DREAM THEATER – Dream Theater

The true pioneers of Progressive Metal are at it again, and drummer Mike Mangini (one time Fastest Drummer Award Winner) was fully included in the creative writing process to pen the band’s eponymous 12^th studio album. As expected from Dream Theater, the production quality and musicianship is excellent, and the band mixes in plenty of up and slow-tempo passages throughout the album. Overuse of those melancholy slow-down passages being the only drawback, from a pure Progressive Metal standpoint, Dream Theater is at top of their game throughout this release, especially during the epic 22-minute “Illumination Theory”. A 2013 must buy…