Images And Words. These two simple, yet complex terms color our perspectives on what is seen and heard. For Dream theater, Images And Words not only titles their Atco debut but succinctly encapsulates the band’s ability to masterfully orchestrate meaningful words and mesmerizing, innovative music into a vision of rock ‘n’ roll’s past and a glimpse into the future.

Images And Words: Eight songs created by five unique artists with each one applying his multi-influenced brush stroke to the sonic landscape. And although Dream theater has acknowledged the masters—Yes, Genesis, Kansas, ELP, Zappa—the band has added its original signature to the inspired contemporary creations.

The initial formation of images and words began in 1985 when Long Island, New York natives guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung and drummer Mike Portnoy encountered one another at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Deciding to forgo higher education in favor of their musical master plan, the three returned home to enlist the skills of high school bandmate keyboardist Kevin Moore, who was attending the Fredonia School of Music.

“I just thank God the four of us met each other and put this thing together because we all have the same vision of the music. The most prized possession at Berklee was finding each other,” says Portnoy.

After a few independent releases and pivotal line-up changes, Dream Theater signed to Atco and entered the studio with producer David Prater (Firehouse) to create Images And Words. Out of eight precision-structured songs, each one is a singular entity in its own right, surpassing musical boundaries and barriers in exquisitely crafted extended passages, time and tempo changes and challenging musicianship.

“We’re a band that wants to explore different territories musically and expand off of anything we’ve done,” admits Portnoy. “We’re writing music that we’re longing to hear more bands play. The stuff we’re writing is basically what we’d enjoy listening to.”

Images And Words: Dream Theater

—Sue Hodges