AWAKE

This is the follow up to the great 'images and words' and they followed it fine. This is a pretty good album that is less accessible than the other one, making it not the best way to begin the Dream Theater Collection. There is much more music in this album (75 minutes), and it is not easy headbanging music, so it will take a while to digest. The main cricitism in this album is not so great songwriting and the awful vocals.

1. 6:00 6/10 : It is a good start of the album. technically great, it suffers from the voice clips in the song muc, which for me hurt the quality of the song.

2. Caught in a Web 6/10 : This is a heavy song that has a simple structure. the instrumental break is very nice, but the songwriting is nothing to write home about.

3. Innocence Faded 4.5/10 : This is better than the previous two songs, and it sounds like a song that could have been placed in 'Images and Words'. Accessible and catchy, but the vocals are beyond awful. 4. Erotomania 7/10 : This is an instrumental piece in which the band shows their talents with solid riffing.

5. Voices 7/10 : Labrie screaming is interesting. This is a heavy emotional song with time signatures. Somhow I feel like it is a part of Erotamania.

6. The Silent Man 7/10 : A very good acoustic driven song with gorgeous vocal harmonies. The short instrumental break with acoustic guitars is wonderful. 7. The Mirror 7.5/10 : A heavy Metallica-like Guitar riff opens this piece while Moore plays his keyboards and church organ. The angry singing begins and the main riff will appear for the first time which is an electric piano melded beautifully with a heavy guitar riff.

8. Lie 7/10 : For me, this is the second half of The Mirror. It is a heavy and very interesting song with plenty of guitar shows. The keyboards play a similar role to 'Mirror'

9. Lifting Shadows Off a Dream 8/10 : A beautiful ballad with a very 'lifting' guitar line. The Singing here is probably the best in the album (besides Space-dye Vest). The acoustic work is also some of the best delicate playing of Petrucci (especially on the short instrumental break)

10. Scarred 8/10 : The epic of the album, and it does not disappoint at all! It has the feeling of 'Learning to Live' but it is better structured.

11. Space-Dye Vest 10/10 : Easily the best song from the album, and their best ballad. It is dark, haunting, melodic, and highly emotional. It is also dominated by piano melodies. The song interested me enough that I learned to play it in the piano. It starts with a pretty ascending/descending piano melody, it is repeated and then it is followed by the first verse of the song which is very dark and haunting. The vocal melody here is probably the best in all of Dream Theater, following the piano melody while differing from it a little. The chorus is incredibly beautiful with pedal-piano chords and voices that empowers the song. The 2nd verse and chorus are repeated with new musical ideas, and the instrumental break is a piano dominated beauty. After that instrumental part ends, the melody that was heard in the beginning is repeated.

My opinion is that this is a very solid album of consistent quality which is ended in the most beautiful way possible. I recommend any piano players here try to play Space-Dye Vest. It is a rather easy piano piece, and with midi files and a program regarding midis, you can know where the chords are. Metalheads have much to enjoy here.

My Grade : C/B

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