Cries from the Quiet World: Dream Theater "Black Clouds & Silver Linings (3CD + DVD + 2 12" vinyls, Limited Edition Boxed Set, USA, Roadrunner Records, 1686-178838)"

sábado, 18 de abril de 2026

Dream Theater "Black Clouds & Silver Linings (3CD + DVD + 2 12" vinyls, Limited Edition Boxed Set, USA, Roadrunner Records, 1686-178838)"

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on June 23, 2009, through Roadrunner Records. It was the last album to feature drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy until Parasomnia (2025) following his return in 2023.

The album was recorded between October 2008 and March 2009 at Avatar Recording Studios|Avatar Studios in New York City, where they previously recorded Falling into Infinity (1997) and Systematic Chaos (2007). Black Clouds & Silver Linings was produced by John Petrucci and Portnoy (their final album to be produced jointly as of 2024, since Parasomnia was solely produced by Petrucci), and was engineered and mixed by Paul Northfield.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings was a major success for Dream Theater, becoming their highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, where it peaked at number six.

Dream Theater began to work on the album in October 2008. Mike Portnoy described Black Clouds & Silver Linings as, "a Dream Theater album with 'A Change of Seasons', 'Octavarium', 'Learning to Live', 'Pull Me Under' and 'The Glass Prison' all on one album." Jordan Rudess said at a NAMM Show that Spectrasonics virtual instruments were used on the album.

The album's lyrics were written by John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy, and all except one concern personal experiences about disturbing or difficult moments of their lives. Most songs were written by Petrucci, "A Nightmare to Remember" was based on a childhood car incident; "The Count of Tuscany" was about an actual encounter he had in Tuscany; and "Wither" was about the process of songwriting for him. "The Best of Times" was written by Mike Portnoy about his father, who died from cancer. "I just wanted to write something that was a tribute to our life together," said Portnoy, who played the song for his father prior to his death. "The Shattered Fortress" is the final part of Portnoy's Twelve-step Suite, reprising and concluding themes and motifs from the suite that began on 2002's Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence album. The remaining song, "A Rite of Passage", concerns Freemasonry; a video of the edited single was released on May 8, 2009.

"Wither" was released as a single on September 15, 2009. In addition to the album version of the song, the single contained an alternate version featuring only a piano and vocals, a demo version with John Petrucci on vocals, and a demo version of "The Best of Times” with Mike Portnoy on vocals. There was also a video to follow it which was released on November 18, 2009.

Tracklist:

Disc 1 - Black Clouds & Silver Linings