METROPOLIS PART 2 - SCENES FROM A MEMORY

I don't know how else to say it -- this is the most amazing CD I have ever listened to. I believe that the best albums get better the more you listen to them, instead of worse. This is because you continually notice new aspects of the songs, while the melodies get further ingrained in you mind. Well, I've listened to this CD from start to finish over 50 times, and it is only getting better.

"Scenes from a Memory" is not your typical rock CD. The tracks are organized like a theater play with multiple acts, and scenes within the acts. That being said, you can really only grasp the true wonder of this CD when you listen to it from start to finish. Fortunately, the variety of the songs keep the CD interesting for the entire hour and 17 minute duration.

Bands sometimes write a song where you can just tell they were "in the zone" when they wrote it. These kinds of songs are typically catchy and flow so well, they just feels natural. That's how this entire CD is. The unique introduction builds to a powerful musical climax that enraptures the listener and doesn't let go until the end of the final track. Various artistic melodies that are both technically amazing and pleasurable to listen to flow throughout the album. The fifth track, "Fatal Tragedy" has a three minute instrumental that is unsurpassed by anything I have ever heard -- and I have heard a lot of music.

The lyrics tell a story about the murder of a young girl, which I thought would make the CD dark and dismal. In fact, I almost didn't buy the CD based on this presumption. However, I found the lyrics to be more about overcoming tragedy and learning about life. Darkness and death are countered by powerful hope and the expectancy of life after death. The different moods created by the lyrics are assisted by appropriate musical themes.

Like most of Dream Theater's music, this album has a wide variety of musical styles and is very technical. Some songs are as harsh and heavy, while others are soft and soothing. Some songs even combine the two extremes. Ragtime piano and background choir voices are part of certain tracks, just to give you an idea of how diverse this CD is.

While this is a very technical album, the melodies are so clear and easy to follow, they are hard to get out of your head. James LaBrie's vocals on this CD sound the best of any Dream Theater album and the meaning behind the words makes his singing all the more powerful. "Scenes from a Memory" is both a technical and artistic masterpiece and deserves to be listened by anyone who appreciates quality music.