The successor to 2021's A View from the Top of the World, Dream Theater's 16th studio record – Parasomnia – might be the most heavily anticipated album they've ever released.
After all, it represents the return of co-founding drummer Mike Portnoy (who departed in 2010, making 2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings his final LP with them until now). Even fans who have mixed feelings about how replacement Mike Mangini was treated as a result are excited to see the classic lineup get going again. At the same time, they're probably hoping that Parasomnia lives up to the arguably unrealistic expectations such a reunion inherently produces.
So, is Parasomnia the mind-blowing reinvigoration that simply couldn't have been made without Portnoy's involvement?
For the most part, the answer is no, as it largely sounds like the same Dream Theater we've gotten since at least 2013's self-titled collection (for better or worse). That said, Portnoy's distinctive style is certainly felt across the runtime, which – in addition to its connective tissues and some sly callbacks to prior works – elevates it a decent amount. In other words, you'll likely feel the same way about it as you have about the Mangini era overall while also appreciating some of its sneaker innovations and ambitions.
Parasomnia isn't a full-on conceptual journey in the vein of Metropolis Pt. 2 or The Astonishing, yet its eight tracks are tied together by the theme of its titular disorder. As guitarist John Petrucci jokingly explains: "Parasomnia is a term for disruptive, sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. Since our band name is literally a theater that plays while you're dreaming, it's crazy we didn't think of this sooner."
One of the best aspects of the sequence is its commitment to that throughline. Aside from being a typically bonkers instrumental, opener "In the Arms of Morpheus" goes the extra step or two by acting as an overture for upcoming musical motifs and by using sound effects and voices to establish the record's recurring eeriness. In other words, Parasomnia seems particularly unified and epic from beginning to end, and given that the subsequent songs relate to slumber as well, the set as a whole is periodically striving and involving.
At times, the album also appears to celebrate the return of Portnoy by dishing out nods to Dream Theater's pre-2010 period. For instance – and at the risk of spoiling some surprises – there are both instrumental and lyrical allusions to multiple releases (namely, Metropolis Pt. 2). They're not nearly as overt as the brilliant callbacks the quintet spread throughout Portnoy's multi-album "Twelve-Step Suite," but diehard fans will surely enjoy discovering them with repeated listens.
In terms of melodies and arrangements, Parasomnia has some standout original moments, too.
For instance, Portnoy's trademark adventurous percussion moves around Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and bassist John Myung's virtuosic flair-ups quite well (thereby recalling the trio's former chemistry). "In the Arms of Morpheus," "A Broken Man," and "Midnight Messiah" are especially strong examples of that, whereas "Deep Asleep" and "Bend the Clock" house frontman James LaBrie's best lead hooks in the midst of evoking the vocal harmonies that permeated the Portnoy era.
As previously mentioned, though, Parasomnia is mostly the same old Dream Theater we've been getting for about a decade now (so don't expect anything too surprising or remarkable). In particular – and even with their reestablished and nostalgic chemistry – "Night Terror," "Midnight Messiah," and "A Broken Man" are generally stale when it comes to LaBrie's melodies/lyrics and Petrucci's guitarwork. Similarly, closer "The Shadow Man Incident" is their second-most uninteresting side-long composition (next to "Illumination Theory.") Â
None of that is to say that Parasomnia is ever outright bad (it's not), but the few glimpses of innovation/ambition aren't enough to prevent it from feeling run-of-the-mill most of the time. Objectively, it's nice to know that Portnoy is back behind the kit as well, and although his unique approach is felt from time to time, he's still providing the backbone for overly safe and familiar material.
In the end, and given what devotees may be looking for from it, it's worth concluding that Parasomnia is probably Dream Theater's best album since 2011's A Dramatic Turn of Events. However, it doesn't touch the freshness or intrigue of that album (and it certainly doesn't match anything the quintet did during their pre-Magnini days).
