IMAGES AND WORDS

1) Pull Me Under 10/10 Fantastic mix of complex structures, metal riffage, and catchy hooks. You don't even have to like progressive music to love this song. The mix of progressive metal and catchy hooks is awesome. Amazing song.

2) Another Day 10/10 Beautiful beautiful ballad. LaBrie's high notes during the bridge are phenomenal, and it boasts an amazing solo (which is really really fun to play as well, not to mention a little challenging!) at the end with some great saxophone guest work as well.

3) Take the Time 8.5/10 Some cheesy keyboards in the beginning of the song, but it doesn't ruin this very good song, which has an amazing instrumental break in the middle.

4) Surrounded 9.5/10 Another lighter one, with some great progressions, including a fantastic one in the beginning when the piano starts to speed up and the guitars enter. Great song.

5) Metropolis Pt. One 10/10 Amazing song with some of the best progressions on the album. The guitar's change of pace during the beginning of the second verse is very similar to the part in "A Change of Seasons" where Petrucci begins his chord strums during "Carpe Diem" (..."the words stuck in my mind".....); another fantastic progression is in the bridge where leads enter seemingly straight from the bridge of Metallica's "Master of Puppets." Amazing song.

6) Under a Glass Moon 9/10 Another fantastic song with some shimmering vocals during the chorus and some awesome guitar/organ harmonizations during the introduction. Great stuff.

7) Wait for Sleep 10/10 A picture-perfect introduction to the next track, as well as being a great track in itself....

8) Learning to Live 11/10 My favorite on the album. This song literally has everything: two big guitar solos, many keyboard solos (including an awesome one right before the first verse), thrashy sections, and even a flamenco section which seemingly comes out of nowhere. A phenomenal song to round out a phenomenal album.