Quarantieme: Live A Paris documents Dream Theater's - one of the best prog metal bands on this planet - November 23, 2024, gig at the Adidas Arena in Paris, during their 40th anniversary tour of Europe. The three CDs, featuring nineteen tracks, span Dream Theater's entire career and the band's line up is: James Labrie (vocals), John Myung (bass guitar), Jordan Rudess (keyboards), John Petrucci (guitar) and Mike Portnoy (drums). Five DT albums - A View From The Top Of The World, The Astonishing, Dream Theater, Black Clouds & Silver Linings and Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence are NOT represented on this live album and Metropolis Part 2, Scenes From A Memory is the album that "delivers" the most songs (4) for this live document. Highlights, at least for me, are: As I Am and Stream Of Consciousness, both from Train Of Thought (2003), Under A Glass Moon, Strange Déjà Vu, Home and The Spirit Carries On, all from the Metropolis Part 2 album and of course the epic title track of the Octavarium album, released in 2005. From DT's new album Parasomnia, you can only enjoy one track, being the heavy Night Terror and from Distance Over Time (2019), the only album without Portnoy handling the drums, Barstool Warrior is played. My least favourite DT album Falling Into Infinity, is represented with Hollow Years, and this live version clocks over fourteen minutes, featuring two outstanding guitar solos by Petrucci. The rather, corny ballad Vacant would not have been my choice to put on this 40th anniversary setlist, but it is short, so, never mind... This impressive gig ends with DT's classic "breakthrough" song Pull Me Under and then I pushed the repeat button to enjoy this great show another time! Do not miss this prog metal gem of the leading band in this formidable music genre; and of course, play it LOUD!! . Quarantieme: Live A Paris is presented in several formats, with artwork by the notorious Hugh Syme. It will be available as a Limited Deluxe 3CD + 3Blu-ray artbook, including 68 pages of photos and artwork, as well as an additional Blu-ray of bonus material. It will also be available as a Special Edition 3CD+2 Blur-ray Digipak, Limited Deluxe 180g 4LP boxset & digitally. Listening tip: the instrumental epic Stream Of Consciousness. ****+ Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
