An unofficial cover for the Twelve Step Suite.
The Twelve-Step Suite is a group of five songs spread across five albums, from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence to Black Clouds & Silver Linings. The lyrics were all written by Mike Portnoy, and each one deals with his recovery from alcoholism. Each of the song contains two or three movements, which represent the Twelve Step program used by Alcoholics Anonymous. Each song is dedicated "to Bill W. and his friends," which is a reference to Bill Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Personnel
- Mike Portnoy - Drums, percussion, backing vocals/co-lead vocals, lyrics
- John Petrucci - Guitar, backing vocals
- John Myung - Bass
- Jordan Rudess - Keyboards, continuum
- James LaBrie - Lead vocals
Songs involved
The Glass Prison - from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
- I. "Reflection"
- II. "Restoration"
- III. "Revelation"
This Dying Soul - from Train of Thought
- IV. "Reflections of Reality (Revisited)"
- V. "Release"
The Root of All Evil - from Octavarium
- VI. "Ready"
- VII. "Remove"
Repentance - from Systematic Chaos
- VIII. "Regret"
- IX. "Restitution"
The Shattered Fortress - from Black Clouds & Silver Linings
- X. "Restraint"
- XI. "Receive"
- XII. "Responsible"
Analysis
There is a very interesting in-depth analysis of the suite's lyrics (and the unofficial prequel, The Mirror) posted on Geeks with Taste by author Sachi, which you can read here.
For those looking for a briefer, musical overview of the entire suite without The Mirror, here is a song-by-song analysis.
The Glass Prison
Main article: The Glass Prison
Album: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
I. REFLECTION
This song, and the suite itself, starts with the same white noise that ended the previous album, Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. After a while, bells can be heard ringing out in F#. After the third ring, the bell is joined by a natural harmonic on bass, leading to a calming melody on guitar. After this reprises a couple of times, the rest of the band explodes in to accompany the melody, though they eventually join the melody in unison with the keyboard synthesizing some sort of stringed instrument and a synth solo. The band slows down to give way to John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy delivering fast, thundering 7-string riffs and drum fills. While this is happening, Petrucci incorporates many fluid, sweep-picked and alternate picked passages before the band settles on a riff pattern before the vocals start. Mike Portnoy and James LaBrie alternate vocal passages for the first verse, with LaBrie's vocals having a distortion effect before finishing the verse with clean vocals. The band continues with reprising the thundering riff from the beginning of the song, though with the whole band while Portnoy delivers pounding double bass patterns under the riffs. Rudess uses the keyboard to emulate Petrucci's fluid arpeggios while LaBrie sings with an odd effect over his voice (Possibly a chorus or ring modulator). The band changes tempo once again to deliver a sort of chorus to the song, The key of this section seems to change multiple times while the subject talks about his "glass prison," first starting in B, then switching to G.
II. RESTORATION
The next section of the song starts with a reprise of the heavier version of the intro, switching back to the key of B. Police sirens are heard under the the song at this point. This once again slows down, giving way to another chugging riff that one could very easily headbang to. The drums keep time while record scratches are heard. Once again, Portnoy and LaBrie alternate vocal duties in the verses, while the subject speaks about the anguish and pain his addiction has caused him. Chanting can also be heard here. This moves to a more progressive part in what sounds like an odd time signature, with multi-part harmonies and an organ clearly being heard while the subject begs for help. The song moves back a variation of the heavy riff heard earlier in this section. There are alternating vocals occurring again, with more chanting. The riff continues while Portnoy and LaBrie continue to alternate vocals. The multi-part harmonies continues with another cry for mercy.
III. REVELATION
This section begins with a fast-paced instrumental section, complete with synchronized instruments and thundering double bass on drums. A short guitar solo starts, making way for a keyboard solo. The guitar begins soloing again, and another keyboard solo is heard before Rudess and Petrucci start a unison with their respective instruments. This concludes and leaves the bass and keyboard to fill the rhythm. The band jumps back in with another riff, and the bass and keyboards come back in for a few more seconds, before the band comes back in with more heavy, thundering riffs and complex passages on guitar. The vocals come back in with the subject finding a possible way out, with the band keeping a steady groove under the vocals for the rest of the song.
This Dying Soul
Main article: This Dying Soul
Album: Train of Thought
IV. REFLECTIONS OF REALITY (REVISITED)
When played back to back with The Glass Prison, this song picks up immediately where it left off. The guitar plays descending chords before letting out a massive B5 chord. The drums fully kick in, with a basic metal pattern with fast double bass sixteenth notes. The B5 chord sustains until it feeds back into the amp, where upon the keyboard can be heard entering the cacophony of sound. Petrucci scrapes his pick along the string of his guitar before launching into a heavy 7-string riff on the low B string. He repeats the riff twice before throwing in a tritone with C as the root. He repeats the the pattern again, and then again with the bass, tritone and everything. At this point, Portnoy's bass drum pattern is mirroring that of the riff, with cymbal crashes on the tritones. The band plays notes in unison before starting another riff while Petrucci solos a little bit. He throws in some two-handed tapping licks, before he starts a unison/harmony, which starts with legato, and then transitions to straight alternate picking before the passage ends with a full step bend, paving the way for a melodic keyboard solo. Once this ends, the bands transitions to a slower, but still heavy riff. They repeat the riff a few more times before the guitar switches to a clean sound. The subject talks to the "Mirror" about how it's "been a while." While the clean guitar continue, the subject begins looking for a way to help heal himself and the pain he's caused to people. The guitar abruptly switches back to a distorted sound while someone, presumably one of his friends or his counselor, tells him to "trace his hell back." At this point, the band bursts back in while the subject speaks about how he needs to face his problems head on. The clean melody returns, but with a distorted sound on the guitar. After the song's chorus, the guitar unison/harmony from the beginning reprises, albeit with a slightly different ending, which goes immediately into a rapid synchronized passage to end the phrase. The tritone riff, also from the beginning, gets played again in the key of B with a spoken word section overtop. The difference, though, is that the vocals here are distorted and following the same rhythm that the guitar and bass play. After this finishes, there is a reprise of the chorus melody, before the distorted spoken word section starts up again, although with the root in this part being C#, instead of B. This gives the tritone a root of D. This continues for a bit, but not as long as the first section. The chorus is played again, with the same unison/harmony from the start of the song, but with the same ending. This moves into a quieter part with piano, while the subject is being told about how their past sins will help them become a better person and overcome their addiction.
V. RELEASE
work in progress
The Root of All Evil
Main article: The Root of All Evil
Album: Octavarium
VI. READY
work in progress
VII. REMOVE
work in progress
Repentance
Main article: Repentance
Album: Systematic Chaos
VIII. REGRET
work in progress
IX. RESTITUTION
work in progress
The Shattered Fortress
Main article: The Shattered Fortress
Album: Black Clouds & Silver Linings
X. RESTRAINT
work in progress
XI. RECEIVE
work in progress
XII. RESPONSIBLE
work in progress