DREAM THEATER

Dream Theater's 'Images and Words' is undoubtedly one of the most influential heavy music albums of the early 1990s, and perhaps the first commercially successful record attempting to find a common ground between heavy metal and prog, with Metallica, Iron Maiden, Rush and Yes being among the band's strongest influences at the time. And it is fair to say that the modern history of progressive music would be unimaginable without the success of 'Images and Words', at least for what concerns its heavier side. Armed with a new singer and a desire to finally find a way to break through after the lack of success of their debut album from 1989, Dream Theater had settled a record deal with Atco, an Atlantic Records offshoot. And while the band of Berklee alumni was not the first to play around with sophisticated sounds and pompous concepts, other acts before them just could not get that commercial exposure, which otherwise catapulted Dream Theater to the prog metal stratosphere, much like the case of Marillion and neo-prog in the previous decade.

At the same time 'Images and Words' is certainly one of the most adventurous and sophisticated albums of the period, as the band including Portnoy, Petrucci, Myung, Moore and James LaBrie masterfully display an enviable technical proficiency and skill combined with an engaging songwriting capacity that could have only been matched by the likes of Queensryche, Fates Warning, or Maiden at the time. Several songs off the album would go on to become absolute classics and staples of their live shows, including their biggest hit 'Pull Me Under'. However, the album is also significant because it provided a great template for the music of the band, one that they would take up and develop entirely in the following years, presenting a very unique blend of memorable writing with instrumental wizardry - their style of writing complex, epic and melodramatic music is all over the place and is best portrayed by the longer tracks on the album, including 'Take the Time', 'Metropolis - Part I', and 'Learning to Live'. With this in mind, one could not help to see how the music of Dream Theater here, much more pronounced than on their debut album, is a somewhat pompous mixture of classic progressive rock from the 1970s, heavy metal from the 1980s, tinted with a glam-adjacent swagger. Within such a musical framework the drums and the guitars would inevitably have to be played miraculously, which is certainly the case. What is really interesting is the role of Kevin Moore in the formation of DT's early sound, as his playing seems to be much more focused on providing a sonic background, layered with texture and tone, inherently different from the technique of Jordan Rudess, for example.

A severely important album that can be considered era-defining, there is no doubt why 'Images and Words' has cemented its status as a classic of the genre, and while occasional moments of instrumental indulgence are indeed present, the album remains one of the tightest and most focused albums of Dream Theater still, full of magical musical passages, introspective lyrics, and majestic playing all throughout, which come to the fore as the band's engaging songwriting skills elevate the entire experience of the album.

I am probably about a level 2 on this, even though the tracks I know are among my favorite DT songs. This is my first time actually listening to the whole thing, surprisingly enough. Metropolis Pt. 1 was on Images & Words (previously reviewed). However, Petrucci reportedly added the Pt. 1 to the title as a joke. As I said in the I&W review, the joke was on the band as fans kept calling for Part 2. The story is about a man having a past-life regression named Nicholas. In his regression, one of his past lives was as a woman named Victoria Page, who was murdered. He initially believes that she was murdered by her boyfriend Julian Baynes after she began distancing herself from him and having an affair with her brother Edward. As the story progresses, Nicholas is far less certain that Julian was the killer. The story is in two acts, each with several scenes. Each scene is represented by a different track on the album, with the exception of Scene 2. 3, and 7 which are each divided over 2 songs. Also of note, this is the first DT album with Jordan Rudess on Keyboards. Let's get started

Act 1:

Track 1 - Scene One: Regression

A clock tick-tocks left & right as the hypnotherapist speaks the words that bring Nicholas into a trance. By the 1 minute point, an acoustic guitar strums and LaBrie begins singing. This theme will return later.

Track 2 - Scene Two: I. Overture 1928

As the title implies, this is an instrumental piece that contains some of the musical themes that will recur on the album. It begins with a machine gun-type of rhythm that leads us into those various themes. Rudess has an amazing synth solo around 1:20. Petrucci follows with a guitar solo at 1:35, initially in a half-time feel that later returns to tempo. After a second solo, they play complex rhythms together. Incredible keyboards at 3:15. We build up to a different staccato riff that begins in track two, and then continues in track 3.

Track 3 - Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu

The staccato riff continues as the backdrop for the verse. Killer Portnoy fill at 35 seconds. The chords become more sustained and after the 1 minute mark, Portnoy changes to a double-bass-drum-beat. There is a chorus at around 2 minutes. A quick guitar riff takes over at around 2:40 before LaBrie returns on vocals. At around 3:45 sustained power chords on the guitar support a piano solo. Nice vocal harmonies at around 4:15. Awesome drum fill at 4:40. LaBrie holds out the final note as the track transitions to?

Track 4 - Scene Three: I. Through My Words

This part is only about 1 minute long. It begins with quiet piano notes, joined by LaBrie's vocals. This leads to?

