I Will Not Break

James LaBrie

With the new dematerialized music trend and the latest tendency in the music distribution market, […]
By YngwieViking
January 27, 2014
James LaBrie - I Will Not Break album cover

With the new dematerialized music trend and the latest tendency in the music distribution market, the EP format is on a fresh hype and ultra-cool again, and it's a wise move for an artist in order to give another brand new actuality for the die-hard fans in between two albums , surfing upon this strategy and following up on the success of his latest solo album, "Impermanent Resonance", DREAM THEATER's vocalist James LaBrie released a new Digital EP entitled "I Will Not Break" on Mid-January via InsideOut Music.

While the opening title track is the regular version taken from the "Impermanent Resonance" album, the songs "Unraveling" and "Why" were previously only released physically as Digipack bonus tracks. "Coming Home" is presented here, as an alternate mix version and songs "Jekyll Or Hyde" as well as "Just Watch Me" are special demo versions, all previously only released physically as bonus songs on the Digipack and the Japanese edition for the album "Static Impulse" (2010). While tracks 7, 8 and 9 are special dub step / electronica re-mixes of "Static Impulse" songs, previously unreleased ("I Tried" was only available physically in Japan before). The cover artwork for the EP was once again designed by Gustavo Sazes / abstrata.net (ADAGIO / ARCH ENEMY / KAMELOT / FIREWIND)

As much I loved "Impermanent Resonance" album, its courageous modern line and its superb mastery in the crafting as much I appreciated this whole EP, however I still can't stand the dub segment but I respect the remix tracks as an obvious artistic choice, but, frankly it's useless and really boring, for me it's just a way to fill the EP up to almost forty minutes.

On the flipside the demos versions with Keyboardist / Songwriter Matt Guillory (ex-DALI'S DILEMMA / ZERO HOUR) singing are quite interesting and a great proof of the real talent he possess when it comes to deliver a clear vision and a tangible mental image for a song, a strong conceptual design, providing an almost finished product... The ideas are all definitive here, precise and focused, one of the strongest asset for LaBrie's solo career.

If like me you are a DREAM THEATER fan or if you were once attracted by James LaBrie's exceptional vocal shades, this is a good palliative item before the next studio album yet totally unsure and precarious but still highly expected and watched with anxiousness... The wait has begun.

8 / 10

Excellent

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"I Will Not Break" Track-listing:

1. I Will Not Break
2. Unraveling
3. Why
4. Coming Home (Alternate Mix)
5. Jekyll Or Hyde (Demo)
6. Just Watch Me (Demo)
7. I Tried (Jason Miller Re-mix)
8. Over The Edge (Mutrix Re-mix)
9. Euphoric (NeonGenesis Re-mix)

James LaBrie Lineup:

James LaBrie - Lead Vocals
Matt Guillory - Keyboards/Vocals
Marco Sfogli - Lead Guitars
Ray Riendeau - Bass
Peter Wildoer - Drums / Vocals

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