Dream Theater

Awake

Producers: John Purdell & Duane Baron

EastWest 90126

It would be tempting to call this band’s high-octane brand of driving guitars, extended instrumental solos, and vocal pyrotechnics arena rock – except that Dream Theater has substituted splashes of invention for the clichés the term implies. The group’s album, which crashed onto The Billboard 200 at No. 32, exhibits a noted theatrical bent on tunes like pounders ‘Caught In A Web’ and ‘The Mirror,’ and standout ‘Voices,’ each a mini-epic of interwoven guitar jams and quick-slipping tempos. ‘Lie,’ the lead single, is the monster-maker in this bunch – a powerful, cynical bender with a chorus to boot. Slower options include rock ballad ‘Lifting Shadows Off A Dream’ and odd-men-out ‘The Silent Man,’ an acoustic pop interlude, and ominous piano-driven closer ‘Space-Dye Vest.’