Track 5 - Scene Three: II Fatal Tragedy

The piano and vocals continue seamlessly from the preceding section. Big power chords usher the band in, and they change to a slightly Beatlesque guitar arpeggio pattern, although much heavier. The music then turns sinister sounding. Petrucci is playing some Zakk Wylde type pinch harmonics. There is a fantastic gothic choir sound just after 1:30. I love the musical sequence around 2:15 with alternating organ and Queen-like guitar harmonies. The gothic choir briefly returns, before we switch to a major key for the bridge. Cool guitar riff begins at 3:50. Portnoy joins in with an amazing beat. After 4 minutes it is just pure DT at their finest. Mind blowing guitar from Petrucci; and Rudess shows why they wanted him so badly. Holy crap! At 6 minutes?mere mortal musicians can't handle this! We get a good taste of John Myung's amazing bass skills as well. It ends with spoken words: "Now it is time to see how you died. Remember that death is not the end, only a transition."

Track 6 - Scene Four: Beyond This Life

This one begins with a mosh-pit worthy guitar riff. The intro to this one is some of the heaviest metal Dream Theater plays. But by 46 seconds in, things quickly tone down and LaBrie starts singing with an effect on his voice "Headline. Murder?" Myoung keeps the riff going on the bass. Great odd meter playing at 1:35. They kick back in shortly afterward and lead up to a quiet, melodic section. The riff returns in time for a blistering Petrucci solo. By 3:30 the groove changes, but is still heavy. Things get quiet again at 4:50. A melodic "chorus" begins at 5:22. The heavy riff returns at around 6:10, with a variation. Rudess takes a solo around 6:30.The groove shifts back to the other riff and Petrucci plays a wah-wah heavy solo. Rudess takes another solo around 8:30. The 2 soloists share the spotlight at around 9 minutes. Petrucci and Rudess trade licks starting at around 9:45. The vocals resume at 10:04.The song ends with clean guitar arpeggios. Amazing track.

Track 7 - Scene Five: Through Her Eyes

A synth swell connects this track to the proceeding one. A female singer joins the keyboards with soft vocalizations (think a mellow Great Gig in the Sky) That theme that I said we'd hear again has returned. At 1:05 piano and a subtle rhythm section take over. LaBrie begins singing at 1:40. I believe Myung is playing fretless bass on this, quite nicely, I might add. Beautiful vocal harmonies join at around 3:30. A strumming acoustic joined in at some point along the way as well. Petrucci starts playing melodic lead lines at 4:45, joined by the female singer, then the song fades to a close. Thus ends Act 1.

Act 2:

Track 8 - Scene Six: Home

This begins with a very slow fade in of synth and sound effects, joined by acoustic guitar and sitar. At around 1:00 John Myung joins on bass along with Portnoy on drums. and they begin to lock into a very cool rhythm pattern. At 1:44 the sound gets heavier, with some really funky keyboard tones. Just after 2 minutes, there is a Middle-Eastern riff that is just amazing. Around 2:25 we switch to a heavy groove with chunky guitar chords. Vocals, in harmony, join in around 2:40. They hit a chorus at about 3:45 At 4:00 rips into an amazing scalular guitar run leading into the next section of the song. The Middle-Eastern riff returns just ahead of the 5 minute mark. At around 5:20, they lock into an odd meter riff with spoken words on top. LaBrie returns to singing thereafter. Petrucci plays those scale runs again at around 6:20. At around 7:20 Portnoy plays a marching snare beat, and the sitar returns. The dynamic level has dropped and many sound effects and spoken parts overlap. At 8:40 Rudess brings things back up with an incredible solo, with mega-riffing underneath from the others. Following that, Petrucci seamlessly takes over with an equally amazing solo of his own. They return to a vocal section at around 10:20. Portnoy has an incredible drum fill at around 11 minutes. The funky keyboard tone returns, followed by the Middle-Eastern riff. At 11:45 the sitar starts a quick tune with accents from the band. Lead guitar takes the riff over with several odd meter prog diversions. The song concludes with a Portnoy drum fill leading to a sustained power chord. WOW! A lot going on there! Somehow, I don't think I had heard this track before. It was an amazing ride!

Track 9 - Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity

Now I DO know this one! Speaking of wild rides, it's time to buckle-up my friends. It begins with a low drone on the synth, with a spattering of sound effects. Myung comes in with a syncopated bass line, followed by Petrucci's machine gun rhythms to be joined by Portnoy's snare drum. All of this builds to a bit of an explosion of sound at around 30 seconds in. At around 45 seconds they lock into an odd meter groove. Then there are sequences of different members being featured briefly with dazzling displays of virtuosity. At 1:45 they go into a low, heavy groove. Soon after we are in odd-meter heaven. The time-changes come too fast to describe them all. Then, obviously, in the middle of a prog-metal extravaganza, you have to have a bit of honky-tonk piano, right? Well Dream Theater certainly thought so at 2:30. But 20 seconds later we are back into dual licks with Petrucci and Rudess. After that at around 3:10 Myung makes his presence known on a lightning fast bass feature. Then more odd-meter shenanigans from the boys. The precision playing on this is unearthly. By around 5 minutes the tempo briefly slows, even if the complexity doesn't. They lock in together for some closing riffs that lead up to?

