IMAGES AND WORDS

After having debuted with a great album, Dream Theater change their vocal and record Images and Words in 1992. This time things not only sound different, but they sound better. If "When Day and Dream Unite" had a NWoNHM root, this one focuses more on glam metal and turns into true progressive metal. At first i wanted to write a complex review but i quickly changed my mind because the music here speaks for it's self. I would like, though, to put emphasis on the fact that in spite of not being very complex, it has a lot of feeling and and the interpretation is very good. The first song is one of Dream Theater's greatest hits:"Pull Me Under" is one of those tracks that simply flies away. It has a lot of acoustic elements that provides the sound with a atmospheric reverie on top of which James LaBrie performs one of the best vocals i have ever heard. Just as all the other songs of this album (except "Wait for Sleep") "Pull me Under" has a very fast and technical guitar solo. "Another Day" is another big hit which has a blues structure with some very nice instrumentation that turns to jazz there and there. The slower it gets the better the music becomes - this is not typical for metal at all. "Take the Time" is a sophisticated song with "chit-chatting" vocals and some great bass/guitar collaboration. The rhythm section is directed by Mike Portnoy and it's excellent, especially when they switch to ballad and then turn the rhythm around breaking the musical order and crushing into "cruel" metal. "Surrounded" is a song that surrounds the listener with unpredictable and fast keyboard and guitar notes. It's very progressive! Although it is a very good track as well, "Metropolis - Part I" doesn't really exacerbate me as the others do. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this song is it's melodic part. Under a Glass Moon has certain things in commune with "Pull Me Under" only this one is more profound and , in spite being faster, it's not as aggressive. "Wait for Sleep" and "Learning to Live" are representative for the entire Dream Theater discography: creative, fast, susceptible, classical and modern, clean and distorted. In conclusion, this album contains only hits. And it's greatest lies in the fact that it manages to satisfy both sophisticated progressive rock fans and simple music listeners.