METROPOLIS PART 2 - SCENES FROM A MEMORY

After Images & Words this is the second DT album I have heard. Although that album was influential, I don't feel it has aged very well. This album, on the other hand, sounds more contemporary. I think that has less to do with how 'ahead of it's time' this is, and more to do with how little Prog Metal has changed in the past ten years. Metropolis Part 1 of course is a song on I&W. This album is divided into two acts and nine scenes(hence the title). A concept album about some guy remembering the murder of a woman in 1928(?). It's pretty confusing to me, but I'm not a fan of concept albums anyway.

This is the first album with keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Some people complain about LaBrie's vocals or Petrucci's guitar w*nkery, but the problem I have with DT is the ready-for- radio piano ballads they like to put on their albums. Another thing I don't like on this album is the Whitney/Mariah wannabe vocals on a few songs. Those kind of vocals work for some songs, but not the ones here. The songs I enjoy the most here are the ones that generally don't have piano or female vocals.

I like the use of the hypnotherapist's voice on the album. "Overture 1928" is a great instrumental that not only reprises parts of "Metropolis Pt. 1", but has bits and pieces of other songs on this album. Well done. I love the transition between "Overture" and "Strange Deja Vu"; the first few times I listened to this album, I didn't notice the song had changed. Again, well done. "Strange" is one of the better songs on here.

I don't know why "Through My Words" and "Fatal Tragedy" were seperated into two tracks. I don't really like either song but the instrumental part of "Fatal" isn't too bad. I generally don't care for digital synths, but Rudess has a nice tone at the start of "Beyond This Life." It's the third longest song but some moments are better than others. "Home" makes some good use of Indian instruments along with Indian sounding guitar playing. The harmony vocals here are good. Interesting drumming and samples in the middle. Probably the best vocal song.

It doesn't surprise me that the instrumental "The Dance Of Eternity" is my favourite song on the album. Nice use of backwards effects and samples. Great playing from all involved. I like the ragtime/honky-tonk piano part, reminds me of ELP. At one point you actually hear Myung's bass. Until that part I forget they even have a bass player. "The Spirit Carries On" sounds like Wall-era Floyd at first. Later some of those godawful Whitney/Mariah wannabe vocals. "Finally Free" has nice faux orchestra sounds. After 4 minutes gets more interesting with the mix of music and samples. That riff around 8 minutes reminds me of the riff in the Beatles song "I Want You(She's So Heavy)."

At the end we get the best part of the whole album: where you hear "open your eyes Nicolas...AARGH!?!" I don't think that part is supposed to be funny, but I can't help laughing every time I hear it. Overall I think this is a good album. An edited version of "Home" is all I knew from this album before I heard the whole thing. I think "Overture" and "Dance" are great instrumentals and I almost wish every song they did sounded similar to those two. I would give this a 3.5 but I'm gonna round it up to 4 stars.

"Opens your eyes Nicolas...AARGH!?!" Kills me every time.