ALBUM
DREAM THEATER
QUARANTIÈME: LIVE À PARIS
Sony Music Japan International
For the vast majority of Dream Theater fans, the line-up of John Petrucci, John Myung, Mike Portnoy, James LaBrie and Jordan Rudess, has never been and never will be, bettered. The first three of those were there when the band formed in 1985 and are still there, albeit with a thirteen-year hiatus by Mr Portnoy. Recorded live in Paris, this release is a celebration of their four decades; the song selection beginning taken from a large palette of their sixteen studio albums.
Technological progress has added a lot to filming rock concerts since the band formed with better lighting, digital recording and smaller, more mobile and less intrusive cameras. All this, along with an understanding of a concert by directors, is on your screen. Filmed in 2K, even played on a 1K TV, the colours are vibrant with crystal clear detail; the close-ups of Mike’s drumkit and Jordan’s keyboard rig have never been captured better. Most of the time, the cameras are in motion – I lost count of how many were used - slowly zooming or panning, giving you a sense that you are wandering around the stage when they are playing. The editing is as good as you could wish for with every fill, lick and blinding run from the two John’s fretwork right in front of you; James often wanders off camera when not singing, giving all five, roughly equal screen time. One thing that sets Dream Theater gigs apart from others is Steve Baird’s lighting designs and this time, he’s gone berserk. Beautiful and spectacular, LED moving heads and washes create atmospheres that the lasers cut through which coupled with the high-definition screens, add another dimension to the video.
It is the complete concert which runs a few minutes short of three hours. The audio mix is by James T. Meslin who also happens to be their monitor engineer. He’s put a lot of depth into the mix as well as separation, which is more apparent on the CDs when solos kick in. The five discs, three CDs and 2 BDs, come housed in two digipaks within a slipcase. Audio mastering on the CDs is with Sony’s BS2CD and the Blu-Rays have a choice of 2.0 LPCM stereo, 5.1 Dolby Digital and 7.1 Dolby True HD – all sound terrific. The twenty-leaf colour booklet is accompanied by a twelve-page, monochrome Japanese one.
Dream Theater are spending a considerable part of 2026 on a world tour and releasing this set is the best advertising they could have done for it. It’s a masterclass performance both musically and visually and with forty years under their belts, this release proves they are still at the top of their game.
Track List (Same for 3 x CD and 2 x BD)
Metropolis Pt. 1
Overture 1928
Strange Déjà Vu
The Mirror
Panic Attack
Barstool Warrior
Hollow Years
Constant Motion
As I Am
Orchestral Overture
Night Terror
Under A Glass Moon
This Is The Life
Vacant
Stream Of Consciousness
Octavarium
Home
The Spirit Carries On
Pull Me Under
ALBUM
SLASH
LIVE AT THE SERPENT FESTIVAL
Sony Music Japan International
Live albums usually come after a few studio releases. Bands tour the latest album, play songs from it along with a few favourites, record the shows and release the tapes, often as a marker of where they are in their career. Slash has dumped that tradition and released a live album after only one studio album, Orgy of the Damned, a covers album with a selection of guest vocalists, paying tribute to Slash’s musical roots. It’s a brave thing to do but given the content, probably the smartest move he’s ever made.
On tour with the band on the album and billed it as A Celebration of the Blues this release is the complete show from Denver, Colorado on July 17, 2024 and to say they hit the ground running is an understatement. A blistering version of Mose Allison’s “Parchman Farm Blues” is followed by the first album track of the night, Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor.” Slash rocked it up on the album cut but here, the band take it to another level. The dynamics between the musicians harks back to the Classic Rock days when bands like The Spencer Davis Group and Vanilla Fudge used to use their instruments as weapons against each other, goading one another to play faster and harder and this runs through the entire album. A big credit to Eike Freese for the mixing and mastering which adds another layer; the band are playing in your living room.
Available as a two-disc CD set or the same with a Blu-Ray disc of the gig, it is well worth the extra investment in the latter. The three discs come housed in a four-fold digipak with an eight-page English booklet and a twenty-page Japanese one which includes the lyrics in both languages and liner notes for all the songs. All the discs are mastered to Sony’s BSCD2 specifications, the video having Japanese subtitles and a choice of 2.0 PCM stereo or 5.1 DTS audio.
Beautifully directed, the gig is interspersed every few songs with Slash talking about the tracks you’ve just heard. It’s a great way to edit a video and gives you a moment to digest what you’ve just seen before (or grab another beer). Watching the band play is a pleasure all in itself. Slash uses a half a dozen guitars throughout the show and is on fire; his solos are some of his best to date. Teddy Andreadis effortlessly splits his rolls on vocals, harmonica and keyboards - his Hammond playing being up there with the great Brian Auger – while other vocals are taken by rhythm guitarist, Tash Neal, who, incidentally, supplies much more than just rhythm from his six strings. Johnny Griparic has got to be one of the most ‘solid with feel’ bass players around, playing in pocket with Michael Jerome whose stick work has to be seen to be believed. The five line up at the end and take a bow, looking like a group of misfits but boy, can they play and after watching this, you’re going to be queueing up to buy a ticket. Smart move Slash.
Track List
CD1　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
1. Intro　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
2. Parchman Farm Blues
3. Killing Floor
4. Born Under a Bad Sign
5. Oh Well
6. Big Legged Woman
7. Key to the Highway
8. Papa Was a Rollin‘ Stone
CD2
1. Stormy Monday
2. The Pusher
3. Metal Chestnut
4. Crossroads
5. Stone Free
6. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
7. Shake Your Money Maker
BD
Contains complete show and documentary footage.