Dream Theater – Still Dreaming

It was like an experiment devised by some mad scientist; how much music could be crammed by one band onto a single CD without losing sound quality, volume or tone. The threshold of 60 minutes had long-since been passed, and even the 70 minute “barrier” had been broken. But was there a band in the land with the guts, the know-how, and the musical stamina to try and fit 75 minutes of music on their CD? One band stepped forth to answer the challenge – a band renowned far and wide for their multi-faceted, lengthy album opuses. That group is Dream Theater (which you probably figured out by now, especially since their name is emblazoned in two-inch-high type at the top of this article), and the album in question is their latest rock odyssey, Awake. The disc represents perhaps the most ambitious undertaking yet for a band whose entire career has been steeped in ambitious musical projects. But for vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung, guitarist John Petrucci and drummer Mike Portnoy (long-time keyboard man Kevin Moore recently left the band), Awake represents more than the next step in Dream Theater’s musical evolution. In many ways, it is the fulfillment of a lifetime’s dream.

“We wanted to put the maximum amount of music we could on this album,” Petrucci said. “We had written a lot of material, and we didn’t want to sacrifice any of it – and we didn’t have to. Each song was vital because it captured an aspect of what’s been going on with our lives. Life has been really crazy for us over the last four years. We’ve been on an emotional roller coaster with both good things and troubling things happening to us. But what we decided to do was take all the emotions that were racing through our systems and use them to propel the music on this album. We made some incredible strides last time with Images And Words, and we wanted to keep that momentum going. Everyone in this group had always dreamed of being in a position where there were hundreds of thousands of fans out there waiting for our next album. We found ourselves in that situation with Awake, and we were determined to make the most of it.”

The unique situation provided for Awake’s arrival was the final chapter in a roller coaster trek to the top for Dream Theater. After years of creating a legendary legacy in clubs throughout the northeast with their highly stylized, always intriguing hard rock sound, these Long Island, New York rockers finally got the nod from a major label in 1992. At that time they were told to just go into the studio and attempt to capture on disc some of their on-stage majesty. The results of those efforts emerged as Images And Words, one of the year’s surprise success stories. The disc was received warmly by the fans of eclectic rock, who immediately cited similarities between aspects of DT’s approach and that of groups like Rush and Queensrÿche. But no one was prepared for the consequences when the always-fickle forces at MTV decided to embrace the video for ‘Pull Me Under’, certainly one of the most challenging rock tracks to ever appear on the vid network.

“Between getting signed, making Images And Words, going out on the road for a year and a half, and then putting all our energies into making this album. we’ve been very busy,” Petrucci said. “It all hasn’t been great. We’ve enjoyed it, but there were a lot of feelings of pain, anger and frustration going through our systems as well. That’s why the making of Awake was like an exorcism for us in some ways. It was very therapeutic because it allowed us to release those emotions in a very positive manner.”

The band didn’t emerge from the recording process totally unscathed, however. Shortly before Awake was scheduled to be released late last year, it was announced that keyboardist Kevin Moore, who had been with the band for more than four years, had decided to leave due to “artistic differences”. While that term has long been used as the built-in excuse for seemingly every band split since the stone age, in this particular case, it appears to be true. While Petrucci insists that Moore left under amicable terms, there’s no doubt that he left some ruffled feathers in his wake.

“Kevin left to pursue a new musical direction,” he said. “Obviously, he wouldn’t have had that kind of opportunity within Dream Theater. The fact is that we really love Kevin, and we’ll miss him. He will always be a part of our family. He’s been an important part of this band since its inception, and we wish him the best in whatever he does in the future.”

Don’t for one second think that Dream Theater sat around wringing their hands and bemoaning their fate once they found out about Moore’s decision. While they haven’t announced a permanent replacement, they quickly went out and hired Jordan Rudess (formerly of Jan Hammer and the Dixie Dregs) to take over the keyboard slot. But, truth be known, the musicians have never been the stars in Dream Theater’s universe – that distinction is held by the songs themselves. On Awake never has DT’s music sounded richer, fuller or more dramatic. From the haunting lyrics of ‘Mirror’ to the graceful power of ‘Lifting Shadows Off A Dream’, the band has created an album chock full of rock that continually pushes the creative envelope; this is stuff that through both its majestic sweep and its raw power defies convention at every turn.

“Awake is the perfect word to describe the common thread that runs through the album’s lyrics,” Petrucci said. “What we’re basically talking about is the awareness of your existence – becoming closer and more in touch with yourself and ultimately discovering what works best for you as an individual as you try to go through life. This record is another step forward for us. We’ve all grown musically and individually, and this record is better and more powerful because of that. Each time you sit down and listen to this album, you’ll hear something different. We strive to challenge the listener, and I think that’s exactly what we’ve done here – for 75 minutes.”