I am always amazed that Labrie has virtually no input for the vocal content in Dream Theater, especially as he is such a prominent member in the band. So I guess that’s why he has so much material to do his solo projects. Ably assisted by his long time friend Matt Guillery who is on guitars and growl vocals, as well as producing the whole thing.
This album is a lot heavier and has a more European sound than DT for sure. His voice is so dominant that comparisons have to be made, but the album does have its own identity. The guitars are a lot heavier, and the keyboards are more of a background soundscape than DT. Some of the tracks like Slight Of Hand have a big djent influence with the palm muting. I would have liked to see more of this on the record as this a killer track. James’ voice does lend itself to quieter songs and passages. His voice sounds incredible on Back On The Ground, I Got You, and Lost In The Fire. There is lots of modern keyboard sounds that a lot of screamo bands use like on Letting Go, which has a killer riff and groove and is my favourite track on the album.
So I think if DT ended tomorrow, Labrie would be ok – as long as his voice holds up.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
