Parasomnia＜Colored Vinyl＞

In a move that should excite longtime Dream Theater fans, original drummer Mike Portnoy is back in the lineup after a 15-year absence. After an amicable split with Mike Mangini (who always insisted he was a temporary replacement), the band slot their drummer into their current sound. Parasomnia, DTs 16th studio effort, offers eight songs at over 71 minutes and is a thematic concept album that explores sleep disorders like hypnagogic hallucinations, night terrors, and lucid dreaming. With its labyrinthine song structures, technical virtuosity, and emotionally charged narratives, the album stands as both a throwback to earlier times and a studied step forward creatively. The band teases listeners on opener "In the Arms of Morpheus" that kicks off with two minutes of ambient sounds and voices before a distorted bass and guitar throb erect a power riff that Portnoy beats up with tom-tom fills under Jordan Rudess keys as it breaks into a melodic prog labyrinth. First single "Night Terror" is a Dream Theater epic. It balances James LaBries authoritative, clean vocal delivery with blistering instrumental interplay between guitarist John Petrucci and Rudess keys. Its cinematic. In feel it recalls the DT of Train of Thought and Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Bassist John Myung and LaBrie shine on "A Broken Man," addressing myriad sleep disorders associated with PTSD. Dream Theater go full-on prog with kinetic stop-and-start passages before Petruccis guitar solo is framed by Myungs propulsive, distorted bassline. One can hear nods to King Crimsons Starless & Bible Black and Red, while Rudess organ playing deliberately recalls the style of Keith Emerson. Its followed by the suite-like, 11-minute "Dead Asleep." Its narrative relates the macabre, true story of a man who murdered his wife while sleepwalking. It opens with a minute of ambience before Petrucci, Myung, Rudess, and Portnoy offer a plodding, grinding instrumental overture. LaBrie begins singing at three minutes, but each verse and the bridge are appended by driving, deliberately primitive interplay that changes in each section. Its breathtaking. The fingerpicked electric guitars on Portnoys "Midnight Messiah" give way to chugging metal riffs inspired by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. "Are We Dreaming?" is a brief, ethereal interlude introducing the vulnerable "Bend the Clock." A midtempo ballad, it crosses prog and indie rock with keen lyric insights into sleep trauma and night terrors by the protagonist. The melodic approach at work in this tune stands alongside their finest work. The closing "Hollow Man Incident" is progressive metal, a 19-minute journey into Parasomnias themes. Layers of synth and horns flow into a syncopated martial vamp by Myung and Portnoy. Inspired by sleep paralysis, it mimics the dream state in its long, gradual unfolding. Everything from cascading lyrics atop a filthy bassline, sharp-edged guitars, and flamenco piano sketches ride the martial snare and tom-tom rolls. Parasomnia is solid. It channels the bands storied past as well as their current more complex, forward-thinking compositional style with only a few rough edges. ~ Thom Jurek