Track 10 - Scene Seven: II. One Last Time

This actually starts with a slow tempo display of beautiful piano playing with the rhythm section accompanying. LaBrie's vocals enter at 35 seconds. On the second part of the verse Petrucci plays some guitar ornaments, The chorus follows with beautiful harmonies and power chords. Portnoy plays some great drum fills and Myung joins with a moving bass line as it transitions to the next part of the song, a Petrucci guitar solo that returns us to some Strange Deja Vu themes. After the 3 minute mark they begin building a crescendo and slow down before Rudess plays some piano flourishes. This brings us to.

Track 11 - Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On

Get out the Kleenex, folks. It's an inspiring tear-jerking ballad. One that I literally want played at my funeral. (I have told my wife this and now she doesn't want to hear it because it makes her sad. Personally, I find it to be reassuring.)

LaBrie jumps right in on the vocals with Rudess accompanying on piano. The first verse ends at around 1 minute, and Petrucci joins with strumming acoustic guitar. Portnoy and Myung enter at 1:20 to usher in the second verse. Petrucci plays some tasty guitar fills during the verse. They hit a big I-7 chord with an organ joining in to lead us to the bridge. LaBrie jumps up a register here. At 2:50 Petrucci begins an epic Gilmour-inspired guitar solo with his own flourishes. There is a bit of shred around the 4 minute mark, but he closes it with a lick that reminds me of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond." The verse that follows is spine tingling as a choir joins in, backing LaBrie's dynamic lead vocals. The song's tag-line has always resonated with me? "If I die tomorrow, I'll be alright because I believe that after we're gone, the spirit carries on." After LaBrie sings those lines with great dramatic energy. Petrucci plays a closing melodic solo, before the song winds down during the final 30 seconds. This song ALWAYS touches me. It is simply incredible.

Track 12 - Scene 9: Finally Free

The hypnotherapist brings Nicholas back to the present with some light instrumental accompaniment. Yet things begin to sound sinister after he presumably gets in his car and drives home followed by a rainstorm. Vocals enter at 1:40 accompanied by piano. In this closing scene, we learn that things may not have ended as neatly as we previously thought. Drums kick in at around 2:50 and the song gets more rhythmic. At around 4:10 the music gets very dramatic, with sound effects depicting the murder. If I am understanding correctly Edward, not Julian, is the killer. Petrucci has a melodic solo at around 5:40. Things drop out for acoustic guitar & vocals at 6:27. I believe Nicholas is finally free of his past life demons, saying he's finally found his life, he's finally free. Starting at around 7:20 there is a low-strung guitar riff. Portnoy plays some incredible drum fills as this section progresses. As we reach the 9 minute mark the guitar part gets harmonized. The song fades out at around 9:30 At 9:50 the music stops and there are sounds of someone getting out of the car. There is a news report referring to a long string of dark events, but it is turned off before it is elaborated too much. A brass section plays the Spirit Carries on theme, but then the hypnotherapist says "Open your eyes, Nicholas," before there is the sound of a record scratching followed by static. The static will return to start the next DT Album, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (reviewed previously).

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Well that was an amazing album, as I expected, based on knowing many of the tracks beforehand. The musicianship is absolutely next-level. My only issue is with the final scene. It has left me quite perplexed, although I suspect that's the point. Still, this album is incredible, and despite the state of confusion in which it has left me, I can't give it anything less than a 5 out of 5 stars.

I definitely am a level 4 on this one as I go in. This, as with many of us, was my introduction to Dream Theater. But, I didn't hear Pull Me Under on MTV or the Radio. I read a magazine article in one of the Guitar Magazines and they sounded interesting. I happened across it in a used CD store and bought it. I was sold on them immediately! The perfect mix of prog & metal. Yes meets Iron Maiden. It is still one of my favorites of theirs to this day. While this is their second album, it's the first one most people knew. Let's take a deep dive.

Track 1 - Pull Me Under

To this day, it's still probably their best known song. From the clean opening guitar notes, to the tribal drumming, the sound pulls you in, not under. Then around 1:15 the crunch comes in, with the keyboards joining a bit later. The vocals enter at 2:00 and James LaBrie makes his debut as DT's singer. The tempo begins to increase around 2:40. By 3:00, we begin to hear LaBrie's range. Portnoy's drums complement the lyrics ("This world is spinning around me?"), then Petrucci's amazing guitar fill takes us to the chorus. If the listener wasn't fully sold by this point, I'd be surprised. There is a bridge then another "spinning" pre-chorus and chorus. There is a quieter part that features Kevin Moore's keyboards before we reach Petrucci's awesome guitar solo break. A fantastic drum fill at 6:30 takes us back to another set of choruses. The last minute is a mainly instrumental coda that gets more and more sinister sounding as it goes; I say mainly because there are some harmony vocals near the abrupt ending. Brilliant track.

Track 2 - Another Day

Now for something completely different?

A mellow piano part starts us off, followed by a brief guitar part with the full band. The verse begins with piano and vocals. The vocals get harmonized by the end of the verse. Then wait, what's this at 1:10? Soprano Sax? Who let Kenny G in here? But it isn't Kenny G, it's much better than that, it's Jay Beckstein of Spyro Gyra, in who's studio they are recording the album. He plays a mini-solo between verses and fills during the second verse. Ahh, at 2 minutes in we get power chords and a waive-the-bic-lighter-in-the-air half-time bridge. At 3 minutes Petrucci takes a melodic guitar solo with just a bit of shred. LaBrie hits a fantastic high note at 3:38 before we get another sax solo to close out the track. Beautiful song.

