Tag: dream theater (Page 2 of 4)

This is the album where Dream Theater pushed everything as far as they could. The main album is just five songs, and the second disc is all one song split into eight parts. I hope they go back to this type of record now that Portnoy is back in the family.

I have seen this band more than any other live. I remember the release of this album very well and the tour that followed, I hope that they can rekindle a bit of that fire. The Glass Prison is one of the heaviest tunes that the band have ever done and it’s one of favourites. It as a lot of D-tuned riffing and heavy grooves to keep the die hard metal fan happy while pushing that progressive boundary. The title track is just freakin’ epic, and it’s hard to comprehend that it’s just one song.

In their day, no one could touch them. They have done a few 10/10 records, and this is one. Ytsejam forever!

10/10 from The Grooveman.

This is technically not an album, it was an EP slotted in between the albums Awake and Falling Into Infinity, but the main and title track weighs in at over twenty three minutes. The rest of the piece is put together with cover tunes recorded at Ronnie Scott’s in London, a bit of a legendary show amongst DT die hards.

A Change Of Seasons is all that was great about DT at the time, a huge song split into seven different parts encompassing a varying of styles. A very personal piece for Mike Portnoy as it’s about the cycle of life and is a reference to the death of his mother. The date on the calendar on the sleeve that is circled is November 16th, the day she died. An absolute joy to listen to. The covers are from Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, and Kansas to name a few but the best of the bunch is a ripping version of Funeral For A Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding.

This is a great look back to a band approaching the height of their powers.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

Now, to play one of the best live albums ever in its entirety as a second part of a live gig is one thing, but then to release it and put it out into the wild, takes balls of steel. The original Made In Japan is so good and Dream Theater do a pretty good job covering it, even with the little odd musical warm up parts and raps before and in between tunes.

Of course, Labrie is not Gillan, especially an Ian Gillan in his prime. I mean, he tries and he does a great job but…I have seen Dream Theater more than any other band and I loved when they did things like this when playing live. When they played Dark Side Of The Moon at the Hammy O, it was incredible.

It’s best just to sit back and enjoy a great band pay tribute to a great band. It sounds incredible though!

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.

This was Dream Theater’s ninth album, and the first for Roadrunner after their split from East West. They went out with a bang after the release of Octavrium, which is one of their best albums. This album doesn’t get mentioned a lot as peoples’ favourite and often gets overlooked, but the quality of the tunes is very high indeed.

In The Presence Of Enemies Part 1 is a monster tune, and one of their best. The intro is superb, and it goes on for like three minutes before the vocals kick in. There is all the usual DT widdleisms and Metallica-esque riffage. On Constant Motion, you get both in the same track. The Dark Eternal Night however, is my personal favourite track. Right from the low end riffage at the intro, to the killer instrumental section, this track just melts your face and has the jaw dropping in awe. When they are on boy they are ON!

The band have lost that spark somewhat, and they need a reinvigoration. But, this gets…

9/10 from The Grooveman.