IMAGES AND WORDS

After the great debut 'When Dream And Day Unite' Dream Theater were not too sure if they would make another album after mutually firing their singer Charlie Dominici, but hope came in the form of Canadian James LaBrie, and what a fantastic singer he is and he really shapes this album. Overall the sound is very 80's rock/metal with a bit of Genisis like 70's progressive rock (only the best of course), the production isnt the greatest but of course it is the songs that really make up for it, the tones on this album i really love especially the guitar tones, the cleans that Petrucci can get are to die for and John Myungs bass lines are superb, from the almost sad opening bass line of first track PULL ME UNDER to the fantastic bass solo on METROPOLIS, PT I: THE MIRACLE AND THE SLEEPER, John Myung really is a very underlooked bas player and deserves a hell of a lot more credit than he does these days. Of course other standout songs include TAKE THE TIME, SURROUNDED, the solo on UNDER A GLASS MOON is unreal and of course the epic final track LEARNING TO LIVE is just a fantastic way to close an awsome album, just really kickass stuff;

Pull Me Under - 8/10 Another Day - 8/10 Take The Time - 10/10 Surrounded - 10/10 Metropolis Pt I: The Miracle & The Sleeper - 10/10 Under A Glass Moon - 9/10 Wait For Sleep - 9/10 Learning To Live - 10/10

My Conclusion? The first DT masterpiece and of course the first in a long line that still continues today, long may they reign.