Track 3 - Take the Time

A synth fades in joined by Bass & drum rhythms then guitar, before a double bass drum onslaught. At 1:00 we start getting shifting meters with funky rhythms and the vocals begin. Portnoy really starts showing his skills on this one. There is a finger twisting fill leading to the chorus. LaBrie lives in the stratosphere on much of this one. The tempo slows around 3:25. After a brief bit of spoken dialog, we get a wonderfully proggy instrumental section with more meter changes than you can shake a stick at. Kevin Moore has 2 dazzling keyboard solos in this section. John Myoung finally gets to show what he's made of keeping up with every bit of the virtuosity on the bass. Vocals return following the instrumental break for a fast tempo chorus before things slow down and get quieter at around 6:30. At this point they begin a glorious simultaneous accelerando and crescendo. As it climaxes, there is a chorus and outro guitar solo. Great track!

Track 4 - Surrounded

A slow, cascading keyboard part starts it off to be joined by quiet vocals. The tempo increases as the first verse ends and Petrucci plays a melodic solo with subtle drumming behind. The beat kicks in with the full band and the second verse is more rhythmic. The backing for the third verse is even moreso. LaBrie's vocals are glorious. Petrucci has a wonderful guitar solo that leads to the bridge. Things quiet back down by 4:43 as the final lines close out this beautiful song.

Track 5 - Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper

I have read that there was never intended to be a Pt. 2 of this song; the Pt. 1 in the title was meant to be humorous. However, the joke was on the band, as fans clamored for Pt. 2. That Part 2 would turn into an album of its own that we will be visiting before long.

Ominous synth sounds fade in. A guitar part starts making chugga chugga sounds along the way. The whole band kicks in at 40 seconds. Moore plays a solo part at around 1:40, then the rhythm changes to set up the verse before LaBrie starts singing. Portnoy plays an amazing drum fill at 2:10. He then plays a tribal sounding pattern to lead into a quieter part with clean guitar & vocals along with keys. Things kick back in at 3:10. The lead vocals and backing vocals do a sort of call & response around 3:35. Petrucci has excellent guitar fills around 4:00. A new section begins at 4:15 in an odd meter. In the ensuing instrumental break Moore and Petrucci play complex harmony lines, before Petrucci takes over with a blistering solo. Incredible drumming from Portnoy at around 5 minutes. The band seems to be "revving up" for a few seconds at around 5:30, then Myoung has a mind-blowing bass feature. By 5:50 Moore is in the spotlight with a dizzying display of keyboards with Portnoy going ape on the drums behind it. Next, it sounds like Petrucci & Moore are playing ungodly complex lines in unison. At 6:25 the band goes into odd-meter-overdrive (7-8, I believe). By 7 minutes Moore is playing super intricate keyboard lines. The section between 7:08 and 8:03 is on par with the middle section of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man on the scale of being impossible for mere mortal musicians to play accurately. Seriously, it's mind-melting and finger-cramping. LaBrie returns shortly thereafter with amazing vocals to bring us to the conclusion of this showcase of other-worldly talent.

Track 6 - Under a Glass Moon

Petrucci starts off with a relatively simple guitar part played in octaves. Moore is providing support on the keys. Portnoy and Myoung jump in at around 30 seconds with a quick rhythmic pattern underneath, that the full band locks into before the 1 minute mark. After a dizzying connective line, they go into a storm of swirling rhythms. Things lock into a tight 7-4 groove by 1:20 for LaBrie to begin singing. A double-bass drum pattern takes over by 2:10. Cue amazing drum fill at 2:33. Shortly before the 3 minute point, they've gone into a smooth 4-4 and a softer dynamic level, while the tempo stays fairly quick. LaBrie's vocals remain stellar. At 3:30 the double-bass drum rhythm returns. Petrucci plays some light-speed guitar fills just before 4 minutes, and the rhythm changes again. It's a more staccato guitar part with counter melody keys underneath. At around 4:30, though, the guitar part becomes more sustained. Cool bass fill before the guitar solo around 4:35 before a guitar solo with more time changes than you can count. . He even plays some funky licks around 4:50. The guitar solo concludes around 5:35 and keys take over with a different set of complex time changes behind it. The band plays some tight staccato riffs in unison and the vocals return around 6:20. We are back to a variation of the double-bass drum riffs from earlier before they return to the intro riffs from earlier onto which they tack a little closing punctuation bit. I'm outta breath from trying to keep up with all of the changes in that one! I might even need a nap.

Track 7 - Wait for Sleep

(See what I did there?) This gentle ballad begins with a piano part with synth strings. LaBrie Joins on vocals. This is essentially a duet between Moore and LaBrie. The title of the album comes from the lyrics.

