SUSPENDED ANIMATION

This is one of the best guitar-skill display albums I've ever heard, but there's something really missing here; OTHER INSTRUMENTS! I know the idea of this album wasn't to create a band and roll with it, but to show off in some ways, yet I feel that one of the most impressive ways for someone to show off is to show his ability to work with other instruments. Petrucci does an unparalleled job at writing the guitar parts for this album, and comes close to pulling off an excellent album nearly single-handedly, but comes up inches shy.

Most of the album is one or two guitars (both played by Petrucci, not at once obviously but he overwrites it using music editors) and drums. That's it. "Tunnel Vision" features a bass, and it is in my opinion the best track on the album, which just goes to show you that this album could have been a godsend had Petrucci involved a bassist in a few more of the songs.

In closing, I HIGHLY recommend the purchase of this album if you like guitar work, play the guitar, or need some heavy shredding to get through the day. However, from a prog perspective, it's quite easy to create a masterful collection and exclude this album.