AWAKE

To score a classic album in the rockanthology, is a huge success by itself. In the future, some kids will bring out your album from the dusty shelf, play it, and say: 'Dude, these guys knew what they were doing...' With Rush, Dream Theater is the heavy progressive band with the most classics in their résumé.

Awake is, to me, the peak of their metallic sound and does carry more good stuff than Images and Words. A good 60% of the album is classic stuff. With 6:00, Caught in A Web, Erotomania, Mirror, Lie, Lifting Shadow off a Dream and Space-Dye Vest, Dream Theater's never been this competent in songwriting. This line-up with Kevin Moore as keyboardist made good times of my college years. 10 years ago, this was THE extravanganza, a knid of new era where progressive rock was pulverizing speakers but also got a bit more into marketing approach.

The guys from Dream Theater were, let's be frank, mostly good looking guys (sorry Steve Howe). And they tooked advantage of their youth and their looks. Because DT was POSING like crazy back in 94! They gave themselves a 'darker' look, sporting only black shirts and pants. The big hair with lots of body was a major advantage to pass the test to die-hard metallic afficionados who only sweared by Gun's and Roses or Metallica...in my school though. Anyway, they became a standard quickly, passing from the obscurity of second zone gigs to sold-out concerts in the spotlight.

The thing is with DT is that you REALLY don't need a lot of albums to get the best of what they did. I say with Metropolis, Awake and perhaps Images and Words, you pretty much get what they're about. Awake being shorter songs with great kick and having Kevin Moore in the bunch, this is the best record for the price you'll pay. The near totallity of the songs are to cherish and the amount of solid crunchy riffs will satisfy any metal tooth.

As Homer would resume: "Hmmmm, classy."