MANIFESTO FOR FUTURISM

They're not a bad band nor are they a direct copy of Dream Theater as some have accused them of being. However, it is a debut release and it lacks some in direction. But that's not uncommon, the debut releases for Symphony X and Shadow Gallery were also less than stellar when compared to their later output.

The vocals are a little lacking given the potential shown by the rest of the band. Then again, I thought James Labrie was a suspect singer back in the day. When my friends and I saw DT a few times during the Images and Words tour, he just didn't understand how to sing live with the aid of a PA system. He tried to sing as if he was unamplified and his voice often cracked in the process. I'm glad he addressed that problem.

All in all, nothing incredible and yet it's still a good listen. If you can pick the album up on-the-cheap like I did, it's definitely worth $7. Too bad they are more than likely defunct as a band, would have been interesting to see if they could have evolved into something.....