By Jeaun Lewis

Distance over Time is a 2018 album released by the progressive rock and metal band Dream Theater. In order to give this album more of a unified and down to earth vibe, as opposed to their previous album The Astonishing which was both masterminded by Jordan Rudess and John Petrucci and was also massive in scope, the band decided that a more old school approach was needed. They all lived together in a cabin in New York State and generated the songs organically together, with Mike Mangini and John Myung contributing both musical ideas and lyrics, a first for the bands unfairly maligned drummer Mike Mangini. With only a few of the riffs coming from outside the recording session, including the main riff for Fall into the Light (which was generated by Petrucci on tour with G3), the vast majority of the album was generated over the span of 18 days, comparable to the amount of time it took the band to create their heavy metal opus Train of Thought.

The album is, comparably, on the short side. Clocking at approximately one hour (with the bonus track Viper King included), the band have created a concise and tight album, with none of the songs overstaying their welcome. Highlights of the album include

• The 70’s era Genesis and Rush inspired Barstool Warrior, an attempt to mimic the storytelling of Peter Gabriel.
• Fall into the Light, which includes some masterful bass drum in the intro and a Metallica/ Iron Maiden sound. 
• The twisting and maddening almost blues inspired Room 137, which was written by Mike Mangini, chronicling a man falling into insanity after witnessing patterns around him all culminating in the number 137.
• S2N (Signal to Noise), the technical masterpiece of the album which features a sneaky and utterly appropriate cameo from a certain actor who has been mentioned by Dream Theater before.
• At Wits End, a heartbreaking and beautiful musical look at the effects of trauma on a relationship, which features on of the most beautiful riffs on the album near the end.
• And Viper King, an incredibly fun song that absolutely just rocks from start to finish that gives vibes of classic metal songs like “Kill the King” by Rainbow and some early Judas Priest.

The albums mixing is one of the albums strengths, with each instrument being given a dynamic place in the mix, which is one of the criticisms of the past two albums that I have agreed with. The person who really wins out in this scenario is Mike Mangini, who is unleashed on this album and plays some of the most proficient, difficult and creative drums parts I have heard in recent memory, one example being the epic Pale Blue Dot, where Mangini absolutely tears around the kit and even gets to utilise some of his brain breaking speed drumming during certain sections, finishing off on brilliant fill after fill.

Were the album is let down somewhat is some of the lyrics and the lack of keyboard solos. However, it has to be stated that Jordan Rudess has had a larger part in the previous three albums, so it is good to see the other members take back some of the light and he also has a solo album coming out very soon, so those with the hunger for crazy synth patches and break neck solos can be satisfied then.

Overall the album, while not as good overall as some of their past work, is still an amazing entrance into the bands discography and an album I could recommend to someone just starting to listen to Dream Theater, as it contains examples of ideas and thematic motifs that the band has used throughout their career.

By Harlly A Lewis

Glass is the third film in director and writer M. Night Shyamalan’s Eastrail 177 trilogy beginning with Unbreakable in 2000, continuing with Split in 2016. This return to the characters of David Dunn/Overseer (Bruce Willis) and Elijah Price/Mr Glass (Samuel L. Jackson) is 19 years in the making while adding Kevin Crumb/The Horde (James McAvoy) from Split.

Glass picks up with David Dunn, now dubbed “The Overseer” as he hunts down “The Horde”, the group of personalities inside Kevin lead by the powerful and orderly Patricia, the childlike and impulsive Hedwig and the perverted and regretful Dennis, having grown to now consist of ten of Kevin’s twenty-four personalities. Kevin has continued kidnapping girls to sacrifice to the most physically powerful of the twenty-four identities, the inhuman “Beast”. After a confrontation between David and “The Beast” they are taken into custody and brought to the same psychiatric hospital that houses Elijah Price, the titular “Mr Glass” where Dr Eli Staple (Sarah Paulson) attempts to cure them of their superpowered delusions.

