METROPOLIS PART 2 - SCENES FROM A MEMORY

A progressive rock band stuck in an 80's hair metal band. Or vice-versa. DT is a band that came out 10 years too late. They would have ruled the 80's if they came out with their first album in 1982. I always viewed Dream Theater as the ultimate tribute band. A band capable of playing all of their hero's work and then try to sustain that style through their own work. What they can't get rid of though are the 80's metal idiosyncrasies that dominate their sound. The highly compressed power chords, fast guitar solos that sound more like excercises than musical motifs, barely audible bass playing and a typical metal vocalist sounding like he was plucked right from 1986. Instead of hiding their influences, they proudly display them and make no apologies. A pure celebration and a continuation of the music they love. 80's metal and 70's prog. They also seem to give their fans exactly what they want. If you need any more proof, 1999's Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory is another reminder of what type of band they are and giving the fans a second part to the most beloved Dream Theater song of them all, "Metropolis Part 1: "The Miracle And The Sleeper" which is found on 1992's "Images And Words."

"Scenes Form A Memory'" Does manage to have an interesting story. In a nutshell, it's a story about a man who goes through regression hypnosis and finds out about a woman murdered in 1928. I don't want to give away the story if you haven't heard this album yet but it's a cool story with a really wild twist. As far as rock operas go, this one is relatively easy to follow, like Operation: Mindcrime by Quennsryche. The lyrics have a nice clarity about them amid a lot of unnecessary instrumental noodling, especially the guitarist who is so eager to show the world he can play like Eddie AND Yngwie.. Not that DT didn't manage to create some nice atmospheres. They managed to bite their lips, hunker down and do a nice minimalistic slow song called "Through Her Eyes" which IMO is a high point on this album. If you are a Dream theater fan, this is a personal love letter from the band. For everyone else, it's worth a listen. They succeeded in coming up with a great story. Of course the playing is phenomenal but so long at times it obscures the actual song. Like having a sandwich with so much dressing on it you forget what you were eating in the first place.