really like the album, and in fact included it in my 2016 Albums of the Year list, but I can understand why some did not enjoy the more 'musical theatre' approach taken by guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess on it. The Astonishing was clearly a labour of love for Petrucci, who was assisted by Rudess musically, but Distance Over Time returns to a more band-orientated approach with all five members once again contributing to the songwriting. The somewhat mixed reaction to The Astonishing has almost certainly contributed to the heavier, more in-your-face sound employed throughout Distance Over Time, and the album showcases a leaner Dream Theater and one that is not afraid keep things relatively simple.

A chiming, moody guitar melody opens the album, but it is not long before lead single Untethered Angel showcases its power with a muscular Petrucci guitar riff and a simple - but hard hitting - drumming display from Mike Mangini. Dream Theater are always a relatively heavy band, but this album seems to once again showcase that side of the band's sound. As a result there are a lot of comparisons that can be drawn between this album and 2003's Train of Thought, but I think that overall the sense of melody is much strong here. By Dream Theater standards, this opening number is fairly simple. A bass-heavy verse allows frontman James LaBrie's vocals to breathe a little, despite being somewhat obscured by some strange effects, with everything ramping up for an anthemic chorus. Fresh from probably his best ever vocal display on The Astonishing, LaBrie once again sounds excellent throughout the album. The chorus here is a fairly typical Dream Theater fare, but it is packed full of strong melodies. Rudess' keyboards create a dense backing, and the riffs generally take a backseat to allow the vocal melodies to flourish. Not wanting to be outdone however, both Petrucci and Rudess are given chances to show off in a lengthy instrumental section that includes some impressive shredded guitar lines and some retro synths. The band are known for their instrumental prowess, and there is still plenty of that on display throughout the album for those who enjoy the virtuosity. Paralyzed is an even simpler song, and opens with an almost Pantera-like riff that soon explodes into a solid mid-paced rocker that is packed full of of strong grooves and heavy overtones. Dream Theater have often been criticised in the past for burying John Myung's bass in the mix, but this is a not a critique that can be levelled at this album. Myung is audible and powerful throughout this album, and his low-end rumble really adds heaviness to the piece, and is a great counter to Rudess' subtle piano lines that stops the song from becoming a pure metal assault. This is a definitely a piece for the headbangers however, despite a strong performance from LaBrie. I can imagine this is a song that will soon make itself at home in the band's live set, and will allow everyone to let themselves go for around four minutes before the ban return to 'business as usual'. Fall into the Light is a more progressive piece that opens with a fairly basic guitar riff, but the rhythms and drum patterns than continually change underneath it really help to bring the best out of the motif. Despite the heavier opening, the verses scale things back a little with some pulsing keyboards and a more 'honest' vocal display from LeBrie without all the effects. In many ways, this seven minute long song feels like everything the band are good at crammed into a short space of time. The choruses are slower, and dominated by some big ringing piano chords, and there is a choppy instrumental section with some more excellent keyboard section. The highlight of the song for me is the Metallica-esque breakdown about two thirds of the way through. If you imagine the slower part in the middle of Master of Puppets then you will not be far out style-wise, and this gentler section has much the same effect here. It is a great piece of calm in what is otherwise, largely, a hard-driving album.

