sfascia carrozze

[Simonem - August 5, 2009 in the late afternoon] One of the best albums of progressive metal and metal in general. Dream Theater (this is their 2nd album) after "When Dream And Day Unite" and after the vocalist change (Dominici-LaBrie) truly created an excellent masterpiece.
It starts with "Pull Me Under" where, after an intro with the guitar, you dive into the heart of the song full of typical Petrucci riffs. The second song is "Another Day": a very light ballad featuring a melodious saxophone solo. Then there are "Take The Time," which takes on great funky rhythms, and "Surrounded," another very slow ballad that, every time I listen to it, immerses me in the beautiful and imaginative sound of the New York band.
Then comes "Metropolis Part.1": the most beautiful song of the band and of the album itself, which will later be continued in 1999 with "Scenes From A Memory (Metropolis part. 2)," telling the story of Victoria and her murder... But let's not get sidetracked because right after is "Under a Glass Moon," a super technical piece (typical of John Petrucci) where their best solo pops up about halfway through the song (also featured in the rankings of the greatest solos of all time!).
"Wait For Sleep" is a wonderful composition by Kevin Moore (the band's keyboardist from 1989 to 1995) that leaves you "stunned," both for its length (since Dream often lets their songs last much longer than normal... and that's why they are my favorite band) and for the melody the keyboard brings to this track. The final track is "Learning To Live," which becomes, like the entire album, one of the most requested songs by fans and also turns out to be the longest song created in the two albums composed by the legendary Dream.
ONE OF THE MASTERPIECE ALBUMS OF THE NY BAND AND OF ALL MUSIC (in my opinion) IN GENERAL.
P.S.: I hope the review was enjoyable to DeBaser readers.....BYE!!!

Technique and rhythm. A massive riff and Petrucci's solo over joyful and sparkling keyboards like new wine. LaBrie works his magic with his high school love-struck shrieks.
"Metropolis part. I". The favorite track for fans of all ages. If they don't play it in concert, you've wasted your ticket money. A melodic and gritty theme, an instrumental interlude where all five musicians show off who has bigger talent (just kidding). Petrucci shines above all with his solo. And toward the end, it gets pretty chaotic, with an animalistic call-and-response between keyboards and guitar, Portnoy's tumpa-tatatà is abundant, but then at the very end... BAM... the melodic and gritty theme returns. At this moment, the true fan usually gets excited and sweats. Watch out for drafts.
"Under A Glass Moon", here Portnoy's metronomic precision is downright devastating, then LaBrie enters, evocative as always (and as it seems, too) for another exciting ride on a wave of emotions. A highly technical solo by Petrucci. Hang in there, we're almost at the end.
"Wait for Sleep" is another melodic moment (without sacrificing technicalities and a touch of rhythm) where the piano takes center stage. Great work from Petrucci on guitar.
"Learning to Live" is definitely the most prog track on the entire platter, with a mood and groove that chase infinite loops and chords but always remains melodic, extremely technical, and notably rhythmic. Petrucci's guitar riffs are unmissable, crowned by a solo crafted by his holy hands.
End of the record. And that's done. If this review seemed too brief to you and you want to know more about Dream Theater, try searching on DeBaser; you might find some other reviews of this band.
Let's conclude with a slogan that young people always love: Listen to your Dream, live your own Teather.
And WHO CARES.

