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Dream Theater – Parasomnia Review
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Do you ever feel like someone could speak to you about the things you fear most and do it in a big and bombastic way? The offset stage of insomnia is not one of the things that you place at the top of your fears, but make no mistake, Dream Theater will make sure that it is there. With such a big discography and the return of their original drummer after 16 years away from the band, would they stick the landing, or would it be molded into the same sound that we’ve been hearing over the past albums?
To find out the answers to other questions you might not have ever wondered about, feel free to read on!
Dream Theater – Parasomnia
Release Date – February 7, 2025
Genres – Prog Metal/Prog Rock
Band Line-up:
James LaBrie – Vocals
John Petrucci – Guitars/Backing Vocals/Production
John Myung – Bass
Jordan Rudess – Keyboards
Mike Portnoy – Drums/Percussion/Backing Vocals
Track Listing:
1. “In the Arms of Morpheus” (5:22)
2. “Night Terror” (9:55)
3. “A Broken Man” (8:30)
4. “Dead Asleep” (11:06)
5. “Midnight Messiah” (7:58)
6. “Are We Dreaming?” (1:28)
7. “Bend the Clock” (7:24)
8. “The Shadow Man Incident” (19:32)
Veteran progressive metal and progressive rock band Dream Theater are back with their 16th studio album, and the Long Island based crew have a returning member that has helped to recreate the magic that the band had experienced during their most successful years. After nearly 16 years away from the band, drummer Mike Portnoy is back behind the kit with the band that he rose to prominence with, and with all due to respect to Mike Mangini, you can tell that the aura has surrounded the band once again, and that strutting rhythm section is simpatico once again.
Parasomnia then becomes something greater than an album that shows the band’s return to form, and while it is a concept album, it’s theatrical take is one that keeps you interested from the opening instrumental “In The Arms of Morpheus”, to the finale, the nearly 20-minute long romp (yes, you heard me right) of “The Shadow Man Incident”. In between, the band laid the groundwork for what was to come with the release of the singles. “Night Terror,” “A Broken Man,” and “Midnight Messiah.” In doing so, not only did they display the sound that the band had helped to establish and, let’s be honest, grandfathered into existence, but they also showed you JUST enough of the concept behind this album to make you want to check it out in its entirety. Call that a success, then.
While Portnoy returning has reinvigorated the band, the rest of the band doesn’t sound worse for wear. Myung’s bass sounds romantically attached to Portnoy’s drums once again (fitting, isn’t it, since Valentine’s Day is less than a week now from the time this goes up), and Petrucci gets enough licks and solos in there to satisfy any guitar aficionado. This is especially true in “Night Terror,” “A Broken Man,” and “Bend the Clock,” while Rudess makes noises on his keyboard. LaBrie still sounds in top shape, and even in a band that loves to create sonic landscapes and noises from afar, his voice still commands attention, and he does a fantastic job throughout the album delivering the message that lies within this concept album from start to finish. (Well, start as in track two since the opener does not feature his vocals).
Long and measured albums have always been a hallmark of the band and, hell, pretty much any band that affixes the progressive in front of their genre title (be it DT, Queensryche, Rush, or bands that more current to this sound, such as Periphery and Coheed & Cambria), but even for the band, THIS one really gets long in the tooth. Although the album only carries eight tracks (seven songs, technically, since “Are we Dreaming?” is a spoken word interlude), it still manages to clock in at a whopping 71:15, primarily because “Dead Asleep” eclipses the 11-minute mark and as previously mentioned, “The Shadow Man Incident” comes in half a minute shy of 20 minutes. That’s not to say that it takes away from the quality of the album and it doesn’t keep you engrossed, but those with attention related issues might lose focus or interest on these ten-plus minute romps. I will attest to the songs sounding anathematic throughout, as Petrucci does a measured job of making everyone sound like they are on the same level, and no one is far above on a pedestal.
Publications such as Loudwire, Stereogum, and Ultimate Guitar had this album on their lists of “Most Anticipated Releases in 2025”, and it is easy to see why. Although it might not be seen as the band’s best album by their diehard fans, it is a triumphant return to a classic sound that the band had been veering away from over the past decade-plus, and its theatrical take on a sleeping condition that affects so many people is something that is endearing on many levels.
Recommended Tracks: “Night Terror,” “A Broken Man,” “Midnight Messiah” and “Bend the Clock”
