Dream Theater
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

After the semi-disappointment of "Falling Into Infinity," the New York band needed to recover. Derek Sherinian leaves, and Jordan Rudess arrives. A change that will mark the next albums of Dream Theater. And so, on October 26, 1999, the concept album "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" is released, the Masterpiece. In short, the protagonist Nicholas must undergo hypnotherapy sessions to discover who killed his "ancestor" Victoria, caught between two men.

The first track is "Regression", a good intro. The hypnotherapist puts us to sleep, making way for an excellent all-acoustic minute that ends fantastically. The words summarize the central moment of the work. I really like the fade-in of this track. And here comes the instrumental "Overture 1928", reminiscent of the beautiful "Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper". This track is the "synthesis" of everything we'll hear in this sensational concept album. The piece starts with Portnoy unleashing all his energy, then making way for a good solo by Petrucci. Afterward, Rudess reveals himself to be an excellent keyboardist; the track concludes with the intro to the next song. And now there's "Strange Déjà Vu", a track that begins with a guitar riff, with a dark atmosphere. The track continues with heavy guitars, but unfortunately, Rudess is little present on the keyboards. Personally, I find the ending wonderful; LaBrie shows us he's back to the "Images And Words" era. This brings the listener to "Through My Words", a piano intro to "Fatal Tragedy". "Fatal Tragedy" starts with the same rhythm as "Through My Words", but soon we realize it's a really tough piece. The chorus is truly sublime, with Portnoy's backing vocals. Halfway through, the instrumental part begins: Rudess anticipates melodies we'll hear later, played by the guitar. And then... Petrucci starts with an incredible solo, ending with a truly fantastic guitar and keyboard unison. And who can stop them now! If you have earphones, from the right ear you won't miss the powerful riff of "Beyond This Life", the strongest track on the album. Rudess manages to accompany the unstoppable Petrucci, creating breathtaking atmospheres. After 2:30, the rhythm drops, with Petrucci hinting at arpeggios, but then resumes with a powerful riff (I would say it could be considered a small solo). The song then continues with the usual drop in rhythm and Petrucci's powerful recovery with a good solo, accompanied by the ever-present Rudess. Continuing, you can hear excellent keyboards. Now there's "Through Her Eyes", a great ballad introduced by Theresa Thomason's voice. Rudess shows once again that he is an excellent accompanist, and Petrucci creates beautiful atmospheres, reminding us he is a prog guitarist. The song is almost entirely centered on LaBrie, who does a good job, except for the ending, where I don't like it much. And "Home" begins, the longest track of the album; it's a piece with an oriental rhythm, very reminiscent of "Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper". And it continues with the guitarist's riffs and an aggressive LaBrie. Rudess is excellent at accompanying the other instrumentalists. In the finale, the usual solo by Rudess ends with the chorus. In the end, there's also room for Myung and Rudess, who make their presence felt. Now begins the instrumental "The Dance Of Eternity" with a bass intro, in my opinion the best track of the album. One is amazed when Rudess begins his masterpiece on the keyboard, while Myung for once proves he surpasses Petrucci. Portnoy plays the drums with lots of energy. Halfway through, Rudess delights us with retro ragtime, and Petrucci picks up the rhythm. Then, with extreme speed, the group continues playing this marvelous song. The track ends with the powerful guitar that repeats the beginning and excellent drums. One of the most technical pieces I've ever heard. After this masterpiece, the most beautiful and atmospheric part of the album begins. The relatively short "One Last Time" starts with a good piano and continues with a wonderful guitar. The chorus is the best of the album, with LaBrie in splendid form. The guitar solo reminds us of "Overture 1928". The track concludes beautifully with a good piano. "The Spirit Carries On" is very striking after the piano intro. A sunny melody and a sweet LaBrie. Petrucci gives us a splendid solo (perhaps one of the most beautiful!) of two minutes. The track ends with a gospel choir. This splendid album concludes with "Finally Free": in these twelve minutes, there are wonderful atmospheres and an excellent chorus perfectly sung by James LaBrie. The chorus of "One Last Time" is also reprised. The only flaw: the ending is too repetitive. During this track, you witness the double murder of Victoria and Nicholas. After Nicholas' murder, the album ends with the hum of the turntable. The fitting end to a concept album.

The Theater of Dreams did not disappoint; in fact, I think this is one of the best albums I've ever listened to. How to describe the instrumentals, or "The Spirit Carries On", or "Finally Free"? They are all marvelous songs; but the strength of this album is that there are no classic standout/smash hits, but all are of the highest level. A very high level that Dream Theater, who manage to strike at our most emotional part, will never reach again.