ELEMENTS OF PERSUASION

Anyone reading this review already knows how Labrie is and who Dream Theater are, so I won't go into that detail. When I did see DT live for the first time in '93, it was at a race track in Springfield, Mass on a not summer night (92F at midnight!). He sang as if he had no amplification, screaming as loud as he could. He sounded pretty bad as his voice kept breaking up (not the amplification's fault either). I've seen DT many times over the years and while his skills as a live singer has improved, he still forgets from time to time to let the PA do the work, and not "over sing" the parts.

So it was not without a bit of apprehension that I picked up this disc on an assured recommendation. I would not classify this as a progressive metal album just because Labrie comes from a genre defining band. This is pretty much a straight forward metal album that is on the artistic side of the equation. As an enormous fan of Anthrax, Megadeth and early Metallica, I have absolutely no problems with heavy metal music. In fact, it is one of my most favorite genre's of music. To that end, I find this album very satisfying. And within the context of artisticly styled heavy metal, Labrie's singing style fits very well. He's actually kind of subdued on this release keeping is vocal range well within his natural limits.

Would I recommend this album to pure prog-heads? No, it isn't really a prog metal album. It's more artsy than proggy. Would I recommend this album to DT fans? Well, if you liked Train of Thought, you'll like this. It's very similar in heavyness, just lacks the long instrumental sections. Would I recommend this album to heavy metal fans? Yes, most certainly. As a metal-head myself, I find this recording heavy, crunchy, tasteful, and very well mixed (good audiophile recording). Sounds like an advertisement for Rocky Road ice cream, eh?