🎧 Dream Theater, Aussie Rock, and Debut Discoveries
🎛️ Dream Theater’s Parasomnia is a Prog Masterpiece
Mark kicks off this week’s show with a glowing review of Dream Theater’s 16th studio album, Parasomnia—the first with original drummer Mike Portnoy since his 2010 departure.
Why Mark’s Hyped:
- 🥁 Portnoy brings “looseness, passion, and humanity” back
- 🌀 The album flows like a concept piece—complete with sonic transitions
- 🎧 Pro tip: Listen with headphones to catch the rich stereo mixing and hidden textures
🧠 “In The Arms of Morpheus is the menu for the album. It lays the groundwork for everything you’ll hear.”
Dream Theater fans, rejoice: This one delivers everything you love, and Mark argues it picks up sonically exactly where Black Clouds & Silver Linings left off.
🔥 5 New Tracks That Don’t Suck
1. 🇯🇵 I Am Here – Sahaji
Japanese band Sahaji wants to conquer British rock—and this Beatles/Oasis-inspired tune is a great start. Clunky English lyrics? Maybe. But the earnestness shines through.
🎸 “If John Lennon were writing today, this could’ve been his vibe.”
2. 🇦🇺 Get So Bad – The Stems
Formed in 1983 and still putting out bangers. Think jangly garage rock with Beatlemania harmonies and Aussie grit. These legends deserve way more international love.
🎶 “This sounds like a hidden gem from a ‘60s compilation. Timeless.”
3. 🎸 I’ve Got a Know – The Trafalgars
Another Aussie export, this band delivers breezy rock with nods to the Stones, Tom Petty, and Teenage Fanclub. Feel-good, guitar-driven, no-frills goodness.
🧡 “This whole week was a honeypot of listenable rock.”
4. 💥 No Way Back for Me – The Bracknall
A little more modern, a little more grit. This track opens with piano but quickly dives into a muscular riff-rock groove with a pre-chorus that builds into a punchy hook.
🤘 “This is meatier rock. Gritty vocals, cool piano accents—it hits.”
5. 🌀 Aurelia – The Corvids
Don’t let the pandemic-era name fool you. This debut blends gravelly Cobain-style vocals with early Radiohead sonics. Lo-fi, melodic, and emotionally raw.
🎧 “It’s like Pablo Honey-era Radiohead with a side of Nirvana unplugged.”
🧠 Final Thought: Old Dogs, New Tricks
This episode is a love letter to bands that have either:
- Been grinding for decades with under-the-radar brilliance (The Stems, The Trafalgars)
- Or just showed up with a debut worth hitting replay (The Corvids)
Mark reminds us that great music is out there—you just have to dig for it (or let him do it for you).
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🎨 …and I quote…
❝ Mike Portnoy is the secret sauce of Dream Theater. Without him, it was still Dream Theater—but a different band. ❞
— Mark Bradbourne 🎙️
