Dream Theater
Images And Words

THE REVIEW

Hello, my name is Nicola, I'm almost 18 years old, and I've been listening to rock and metal for 5 years now. I grew up with the '70s progressive rock like Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Jethro Tull... until that fateful "Master Of Puppets" entered my ears and gave me the blow that sparked my passion for heavy metal. Metallica were my favorite band until a year ago, when I rediscovered the emotions that progressive gave me, particularly with Dream Theater.

Well, after this brief introduction, let's now talk about an album that I dare to consider one of the most beautiful, complete, and underrated of all time: "Images And Words" by the equally underrated Dream Theater. So, in a period when I wasn't a big supporter of the band, Dream Theater still intrigued me. Many spoke about them, many I heard about them, and for a while, I listened to the voices. Then I realized I had to evaluate this band with my own ears before judging it. So, I listened to that "Pull Me Under", which seemed to be considered a symbol of the band, and was extremely impressed; that fantastic intro, that initial riff, those melodic lines, the constant changes of tempo, riff, melody, verses, those virtuosic guitar breaks before the chorus, and WHAT A CHORUS! WHAT SOUNDS!

Only later did I realize that this song didn't present all those progressive themes Dream Theater are known for, but it still had that "something" that I hadn't yet heard in other songs. But then I couldn't help but listen to the album that contained the song, which was, not surprisingly, the first track, allowing me to listen to the following tracks as well, starting with "Another Day", a beautiful ballad, with one of the best vocal performances by James LaBrie and one of the best solos by John Petrucci. It starts with a piano and acoustic guitar riff, with a distorted and very melodic solo following, which is later echoed by a saxophone, until LaBrie performs a very delicate vocal line accompanied only by a piano, and the drums start playing only at the beginning of the second verse. The second chorus results in a crescendo of voice that then explodes with one of LaBrie's most memorable high notes, giving way to a slightly more distorted section, but without losing the harmonic thread of the song, then the famous guitar solo takes on the initial sweet style, becoming more aggressive as it approaches the final chorus, and a sax solo completes everything in the most fitting way.

But only after listening to the following "Take The Time" did I realize who Dream Theater was: a band that manages to gather with a single piece multiple genres of music and an accentuated virtuosity while still being melodic; this piece, like "Pull Me Under", features constant changes in tempo and melody, but with an additional progressive influence. The verses are completely different from each other, both in style and arrangement, although they all revolve around the same (exceptional) chorus. The rest of the track consists of a series of harmonic scales of guitar and keyboard, sometimes in unison, sometimes single, up to the last chorus, after which a piano riff opens the doors to the final guitar solo. Now I understood that that something was "Dream Theater". The subsequent "Surrounded" starts very delicately, with the voice accompanied only by a string quartet and a few piano chords, which increases in rhythm in the central part, where even in it some verses are different from each other. The guitar delay solo is excellent. The beginning of the track is reprised at the end, closing side A of the record.

Side B is introduced by the majestic "Metropolis Pt.1-The Miracle And The Sleeper", the most progressive of the album, and in my opinion, one of the most beautiful Dream Theater songs ever, if not the most beautiful. The intro is very catchy, composed solely by the alternation of 3 chords, which always increase in sound. The song doesn't have regular choruses but only verses, obviously very different from each other, some sweeter, others decidedly more aggressive. The central part of the track is almost all improvisation, although very well thought out, including a spectacular bass tapping solo by the legendary John Myung, all masterfully supported by Mike Portnoy's double bass drum, which holds the track professionally. A masterpiece.

But the surprises don't end here, on the contrary... "Under A Glass Moon" is certainly another gem of the album, which from its harmonized intro to the very end, does nothing but give emotions, passing from psychedelic sounds to moments of hardness, a chorus in an elusive key and another of the best Petrucci solos. "Wait For Sleep" is like a moment of tranquility in a stormy sea, because for its entire duration it is completely acoustic and accompanied only by a piano. And now the grand finale: "Learning To Live", the longest track of the album, over 11 minutes. What is there to say? Perfect, absolutely perfect. The piece is not simply a song, it is an authentic work of art. It doesn't even have a dead spot; it's gripping from start to finish. An intro with spatial sounds and a syncopated rhythm, the sweetness of the first verse, the unforgettable chorus, and the very emotional central part, the reprise of "Wait For Sleep" towards the end of the track, and the fading ending that gives chills, make "Learning To Live" another classic of Dream Theater, indispensable in a collection of the best pieces.

Well, in conclusion, I can say that Images And Words is without a doubt the most mature and complete album in Dream Theater's repertoire, an album that all fans must have and ideal for a search for emotions that only Music can give. I'm sure I'll soon write more opinions about them and other bands of the genre.

Goodbye everyone!