DEAR DREAM THEATER,

After this opening stint with Iron Fucking Maiden you’re presumably going to write a new album. Please, please, please: make it awesome!

Octavarium, Systematic Chaos and Black Clouds and Silver Linings have all been kinda… well, good, because everything you do is good, but ultimately meh. All three are kinda samey sounding, and none of them really pushed the envelope in terms of what Dream Theater are capable of doing or have already done.

It’s time to really focus, really work, put the proper time and energy into writing instead of cranking out a bunch of stock Dream Theater tunes in the studio. It’s time to write an awesome fucking album from start to finish, an epic journey. A concept album would be nice; recapture the magic that made Metropolis Part 2 and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence so magical. Time for Metropolis Part 3, perhaps? All the fans (including this one) would bust a nut.

Black Clouds wasn’t without its moments; Mike Portnoy’s tribute to his father, his conclusion of the thrilling 12 Steps series, the epic “The Count of Tuscany.” But you can do better! So c’mon guys, get it together and make it happen. Your fans are anxiously awaiting.

Sincerely,
Dream Theater superfan Vince Neilstein