Dream Theater

Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York (Elektra)

It’s no surprise that premier prog-rock torchbearers Dream Theater display proficient musicianship on Metropolis 2000 – which documents the band’s live interpretation of 1999’s Scenes from a Memory concept album – because, after all, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, drummer Mike Portnoy, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and vocalist James LaBrie are virtuosos. However, detractors of prog-rock – and maybe even some DT fans – will have plenty of reasons to torch the torchbearers here, as some of the tastier, laidback sections from DT albums are injected with blitzkrieg solos that rob them of their original charm. Such is the case on “Through Her Eyes,” where Petrucci’s duet with guest gospel singer, Theresa Thomason is riddled with shred licks instead of the ethereally restrained, Jeff Beck-like solo from the album. In addition, producer Kevin Shirley is caught on film pinpointing the band’s Achilles heel. In extolling Portnoy’s drumming, Shirley relates having to “restrict” his playing on the album to get him to groove more. Portnoy reportedly replied, “Listen, dude, I’ve got to win some of these readers’ polls.” ‘Tis a shame, because when these guys exercise a little restraint, they rock.

—Shawn Hammond