GRASPOP FESTIVAL 2002 (INTERNATIONAL FANCLUB CD 2003)

This is a live album taken out of a "DT" appearance during a metal "event" as LaBrie is mentioning just before "The Mirror". And indeed we'll get the heavy stuff here. LaBrie even exaggerating. He almost growls during "The Mirror". This song was a good hard- rock one on their studio album "Awake" and is a bit denaturated here. "Lie" will have the same treatment (but it was already heavy in its original shape). I guess to please the audience.

Still, they will play the great "Peruvian Skies". One of their proggiest songs released on "Falling Into Infinity". There will be even three numbers out of their excellent "Six Degrees...". But the hardest ones of course. The opening number from this live set "The Glass Prison" is rather wake. Sound is very poor (but this problem will be fixed later on). "The Test..." is as average as on the album (it was one of the weakest track IMO).

The fan will have to do it with "The Great Debate". One of the many great songs from this great album. It was my fave from disc one and again, I like it very much in this live format. All the "voices" from the studio work being nicely present (taped) here as well. It is again one of the best song. I would reserve this for "Home" from "Scenes". Really great. These last two songs are not that heavy actually. Just bloody hard but close to their studio counterpart. Petrucci is particularly phenomenal on "Home". Beautiful vocals as well during the chorus to be complete.

The closing is all but logic of course. Not possible to imagine a "DT" live set without "Pull Me Under". I'm not that much in their heaviest side, so I can not rate this live effort over two stars but the last three / four songs are very good.