Dream Theater

When Dream And Day Unite (Mechanic/MCA)

The name reminds me of Ron Serling. ‘The Twilight Zone.’ ‘Night Gallery.’ A name conjuring up fantasies of dimly lit tales. Ray Bradbury digging up cloves from the disparate ether. In reality this is a five piece band from long island who've been together for nearly 4 years. This is their first album. I think it heralds the beginning of a tremendous career.

Dream Theater (once known as Majesty) are a Pomp Rock band for the ‘90s. Some might hear a Rush influence or two in the grooves (there are times when vocalist Charlie Dominici does harbor a Geddy Lee nuance or two). Others will catch riffs redolent of Metallica. But the overall feel is for the classic era of Styx, Kansas et al taken through the rage and power of Queensrÿche. In this respect Dream Theater are individual, stylish and surely destined to wipe the floor with those such as House Of Lords who are still living in a time warp the mid-‘70s.

Under the production guidance of Terry date (Fifth Angel, Metal Church), Dream Theater have crafted some spectacular rhythms, moments and tunes. ‘A Fortune In Lies’ opens the way, with John Petrucci's guitars cutting a swathe through the likes of Chris DeGarmo, Kirk Hammett, Tommy Shaw and Ritchie Blackmore. It's effortless, complex yet haunting. There are time changes, grueling riffs, illicit melodic passions, knife-edge twists and turns. ‘Status Seeker’ (a potential single, remixed by Terry Brown) allows keyboardsman Kevin Moore to enter the fray in a big manner, never caressing his ivories in the polite manner of so many of his contemporaries but breathtakingly marching solemnly across the range. This song also has the advantage of a wonderfully memorable hook line. Perfect singles fodder.

‘Ytse Jam’ is an instrumental wherein the foursome of Petrucci, Moore, bassist John Myung and drummer Mike Portnoy are allowed to stretch out and balance violent metallic sickness jazz-rock slickness and classical seething. Petrucci flames across the fretboard in a whirl of finger flexing. Moore bounces across the pacey rhythms of Myung and Portnoy. And Side One finishes with ‘The Killing Hand,’ an epic that rivets with its subtle musical control. It's what Helloween achieved on the remarkable ‘Hallowe’en’ track (from The Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part I). And DT do it again on the first cut on the flip, ‘Light Fuse And Get Away.’

‘Afterlife’ sees an excursion again into territory accessible to daytime radio, whilst never letting up on an unremitting barrage of honed ‘n’ horned, crusty sounds. ‘The Ones Who Helped To Set The Sun’ is the third of the trilogy of epics, and as with ‘Light Fuse...’/‘The Killing...’ it has a miasma of eclectic musical gatherings all locking together in the most natural and potent of environs. ‘Only A Matter Of Time’ concludes proceedings, a majestic torrent of torrid chordal orchestrations.

When Dream And Day Unite is a work of genius. A gathering of influences to create genre. This is the first truly post-Thrash Pomp album yet unleashed. If Metallica had been inspired by Styx this would be the result. They will carve their own niche, open up the way for others. But Dream Theater are special, unique.

—Malcolm Dome

Rating: 9 (out of 10)