Album Review: Dream Theater - Distance Over Time

When you've essentially defined a genre for twenty-five years, there is a tug of war that happens between carrying on as you have established the genre, or trying to continually push the boundaries of it, and yourself. Dream Theater has been caught in the middle, trying out new things, but returning to their roots when they venture a step too far. Myself, I am one of those who like when they stick with their identity. "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" was my #1 album in 2011, while their foray into conceptual musicals, "The Astonishing", was a massive disappointment. So seeing the track listing of this new record, and hearing them saying they wanted to make a traditional Dream Theater album, was music to my ears.

That is exactly what we got from the lead-off track, and first single, "Untethered Angel". It very much recalls "A Dramatic Turn Of Events". The intro has the same feeling "On The Backs Of Angels" did, while the first verse borrows the rhythm from "Outcry". The heavier riffs that pop in and out give the song a hint of groove, and bring in elements of "Train Of Thought" we haven't heard since then. Even though their self-titled album was supposed to be the encapsulation of everything Dream Theater is, that phrasing might better describe this record.

This is the first record of theirs in ages that doesn't have moments where they let being a progressive band overtake their songwriting. With no tracks stretching past ten minutes, they reign themselves in to a degree that maintains the integrity of the songs, while still giving everyone room to showcase their virtuoso abilities. There are no moments here like "Outcry", where even though I love the song, the instrumental section sounded as if it had been airlifted in from somewhere else, and replacing it with a similar section from another song wouldn't have made it any different. The limitations of time have focused their songwriting, which is a definite plus.

The solo in "Fall Into The Light" is a great example of this. It takes up a sizeable part of the second half of the song, but it is a richly melodic and deeply emotional piece of music that is essential to making the song work as a whole. Petrucci does what a solo is supposed to, and elevates the song with his playing. It's his best playing since the stunning solo from "Breaking All Illusions".

"Barstool Warrior" is a cringe-worthy title, but a thoroughly interesting song. We get some evocative playing from Petrucci in the first minute, with some searing lead work, and the body of the song is the best mixture of heavy guitar and sweet melody that the band has perhaps ever done. It's genuinely new territory for them, and is something I would love to hear more of. They so often go for their traditional soaring choruses that hearing something warmer like this is refreshing.

You could say "Distance Over Time" is another Dream Theater album, and you wouldn't be wrong. It certainly is Dream Theater going back to the basics of who they are, but that's what makes it work. They aren't putting on a veneer of being something other than Dream Theater, which has cropped up as an issue from time to time. This is the kind of album you should enjoy if you've ever liked Dream Theater. There are hints of every incarnation of the band's history in here, balanced against their core. "Distance Over Time" is a spiritual successor to "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", and it's easily their best record since then. Dream Theater has more than redeemed themselves. "Distance Over Time" is excellent.