The fist thing to recognise is that this is not the standard superhero movie fare, it is a much slower and more sombre tale where the characters, specifically Elijah and Hedwig, use superhero tropes as almost an invitation to do the things they already want to do. The world presented is not a remarkable one, much like our own world, it is the characters and their abilities that are extraordinary. So, don’t expect big bombastic moments that you would expect from a Marvel or a DC film.

The performances in the movie are for the most part superb, with the best performance in the film coming from James McAvoy as he has now been given the chance to explore more of “The Horde” as well as the true Kevin personality, who we only saw briefly in Split. These moments when Kevin holds the light are heartbreaking as you see the confusion and hurt in his eyes, the personalities that were made to make him safe turned him into a monster. Jackson’s performance as Mr Glass is also another joy, especially in the moments where he fully embraces is perceived destiny as a supervillain, both seeming at peace and yearning for more. Bruce Willis brings his A game once again to the often-subdued role of David Dunn although I would have preferred to see more of him in the film.

The visual style of the film is based deeply in the visual style of the previous films with the deep shadows present in both Unbreakable and Split returning. A visual aspect that is used to great effect is the use of colour coordination for each of the characters. Carrying over from Unbreakable the primary colours for “Mr Glass” and “The Overseer”, Royal Purple and Deep Green respectively and for “The Horde” the colour carried over from Split is a burnt yellow. These colours are present in the lighting and in the costumes of the characters. Alongside the almost horror movie like use of shadows and the amazing colour coordination, Shyamalan and the cinematographer Mike Gioulakis, who is returning from Split, use the camera to not only emphasise the confinement of the asylum but also visually allude to the superhero genre in several shots, for example when David is about to put on his hood, it looks like a superhero putting on their cape.

In the score for the film, West Dylan Thordson, brings back certain tracks from his score for Split but also make use of the compositions of James Newton Howard from Unbreakable to great effect. The music creates a sense of the important and mythological in a world that seems nothing but ordinary, and while most of it is not something that I would listen to in my spare time due to its somber nature, the song Kevin and Casey, which works as a reprise of the song Kevin Wendell Crumb from Split, has haunted me long after seeing the film. I would not want the score of the film to be changed in any way. It is melancholy and lingers in the back of your mind like a resignation to one’s fate. It is, simply put, sublime, a beautiful terror.

Unsurprisingly, as it is a M. Night Shyamalan film, there are a slew of plot twists, some of which work better than others. I personally didn’t care for the second plot twist and thought it unnecessary, the other two however work for the film and trilogy. I will analyse these twists in more detail in my retrospective on the Eastrail 177 trilogy.

Ultimately, Glass was a fitting end to a story about human beings with remarkable strengths and incredibly human weaknesses, a story where the heroes are not defined by being unbreakable, but by how they acknowledge that no one is, and that pain does not need to define you.

By Jeaun Lewis

It finally happened.

After a year and a half of guessing when and if the newly un-retired Phil Collins would tour in Australia, the tickets went up for sale. As a massive fan of the vast discography of the ex-Genesis front man and drummer (all the way from his time in Brand X, through Dance into the Light and Testify up until the release of his Motown cover album Gone Back) it was a safe bet to say that I was going to be making sure I got a seat to watch a major musical hero of mine perform. I had made a bet with my father (another, slightly less obsessive Phil Collins fan) that if he was to, by a snowballs chance in hell (or in this case South East Queensland’s scorching January heat), perform a show in Brisbane that we would go as a family.

And so, we would. I bought both the cheapest and closest seats as I could for the five of us, up the back of Suncorp Stadium. We arrived at the stadium, got to our seats and waited. Then as the sun was going down the stadium lit up. Then the lights dimmed.

Collins, looking a little worse for wear after many years of medical issues, injuries, surgeries, and a long fight against alcoholism, walked onto stage. After a short introduction he moved into one of his more famous songs, now tinged by a palpable sense of reminiscence, Against All Odds.

