FALLING INTO INFINITY

It has been a hell of a time that "Dream Theater" has released a studio album. Three years...

The opening number "New Millennium" is a great song. Not really on the hard edge of their repertoire. Hard-rocking of course but with a feeling. This is my preferred DT type of songs. Inspired, fresh and original : there will be some nice Oriental influences featured here as well. The band will of course not forget their heavy roots during "You Not Me"; but not only. Vocal harmonies are truely nice. But LaBrie has used us to this quite often. Still, it is nice to listen to such beautiful parts.

"Peruvian Skies" sounds almost Floydian (more to come of course). It is really amazing to listen to such a track. "Dream Theater" is fully metal (prog ?) oriented, but still, they will here and there produce some full prog-oriented songs like this one. At some points, they are hard to categorized. The second part of this great song is a lot harder and rather convincing I must say. A great prog, hard, space song. I like this mix (which is not very usual, I admit). One of my fave of the band so far.

A sweet rock ballad for the next one : "Hollow Years". It is of course not the first time that "Dream Theater" produces such a song. It is almost never a weak moment of their albums, and this one just holds the comparison. We'll get a good rock song to continue (nothing great but still pleasant). For fully DT addicts, don' t worry : you'll get a truely song of theirs. Heavy band, powerful vocals. This is how "Burning my Soul" sounds like.

"Dream Theater" will also produce a great instrumental track : "Hell's Kitchen" : it is fully in-line with some earlier work. "Erotomania" is of course the reference when you listen to this one.

Now, the first epic of this album. "Lines in the Sand". This one is not straight lined. It also holds some prog moments : the intro and the initial vocal parts are really to be watched out. There will also be several "Space Truckin" (Purple) like riffs throughout the song. It is not my favourite of the album but at almost half time, a great and yet another spacey section will open the way for a fantastic (but again Gilmouresque) guitar solo from Petrucci. Positively great IMO. The closing part of the song is again quite rocking and these "Space Truckin" feelings will add a bit of nostalgia, I guess. A very pleasant but hard track.

To balance the album, another rock ballad will be featured. "Take Away my Pain" is not really on par. Mellowish, poppish, boredom-ish... The band will of course not keep on these basis, and will propose a derivative "Purple" song again ("The Mule"). Fantastic drumming during "Just Let Me Breathe".

"Ana Lee" sounds as an "Elton John" or an "Eagle" ballad. Not truely "Dream Theater" oriented. This is probably the problem with this release. Some good songs : rock ballads and rock songs. But not really numbers like the band was praised for. This album might well be an effort for some prog ears that had some hard time with their earlier work.

"Trial of Tears" is the most elaborated song of the whole. Hard, even symphonic, it will hold some brilliant Petrucci soli moments. A pleasant way to close a good album. Three stars for this rather different "Dream Theater" album.