AWAKE

I rate this album mainly on the strength of "The Mirror" and "Space Dye Vest", which for me are the best ones in it, and for me this album is worth having just because of this two songs. The Mirror is mainly a heavy metal song, but what a metal song it is, with great heavy guitar riffs and dark moods... and within the song it incorporates a little bit of the theme that is to be found within the other great track. Space Dye Vest has to be the most emotive song Dream Theater has created, and perhaps their best ballad as well, very mellodic and beautiful, it was the last great gem from Kevin Moore before he left the band. Another song I have come to like very much is "Lifting Shadows off a Dream", a very soft and beautiful ballad. The rest of the album is good also, including more metal moments, ballad moments, and proggy moments... but in the end none of them move me as much as these songs. I find 3.5 stars to be a very fair rating for this album, rounding it up to 4.