Track 8 - Learning to Live

The closing epic at 11:30. It begins with a keyboard riff from Moore. The band kicks in with an odd meter at 14 seconds. A wild drum part begins at around 35 seconds and the band plays to it, then the odd meter playing returns. By 1:15 we begin a slower, smoky groove. The vocals join thereafter. Nice harmonies at 2:25. There is a sudden timing shift at 2:40. There are odd metered riffs filling in between vocal lines. There is an almost "djent" type of riff starting around 3:20. Another shift at 4:00 with a new riff and key change. The bass & drums drop out around 4:45 and Petrucci & Moore play counter melodies against each other briefly before they kick back in. There are a few seconds of quieter playing with a rimshot beat from Portnoy. Then a few power chords come in between quieter sections. Excellent Portnoy fills around 5:20. We get an acoustic guitar solo with tribal drumming behind it around 5:35. He switches to clean electric chords and lead parts following that. Myoung has a great bass line as we approach the 7-minute mark. Then just after 7 minutes, LaBrie sings some ascending, harmonized vocal lines with some "ahhs" reaching a beautifully sung high note. Petrucci unleashes a flurry of notes into a high, soaring sustained guitar solo as that note ends. There is a brief keyboard solo before the band locks into a complex set of unison phrases, including Portnoy's drum part. Moore plays a riff from earlier in the song on solo piano at 8:10. The bass & drums, then guitar join in on it. Petrucci plays another solo following that, before the riff returns on guitar & keys. Next Moore takes a synth solo. Vocals return with LaBrie in the stratosphere. Myoung plays a solo riff at 10 minutes, then drums and clean guitar join in. Petrucci plays a lead pattern on top. A choir-like synth sound joins in as the song fades out.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This album is a game-changer. Yes, there were prog metal bands prior to Dream Theater (Queensryche, Fates Warning, etc.), and yes, this is their second album. But the addition of LaBrie on vocals and the popularity of Pull Me Under drew attention to this album and they brought the genre to a whole new level of both virtuosity and popularity. IMO, the earlier prog metal bands were more metal bands who had some prog elements. Dream Theater were a prog band with a metal style. And tracks like Another Day and Wait for Sleep show that they can comfortably step outside of the metal style and play more mellow music with equal quality. Additionally, while the music is heavy, it's never harsh. The emphasis is on the quality of the music, not on how heavy and aggressive they are. I can't in good conscience give this anything but a 5 out of 5 stars. It's a classic masterpiece, even though it might not even be their best.

I believe I have heard most of the tracks, but don't think I have ever listened straight through. So here we go?.

Track 1 - The Glass Prison

We begin with a static sound and church bells ringing, before a clean guitar riff begins with the bass supporting. Then power chords & drums join in, before distorted guitar joins the riff. A brief keyboard solo leads us to a heavier riff with Petrucci accenting parts with a wah-wah. More changes establish a background for Petrucci's guitar wizardry. Vocals enter at around 3 minutes, lead vocal alternating with a distorted voice in a call and response style. Portnoy is all over the double bass drums. The distorted voice takes the next verse with a bit of keyboard embellishment. The pace becomes less frantic next with LaBrie singing harmonized lead vocals. Following that, a slower riff takes over with siren sound effects. Sounds like record scratching in the next interlude. Heavy backing vocals support the lead vocals after that. This track emphasizes the METAL in prog metal. A fantastic bass feature at 9:40 from Myoung. Then a very fast solo section with Petrucci and Rudess trading off, then it gets even faster! Yet it never loses control. The two soloists harmonize around the 11-minute mark before a nifty little unaccompanied keyboard riff at 11:06. Then the band returns to a groove alternating with the keyboard riff. This track is quite a workout for Portnoy! A flashy guitar runs usher the vocals back in with about a minute to go. Impressive track

Track 2 - Blind Faith

We fade in with sustained echo-ey guitar notes then Myoung lays down the rhythm on the bass before Portnoy joins him. This verse has a moderate rhythm and clean guitar which becomes distorted and builds into a heavier chorus. The second verse is heavier as well. But then the second part of the verse is more keyboard oriented. Then a heavier chorus and bridge, but this song has not been as heavy as the opener. The guitar solo has a quicker tempo and a more bluesy tone for Petrucci than usual but with his wizardry intact. An odd-metered section leads to unaccompanied piano from Rudess, before the band kicks back in. Then we get a Hammond solo! Not too common in DT, NICE! The heavy riffing and Hammond give me Deep Purple vibes. Following that a Synth solo?Rudess is busy on this one, before Petrucci takes back over. All the while Portnoy and Myoung are an impressive rhythm section, particularly Portnoy's drum fills! The following sections get heavier with LaBrie's amazing vocals taking back the spotlight. Things seem to calm down a bit for the closing section.

Track 3 - Misunderstood

A slow, clean chording guitar starts the next track. Then there is a hint of keyboards before the guitar is joined with LaBrie's vocals. Keyboards take over the accompaniment on the second verse. There is a mellow interlude with keyboard sounds fluttering in the background. Drums gradually join in with some accents on the next verse. At just after 3:35 the band kicks in hard & heavy. The music is climbing to the end of the chorus. I really like this one so far. The guitar solo sounds like it was recorded in reverse and harmonized. This one is heavy in a classic-rock ballad kind of way. Just heavy enough, without getting too intense. An odd-timing instrumental section is next with odd fluttering keyboards over the top. It gets crazier as the track reaches conclusion. The rhythm track fades out and the odd sounds take over, I think it became guitar feedback with a lot of effects on it. The rhythm bed fades back in towards the very end. The underlying rhythm surprisingly bears resemblance to the ending section to Green Day's Boulevard of Broken Dreams, released 2 years later. Excellent track with a strange ending section.