[NewRomantic - October 26, 2008 in the early afternoon] O God of Progressive Metal, grant me the strength to properly celebrate this immortal, powerful, heartbreaking, rocky, exciting, deeply moving MASTERPIECE. Behold, if I were to start the review with these words, you would immediately understand that you are facing an aficionado, an amateur, a fan who certainly makes no claims to objectivity. But we are science, not science fiction. So let us embark on a serene and calm analysis of the most famous quintet in Progressive Metal and of what many consider their most representative work: "Images And Words."
Mike Portnoy has been defined as the greatest drummer of all time by a large number of music critics, among whom we remember John Portnoy, David Portnoy, and Josephine Halloran in Portnoy. The charismatic leader of the group and a handsome man, Portnoy is famous for having written a song in honor of his wife's water breaking, which occurred during the sessions of his seventeenth side project, involving John Petrucci on even days, Neal Morse on odd days, and the lady who cleaned the studio on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
James LaBrie, not to be confused with the homonymous delicious French cheese, is the vocalist who has most divided critics and the public. The more questioning fringe of fans admits to a certain limitation in vocal range and an unexciting stage presence, while the most hardcore fans simply drool and string together meaningless phrases, as usual. And it's a real shame because, in fact, LaBrie has a certain stylistic quality that makes his voice an improbable yet successful mix of Freddy Mercury, Ozzy Osbourne, and Nikka Costa. His trembling falsetto vibrato is unforgettable.
John Myung is a Mongolian bassist unjustly less famous than Saturnino, but instrumentally he wipes the floor with him! But let’s not digress; rather, let’s remember that time Myung tackled LaBrie on stage while he was singing, just for the hell of it. Fantastic! Let’s be honest: can you imagine Saturnino tackling Jovanotti while he sings? Certainly not.
There’s no Jordan Rudess, the keyboardist whom some relentless and fashionable critics have dubbed "the man with a toilet brush for a beard." Instead, we have Kevin Moore.
Lastly, I saved him for last, John Petrucci, the most celebrated guitar hero of the last twenty years, whatever that means. It’s pointless to dwell on Petrucci’s technical mastery. Suffice it to say he is second only to Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, Alex Skolnick, David Gilmour, Frank Gambale, Steve Hackett, Jimi Hendrix, Allan Holdsworth, Rory Gallagher, Vernon Reid... You can find the complete list in the yellow pages.
But now, for the fans' delight, let’s move on to a telegraphic track-by-track. Let’s hope DeBaser's hard drive is big enough.
The five boys from Boston kick off very technically, melodically, albeit rhythmically with the opening "Pull Me Under." Petrucci delights with granite riffs and a solo of pure travertine. At one point, the power goes out in the recording studio, and you can’t hear a damn thing.
"Another Day" is one of the band’s most famous ballads, a nice slow jam typical of middle school dances. An exceptional solo by Petrucci traverses every conceivable scale on his guitar. Here, as in many other albums, the slow song allows the musicians to showcase their melodic skills while still being technical and rhythmic.
"Take The Time." Take that, critics! LaBrie's vocal versatility is incredible as he perfectly imitates a twelve-year-old girl. At one point, you even hear him say in Italian: "Now that I’ve lost my sight, I see more." The Romanesco version was discarded in post-production: "Mo' che sò cecato, ce vedo deppiù. E STICAZZI!?" Remarkable solo by Petrucci.
"Surrounded" is a sweet song, melodic with a good dose of technique and rhythm. A big riff and Petrucci's solo over joyful and sparkling keyboards like fresh wine. LaBrie performs a miracle with his high school crush

[Mammuth - April 7, 2008, late afternoon] Hello to all the users of Debaser, this is my first review that I'm writing and even though there are already some about Dream Theater, this band has been very important for my musical evolution and I hope to get you interested in this incredible group that released this beautiful album in 1992, and especially in Mike Portnoy, undoubtedly the best drummer in the world; you really need to hear him! This CD was released in 1992 on Atlantic Records and it's amazing how on this album, Dream Theater, a group of guys from Boston who at the time had only released one full-length album and before calling themselves Dream Theater were named Majesty and had released an album that's now almost impossible to find, manage to span various genres using even a saxophone in metal, which had only been used by Pink Floyd in the '70s. In fact, Pink Floyd and progressive rock bands have a significant influence on Dream Theater, especially on that brilliant drummer named Mike Portnoy. But the other members of the band are also very talented and play very well. Moreover, Images & Words sees the entrance of the new singer James LaBrie, very skilled and with a warm and expressive voice that pleases not only Dream Theater fans but everyone. The genre proposed is a very psychedelic progressive metal/rock, but not always, with lots of technical prowess from the musicians; just think of "Learning To Live" or "Metropolis Part I," which they always perform at their concerts that I recommend you attend because you learn a lot thanks to these incredible musicians. The album features many odd and even time signatures, and keyboardist Kevin Moore is wonderfully emotional and conveys a lot of feelings. The first time I heard this album, I had goosebumps all over and felt chills because these musicians are so good at transmitting beautiful emotions through a technique that they certainly possess: they studied at Berklee in Boston!!! One of the best music schools in the world! Very experimental are "Surrounded" and "Another Day," which is the one where they use the saxophone, songs that in 1992 certainly couldn't sound different from what a less interested audience might expect to hear from these guys from Boston. The influences also come significantly from Rush and partly from metal bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Motörhead, and so on. In short, this album has deeply marked me and I hope it can convey to you the same emotions it gave me when I listened to it for the first time, and it would be nice to be able to recommend it to metalheads as well as non-metalheads because it is truly a beautiful CD, very technical and experimental!

