Dream Theater
Image and Words

Perfection.
A group that has it all. Harmony, technique, power, symphony. Perfect in every tiny detail.
They play a genre all their own. They are simply identified as a prog metal band. No, folks! The acrobatic Symphony X are prog metal. These 5 great musicians go beyond any musical frontier, they merge various genres, create inconceivable melodies, and gift emotions.
James Labrie, with a melodic voice (not the usual “castrato” voice...attention!), lyrical, capable of exploding at the crucial moments.
An Italian-origin guitarist, John Petrucci, among the best in the world, who generates, with his Ibanez, symphonic solos and melodies out of the ordinary. A man who could play any musical genre.
Kevin Moore (now former DT keyboardist), with extraordinary speed, always paired with the harmony that reigns supreme in the band's sound.
The octopus man, Mike Portnoy, considered by many to be the best drummer in the world, by a few (Mikkey Dee considers him just a wanker...oh well) only a technical drummer (poor deluded souls). From his hat he pulls out unique countertimes and fantastic drum solos, with unprecedented power!
And what can we say about John Myung? His six-string Yamaha is overwhelmed by a one-of-a-kind “tapping”. For his style of playing, he reminds one of the late Pastorius.

Now back to us (enthusiasm sometimes plays bad tricks...:o). “Image and Words” is, in my opinion, the band's most beautiful album. It's a step above the schizophrenic “Awake” and the devastating “Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence”. In the album lies the jewel of the group’s discography. “Metropolis – part 1 < the miracle and the sleeper >” with its 9 minutes is pure insanity. Portnoy orchestrates countertimes never out of place; Petrucci invents together with Moore; Labrie enchants, and Myung performs bass lines (lines? let's say there's a breathtaking up and down on the six strings...) never before seen and heard.
How can we forget the magical “Another Day”, performed with the participation of one of the best saxophonists in the world, Jay Beckenstein? “Take the Time” where Portnoy probably broke the sticks several times in creating and (re)trying it. In this piece, there is a line in Italian (“ora che ho perso la vista, ci vedo di più!”), perhaps (it's not certain) said by Petrucci. Our "Italian" guitarist, wreaks havoc in the opening track, "Pull Me Under", a song with one of the most beautiful refrains sung by Labrie.
Simply stunning “Under the Glass Moon”.

But let's be clear. This CD is simply stunning. Harmonic, melodic pieces that gradually speed up more and more, to burst into mind-blowing power and speed, are true saviors for any eardrum.
Dream Theater is considered the best technical group in the world. Agreed. Without a doubt. But these extraterrestrials have not only technique. They have everything a musician can and should have. They are perfection... So be careful to criticize them, just because many think that a technical group is insipid and ephemeral.
In the planet Dream Theater, none of that exists; the feeling, the creativity, the musical knowledge that this band has, is envied by everyone. Listen to believe... and to enter the musical paradise...