AWAKE

With this album, the band's third, a very promising young band finally begins to break out into their own sound and style.

1. "6:00" (5:31) what feels like a modern band attempting to play some of the harder rockin' prog of the early 1970s (like ELP or BÖC). The vocals are especially reminiscent of some of those master of the 1960s and 70s. (8.667/10)

2. "Caught In A Web" (5:28) (8.667/10)

3. "Innocence Faded" (5:43) (8.667/10)

- "A Mind Beside Itself": 4. I-Erotomania" (6:45) an instrumental intro section to the suite in which the band is, yes, still regurgitating borrowed ideas and sounds from their predecessors but are finally splicing it all together in ways that are refreshing and sounding very much their own. The absence of singer James La Brie is quite revelatory: in my opinion, they will never move forward, into their own sound, until they release themselves from James' obsession with the music of the 1980s. (13.5/15) 5. II-Voices" (9:53) a very dynamic song that fully demonstrates the band's ability to create something new and fresh, it also demonstrates how beautiful James LaBrie's voice is when he isn't belting out the power metal vocals. Unfortunately, there is some of those (in the choruses), otherwise this song would earn much higher marks. (18.5/20) 6. III-The Silent Man" (3:48) like an old hairband acoustic guitar ballad. It's okay. (8.667/10) - 7. "The Mirror" (6:45) engaging chug-metal countered with power metal vocals. I like the egalitarian mix of all four instrumentalists on this one (neither Petrucci or Portnoy going bonzo thus giving Myung and Moore the chance to be heard). (13.25/15)

8. "Lie" (6:34) a cool metal ride for the first two verses, it's when the scratchy metal screaming vocals begin that the song diminishes. The musicianship is solid, interesting, and engaging throughout--and I actually like the parts in which James is singing in an almost-white rapper style. Musically, this is a very cool song. (8.875/10)

9. "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" (6:05) nice soundscape until 60s Hammond and 90s synth chords take their turns. James' vocal is quite nice until 2:39 when he soars into the 1980s stratosphere (though it sounds more like an impassioned GEORGE MICHAEL here than anyone else). The switch at 3:45 is odd, interesting, and, thankfully, only temporary. By 4:05 we've returned to a more dramatic theme (briefly) before we move back into a happy 1980s motif for the chorus. Lots of weird, even incongruous themes spliced into this one. I don't think it really works that well. (8.75/10)

10. "Scarred" (11:00) a very well-constructed metal epic with less-80s vocals (until the chorus). This one feels like a true prog song. (18.75/20)

11. "Space-Dye Vest" (7:29) computer-generated solo piano opens this one for the first 45 seconds. Then percussive bass and bass drums with picked acoustic guitars join in to provide full support to James' gentle vocal. Then there is a pause while piano supports the full clip of Julian Sands' love speech from his character George Emerson to Helena Bonham Carter's Lucy in the 1985 film, A Room with a View. At 2:40 we return to the vocal motif in which James sings with such great sensitivity. Then there is another couple of samples from other film speeches. Kevin Moore at his core--the way he would present music in his solo CHROMA KEY project as well as with the O.S.I. supergroup. Great song, if not your run-of-the-mill DT song. (14/15)

Total Time: 75:01

Though the members of this young band of enthusiastic and highly-skilled musicians are still collecting and regurgitating styles, riffs, and sounds from previous masters of rock, hard rock, 80s hairbands, and predecessor metal bands they are finally coming a bit into their own. What is really weighing them down, in my opinion, is the lead vocalist James LaBrie: the dude is definitely stuck in the 1980s--especially in imitation of the great lead singers of the so-called "hair bands."

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of skillful metal-oriented progressive rock music and a wonderful and rewarding addition to any prog lover's music collection.