AWAKE

Dream Theater followed up their "formal" debut album in the face of 'Images and Words' with an album that can be referred to as anything but an easy listen - 'Awake' is an album that is intense, energetic, atmospheric and incredibly diverse, strongly following the lead of its predecessor in terms of technicality and feel yet allowing the band to expand their stylistic searchings which range from straightforward heavy metal pieces to technical multi-part instrumentals, intertwined with more melodic and keyboard-based numbers, all ridden with the melodrama ubiquitous in all in the DT catalogue. As complex and introspective as the album is, it also takes the musical pretention element a bit further, and it is true that only repeated listens would allow the album to reveal its glory completely. With this in mind, it becomes clear that 'Awake' is one of these albums that could only be viewed as a whole, a continuous piece of music that makes sense solely in its entirety (not to discredit the singles but they are also valuable pieces of the whole).

The entire record takes the technical skill of the band's previous album and attempts to tone it down for the sake of songwriting, for example, as the songs are generally shorter here. Album opener '6:00' is one of the more memorable and recognizable DT numbers, vivid, raw, and exposing the band's taste for heavier sounds, while 'Caught in a Web' surprises with its melodic character and catchy chorus. 'Innocence Faded' has a more commercially-driven sound that falls into a particular category of Dream Theater songs the reviewer is not necessarily too fond of. A three-part suite called 'A Man Beside Itself' follows this one, including the fantastic instrumental 'Erotomania', a piece that is powerful and driven, technically acute and entirely reminiscent of the great instrumental explorations of the classic prog bands of the 70s. The 10-minute long second part of that suite called 'Voices' is a very strong entry as well, while the following two tracks 'The Mirror' and 'Lie' are straightforward metal numbers with a lot of speed and energy, great attempts by the band to write more "radio-acceptable" metal numbers. Another longer piece is seen in the face of the 11-minute epic 'Scarred', followed by the album closer, a melancholic piece written by Kevin Moore, 'Space-Dye Vest', a peculiar piece for DT but a strong entry on one of their very diverse albums.

All in all, 'Awake' is an excellent follow-up to 'Images and Words', it is a complex album that is also very definitive for the production values of the nineties, while it develops further sides of the band's musical interests that might not have been as prevalent previously. A demanding but worthy listen by all means.