TRUE SYMPHONIC ROCKESTRA

Even with this, as the years went passed by, James Labrie has come improving until get a level "almost" correct and now, when I've got used and started to swallow him, he comes with an album like this of the True Symphonic Orchestra. In a word: Ridiculous. The worst prog metal album ever and the more pretentious one too. The reference in the art and the title of the album to the one of the true 3 tenors (Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti) seems a kind of a killing joke or they are pulling your leg. I say this for many reasons. The other two singers in the album are real tenors (Bad or good, but they can be called that way), but what about James? is he trying to fool somebody singing like a slit throated chiken? Is this album real or just somebody kidding me?.

This album is a huge absurdity from the first note to the last one. Riffs are silly and repetitive and the strings arrangements completely childlike. Everything is stupid from the beginning to the end. The repertoire they have chosen is silly and inappropriate. But even when the full album is a huge mistake, the worst comes every time James open his mouth... you can die of embarrassment or double up with laughter. This album doesn't deserve to waste 1? in buying or 1 minute in listening, but if somebody wants a little sample he can't miss James singing in spanish (by the way, my homeland language) "Granada" or "Cielito Lindo" . Some years ago, along a short season a man (mentally handicapped) appeared in spanish TV singing that kind of songs, he's nickname was "Cañita Brava" and his memory came back to me inmediately when I listen to James here.

Beside rock and metal, I'm into other musics like jazz or classical and sometimes I discuss with people in those worlds defending the music values of some rock and metal bands. Now I wonder what shall I do if they know about this album. It would be the biggest shame in my life.

Just pathetic. Among the bad ones, this is the worst, Among the worst ones, this is the lower. An album that never should have been made.

This album should never have been made. This album is drek, the only way to view this is as a parody, and I'm pretty certain it wasn't intended that way.

The reason I got this is that I spotted this in my local CD store and saw the name James LaBrie. Being a DT fan, I just had to get it regardless of the fact that the owner, a mate of mine of many years now, was yelling after me to please reconsider my purchase and not listen to it. Oh how I should have listened!

There is a collection of well-known tunes on this album, and they have been mercilessly massacred. To start off with, they are not the sort of tunes I'd usually listen to, but I'm always open to any kind of new and original interpretations, but only if they make things more interesting or challenging. Challenging this is, but in a way that trying to eat a meal while a person at the next table is vomiting is challenging. (In this case the vomiting analogy must be Freudian.)

Anyway, apart from the selection of songs, there are two aspects I'd like to go into: The arrangements and vocals.

Usually these two components should compliment each other, but in this case they seem to fighting each other to obliteration. It simply doesn't fit, both factions seem to be embroiled in a battle to the death, metal/rock instruments fighting the vocals over supremacy with the delicacy (and result) of Afghan suicide bombers. Dreadful in the extreme.

These components individually:

Arrangement / Instrumentation: Someone must have thought it appropriate to treat delicate songs with a heavy bulldozer rock/metal instrumentation, applied with brute force and the finesse of a 747 take- off. There is no feel here AT ALL!!!!!! It has to be heard to be believed.

The vocals: James LaBrie and a bunch of opera singers. First of all it just serves to show that LaBrie, as good as his vocals my be (well, arguably, but I'm a fan, as I said) just is not in the same league, it's acutely embarrassing. And the opera singers? Well, they just fight for dominance over the songs, it seems to be a dirty mud-wrestling match and at the end of it it's still not clear whether there's a winner, or if the whole field has been obliterated. Oh wait; Yes, it is clear: there are only casualties, no prisoners taken.

I can heartily recommend this collection for anyone who wants to get rid of visitors real fast. There won't even be time for initial disbelieving laughter, only hasty retreat out of earshot.

What a mess!