Track 4 - The Great Debate

This begins with synth sounds, then a bass rhythm. News reports about stem-cell research joins in. Portnoy provides some tom-toms while Petrucci plays sustained guitar, eventually giving way to power chords and a more steady beat from Portnoy. An odd meter riff begins around 2:45, then LaBrie joins in with heavily effected vocals. The effects stop for the next verse. The music regularly shifts timing and intensity. The song's lyrics discuss both sides of the issue and leave the listener to decide, the instrumental section after 9:00 features Rudess first then Petrucci, before returning to Rudess. There is an amazing run after 11:00. The news reports return at the end. The political nature of this song may be off-putting for some, but I think the song is brilliant.

Track 5 - Disappear

We begin with mysterious guitar and piano chords, before settling into a gentle rhythm. LaBrie joins in softly on vocals. String-like synth is backing. Then we get a slightly disturbing keyboard accompaniment. The mysterious sounds from the beginning lead us into the next verse. About halfway through we get a more 6-8 power ballad feel, with heavier guitars and drums. The mysterious sound returns for the close of the song. Very mellow track.

Track 6 - Overture (This is where Disc 2 would begin? Apparently all of the remaining tracks constitute the "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence Suite")

A very dramatic intro, almost cinematic, starts us off. This whole track sounds like movie score music to me. I am sure it contains themes from the upcoming movements. It is very orchestrated.

Track 7 - About To Crash

A 7-8 piano melody sets the pace, solo at first, then joined by the rest of the band. LaBrie Joins in over the rhythm bed. It is my understanding that this movement is about a girl with bipolar disorder. Each section of the suite discusses a different mental disorder. This part segued directly to?

Track 8 - War Inside My Head

This part is about a veteran struggling with PTSD. I can feel a heavy military style beat. The lyrics seem to be inside a "flashback." A second voice joins in on the vocal near the end of the short movement (Portnoy perhaps?)

Track 9 - The Test That Stumped Them All

With an abrupt, fast intro that reminds me of Ace of Wands by Steve Hackett (early in the countdown), this track certainly demands attention. This track portrays schizophrenia. The doctors say they have to "save him from himself". Different treatments are suggested, including shock treatment. Around 3 minutes in we get a fantastic Petrucci solo, then after a quick turnaround a Rudess one. The pace of this one is frantic, to reflect the schizophrenia the character has.

Track 10 - Goodnight Kiss

This one is about the pain felt after losing a child. I would say that would be depression and grief. The sound is quiet and sad. The quiet might be a welcome relief after the previous track, but the pain felt is palpable. The beat gets more steady at the end during the guitar solo.

Track 11 - Solitary Shell

This is the one I've heard most often from this album. This one is referring to Autism. A mid-tempo song, almost folky in some ways. I've always felt a connection to the song. I have recently made a self-discovery that I may be on the "spectrum," in a mild way. The acoustic solo is wonderful, as is the piano playing.

Track 12 - About to Crash (Reprise)

This starts with distorted guitar with a riff that reminds me of Steve Vai. The band joins in, followed by the vocals. The song has a steady rockin' 4-4 groove. The rhythm changes to an almost military style beat under the guitar solo at one point. The music becomes more theatrical in the second half of the song.

Track 13 - Losing Time/Grand Finale

The tempo slows a bit, and the meter turns to 6-8 as the final movement begins. LaBrie's vocals are subdued as he starts with "She dressed in black every day?", but he builds as the song progresses. The tempo slows further at around 3:15. LaBrie and the band hit a big final note at around 4:00 (with 2 minutes left in the song). A sustained note fades out in an excruciatingly slow manner. It is like the final piano chord of the Beatles A Day In the Life, but even slower.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

A fantastic album, to be sure. Flawless playing, singing and production all around. Can we expect any less from Dream Theater? However, the subject matter, by the nature of the theme is a bit hard on the psyche. It is not an album I'd want to tackle in its entirety on a regular basis. So, I'll give it a 4 out of 5 stars, only because it is so emotionally exhausting. What do you think?

The American band Dream Theater can be considered the standard-bearer of prog metal for more than thirty years now. Their fabulous playing, full of powerful melodies, dazzling solos, and overwhelming rhythms, accompanied by beautiful, elastic vocals, has consistently delivered strong albums that resonate worldwide. In all this madness, one might almost forget how it all began.

"When Dream And Day Unite," the band's debut album from 1989, has, in hindsight, become something of an oddity. This is mainly because the vocals were handled by Charlie Dominici, who would be replaced a year later by the far superior singer James LaBrie. It's not that Dominici underperforms on the album; he just has to work very hard for it. The others seem to effortlessly deliver those difficult parts.

What made this album so special in my opinion is the relentless sky-storming mentality of each band member. The eagerness is palpable, and thanks to Mike Portnoy's tight and decisive drumming, it never becomes a muddle. I still vividly remember how the album struck me at the time with its well-oiled urge to act.

