FALLING INTO INFINITY

"Falling Into Infinity" is the fourth studio album of Dream Theater and that was released in 1997. The writing phases of the album were very stressful periods for the group, and at a point, even almost led them to retire. The commercial and critical failure of the album led to the band demanding to be completely free from the record label from pressures and interferences on their future albums. It was the band's only studio album to feature their keyboardist Derek Sherinian following the departure of their former keyboardist Kevin Moore. Still, Sherinian had already participated on the live tour of their previous studio album "Awake" and on the EP "A Change Of Seasons". He became substituted by their current keyboardist of the group Jordan Rudess on the next studio album "Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory" of 1999.

So, the line up on "Falling Into Infinity" is James LaBrie (lead vocals), John Petrucci (backing vocals and guitars), Derek Sherinian (backing vocals and keyboards), John Myung (bass and chapman stick) and Mike Portnoy (backing vocals and drums). The album had also the participation of Doug Pinnick, the King's X vocalist, on some additional vocals. "Falling Into Infinity" has eleven tracks. All music was written by Dream Theater. The first track "New Millennium" with lyrics by Portnoy is an excellent track with a very catchy feel. It's one of the heaviest tracks on the album that captures perfectly well the powerful vocals and sound of the group. The second track "You Not Me" with lyrics by Petrucci and Desmond Child is a kind of a heavier ballad. It's another excellent track that contains very harmonic vocals and backing vocals, along with excellent lyrics. All those things combined with excellent performances make of it truly a great song. The third track "Peruvian Skies" with lyrics by Petrucci is a track that sounds a little bit strange and dark at a first listen. However, as the song develops we can see the usual musical magic of the band. The song changes into a great prog heavy sound and it makes of it another truly excellent track. The fourth track "Hollow Years" with lyrics by Petrucci is a true very beautiful ballad that breaks the spirit of the album. It's a very well constructed song with an excellent acoustic sound and a nice vocal work by LaBrie. There is no prog in here, but sincerely who needs that in a so beautiful ballad. The fifth track "Burning My Soul" with lyrics by Portnoy is a track where the band get back to their classic heavy sound. It's the heaviest song on the album so far and has a sound somewhat similar to any other band songs. Despite being a nice song to hear, it's one of my least favourite songs on the album. The sixth track "Hell's Kitchen" is an instrumental track that has a bit of "Erotomania" feel from "Awake". This is probably one of their simplest instrumental tracks but is simply amazing. It's majestic, melodic, progressive and beautiful in every sense. It became a classic track by the group. The seventh track "Lines In The Sand" with lyrics by Petrucci is the first epic on the album. Many of the lyrics are sung by King's X vocalist. It's another excellent song but this time with a jazzy and psychedelic touch. Sincerely, I'm sure that we are in presence of one of the greatest compositions by the group. The eighth track "Take Away My Pain" with lyrics by Petrucci is the second ballad on the album. It has nothing to do with metal or with progressivity too, but it's a very refreshing musical moment on the album. It's amazingly, emotional and beautifully written and represents one of the band's greatest ballads. The ninth track "Just Let Me Breathe" with lyrics by Portnoy is a track in the same vein of "Burning My Soul". Heaviness is here once again and the main riff is really great. Even LaBrie manages to sound heavy with his vocal performance. As with "Burning My Soul", I also like the song but it isn't also one of my favourite songs on the album. The tenth track "Anna Lee" with lyrics by LaBrie is the third ballad on the album. This is the piano ballad and definitely a very beautiful song. LaBrie makes a very solid performance on this song and the lyrics are probably the best on the album. Petrucci does another stunning solo on the album. The eleventh and last track "Trial Of Tears" with lyrics by Myung is divided into three parts "It's Raining", "Deep In Heaven" and "The Wasteland". It's the second epic on the album and represents a real trip to prog fans. It's the best track of the album, maybe the only one that many of us were into from the first listening. It could have been an album by itself. It's the perfect way to end this excellent album.

Conclusion: "Falling Into Infinity" is the kind of albums that or you can love or can hate. Personally, I love it and, in my humble opinion, it's an underrated album on Progarchives. With this album, you enter to Dream Theater's musical world into their more soft and emotional side. I know that many of you consider the album as one of their weakest studio albums. It represents clearly a change of their sound with the complexity of the arrangements being a bit stripped down and the sound of the album being a bit jazzy in some moments, especially in "Lines In The Sand" and "Trial Of Tears". On those songs the guitar work of Petrucci reminds me sometimes the musical style of Allan Holdsworth. Concluding, the main problem of this album is, in my opinion, that it was released between the two best studio albums of the band.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Share this DREAM THEATER review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to VianaProghead
• Report this review (#2848425)
• Buy DREAM THEATER music online with PA partners
• Show all DREAM THEATER MP3/Stream
• Go to DREAM THEATER page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to Falling into Infinity page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for DREAM THEATER related discussions