AWAKE

Mike Portnoy dedicates this record to Frank Zappa his biggest inspiration. John Pertucci thanks Steve Morse while the band thanks FATES WARNING (as usual), IRON MAIDEN and PSYCHOTIC WALTZ.These are some amazing bands !

This would be Kevin Moore's last record with the band and the final song "Space Dye Vest" is the only song on here that he wrote both the lyrics and music for. Not surprisingly it's one of the better songs on the album. It's so different then the other songs and immediatley brought to mind CHROMA KEY. This song is an atmospheric, piano driven song with samples that Kevin would become famous for later in his career.

The opening song "6:00" has some great drum and guitar to get the album started. The line "6 o'clock on Christmas morning" is catchy and the background synths are a nice touch, not only here but throughout this record. "Caught In A Web" has a commercial sounding chorus with synths. I like it. The rest of the song is very heavy with killer drumming. "Innocence Faded" reminded me of RUSH as it opens. Vocals are well done and there are background vocals as well. This is a mellower tune with Pertucci letting it rip to end the song. "Erotomania" is an excellent instrumental with lots of tempo changes. Some scorching guitar solos and maniacle drumming makes this a must listen. "Voices" is a song that doesn't do much for me. The vocals are hit and miss and the brief heavy riffs seem out of place. The long extended guitar solo before 8 minutes is great.

"The Silent Man" is another song I do not like very much."The Mirror" is a good one with heavy riffs. The drum / synth melody 6 minutes in is good. "Lie" is another heavy tune that is quite dark. The shredding from Pertucci to end the song is a highlight. "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" is refreshing. I love the way Pertucci plays over the melody much like The Edge does with U2. This has some atmospheric passages as well. "Scarred" is my favourite song on this album. It has a crunchy sound and LaBrie's vocals are rough sounding at times.

Overall this is an excellent record. Kevin has a lot to do with that as I love synths in the background. These guys play so well together, I love the instrumental work. There are some misses as far as songs go, and as far as James vocals go, but this is one I can highly recommend.