IMAGES AND WORDS

You can hate this polemic band as much as you want, but to each with their own: Images And Words is an album that defined progressive metal the same way that Operation Mindcrime did. So yeah it's essential, at least within progressive metal. Although I must say that the more time passes, the more generic this sounds (mostly because many more bands copy it), and that's its biggest weakness! Still, let's do some quick mentions about the album's tracks.

Pull Me Under is the most overrated track, pretty much. Another Day is another single type of track with a sax solo. Take The Time has lyrics written from each Dream Theater member, which is interesting. Surrounded is a very up-beat ballad with a nice bridge. Metropolis Pt. I became so popular that Dream Theater released an entire album as its continuation, it's a very technical song and the wanky side of Dream Theater. Under A Glass Moon has John Petrucci's first great guitar solo. Wait For Sleep is a nice and short track that works as the first part of Learning To Live. Learning To Live is a pretty good song, but one of their least interesting epics.

So, yeah, essential for prog metal, but that's it.