All the tracks have something to offer. The short ones are good because they're short, and the long ones are good because they're long. Take, for example, the first two tracks, A Fortune In Lies and Status Seeker. Their song structure excellently introduces the band and its qualities (apart from the somewhat thin sound), followed by Ytse Jam. This swirling instrumental display of power has a Rush-like quality with its impressive solo spots. It sets the stage for a strong sequence of highlights, with the epic The Killing Hand being the pinnacle for many. It's hard to put into words why that is. Another standout is Afterlife, with its extraordinarily beautiful melodies. The album closes with Only A Matter Of Time, written by keyboardist Kevin Moore, which sounds as if old Marillion ventured into prog metal. This final track almost gives the listener a sense of celebration. Well done, gentlemen.

John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy were the founding members of this band. A thank you is certainly in order.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

After the conceptual and complex "The Atonishing", of divided opinions in the general consideration for its theatrical and grandiloquent approach, Dream Theater tries to recover with the release of "Distant Over Time" (2019), their fourteenth album, the direct and forceful sound more in accordance with the original essence of the band, adding interesting melodic structures to pose an introspective look at human behaviour when subjected to challenging and extreme situations.

Pieces of clear metal vein marked by the powerful and dense guitar riffs of John Petrucci symbiotically amalgamated with the complicit outbursts of Jordan Rudess on keyboards dominate much of the album, as with the dynamic and liberating "Untethered Angel", or with the raspy melody that the mid-tempo of the obstinate "Paralyzed" proposes, or the muscular introduction of the liberating "Fall into the Light" with a very unleashed Mike Mangini on percussion and an intense and impeccable instrumental interlude, or the surprising industrial metal variant of the obsessive "Room 137" with similarities to "The Beautiful People" by the extravagant Marilyn Manson, or also with the rough chords of the revealing "S2N" and the refreshing Funky bass of John Miyung.

And both the jubilant and resilient "Barstool Warrior", which goes the way of power ballads, and the beautiful "Out of Reach" with the delicate piano notes of Rudess, deliver the most peaceful choruses and melodies of the album guided by an accurate and very comfortable James Labrie on vocals, before the heartbreaking "At Wit's End" and the epic and questioning "Pale Blue Dot", which refers to the interstellar voyages of Voyager 1 to reflect on the human relevance in the immensity of the universe, resume the metal bellicosities tinged with progressive and orchestral elements, almost absent in the rest of the work, and bring the album to a close.

"Distant Over Time" reunites the New Yorkers with their past, visualized in "Images and Words", auscultating in the mirror of "Awake", and with the natural halo of maturity that comes with the more than twenty-five years that have passed since those works.

Pd. Very interesting hard rock bonus track "Viper King" including its brief and nostalgic Hammond, rounding off the vigorous seventies atmosphere of the theme.

3.5/4 stars

"Train of Thought" (2003), Dream Theater's seventh album, surprises with a proposal brimming with metal adrenaline more than any previous work, drawing on the furious influences of bands such as Metallica, Megadeth or Pantera, and which partially sets aside their more progressive vein.

"As I Am" starts the album with a dense and dark intro marked by John Petrucci's demonic riffs, indebted to early Black Sabbath, and then accelerates the pace and moves through a very thrashy vibe, which both the furious "This Dying Soul" (second installment of the 12-step saga in the fight against alcoholism) with its arabesque instrumentation at times and Mike Portnoy's thundering double bass drum, as well as the crushing "Honor Thy Father" and Petrucci's ferocious riffs and solos counterbalanced by Jordan Rudess's synthesizers, reaffirm.

And while the metal spirit and its sub-genres hover persistently throughout the album, there are a few well-crafted oases of nuance, such as the delicate and beautiful arpeggiated opening of "Endless Sacrifice" and Rudess' fantastic synth accompaniment, the confessional interlude of the brief, unplugged "Vacant" with an intimate Jame Labrie sharing a delicate family episode underpinned by Rudess's heartfelt piano notes again and guest Eugene Friesen's cello, and the instrumental 'Stream of Consciousness', an intricate emotional seesaw of forceful progressive elaboration, surely the best track on the album.

Finally, the questioning "In the Name of God", another volcanic instrumental display reflecting on religious fundamentalism, brings the album to a pompous and epic close, dissolving into a lonely keyboard.

The hardened approach of "Train of Thought", a very good work by the way, divided opinions at the time regarding the band's future, between those who welcomed the evolution to tougher sonorities and those who preferred their progressive approach combined with metal elements which, in my opinion, are the waters that suit them best and which the New Yorkers navigate like very few others.

3.5/4 stars

The day after the extraordinary "Scenes From a Memory", surely one of the best albums in Progressive Metal, was a huge challenge for Dream Theater. A challenge they did not shy away from, and taking advantage of their stellar compositional and musical moment and the widespread recognition of the early 2000s, the band released the voluminous 'Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" (2002), a work of just under a hundred minutes divided into two distinct parts.