Now that the backstory is all out of the way, how was the show?

The show was, in my opinion, great. Phil Collins and his band performed songs from throughout his long and sometimes maligned career. Songs appeared from almost all his studio albums, and were joined by three Genesis songs, and two songs he had collaborated with other artists on. Some highlights of the concert included the aforementioned Against All Odds , Something Happened on the Way to Heaven (one of my favourite songs of all time), Dance into the Light, Can’t Turn Back the Years, Sussudio, Follow You, Follow Me, Invisible Touch, Take Me Home, and the incomparable beast of a song that is In the Air Tonight, which sported a brilliant and creepy vocoder intro courtesy of Brad Cole. The major highlight of the concert was Collins taking part in the drum solo in the middle of the concert playing a slap top cajon, which seemed impossible only a year ago due to the already mentioned medical issues. There were also performances of lesser known songs such as Inside Out, Who Said I Would, I Missed Again and You Know What I Mean which seem to have re-emerged since the remasters of Phil’s solo albums were released over the past few years. You Know What I Mean was a particular joy to hear due to Collins’ son Nicolas, who played drums for this tour, playing the song on piano while his father sang.

But the greatest set list in the world means nothing if the songs don’t sound any good. Thankfully the songs were performed brilliantly, which is a benefit to seeing a show in the middle of a world tour. The standout performances were by Daryl Stuermer (Guitar), Nicholas Collins (Drums), and Phil Collins himself, who at many moments, sounded identical to when he originally sang those songs. But that’s not to discount the work of the rest of the band, most of whom are professional studio musicians and have been playing with Collins for most of their professional lives.

The technical side of the concert was also stellar, with the lighting and visuals being particularly entertaining and atmospheric. Ranging from a montage of moments from Genesis’s history accompanying the song Follow You, Follow Me all the way to newspaper clippings and other graphics appearing on screen and stage to accompany Easy Lover, turning the song into a theatrical performance like how he performed the song back with Phil Bailey.

The only issues I had with the concert had nothing to do with the performances or the artists, but the venue. Suncorp Stadium, which is mostly used for sporting events such as State of Origin, seems an interesting choice for a concert, considering the fact that concerts have only been taking place there since 2006. The sound team for the concert fought an uphill battle, with certain instruments being buried in the mix and the volume of Collins microphone not being at a clear level for some of the earlier, more musically complex songs. Most of these issues were fixed after a few songs, though it was still difficult to hear the percussion that was being played. However, Suncorp Stadium is the only place that the show could have been performed to fit everyone without having to add another night in Brisbane, as the other venues are far smaller and could fit less people at one time. 

Overall, the concert was everything I could have wanted, bar the completely understandable exclusion of some more rare songs from Collins’ discography and the stinking heat which made leaving the concert a trial. The performances were fantastic, the lighting was atmospheric when it needed to be and colourful when it was necessary, and I even bought some merchandise (which sold out very quickly despite the price) to commemorate the night I got to see one of my main musical inspirations and heroes in the flesh. 

By Jeaun Lewis

Aquaman is a 2018 Fantasy/Sci-fi/Superhero/Adventure film existing the DC Cinematic Universe directed by James Wan and featuring Jason Momoa in the staring role as Arthur Curry, the Aquaman. The score for the film was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams, a member of Hans Zimmer’s film score production company Remote Control Productions. The soundtrack features 20 songs overall, with 16 tracks of film score, two versions of the tie in song Everything I Need by Skyler Grey and Ocean to Ocean by Pitbull featuring Rhea.

