WHEN DREAM AND DAY UNITE

The ambitious debut of Dream Theater is often overlooked by fans and critics since it has a different vocalist, and Dream Theater had yet to find their own sound. These criticisms while not unfounded, are sometimes exaggerated. Charlie Dominici was a fine vocalist, and was comparable to other metal vocalists of the 80's and although James LaBrie would come be to identified as the voice of Dream Theater, Charlie's performance is not found wanting on this album.

If WDADU looks back more than it looks forward, that is not necessarily a bad thing unless the band stays there, and Dream Theater certainly moved passed that phase and progressed quite dramatically with their subsequent releases. They were clearly inspired equally from progressive bands from the 70's such as Yes and Rush, and metal acts from the 80's particularly prog-metal forerunners Fates Warning and Queensryche. While not as significant to progressive metal as Awaken The Guardian, Operation: Mindcrime, or their own Images and Words would be three years later, this still proves to be an important and enjoyable release from one of the premier progressive bands around.

Not satisfied to simply regurgitate the same type of material as their predecessors, Dream Theater pushed the boundaries of instrumental display especially in the instrumental "Ytse Jam." At this point John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy were not recognized as two of the most proficient musicians in the genre, but were a force to be reckoned with. Right from the energetic opening of "A Fortune in Lies," they let you know that they really know how to play. They also display a strong sense of melody in such tracks as "The Killing Hand" and "Only a Matter of Time." There's really not a weak track on the record, and if it has a weakness it is the lack of diversity throughout, although it stays focused and never feels redundant.

While Dream Theater certainly exceeded the excellence of their debut, there's a freshness and a youthful energy in this recording that makes in unique in their catalog. It may not be the best place to start for a newcomer, but certainly should not be overlooked by fans of Dream Theater or progressive metal in general. 4/5 stars