The dark first part tackles heavy digestion tracks: the intense "The Glass Prison", referring to the first three of the twelve steps of the program in the fight against alcohol abuse and sustained by an excellent introduction with John Petrucci's huge guitar riffs and Mike Portnoy's hyperactive percussion, the disenchantment for religious dogmas in "Blind Faith" marked by John Myung's deep bass and the exchange of protagonism between Petrucci's guitars and Jordan Rudess' synthesizers, the dreary and insipid "Misunderstood", the controversy over stem cells in the powerful "The Great Debate" with riffs and chords very much indebted to Tool and Rush to mention a couple of influences, and the deep grief at irreparable loss in the mid-tempo, melancholic and heartbreaking "Disappear".

The second half, one of the New Yorkers' most committed creations, bravely exposes six different disorders and upheavals that afflict the complicated human mind. After the instrumental orchestral arrangement "Overture", which includes some metal touches, the suite flows without pause through Petrucci's thick guitar riffs in the traumatised "War Inside My Head", through Portnoy's percussive display and his haunting second voice supporting James LaBrie in the schizophrenic and very thrash metal "The Test That Stumped Them All", also through the pause proposed by Rudess's keyboards in the heartbroken and maternal "Goodnight Kiss", by the unplugged harmonic luminosity of the autistic "Solitary Shell", by the intricate intensity of the bipolar "About to Crash (reprise)", and finally by the epic and dissociative "Losing Time" that prologues the reflective call for understanding and acceptance of those afflicted by these disorders in the conclusive "Grand Finale", and its prolonged and disturbing final point.

"Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence", the band's sixth album, was one of the best releases of the genre in the 2000s, and ratified Dream Theater's position as one of the must-have references in Progressive Metal.

4/4.5 stars

Consolidated as the main standard bearer of progressive metal and after the successful "Octavarium", Dream Theater publishes "Systematic Chaos" (2007), their ninth album. A work that explores complex and varied themes that range from science fiction, anti-war stance, and self-confessed addiction problems, with the New Yorkers in a state of musical grace.

The intense "In the Presence of Enemies - Pt. 1" and its overflowing instrumental intro and John Petrucci's shuddering guitar riff in the last section, borrows from the comic book "Priest" (by South Korean author Hyung Min- woo) the fantastic struggles, betrayals and revenge between gods, demons and humans, to start "Systematic Chaos". An album that combines pieces with a very own style, like the energetic and vampiric "Forsaken" with a stupendous and emotional chorus, or the anti-war "Prophets of War" supported by the inflamed chorus of sixty fans selected from a group of four hundred volunteers, with trashy Metallica-influenced tracks on both the shifting "Constant Motion" and the disturbing and convoluted "The Dark Eternal Night" with James LaBrie's distorted vocals and Jordan Rudess' twisted synth solo, and the vaporised Floydian effluvia of the calm and unnecessarily lengthy "Repentance" (the description of the viii. and ix. steps of the twelve in the battle against alcoholism, openly shared by Mike Portnoy).

And the best of "Systematic Chaos" is reserved for its final thirty-plus minutes, with two huge tracks of super progressive tessitura: the tragic "The Ministry of Lost Souls" with a masterful Petrucci both in the melancholic opening section and in the instrumental unleashing of the middle section, and the intriguing "In the Presence of Enemies - Pt. 2', which with its four oscillating sections dominated by the constant virtuosic defiance of the Petrucci/Rudess duo and the wall of sound built by John Myung's ever-diligent bass and Portnoy's superb percussion picks up the story of the introductory "Pt. 1", and gives the album a circular opening and closing character.

Without quite reaching the brilliance of previous works, "Systematic Chaos" is indeed a very good album and certainly adds positively to the band's discography.

3.5/4 stars

The successful "Images and Words" and "Awake" put Dream Theater in a more than expectant place in the delicate moment that progressive rock was going through in the mid 90's, anaemic of new relevant references and eager to find them. And so when the band's fourth album, "Falling into Infinity" (1997), was released and its character was somewhat distant from the intricate, heavy progressive elaborations that the New Yorkers had established as sonic standards in their previous albums, a sense of disenchantment took hold in the general consideration.

Hard-rock melodies and less complex elements prevail in the work, such as "You Not Me" and its memorable chorus, or the somber and soaring "Peruvian Skies", or the rocking "Burning My Soul" and "Just Let Me Breathe" dominated by John Petrucci's powerful guitar riffs, or the unplugged sadness of the accessible "Hollow Years" and "Anne Lee" and a correct James LaBrie on vocals, all versatile songs in which the virtuoso guitarist shows great ability to structure solos without necessarily resorting to supersonic speed as a way to express himself. But also, of course, the band's DNA leads Petrucci to run at high speed up and down the guitar neck, as in the stupendous instrumental "Hell's Kitchen".

And while the progressive complexities were not abundant on "Falling into Infinity", they were present, both in the opening "New Millenium" and in the reflective intensity of "Lines in the Sand" and its introductory intriguing atmosphere created by Derek Sherinian's keyboards and Petrucci's spirited guitar plucking, and the counterpoint of both musicians in the excellent instrumental section of the concluding mini-suite "Trial of Tears", sustained by John Miyung's solid bass playing (as in the whole album, by the way) as much as by Mike Portnoy's percussion.

"Falling into Infinity" is not Dream Theater's most representative album without a doubt, but the fact of not being "aggressive enough" in progressive terms does not make it a failure, but a very good one with a different orientation and, by the way, very enjoyable. No more, no less.

3.5 stars