WHEN DREAM AND DAY REUNITE

Incredible. Fifteen years after the release of their debut album, this metal band is still going strong and pumping out new material. Although some despise them, Dream Theater will always have a special place in my collection and will forever be my favorite band, and this release still shows the incredible longevity of the band and their music. With a grand set list including the entire When Dream and Day Unite tracklist, plus two very special encore tracks, the live bootleg is essential for any Dream Theater fan's collection. LaBrie's vocals actually work very nicely over the unpolished compositions that made up the band's overlooked debut, giving new life to the sometimes dilapidated-seeming songs. Then, when the encore comes on, we see a very special guest: the debut's very own singer, Charlie Dominci, who had dropped out of the music scene for nearly 15 years after he left Dream Theater. Dominici then went on to release 3 stupendous solo albums, and may be working on even more! To top it all off, as well as an incredible performance on To Live Forever, he then came back for a magnificent (and maybe the best live recording of) Metropolis, Part 1, as well as former keyboardist Derek Sherinian! What ecstasy! The instrumentalists then went off on a solo battle tour-de-force for nearly 5 minutes on the instrumental section, truly showing the amazing communication these guys have with each other. This live release is surely a treasure for any Dream Theater fan, and easily the best bootleg the Ytsejam Records store has released. 4+ stars.