Dream Theater
When Dream And Day Unite

THE REVIEW

"When Dream And Day Unite" is the debut album of what would become one of the most beloved and discussed bands of all time: Dream Theater. However, this review will focus on the album in question and not on what the five New Yorkers would become.

Back in 1989, the band's lineup was:

Vocals - Charlie Dominici

Bass - John Myung

Guitar - John Petrucci

Keyboard - Kevin Moore

Percussion - Mike Portnoy

Let's start with the fact that we're not talking about a garage band, but true professionals; it's not really a debut, given that Petrucci, Myung, and Moore had already cut their teeth with the Centurion, and later Portnoy as well with Majesty.

The start is electrifying: you immediately understand who you're dealing with. "A Fortune In Lies" may not be a masterpiece, but it's certainly among the most successful songs on the album. It's a pity about Dominici's voice, which seems more concerned with expressiveness than with good taste, ending up reducing the chorus to a whine. You immediately notice a very inspired Myung and Moore who will accompany us later. "Status Seeker" flows pleasantly, "sanza infamia e sanza lode" (without infamy and without praise), with an acceptable Dominici. Then we arrive at "The Ytse Jam": a gem of the album. It starts as if concluding a previous song, then an oriental riff (the east seems to be a true inspiration for Petrucci) on which he plays, or rather pushes to the limits of physical endurance of their instruments, each member of the group. The absence of Dominici for the 5:47 of the jam is a godsend. We then arrive at "The Killing Hand": good song, in which perhaps Dominici's expressiveness is not out of place; nothing compared to a certain Kevin James LaBrie (!), who will succeed him in 1991. An inspired Petrucci takes us to the next "Light Fuse And Get Away": nothing to say about the song. A perhaps slightly weak start, but nevertheless more than appreciable. In "Afterlife" you get the sense of what a strange little man is on the bass: the start is a whirlwind, but the usual Dominici manages to push it into the background. "The Ones Who Help To Set The Sun" starts poetically slow, then speeds up into what can be defined in two words: Dream Theater. The theater of dreams then drags us to "Only A Matter Of Time": a worthy conclusion to the album, with a Portnoy in the mood for finesse, in the continuous time changes in pure prog style, and a Moore foreshadowing us great albums, as in fact the next two will be.

The rating, however, is not the highest: mainly due to a singer who, in my opinion, does not manage his potential well, resulting in tiresome and repetitive. Additionally, the recording quality of the CD is not good at all. Nonetheless, it remains a great album that all enthusiasts should own.