IMAGES AND WORDS

It was said of Rush's Permanent Waves album that progressivism and the heavy metal idiom were not meant for one another. I think they couldn't have been more wrong. Rush isn't all that metal in my mind, but Dream Theater sure is and if there's anyone out there who is want for proof you can look no further than Images and Words. The assessment I got from my friend's dad after loaning it to his is that it was one of the most pretentious and self-indulgent album's he'd ever heard. It probably is, but I can never argue with self-indulgence when I share the tastes of the responsible parties.

Images and Words is one part metal, one part progressive rock and one part distilled 1980s. More than a few of you are now going, "Hey jerk! It came out in 1992!" I am well aware of this fact, you needn't bring it up; I stand by my comment. Dream Theater has never really been a band that's stuck with the general trends. In 1992 they were a hair metal relic in the age of Seattle Grunge, but they kicked more ass then flannel ever did, and I'm Canadian. The musicianship is top notch. Dream Theater is relentless and exploratory.

Maybe Metal isn't totally to my tastes, but Images and Words is an interesting and entertaining album. The average track length has to be significantly above the five minute mark. Most of the songs do exactly what you expect progressive rock songs to do, progress. I would suggest Images and Words to anyone like me who is curious, but sceptical of progressive metal. It has proven to me that good things can come of the marriage. I give it four out of five.

Theat-RE