The new year is officially underway, and with it being almost two months in already, hard rock and metal fans already have a lot to be happy about. Grave Digger recently released its latest album and new albums are coming from the likes of Arch Enemy and Warbringer, What’s more, Meshuggah and Udo Dirkschneider each have re-issues coming out soon, too. This weekend, hard rock and metal fans got even more to be happy about thanks to the release of Dream Theater’s highly anticipated new album, Parasomnia. The band’s 16th album, it was released Friday through InsideOut Music. The album is the first for returning drummer Mike Portnoy since the release of the band’s 2009 album, Black Clouds and Silver Linings and sees him and his band mates – James LaBrie (vocals), John Petrucci (guitar), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), and John Myung (bass) – sounding collectively as strong as ever. This is proven from the beginning of the 71-minute record to its end. This will be discussed shortly. The lyrical content that accompanies said performances makes for its own interest and will be discussed a little later. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the whole of Parasomnia and will also be examined later. Each item noted plays its own important part to the whole of the album. All things considered they make Parasomnia the best hard rock and metal album of the year so far.
Parasomnia, the latest full-length studio recording from Dream Theater, is the best hard rock and metal album of 2025 so far and easily one of Dream Theater’s best albums, too. This is proven in no small part through its musical arrangements. Right from its outset, the band makes that clear with the instrumental ‘In The Arms of Morpheus.’ Spanning nearly five and a half minutes, the song is composed of three distinct movements, each seamlessly moving into the next. The first movement sets the tone of what is to come with its mysterious and subdued lines. The intense, chugging guitars and bass from Petrucci and Myung in the second movement immediately conjure thoughts of some of Meshuggah’s heaviest works. Portnoy’s trademark drumming style adds even more to that sense. The song’s third movement is full on classic Dream Theater along the lines of what the band at the time produced in its 2003 album, Train of Thought.
That “older” Dram Theater sound and style continues in the album’s second entry, ‘Night Terror.’ Portnoy’s familiar style and sound is on full display alongside Petrucci’s own intensity and Myung’s own ever impressive work on bass. LaBrie’s vocal performance here is as strong as ever, too. This arrangement is everything that audiences came to know and expect from Dream Theater throughout so much of its catalog. That familiarity is sure to appeal to plenty of audiences and is just one of so many examples of the band essentially honing what it has established throughout its life.
‘A Broken Man,’ the album’s third entry, is perhaps the only song that seems out of place here. Yes, it has all of the classic Dream Theater trademarks, but considering the overall musical heaviness of the album, it just feels like it does not fit. Fans of the band’s much older material will find this song appealing. At the same time that it does feel out of place, it does make for an interesting way to sort of break things up and keep things interesting.
From there, the heaviness picks right back up, eventually reaching its peak in another of the album’s singles, ‘Midnight Messiah.’ The punch that the quintet delivers in this arrangement blends past and present Dream Theater for a whole that is the album’s apex.
‘Bend The Clock,’ the album’s penultimate entry, is another work that reaches back into Dream Theater’s catalog, stylistically speaking. Audiences can make comparison to works from early Dream Theater albums, such as Awake (1994) and Images and Words (1992) throughout this song. This is just as certain to appeal to a wide range of audiences.
The band closes out Parasomnia with its longest track, ‘The Shadow Man Incident.’ Clocking in at just over 19 minutes, the song is also among the record’s most unique moments. That is because of the musical journey on which the band takes listeners. There are more emotional moments. There are heavier moments. There are mid-level moments. Overall, the varied directions in which the band takes listeners makes for quite the interesting final statement from the band in this outing. When it is considered alongside the rest of the album’s entries, the whole therein makes a musical body that more than makes for reason for audiences to take in Parasomnia.
The musical arrangements featured throughout Parasomnia are only part of what makes Parasomnia an overall success from Dream Theater. The record’s overall success is also due to its featured lyrical themes. Parasomnia is a sleep disorder that happens before, during, and even after sleep and includes problems, such as night terrors, sleep talking and walking, and even sleep paralysis. Each of the songs on this album deal with various parasomnias, including night terrors. ‘Dead Asleep’ is one of the most dramatic ways in which the album takes on a parasomnia as it tells the story of a man who claims he killed his own wife while he was asleep and does not remember it. It could be argued that this was a case of sleepwalking gone horrifically wrong or another parasomnia known as REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, which involves the sleeper acting out violent behavior during REM sleep.
‘A Broken Man’ is another interesting parasomnia case. It tackles an even deeper matter, that being the psychological impact of war on the people who were there on the front lines. That duality makes this song especially resonant for a wide range of listeners because of its accessibility.
On another note, ‘The Shadow Man Incident’ takes on perhaps the most familiar of parasomnia disorders, those being sleep paralysis and hallucinations. At the same time, one could also argue that stories of “shadow people” in paranormal investigations plays into this directly, as footage from various sources alleges to have captured said figures, who more often than not are evil. Keeping this in mind, the overall lyrical reach of Parasomnia could be argued to reach into the realm of the paranormal. So having that in mind, Parasomnia is more than just a semi-concept album. It is a collection of paranormal tales or sorts. That in itself makes for plenty of interest in itself.
The overarching lyrical approach taken to Parasomnia works with the album’s completely engaging and entertaining musical arrangements to make the record in whole a successful new offering from Dream Theater. The record’s content is just part of what makes it successful. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the presentation. As noted there is so much heaviness and depth in each of the record’s arrangements. Even as heavy as the record proves throughout, each musician’s performance expertly compliments that of his fellow band mates. The result is a record whose listening experience is just as enjoyable as the record’s content. All things considered the overall content and production makes Parasomnia not only one of Dream Theater’s best albums to date but also one of the year’s best new hard rock and metal albums so far.
Parasomnia, the latest full-length studio offering from Dream Theater, is a solid new offering from the veteran prog-metal outfit. It is a presentation that will appeal equally to the band’s established audiences and more casual prog-metal fans alike. That is proven in no small part through its arrangements, which bear all of the trademarks of the band’s existing works. The lyrical content that accompanies that musical material adds to the appeal. That is because while on the surface, it touches on topics few if any acts approach, it also touches — on a deeper level – on the realm of the paranormal. To that end, the lyrical material featured in this record makes for plenty of appeal in its own right. The record’s production puts the finishing touch to its presentation. It ensures each song is expertly balanced throughout, leading to a positive listening experience in its own right. Each item examined here is important in its own right to the whole of Parasomnia. All things considered they make Parasomnia one of Dream Theater’s best albums to date and the year’s best new entry in the hard rock and metal field so far this year.
Parasomnia is available now. More information on the album is available along with all of Dream Theater’s latest news at:
Website: https://dreamtheater.net
Facebook: https://facebook.com/dreamtheater