While constructing the score for Aquaman, unlike his previous foray into the superhero genre Wonder Woman, where he adapted Hans Zimmer and Tom Holkenborg’s Is She with You, Gregson-Williams was tasked with creating an original sonic palette of a futuristic civilisation trapped both underwater and in an archaic vengeful monarchy. This palette is created with a focus on 80’s style synthesizers, paired with both heroic and villainous fanfares, such as the one found in Atlantean Soldiers which features not only the theme for the antagonistic and vengeful King Orm/Ocean Master but also the Atlantean military that follows him. Other colour is added to the score using strings, guitars and other unique instruments to punctuate certain moments, with some of these instruments making a sole appearance such as the mandolin in Permission to Come Aboard and the melancholic woodwind in It Wasn’t Meant to Be. The most unique song on the score is Trench Engaged (from The Kingdom of the Trench) by noted horror composer and actor Joseph Bishara, which features an almost Bernard Herrmann use of strings to create a horrifying and primal atmosphere and goes a long way in making the Trench as freaky as they are.

Highlights in the soundtrack include the first song written for the film Kingdom of Atlantis which features sweeping orchestration and tasteful use of synth arpeggios, creating a sense of weightlessness, power and wonder as Arthur is shown the sunken metropolis for the first time. The Black Manta is another standout, with an almost dub-step vibe at times that would be familiar to anyone who was a fan of Hans Zimmer’s My Enemy. It creates a sense of growing rage that feels in line with Black Manta and his quest for revenge. Other highlights include Arthur, which acts as a kind of suite for the different motifs connected to Arthur used throughout the film (and features a brilliant 80’s drumbeat), Suited and Booted which utilises many of the leitmotifs used throughout the film, including Aquaman’s heroic regal theme, and the sweeping romance of Between Land and Sea which also acts as the base on which Everything I Need by Skyler Grey is constructed.

Some of the tracks however are either just good or don’t jump out as much while listening to the soundtrack without the visual accompaniment. Songs like Legend of Atlan, Ring of Fire, What Could be Greater than a King and What Does that Even Mean don’t do much in order to distinguish themselves from other tracks on the score, which to be fair makes sense for a film score, as they have to construct a tone throughout the film. The strangest song you will find on the album is the completely passable Pitbull brag rap Ocean to Ocean which features a pleasant cover of the chorus of Africa by Toto performed by Canadian singer Rhea. The song doesn’t have a lot to do with the film and talks more about Pitbull himself, with lyrics such as

“They tried to get rid of me

But from ocean to ocean

They gon’ have to deal with me.”

I’m not sure who the THEY Pitbull is talking about are, but the song has a nice beat to it and is frankly too short to get fussed over. For those who like it can be called fun size, and for those that hate Pitbull with every fibre of their being its is mercifully short and can be skipped.

Like most scores produced under the banner of Remote Control Productions, the score exudes an air of professionalism in the instrumentation and a crispness to the sound quality, however like most Remote Control releases, many standout moments from the film are not featured in the album, these tracks from Aquaman are going to be released by Gregson-Williams’ at as of now an unknown date. Overall Aquaman features some great songs and some quite memorable moments that show that Rupert Gregson-Williams can create some good themes of his own and can utilise many different styles to create a tone for a film.

By Harlly Lewis

Aquaman, by Australian director James Wan, is the latest entry in the DCEU and acts as a solo movie focusing on Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), The Aquaman, after being briefly teased in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and being properly introduced in the team up film Justice League.

Aquaman continues Arthur’s character arc from Justice League exploring his responsibility to both land and sea and finding a place that he belongs, pitting him against the vengeful pirate David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and the xenophobic Atlantean King Orm Marius/The Ocean Master (Patrick Wilson), as he attempts to find the lost trident of King Atlan to stop a war that would decimate both land and sea. On his quest Arthur is joined by Xebellian warrior princess Mera (Amber Heard) and Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Arthur’s teacher and adviser to the throne of Atlantis.

