2025 Number 9: Dream Theater

Gemma's Top Ten Albums of 2025

Number 9: Dream Theater - Parasomnia

 

Something weird happened to me this year, something I thought would never happen... I became a Dream Theater fan. I’d never been a Dream Theater fan before. I don’t know exactly why but the biggest prog metal band in the world always kinda passed me by, with their oversinging vocalist, solos-before-tunes approach, paper-thin lyrics and certain less-than-mature elements to the fanbase. You know who you are!

But hey. I’ve matured, at least. Someone has to. Good old Mike P returned to his stool, competently kept warm by Other Mike, and I thought I might as well give them another shot. And, you know what? Turns out I do like Dream Theater after all. James LaBrie, the worst vocalist in prog? Actually, he sounds fine. The tunes are fine. The lyrics are fine. And the solos are, indeed, awesome. I think I just like heavy metal more than I used to. You can probably thank Haken for that.

I went back and checked out some of their classic albums, and this new one can stand among them comfortably. It isn’t a world-shattering masterpiece, but as a consolidation for the prog metal giant that just got their most legendary line-up back together, it doesn’t have to be. It just needs to re-establish why Dream Theater are probably the best band at being Dream Theater, and it does a great job of that. A tad safe, perhaps, but warm and comfortable.

On the scale of Heavy Metal Loudness, this one ends up on the “very loud” end, and, considering how much I’m enjoying Train of Thought, that’s apparently how I like my Dream Theater. Tasty stuff. I may have missed out on their heyday, bu I’m glad I still get to enjoy the biggest prog metal band in their second youth.