FALLING INTO INFINITY

Dream Theater have just earned worldwide fan with their unique style of complex metal, highly strung, and really aggressive. Now, to follow up two extremely well received albums: Awake and Images and Words seemed a difficult task. They took a different direction with this one, incorporating pop and rock styles into their songwriting. Some songs are entirely devoid of that metal edge, and some are actually quite soft/simple pop songs. This is one of Dream Theater's most diverse albums, with a flowing between different genres, styles and atmospheres.

With optimistic lyrics, off-the-wall musicianship, intricate songwriting, energetic rockers, emotional pop, it would seem that Dream Theater have a great album lined up for us. At least, for us who are not exactly fervent metal disciples, it would seem that this change is for the best. And indeed, there are some really great songs, focusing on strong melodies, interesting sound effects, and joyful lyrics, but as there's still a bit of a stale core. The metal songs are still primitive; the pop songs are cliché and somewhat artless; the rock songs are uninteresting and bland; and the extended rockers are uninteresting.

However, some moments are extremely memorable. Hell's Kitchen is a superbly written emotional classical piece - performed by Dream Theater, with an energetic and passionate delivery. Other moments come and go, with excellent songwriting, unique sound effects on intriguing and compelling guitar riffs. Even some of the more aggressive riffs that I usually dislike strike me as well played and written. LaBrie's vocals are not as annoying as they were on Awake - never as high or screechy. But the good things on this album don't completely make up for the worse ones.