METROPOLIS PART 2 - SCENES FROM A MEMORY

Once again a member change: Derek Sherinian out, Jordan Rudess in, although this time I don't think many people wondered who this guy was because most of us were already familiar with the Liquid Tension Experiment project. Aside that, we had already read at interviews that there was a second part for Metropolis - "The Miracle and the Sleeper" somewhere lying around and it would see the light of day soon. That day had come and I don't think I am exaggerating in the slightest by saying that all Dream Theater fans were scratching puzzled our head when we were reading statements where the band members were informing us that they had to put in a lot of practice to deliver their parts - honestly, how much more technical could they get? We had our answers when we took hold of our copy of the new album.

Pretty much like Awake and Falling Into Infinity I wasn't immediately won over and also pretty much like the aforementioned albums I came to love it, too. Nevertheless, to my personal taste it isn't as perfect as the other two because on Beyond This Life Petrucci and Rudess solo way too long and also I always skip The Spirit Carries On, I find it boring no end, whereas on Images... and Awake there isn't a single note to spare. Other than that, Metropolis pt.2 has won deservedly a place in the pantheon of the best prog metal albums ever, with Home/The Dance of Eternity as the pick of the bunch. It would be interesting to know if this album was mainly responsible for bringing Prog Metal to the fore, but the only certainty is that it sent all budding musicians practicing endless hours honing their chops (most of the times at the expense of quality music, I might add). Personally, after this album my interest for the band began to decline until it disappeared completely. Jordan Rudess is a formidable and out-of-this-world keybordist, but musically he never captivated me as Kevin Moore or Derek Sherinian did. Also the sound of the band became significantly heavier, a fact that contributed generously to the rising of Dream Theater as a prime force since the audience there is wider compared to that of progrssive rock.

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