History Music / LifeIsButADream

* 1. Game Over (3:47)
* 2. Mattel (5:31)
* 3. Nobody (6:03)
* 4. We Love You (6:15)
* 5. Cosmic (7:32)
* 6. Beautiful Morning (6:33)
* 7. Easier (3:38)
* 8. G (3:40)
* 9. (O)rdinary (2:54)
* 10. (D)eath (3:21)
* 11. Life Is But a Dream... (4:30)

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/life_is_but_a_dream.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Art by Wes Lang.]]

* ShoutOut: Mattel’s second verse ends with "In case we don’t see you again, good afternoon, good evening and good night." The line directly references Truman’s words at the end of ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', reflecting the fake, artificial world described in the song.

* ShoutOut: Mattel’s second verse ends with "In case we don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening and good night." The line directly references Truman’s words at the end of ''Film/TheTrumanShow'', reflecting the fake, artificial world described in the song.

* EpicRocking: "Cosmic" clocks in at 7:32, which isn’t the longest song they wrote by a long shot but is enough to take you to an ethereal journey in four parts going crescendo, including one of Syn’s longest solos to date at 1 minute 30 seconds.

* Synyster Gates − Lead guitar, piano, synths, alternate vocals on "Beautiful Morning"

[[AC:AdditionalMusicians]]

!!Tracklist

!!Members and guests

* MoodWhiplash: Similarly to the MetalScream example above, a lot of the songs use sudden and repeated shifts between soft acoustic guitars or synths and heavy riffs. According to M. Shadows, this is partly meant to reflect the modern "ADHD society".

* MoodWhiplash: Similarly to the MetalScream example above, a lot of the songs use sudden and repeated shifts between soft acoustic guitars or synths and heavy riffs, meant to make them feel disorienting and unpredictable.

* MoodWhiplash: A lot of the songs use sudden and repeated shifts between soft acoustic guitars or synths and heavy riffs, meant to make them feel disorienting and unpredictable.

* MoodWhiplash: A lot of the songs use sudden and repeated shifts between soft acoustic guitars or synths and heavy, metal riffs, meant to make them feel like disorienting rollercoasters.

* MoodWhiplash: A lot of the songs use sudden and repeated shifts between soft acoustic guitars or synths and heavy metal riffs, meant to make them feel like disorienting rollercoasters.

* MoodWhiplash: A lot of the songs use sudden shifts between soft acoustic guitars or synths and heavy metal riffs, meant to make them feel like disorienting rollercoasters.

Seven years after their previous album, the band this time wanted to take a more abstract and philosophical approach, with lyrics about life, boredom, death and existentialism. If ''Music/TheStage'' was the band dipping their toes in prog territory, "LIBAD" is them diving headfirst into it, this time playing with conventional song structure and blending genres more than in any of their previous albums. The fact that it was mostly written and recorded during the Covid crisis in 2020-2021 partly explains the delay as well as the themes.

* 11. Life Is But a Dream (4:30)

* MetalScream: The pre-solo bridge of "We Love You" has Matt use harsh vocals for the first time since the ''Nightmare'' album, creating a brutal contrast with the quietly sung chorus just before. It serves to mimick the emotional and phychological rollecoaster caused by drug use.
* OutOfGenreExperience: Most notable [[GenreRoulette in the last third of the album]], with "G" being a funky, satirical rock track, "(O)rdinary" delving into electro and disco and "(D)eath" being reminiscent of classic crooner music à la Creator/FrankSinatra. It’s all capped off by the title track, a classical gothic piano piece.

* TitleDrop: The opening track "Game Over" ends on the line "Can’t you see life is but a dream, anyway?" Considering the narrator says it while committing suicide, it puts said title in quite a different perspective than in the original children song.

Citing influences from Kanye West or Daft Punk, among others, the usual heavy riffing and soloing is flavored with a pinch of hip-hop, electro, funk and classical with a 72-piece orchestra. The album has also vibes reminiscent of Pinkly Smooth, the band Synyster Gates and the late Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan played in all the way back in 2001 ("Mattel" and "Beautiful Morning" actually reuse parts from an obscure Pinkly Smooth demo named "Drop D").

Citing influences from Kanye West or Daft Punk, among others, the usual heavy riffing and soloing is flavored with a pinch of hip-hop, electro, funk and classical with a 72-piece orchestra. The album has also vibes reminiscent of Pinkly Smooth, the band Synyster Gates and the late Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan played in all the way back in 2001 ("Mattel" and "Beautiful Morning" actually feature unused parts originally written by The Rev).