Dream Theater: When Dream and Day Unite (Mechanic)

I don’t know about you, but for me, “when dream and day unite,” it usually means I’m being jolted by the unwelcome clang of an alarm clock; so right away this LP conjures up ugly sounds to me. But let’s give it a chance and see what we find.

Seems that Dream Theater are a late-‘80s progressive-rock band. What does that mean? Well, in general, when the term “progressive” is applied to music, it means that the artist is pushing the boundaries of his/her chosen style. Looking forward into the future, as it were. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, this meant combining eclecticism (i.e., adding elements from non-rock sources, primarily classical, jazz and ethnic music) with advanced chops. Essentially the same is true today, except that since progressive rock’s heyday a variety of rock sub-genres have come into being, and these are usually incorporated into any self-respecting progresso/avant-garde rock group’s game plan. I’m referring to more-current trends such as post punk, hardcore, dub, minimalism—you get the idea. PIL, VoiVod, Sonic Youth and Celtic Frost would be examples of bands that could be labeled progressive. Not that any of them would want the label, but it fits in theory nonetheless.

Onto Dream Theater. DT isn’t a true progressive band. Rather they just replicate the progressive bands of 17 years ago, mainly Kansas, ELP, a little Yes and a whole buncha Rush. Vocalist Charlie Dominici may be spending the next several years trying to shed the inevitable Geddy Lee comparisons, and it’s going to be a full-time job. Of course Marillion’s pillage of early Genesis led to an ongoing career for them, so maybe this is the best band since Kingdom Come.

The band makes a few nods to music written in the past decade by way of some Metallica speed romps (played ever so carefully) and a couple of instrumental sections that sound like they were lifted from the middle of some Rising Force songs, which in turn takes us back to the Kansas/ELP connection.

As with the music of their forefathers, DT provide hooks only as an afterthought, and, frankly, I don’t think they got that far, ‘cause I don't hear any. Basically, the multitude of constantly changing riffs and time changes speeds past without a connecting theme or motif to hang onto. This is the equivalent of “in one ear and out the other.”

I can’t fault these guys on chops—they are topflight musicians. ‘Tis a shame they’ve put their abilities to use on such backwardlooking music. I’m sure they won't see it that way, and that everyone at Mechanic will think I'm a dick (it’s okay, I’m used to it), but I still know that I’ll never, ever listen to this record for my own enjoyment. “21st Century Schizoid Man,” anyone?

—S.L. Duff