Dream Theater

Images And Words (Atco)

Open your minds and your wallets. It’s been a long time in between albums (three years – but who’s counting?), but it was worth the wait. With Images And Words (produced by David (Firehouse) Prater), Dream Theater have created an album that takes the early art-rock texturing of prog-rockers Yes, Rush, Kansas and Genesis, and added the chunkiness of post-Metallica-esque guitars, creating the ultimate in contemporary progressive metal. And after two years of searching for the right voice, the band have struck gold in finding Toronto native James LaBrie. LaBrie’s warm vocals give the previously listener-demanding Dream Theater a degree of much needed ear-friendliness. If your store does well with Queensrÿche, Fates Warning and Rush, this one will have your registers ringing in 5/4 timing.