A Dramatic Turn of Events [CD]

There was trepidation when Dream Theater parted ways with longtime founding member Mike Portnoy, but it was eventually put to rest when former James Labrie collaborator Mike Mangini joined in time for A Dramatic Turn Of Events. This is Dream Theater in top form, not that they have been recently.

Well, I knew it would be somewhat different after Portnoy left, and while Mangini is a perfect replacement percussionist, I just didn't care that much for the album. Obviously the musicianship is the finest you could hope to hear, but the lack of actual melodies on this album is really disappointing to me. Certainly not my favorite by any means. The album after this one, just titled "Dream Theater" I found to be way more appealing, sounding more like the Dream Theater I know.