LOST NOT FORGOTTEN ARCHIVES: LIVE AT WACKEN (2015)

Released in 2022 as part of the 'Lost Not Forgotten Archives' series, 'Live At Wacken (2015)' sees Dream Theater make a stop on their 30th Anniversary tour at the world-famous German heavy metal festival.

With only an hour to spare, the band make a brief run through a number of their albums, with a set list that incorporates all their major elements, both heavy and melodic ('As I Am', 'Panic Attack', 'The Spirit Carries On'), and full-on progressive ('Metropolis Pt. 1'). No easy task, given the wealth of their back-catalogue, as well as the duration of most of their songs.

As expected, the musicianship is superb, with the band on top form and really smashing the instrumental side of things. Sadly, as always, vocalist James LaBrie is tough to listen to at times, especially on the older material. He's struggling, but he tries anyway. Bless him.

Overall, 'Live At Wacken' is a decent enough live album. It's not essential by any stretch, but die-hard collectors will certainly enjoy owning it and giving it a spin or two.