Dream Theater

Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory

Elektra Records

Few will argue Dream Theater’s majestic musical history. For more than a decade now, they’ve fused progressive-metal musicianship with classic rock sensibilities, creating a sound that soars above radio-minded singles and commercial rock tendencies. They’re thinking man’s metal, with results that can be dizzying to the uninitiated, and cumbersome to those that prefer simpler song structures. But they haven’t compromised their sound for the fleeting fortunes of overnight success, and with latest release Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory, they’re rewarding their loyal fans for their perseverance.

Much like Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, and The Who’s Tommy, Scenes from a Memory is a concept album, an epic that offers fans a challenging listen of both conceptual and lyrical proportions. Tracking the haunting dreams of lead character Nicholas, frontman James LaBrie narrates the tale with a voice that strikes a chilling resemblance to former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. His dynamics bring life to the songs – from simple spoken narratives, to the bombastic rock of “Fatal Tragedy,” and into the awe-inducing tones that compliment the soft acoustic guitars of opening track “Regression” and new keyboardist Jordan Rudess’ classically-minded piano intro to “Fatal Tragedy.” Meanwhile, LaBrie rests atop Dream Theater at their musical peak, guitarist John Petrucci running his fleet fingers over the fret-board a la Yngwie Malmsteen on “Fatal Tragedy,” and “Beyond This Life” swinging like a flailing mace, playing heaviness off of rhythm throughout an 11 minute-plus offering – the first of three on the album, none of which seem a second too long.

At their highest moments of metallic tenacity, Dream Theater’s Scenes unfolds like an ambitious, overachieving undertaking by King Diamond, but that’s only a taste of the album’s depth. “Through Her Eyes” is one of the band’s most moving pieces – almost too beautiful for radio, if that’s possible – and “The Dance of Eternity” is instrumental prog-rock at its best, building on the grand tradition of Yes and Genesis. With “One Last Time” and “The Spirit Carries On” giving the most widely recognized theater numbers a run for their money, it kind of makes you wonder: With music this good, and a storyline this compelling, can the bright lights of a Broadway rock opera be far off for Dream Theater? We can only hope, as Scenes From A Memory is the band’s crowning achievement, a breathtaking release that legends are made of.

– Paul Gargano