(Music Theory Recordings)
Total Playing Time: 01:04:02
DREAM THEATER’s keyboard player JORDAN RUDESS has released his 15th solo album, “Wired For Madness”, through Music Theory Recordings.
No time to think of it, we are immediately introduced to the very long title-track of this new album, readily divided into two parts, one of which lasts almost twelve minutes as the other lasts about the double length! A structural choice that is as particular as it is questionable: in fact, not many listeners would be interested in an album that requires over thirty-three minutes to get even just the first gear!
Yet, the most juicy element of the album, is the presence of an incredible number of virtuosos here as guests, coming from various corners of world music: we pass from the inevitable John Petrucci and James LaBrie, passing through the monstrous Guthrie Govan and Vinnie Moore, up to the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Marco Minnemann, Jonas Reingold and many others; each clearly provided with its own baggage of absolutely out of the ordinary capabilities, but clearly not sufficient to give the album an extra boost in terms of inspiration and songwriting.
Not having many things to say more about “Wired For Madness”, Ι΄ll say that this is an album that brings home a sufficient score thanks to a general execution that only an incompetent could reject, considering the talents we are talking about; however, it is equally true that a good album in general, is made up of songs and memorable moments, capable of giving a valid motivation to any buyer to insert the disc back into the player. I’m not totally sure if this happens here…
In my humble opinion I believe that there are not many reason for someone to listen to this product in its entirety, preferring instead to dwell on those isolated moments of musical enjoyment, which we are not sure if they can justify the purchase at the end.
6/10
Fanouris Exintavelonis
