Parasomnia

The heart of any prog rock band is almost always the drummer, so when Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater 15 years ago it was like that notorious scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Replacement Mike Mangini had the chops but not the hard-hitting soul of his predecessor, leading to increasingly byzantine and song-free concept records that put the truth to all the criticism leveled at them over the years. Portnoy’s return heralds the arrival of their finest album of perhaps the 21st century. Thematically connected by vignettes about sleep disorders, songs like “Night Terror” and “Midnight Messiah” contain some of their heaviest moments in decades – and not only that, but discrete hooks and choruses! “Bend the Clock” proves they still have a deft hand with ballads as well. No lack of musicianship, of course, for folks who like counting notes. A shockingly strong comeback record from a band whose best days seemed to have evaporated in the morning light.