I am a fan of DT and I also like the new era of them (from 6DOIT) !!
I have to admit that this album is quite different and I feel they want to come back to their origin !!! I mean, in confront of recent album, they returned to play with in a particular way that i didn't listen from years !!
For example the first 4 minutes of The Count Of Tuscany gift me a Petrucci old style, this part of songs reminds Images & Word and in particular Take The Time with many change of time and a strong cooperation between Keybord and Guitar !!

Best Of Times has one of the best solo's of last year, melodic, varius, but doesn't have the feauters I heard with The Count Of Tuscany..it's similar with song like The Ministry Of Lost Souls or Sacrificed Son even thought is more direct !!

A Nightmare To Remember takes something from Train Of Thought, maybe is too long and in some parts could boring but conteins one of the best parts of full album...the central break is really perfect, it… more »

I am a fan of DT and I also like the new era of them (from 6DOIT) !!
I have to admit that this album is quite different and I feel they want to come back to their origin !!! I mean, in confront of recent album, they returned to play with in a particular way that i didn't listen from years !!
For example the first 4 minutes of The Count Of Tuscany gift me a Petrucci old style, this part of songs reminds Images & Word and in particular Take The Time with many change of time and a strong cooperation between Keybord and Guitar !!

Best Of Times has one of the best solo's of last year, melodic, varius, but doesn't have the feauters I heard with The Count Of Tuscany..it's similar with song like The Ministry Of Lost Souls or Sacrificed Son even thought is more direct !!

A Nightmare To Remember takes something from Train Of Thought, maybe is too long and in some parts could boring but conteins one of the best parts of full album...the central break is really perfect, it seems go out from Falling Into Infinity...solo Blues's Style

Wither is one greates ballad so far...emoctions can be felt for all song long, Solo's is very similar to Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen !

The Last two songs :

A rite Of Passage is very boring (in my opinion), unusefull riff that remembers In The Name Of God

Shattered Fortess :

is it a song? It's pretty good, but it's a collage from past episodes, doesn't have personality...It should have been put into a B-side CD not a full lengh album !!

In conclusion

Some parts let me hope for a return to progressive's style, but these parts are mixed with other that don't make me love this album for entire !!!

I hope the next album will make the step we all hope !!