Released by: Eagle Vision
Release Date: November 5th, 2013
Genre: Progressive Metal
Links: https://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt
Line Up:
– John Petrucci – guitars
– John Myung – bass
– James LaBrie – vocals
– Jordan Rudess – keyboards
– Mike Mangini – percussion
Tracklist:
1) Bridges In The Sky
2) 6:00
3) The Dark Eternal Night
4) This Is The Life
5) The Root Of All Evil
6) Lost Not Forgotten
7) Drum Solo
8) A Fortune In Lies
9) The Silent Man
10) Beneath The Surface
11) Outcry
12) Piano Solo
13) Surrounded
14) On The Backs Of Angels
15) War Inside My Head
16) The Test That Stumped Them All
17) Guitar Solo
18) The Spirit Carries On
19) Breaking All Illusions
20) Metropolis Pt. 1
The progressive metal machine that is Dream Theater returns once more with another live DVD set piece this time they present a package available in a 2DVD, Blu-ray, Visual Digital Formats and a Deluxe Edition. What makes this footage particularly interesting is that it was filmed live from Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina. DT is no stranger to live DVD recordingsas they have a few under their belt throughout their illustrious 25 year career, but first time filming in South America fro the outfit, I was curious how the fans would react as the fan base in South Metal are extremely passionate and spirited. The other interesting factoid is the first time you see the addition of replacement drummer Mike Mangini on a live recorded piece since the much documented departure of legendary drummer Mike Portnoy. This performance was filmed during their “A Dramatic Tour Of Events” world trek in July 2011 with the final part of the tour taking place in South America in August 2012.
It never seizes to amaze me how talented these guys are when they are together on stage or in the studio for that matter, is like they become the instrument, the focus and the chemistry is only unique to this band and the members, which is why it had to be crucial that the band pick the right drummer to fill in a vital position in their conquest. Judging from their past studio records, and this live performance; all is well in the DT camp with Mangini.
Disc 1 starts off with some familiar numbers the like of “6:00”, “The Dark Eternal Night” and “The Root of All Evil” all driven in it’s usual way, guitarist John Petrucci always a beast on the chords and this still holds true, even without Portnoy on board anymore, he shines as the backbone of the band. James Labrie sounds particularly well especially as he has managed to keep he’s voice in relatively good shape through the years, remember early on criticisms of James voice and how he couldn’t reach certain notes live in concert? Well he’s gotten better with age and sounds stronger then ever on this performance. He has learned to manage he’s range and doesn’t try to over do it if you will. Check out “The Silent Man” for proof of this and also the highly emotional “The Spirit Carries On”, one track that always brings my soft side to the forefront on some many levels, one of their greatest lyrical and musical feats, they do a great job on this number here again and so does James on vocals.
Mangini does a wicked job on the battery for “Metropolis pt 1” as part of the bonus tracks; as he builds momentum swiftly and delivers the goods. The drum solo by Mike is stupendous, how does this guy function after a near 2 hour 40 minutes set with so much energy? Beyond belief. The real treat for me is the bonus material tracks on Disc 2 that feature “Metropolis Pt. 1,” “The Silent Man,” “Pull Me Under,” “The Root Of All Evil,” “These Walls,” and “Caught In A Web, they really add more potency to the overall feeling of this live performance.
The band did a terrific job mixing their catalog for this film and it shows in the balance and spread library of hits that are played to full perfection. I found it curious that in the documentary feature that has the band talking about how the DVD was made the behind the scene stuff, that bass player John Myung goes on stage 30 minutes before the show to “man he’s instrument” as the rest of the guys chill back stage getting ready to come on stage for the show. I don’t know I have always found John a mystery to the band, he’s personality is extremely quiet and he doesn’t say much, but he’s focus and he’s dedication to he’s bass is kinda of hard to put into words, he’s not seen in as many shots of this DVD as the other members which seems to always be the case for some reason. Jordan Rudess is another piece of the puzzle that even though gets more recognition, probably should be given more praise as he plays an intricate role in the band and it’s compositions, plus he has the cool keytar he brings on stage during one of the numbers and he uses a freaking Ipad in conjunction with he’s keyboard, interesting fellow for sure.
The astute dynamic on stage between Jordan and Mangini and how they know when to do what on their own instruments enlightens the listener and paves way for this chemistry within the performance. That whole piece about being in sync with each other and chemistry on stage is quite revealing and telling of a Dream Theater performance.
This is a very complete package that Eagle Rock has put out, a very well thought of representation of icons of the genre of Progressive Metal, a package that features 3 hours worth of music and back story as well as extra content. This would be a good starting point for fans still not familiar with Mangini and how he has meshed in with the band. These music virtuoso’s shine once more and no matter how much of a burden the life of being in DT had to be for Portnoy after 25 years of the same grind as he pretty much stated he wanted a break from the band and he wanted the band to take a break to0; the fact remains the guys did not want that, is evident to me that they keep on forging forward more stronger then they’ve ever been, and their fan base has only gotten bigger throughout the years. No complaints from me, great package for any Dream Theater fan.
Written by Denys
Ratings Denys 9 /10
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