Barstool Warrior opens with one of the bands Rush-inspired riffs, and the piece slowly builds around the hypnotic guitar part with keyboards and percussive drums adding both melody and weight. It contains one of the most typical 'Dream Theater' intros of the album, with chaotic flurries of notes sitting side-by-side with gorgeous soaring guitar leads to create that powerful and technical sound that the band have become known for over the years. Despite this progressive heaviness, much of the song is actually fair lightweight. The verses feature a simpler version of the opening riff, but mixed into the background to allow the vocals to stand out, and the choruses have that more 'epic' feel with LaBrie delivering an excellent vocal display. In fact the style of the song is very similar to much of what was found on The Astonishing, but with the heavier, more progressive intro which should please those who found the band's previous album somewhat one-dimensional. Room 137 is another shorter, heavier piece but is significant in the sense that is features the first set of lyrics written for the band by Mangini. The lyric writing has been fairly evenly spread out on this album, which is good to see and I am glad that Mangini has finally had the chance to contribute. Despite the heaviness, this is often not a particular fast piece. The verses certainly have a certain pace to them, but the rest of the song slows things down with an-almost Black Sabbath feel. The doomy riffs, backed up by Rudess' atmospheric keyboards, really add to the album's overall heaviness. As a result it feels quite unlike anything else on the album, and adds another dimension to what is already a surprisingly varied collection of songs. S2N brings back more of a progressive vibe, and opens with a great bass riff from Myung that soon morphs into an all-out aural assault with Mangini laying into his kit. The chorus might be my favourite of the album, and again slows things down a little to allow LaBrie to inject some real emotion into the piece. The melodies are extremely catchy, which is in great contrast to the rest of the song as moments of virtuousic shredding often come out left-field to dazzle the listener. The combination of soaring melodies and the technical wizardry has served the band well throughout the years and does so again here. The song is one of my favourites on the album and it includes some of the most draw-dropping instrumental passages also. Myung really plays out of his skin here, and he also co-wrote the songs lyrics making this one of his real all-round showcase pieces. At Wit's End is the album's longest song at just over nine minutes in length, so unsurprisingly shows the band at their most progressive. The intro is full of the chaotic instrumental runs that the band has become known for, while the verses is slower and heavier to allow the vocals to shine. Despite the more progressive tendencies here, there is still plenty of melodies to enjoy and the overall pace of the piece is good with Mangini often laying into his double bass drums. This is another song that really does have a bit of everything, with strong grooves rearing their heads occasionally and some excellent power metal keyboard soloing adding some 1980s neo-classics feelings. This is a contrast to the beautiful piano section that comes later on in the song, meaning that this piece really allows Rudess to showcase all the different sides to his playing.

Out of Reach is the album's ballad, and is typical of the ballads the band have written in the past. LaBrie employs his 'breathy' vocals throughout to aid the overall floaty feeling of the piece, and the gorgeous guitar/keyboard combination that forms the musical basis of the song is truly wonderful. Over the years many people have criticised Dream Theater for being too emotionless, which in my opinion could not be further from the truth. Songs like this are packed full of emotion, and LaBrie is a singer who is able to convey those feelings with ease. It is not just LaBrie however that contributes on this front, as Petrucci's guitar playing is often straight out of the David Gilmour songbook here with a fabulous less-is-more approach. A slow, soaring solo early on in the song might be one of the best guitar moments on the album, and shows that he can do emotional and gorgeous as well as technical and impressive. It is a lovely song that allows everyone to take a breather after the lengthy At Wit's End, and to get their strength back before the equally lengthy Pale Blue Dot. This is the last song on the standard edition of the album, and features some fast double bass drumming in the early moments before Rudess' dancing keyboards join the fray for some progressive melodies. This song is probably slightly heavier overall than At Wit's End, providing a bit of a difference between the album's two more epic pieces. There are some really grinding, heavy riffs here - but Rudess is never too far away with some retro synths and keyboards to add some of his technically impressive but smile-inducing playing. That being said, his keyboards can really add to the heaviness too, adding a discordant counterpoint to Petrucci's guitar stabs to create an unsettling sound at times. There is some evidence of this during the heavy chorus, although the orchestral backing really helps to make everything sound that bit bigger. LaBrie sounds at his most sinister here too, which harks back to the Train of Thought album quite a lot. It is a powerful song, and one that rounds out the album perfectly with heavy overtones and great performances all around. I do not usually include bonus tracks in my reviews, but the bonus number Viper King is so good that I cannot not mentioned it here! It sounds like Deep Purple on speed, with a great driving keyboard riff and a simpler overall feel that often sees the instruments drop out to allow LaBrie's voice to shine. This is a very bluesy classic rock thing to do, and the band's love of all of those old bands is really on display here. Even the lyrics, which are apparently about a car, seem to recall Deep Purple's Highway Star a little - further hammering home those classic rock influences. While Pale Blue Dot is the album's true ending, this is a fun song that really should not be missed. If your version of the album does not have it, download the MP3 from Amazon! Overall, Distance Over Time is another excellent album from Dream Theater that sees them shedding some of their overblown tenancies to focus more on the melodies and riffs. Many will see this album as a bit of a return to form after The Astonishing, but for me it is more like business is usual and I am glad to see the band still firing on all cylinders.

The album was released on 22nd February 2019 via InsideOut Music. Below is the band's promotional video for Untethered Angel.