Dream Theater
Images And Words

THE REVIEW

Dream Theatre – Images And Words (1992)

Well, here's my review of the much-praised "Images And Words," a record considered a masterpiece by the most famous Progressive Metal band in the world. I must say that I haven't listened to anything like this, except for Angra, and my favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but let's see how I felt about listening to the second album by the American quintet.

I start the record on the stereo, and take a quick look at the booklet (pretty empty but acceptable, come on).

Pull Me Under

The first track, Pull Me Under, starts. Eight minutes, great. It begins with the guitar, quite a bad sound, oh well. The riff starts, horrible drums, suicidal material locked in the bathroom. Guitar, same. Keyboards barely audible. The much-acclaimed bassist, I don't know if he exists or not. Halfway through there's a break that could have been interesting but instead ruins everything. Score: 4.

Another Day

Haha, pathetic start, pure commercial. Then you hear the sax (probably they can't manage it alone with the three musicians), ridiculous. The singer (LaBrey if I am not mistaken) goes so high that it becomes aurally irritating: yes, you're good, but you're pathetic with all your high notes. Score: 4

Take The Time

Ridiculous start (the instruments seem completely offbeat!) with very banal keyboards, then some excerpts from a movie and then they sing. LaBrey pathetic again, musicians acting like "we can play and you can't, haha!" but in the end, they don't do anything interesting. Slow break ruined again by the voice. Finally, there's an interminable ridiculous guitar solo. (I forgot they copied the lyrics from an Italian film called "Grande Cinema Paradiso" from the nineties). Score: 4.5

Surrounded

Well, it's nice if it weren't for the voice which is objectively pathetic and too commercial. Good melody, salvageable guitar solo. Score: 6.5

Metropolis Pt. 1

AHAHAHAH, technique predominates it seems. Too bad it's ridiculous to listen to that crap. So much pity, so much and even more. Endless intertwined solos between guitar and keyboard that are ridiculous. Oh well, the singer ruins whatever good (little) could have been saved. Senseless lyrics ("lake of fire" ahahah) just thrown in to fill. Score: n/a.

I don’t want to comment on SUCH a banal song. Lyrics and music are lousy. Guitar solo that makes any guitarist with a minimum of taste cringe. Score: 3 (and I'm being generous)

Wait For Sleep

The only salvageable one, finally the keyboardist avoids his useless and show-off solos. The singer is better than usual (let's say he's bearable). Score: 7

Learning To Live

Good Lord. What crap. Lyrics are barely salvageable, but music is HORRENDOUS. The usual worn-out stuff we've been hearing since the beginning of the album (all these references to the greats of 70s Prog Rock ruined by metal distortions are unbearable). Oh my, what crap, such crap! Enough. I'd like to stop halfway, but I continue for the record. Then LaBrey tries to go high again and succeeds, but that "Oh oh ooooh" is ridiculous, like we're in the Zecchino d'Oro. Towards the end, melody "borrowed" from the previous song, totally ruined by this point of the song. Finally, fade out, the usual trick when you don't know how to get out of it. Score: 3+ as encouragement.