Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes From A Memory | ||
Tracks:
|
Album Cover: ![[Image]](../../Images/dtsfam1.jpg)
|
Label: Elektra Producer: Mike Portnoy & John Petrucci Year: 1999 Total Playing Time: 77:06 m:s Review date: 15/01/2000 |
| Web site: www.dreamtheater.net, www.onceinalivetime.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: 89% | ||
| Verdict: A concept album masterpiece!
| ||
| "Falling Into Infinity" was a relative failure for Dream Theater. The band, partly as a result of record company pressure, adopted a more 'commercial' and accessible approach. In complete contrast, this time out they've released that most inaccessible of rock forms - a concept album. For the concept, the band looked back to the "Metropolis" track on the "Images & Words" album. I won't spoil your fun by going into detail on the storyline, but it is based around traveling back to a past life using hypnosis.
Concept albums are an often traveled road for bands with progressive tendencies. Whilst other bands might try to claim otherwise, DT have admitted having a corner in the recording studio called 'inspiration corner' which was filled with covers from albums like Pink Floyd - The Wall, Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime, Marillion - Brave etc. Those influences come through in the music, mixed of course with Dream Theater's own inimitable style. It almost goes without saying on Dream Theater albums, but playing on this is very impressive. I remember listening to the Liquid Tension Experiment album and thinking how well Jordan Rudess gelled with the DT guys. As you probably already know Jordan Rudess has replaced Derek Sheridan on keyboards and is now a fully paid up member of DT. He fits in well and his style seems to be more suited to DT. In terms of the music, DT have managed to take the best from the past DT albums to create a stunning musical landscape. Dream Theater have created a concept album that must surely rank as one of the greatest of all time. If ever the phrase "a masterpiece" was used to describe a concept album, then Metropolis Pt 2 deserves this description. I'm sure many will call this the peak of DT career to date. My personal preference would be to have a more "uplifting" storyline as the basis for the concept. As a concept album this is brilliant, but the lyrics and individual songs suffer by being forced to fit in with the storytelling format. That is why "Images and Words" is still my top DT album. Indeed, whilst I'm going to enjoy listening to this album, what I'm really looking forward to is the next regular DT album with this band line-up. I've got the feeling the next album could well rival I&W in the affections of those of us who prefer music in a more conventional format. | ||
Melodic Rock Webzine
