Dream Theater, “Lie” (East West)

The year 1992 turned out to be the breakthrough year for progressive rockers Dream Theater. With the release of Images and Words, the band managed to fuse their eclectic musicianship with riff heavy grooves, and melodic catchy songs to create a recipe for success that put the single “Pull Me Under” all over rock radio and MTV. The success of that track, and the follow up “Another Day”, kept the band busy on a successful road tour as the album sales climbed up to just under gold status. While their bounty may have seemed to come upon them quickly, the band is far from being an overnight sensation: many people may not be aware of their 1989 debut, When Dream and Day Unite, which received stellar reviews in the press (especially in Europe), but didn’t make it over the proverbial hump in the States. After years of hard work, and the addition of James LaBrie on vocals, they were able to make it over that hill, kindling their appeal with consistent touring and even more critical acclaim. You would think that the band would be on cloud nine, having finally reaped the benefits of their hard work, but on the first single off of their upcoming full length release Awake. Dream Theater sound particularly angry as they delve into a web of deceit with crunching riffs on “Lie”. The song showcases LaBrie’s soaring vocals – but he also utilizes a throaty low range – along with the intricate layered guitar and keyboard sounds of John Petrucci and Kevin Moore. What makes “Lie” stand out from their previous work is the rich, heavy, gnawing rhythm, which will especially appeal to metal radio. On a sad note, however, longtime keyboard player Kevin Moore is departing the band to pursue other musical opportunities, but he was around for the entire recording sessions of Awake, so you and your listeners will be able to enjoy his work on this release. The musically cross-training work of Dream Theater will be enjoyed by many aspects of your audience – the musician, your active core listener, and even the station hopping passive listener – so just call us up and tell us lies, or at least that you’re playing “Lie”.