A CHANGE OF SEASONS

This album is quite puzzling. Is it a studio album? a covers album? an EP? A live album? A Rarities album? i guess its all of those things. I dont think Dream Theater were intending this to be a proper studio album as it only featues one track that they have written. I see this as a random album which manages to include the epic title track, along with some live covers medleys for the fans and to settle the new keyboardist, Derek Sherinian, into the band before his first major studio effort.

"A Change of Seasons" is probably one of the best proggresive pieces i have ever heard. This is pure prog and pure dream theater. Dream Theater have always been able to show off their amazing talent and musical ability flawlessly with their studio albums but this time they have managed to fit in everything that is dream theater into one 23 minute epic track full of James Labries incredible vocals that change to fit the mood of the music, Labries epic guitar riffs and solos whether he is using the acoustic or electric and some kick ass drum work, bass work and rather excellent keyboard solos and pieces throughout. Derek Sherinian obviously fits in well with this band.

I would definetly, definetly say that if this album only had that one track it would still be a masterpiece, but no, there's more. An additional half hour of classic covers played live and rather excellently. Even if you may not be an Elton John, Queen, Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd fan you will still love what the band have produced here, and if you are fans of those you will probably enjoy it even more. Dream Theater probably arent trying to outdo the originals of this songs, but just provide entertaining, pleasing and musically tremendous pieces. This album is just excellent every way you look at it. I will only give this 4 stars on the account that it not a full studio piece and obviously not as good as stuff like scenes from a memory, train of thought and images of words etc, yet it is a bloody masterpiece of a record.