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██▌ Artist...: John Petrucci ░▐██▌
░▐██ Album....: Terminal Velocity ░██▌░
▓▐██ Year.....: 2020 ▓▐██▓
▓▐██ Rel.Date.: 2021-01-16 ░▐██▓
▐██ Genre....: Instrumental Rock ██▌░
░ ██▌ Label....: RenSam Songs / Tonemission, Inc ██▌
▐██ Source...: CD ▐██
░▐██▌ Type.....: Album ▐██▌░
▓▄████ Quality..: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo ████▌░
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1. Terminal Velocity 6:07
2. The Oddfather 6:25
3. Happy Song 6:01
4. Gemini 6:05
5. Out of the Blue 5:46
6. Glassy-Eyed Zombie 5:55
7. The Way Things Fall 7:33
8. Snake in My Boot 4:04
9. Temple of Circadia 7:10
------
55:06
John Petrucci, considered by many as the greatest guitarist of his
generation, has just released his first solo effort in 15 years,
Terminal Velocity. For the first time in 10 years, he is joined by his
longtime musical collaborator, one of his closest friends, and
undoubtedly one of the greatest drummers on the planet, the incomparable
Mike Portnoy. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, moments like this
donÆt come around all that often, and for longtime fans of Dream Theater
and Liquid Tension Experiment, this moment could not have come soon
enough. If youÆre reading this review because youÆre wondering if JP and
MP were able to recapture their storied musical chemistry, catalogued on
over a dozen classic Prog Metal albums, then let me make it clear that
they did indeedùand then some. Terminal Velocity is an instrumental
guitar masterwork and one of my favorite albums from what has been an
already bumper year for the Prog genre.
PetrucciÆs supergroup trio is rounded out by bassist Dave LaRue (Dixie
Dregs, Flying Colors), who played on PetrucciÆs G3 tours and his first
solo album, 2005Æs Suspended Animation. In an interview, Petrucci
expressed lofty, albeit merited, praise for LaRue: ôIt was awesome
bringing Dave back to play bass on this album. He is just such a monster
player who can handle anything you throw at him with tastefulness and
unmatched musicality. His melodic approach to bass lines along with
impeccable technique and groove for days really stands out on these
tunes.ö
Petrucci began work on Terminal Velocity in March, at the onset of the
COVID pandemic, the latter of which resulted in the cancellation of all
Dream Theater touring for the remainder of 2020. He spent 5 days a week
and over 2 months writing and recording the songs at the DT headquarters
in Long Island with longtime engineer James æJimmy TÆ Meslin. One thing
is abundantly clear after listening to these songs: Petrucci endeavored
to make a positive and uplifting album to contrast with the current
state of the world. This is further evidenced by the unorthodox decision
to release the album nearly two months early on streaming services
before its physical release on CD and vinyl towards the end of October.
Petrucci stated in an interview that he wanted his new music to be heard
as soon as possible, and this gesture is no doubt commendable and
appreciated by his legion of fans worldwide, including myself. Terminal
Velocity is a balanced, yet eclectic album that works to display
PetrucciÆs varied songwriting talentsùa beautiful album from start to
finish, especially if you are a fan of instrumental, guitar-focused
music. With that in mind, IÆd like to focus on and discuss my four
favorite tracks from the record.
ôTerminal Velocityö was selected as the debut single for a very good
reason. ItÆs absolute ear candy, and establishes the up-tempo and
markedly hopeful direction Petrucci decided to take with this album.
From the start, Portnoy makes his presence known by injecting his unique
brand of acrobatic, yet musical, drum fills, along with his signature
variance of cymbal sounds and textures that are employed throughout.
If you were hoping for something on this album that sounds like vintage
Dream Theater, then look no further as ôThe Oddfatherö delivers. The
second verse sounds like something extracted directly from Scenes From a
Memory, while the rest of the song would fit in perfectly on Awake.
PetrucciÆs generational talent is on full display here and the rhythm
section of Portnoy and LaRue lock in for a complex and fulfilling 6
minutesùmy favorite song on the album.
ôHappy Songö is a nostalgia-laden throwback to the best of late 80Æs,
early 90Æs Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson mixed with the punk-influenced
approach of Avenged Sevenfold and even Green Day. The genre of
instrumental guitar has become so technically-focused and robotic as of
late, that a feel-good piece like ôHappy Songö works extremely well, and
has been particularly uplifting as I continue to revisit Terminal
Velocity. As stated above, itÆs also particularly welcome given the
current heavy and austere cultural moment in which we find ourselves.
The opening riff and emotional impact of ôOut of the Blueö most reminds
me of one of my all-time favorite Steve Vai instrumentals ôTender
Surrenderö, which itself was inspired by another instrumental ôVillanova
Junctionö by Jimi Hendrix. This is a romantic and enthralling song that
gradually builds as Petrucci layers guitars on top, culminating in a
satisfying crescendo, while Portnoy and LaRue keep the bluesy,
underlying waltz-of-sorts locked down. MikeÆs drumming on ôOut of the
Blueö is some of my most favorite that heÆs recorded in years. While
subtle, it stands alongside the best heÆs done with Dream Theater, The
Winery Dogs, and Flying Colors. Most importantly, it perfectly
compliments this beautiful song, giving it the necessary feeling and
sense of triumphùa balance present only in the best of instrumentals.
The album is filled out by five other fantastic songs: the aggressive
banger ôGeminiö which features a surprising Latin interlude, the gritty,
thrash metal-tinged ôGlassy-Eyed Zombiesö, the beautiful, yet wistful
ôThe Way Things Fallö with a melody that reminds me of the theme to
Beverly Hills, 90210 (and, noùthat isnÆt a bad thing), the Billy
Squier-meets-Whitesnake opening riff of ôSnake In My Bootö, and the
dense, polyrhythmic treat ôTemple of Ciradiaö which sounds like a lost
track from the Train of Thought sessions. ItÆs also worth noting that
the album was mixed and mastered by Andy Sneap (Judas Priest, Killswitch
Engage, Arch Enemy), so it sounds absolutely incredible.
Will Terminal Velocity lead to further collaborations from Petrucci and
Portnoy? We can only hope and patiently wait. For now, I canÆt recommend
this present work enough and I highly encourage you to listen to
Terminal Velocity.
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