Dream Theater - Parasomnia (Atmos Blu-Ray!) - Feb 7, 2025

[pat bateman]

I halfway through. Just finished track #4. I'm enjoying it. I admit, DT has become a bit of a formulative since Train of Thought, but it's a formula I like. The mix itself - I've yet to hear a mix from a metal band that breaks the mold and blows me away. I would describe it as "fine". I think it's just a limitation of the genre. I think there's only so much you can do with music with heavy guitars.

 

[perzon57]

I like the music too, but the mix could have been so much more. The heights and surround backs are almost silent for long periods of time, but som songs are better than others, an uneven mix to me. The latest Opeth has a better mix for a heavy guitars band, I think.

 

[stoopid]

Someone needs to get a Hirez poll going.

 

[JulesRules]

I couldn't help but notice how awful the witchcraft, exorcist sleep floating images inside the booklet seem. Often times the backgrounds and surrounds are pixelated while the character on the page is nice and crisp.

Apparently one piece of artwork was also used by Syme for another recent release. Lazy.

Some of his more recent art is just slightly altered stock imagery (I've noticed this when I randomly came across the black hole visualization that's on the 12" of "Cygnus X-1", just without the added cork).

 

[stoopid]

The atmos folded down to 5.1 is very respectable. Like when they use the rears for the toms (AFtK SW's mix also does this with Pearts drums). The visuals are a bit of a mixed bag, but more than what most artists bother to include.

On a whole I'm enjoying this album more than I have any DT releases in a long time. I can always find things in the recent albums to justify a listen, but this really does feel like as much a return to form than I've heard in a while (since maybe Black Clouds). Bend the Clock is a sleeper track.