The striking thing to notice while watching this movie is that a good portion of it is set under water. This is something that is rarely seen outside of animated works and is accomplished remarkably well in the film due to almost a year of post-production and the ingenious use of a system of dry rigs to move the actors as if they were under water. I found that it took a while to get used to how things looked and acted in the under-water scenes but that is just since most live action media is set on land and no movie has tried to set one under water so ambitiously before. Thankfully it doesn’t take too long to acclimatise to the way things work under the sea and after that it simply looks phenomenal. The colours are vibrant and the film shows off the pristine beaches of the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, doubling as assorted islands, as well as an African beach and the lively streets of Sicily.

The plot is one you have probably seen before. The outsider son of an ousted monarch goes on a quest to find a magic weapon so that they can take the throne from an evil family member who took control. But what separates Aquaman from the several hundred movies with this plot is the execution of the idea. This film takes several of its cues from the comic book history of Aquaman, the majority of which coming from Geoff John’s New 52 run, a run that not only streamlined the characters and backstories, but also took major steps in making Aquaman a serious character and not just a joke. This film streamlines the ideas even further simplifying several plot points and character motivations. Villains and monsters such as Black Manta and the Trench retain their comic book designs to intimidating effect, joined by comic book accurate Aquaman and Ocean Master costumes for Arthur and Orm in the final act.

The script and its simplicity, particularly in the dialogue, is a weakness, with Willem Dafoe’s Vulko getting some particularly weak lines. But to me this is not a big deal as a more complicated script would have created a bit of sensory overload as there is so much already happening on the screen. Several moments however are well written such as the dialogue between Thomas and Atlanna and almost all Orms lines.

The acting in the film is done well for the most part with the majority really selling their dialogue and physical performances. One performance stood out as being weaker, but it’s just a small drop in the ocean in comparison to the great work of Momoa, Wilson, Kidman and others. You can feel a passion for the source material come through in almost every scene, especially with Patrick Wilson’s Ocean Master and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta where they not only perform their villainous dialogue well but also hold themselves almost identically to how they are portrayed in the source material. In no other movie could you have Dolph Lundgren riding on the back of a giant seahorse and totally buy it.

One area the film excels in is the musical score and sound design with a thrilling and leitmotif heavy score composed by Wonder Woman and The Crown composer Rupert Gregson-Williams. The Soundtrack also features songs such as the sweeping ballad Everything I Need by Skyler Grey (which also acts as the love theme for the film) and the hilariously inoffensive brag rap Ocean to Ocean by Pitbull featuring Rhea performing a decent cover of the chorus from the classic Africa by Toto. A review of the soundtrack will be posted later on.

Overall, Aquaman is a visual masterpiece of a movie that mixes incredible special effects, great music and jaw dropping action. Aquaman was the smash hit that nobody expected, and it just goes to show that other heroes deserve their time in the spotlight.

A full analysis will be written when the film comes out on 4K.

Hello, my name is Harlly Lewis and this is On the Brightside, a blog that will host a collection of analyses of various pieces of media ranging from films to video games to comic books and everything in-between. 

The goal of this blog is to promote not only the fair and thoughtful analysis of art, but also the enjoyment of it. We aim to find at least one positive thing in any piece of art. 

The most important thing about this site is respect, both for the artists discussed and for the opinions of others and so there are ground rules that must be followed. First, the difference between fact and opinion, subjective and objective must be must be observed. When a analyst here makes a statement about an artworks quality, it must be clearly stated that it is their opinion. No statement that attempts to invalidate another persons opinion or is insulting on a personal level will be tolerated, I hold even myself to this standard. 

It is also crucial to draw the line between analysis and criticism. When we analyse an artwork we look at the traits observable in the work and attempt to construct meaning from it and perhaps find ways works can be improved. This is important as much of today’s arts criticism is full of blanket statements and articles that are critical, without an attempt at providing advice on how to fix any mistakes. On the Brightside is a place to build others up, not tear others down.  

I hope you enjoy your time learning to appreciate the art that you may not personally like and taking a walk On the Brightside.