Then here come the guitars and keyboards combining all sorts of colors for about four minutes, literally making your head spin! Then the rhythm slows down and we witness an ending that is just as cinematic. Perhaps unjustly underrated is the number 6 "Under A Glass Moon." Its start is also very cinematic, worthy of the best Spielberg film. Undoubtedly the most aggressive track on the album, but Kevin Moore helps to give this song a melodic aspect as well. In the instrumental part, Petrucci gifts us one of his most beautiful solos. To relax a bit, a lovely "Wait For Sleep" is needed, a short but touching ballad: two and a half minutes of piano and voice that carry the excellent signature of Kevin Moore.
And to conclude, here’s the track that best highlights the band’s progressive vein: "Learning To Live," the piece that showcases the most styles. It starts aggressively with great keyboard melodies, then slows down where the keyboards gift a soft and touching melody; the rhythm continually builds up only to become aggressive again, then slows down once more to give space first to excellent keyboard melodies and then to a more bluesy section marked by a beautiful acoustic guitar over a bed of keyboards; the rhythm rises again until it culminates in the final part, less aggressive and more melodic, with the keyboards taking the lead; one should also note a reprise of "Wait For Sleep." A very well-crafted conclusion, first with the bass, then with a guitar riff that plays indefinitely.
Ah, what a struggle, huh? I conclude by saying that "Images And Words" is an extremely difficult album to imitate; in my opinion, one of the greatest albums of all time, not just of this genre. It's sale season and you don't know what clothes to buy? Here’s a tip: forget the clothes and go buy a beautiful CD; a masterpiece like this certainly wouldn’t do you any harm!

[Splinter - March 10, 2008, late afternoon] Reviewing an album that practically marked an entire genre, progressive metal, is not easy, but I'll do my best.
The band is coming off a bit of disappointment from their debut album "When Dream And Day Unite"; an album that, despite outlining some characteristics of the Dream Theater sound, was not enough to catapult the band to the success they would later achieve. But to realize the "dream," the second album is all it took. An obviously unexpected success, considering that in general, what starts poorly is often destined, according to many, to continue poorly as well.
Images And Words is undoubtedly the masterpiece of progressive metal: anyone looking to get a general idea of what it is must start right from this album! The album indeed contains all the characteristics of the genre: exquisite technique, experimentalism, long and articulated tracks, but also a strong melodic sensitivity. A decisive choice by the band was the departure of Charlie Dominici, the vocalist from the first album, who, after less than convincing performances in the early live shows, was replaced by a much more mature and powerful voice: that of James LaBrie. Among all the lineup changes the band has undergone, perhaps this one was the most crucial; who knows how things would have turned out without such a change! Would they have continued to be a basement band? Or perhaps just a collection for collectors? But that doesn’t concern us; what matters is what Dream Theater is now: one of the most followed bands in the world with thousands and thousands of fans registered in various fan clubs, doing concerts that last three hours and, unfortunately, also taking numerous critiques!
It starts with "Pull Me Under," a song that is not overly complex, rather linear, based on Petrucci's powerful guitar, but it offers some excellent melodic moments thanks to the keyboards of Kevin Moore; the ending might give the listener a jolt: the song abruptly concludes as if the plug were pulled suddenly; at first glance, one might think it's a recording error and might even consider returning the album to the store, but in reality, that's how the track ends.
But here comes a ballad, an element that from now on will appear in every album of the band. It's "Another Day," primarily based on the melodic line of the piano; note also the presence of a saxophone, which plays both in the second verse and in the ending; Petrucci showcases his talent with a nice solo before the finale.
Finally, here’s a true example of technique: "Take The Time." The first three minutes are characterized by frantic guitar riffs and impressive funky rhythms supported by Myung's bass, then comes a delightful instrumental part where guitar and keyboard express their full potential, sometimes playing in unison, sometimes separately; Petrucci creates the ending with yet another solo after the last chorus.
"Surrounded" starts slowly, with a nice piano accompanied by keyboards, then Petrucci enters and the sound of the guitars becomes increasingly hard, reaching a point of maximum power after which the track slows down again, concluding with the piano accompanied by the keyboards.
And here’s the iconic track of the album, "Metropolis pt. 1." Icon of the album? No, of their career! We are faced with the quintessential classic of the band, the one that will always be requested by fans at live shows and whose omission will inevitably leave a bitter taste for those leaving the venue (trust me, this happened to me when I saw them at the Datch Forum last October 29). A very theatrical beginning with all instruments joining in one by one, the first four minutes characterized by a sunny and linear melody... Then for about four minutes, guitars and keyboards truly create a colorful display that will leave your head spinning! Then the rhythm slows down, and we witness an equally cinematic ending.
Perhaps unjustly underrated is track number 6, "Under A Glass

[Gilmour - April 17, 2007 in the late evening] After debuting with the excellent "When Day And Dream Unite" (1989), in 1992, the absolute masterpiece (up until now) by Dream Theater was released, "Images And Words". Every time I listen to it, my heart fills with indescribable sensations just like the first time I heard it. This album presents some novelties compared to the previous one: most notably, the arrival of vocalist James Labrie, who sings excellently on this album (romantic and emotional in the slower songs, assertive and aggressive in the others). In this record, the New York quintet (for those who may not know: John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on bass, James Labrie on vocals, Mike Portnoy on drums, and Kevin Moore on keyboards) fully demonstrates their technical and compositional skills, with songs in a full Progressive style (showing influences from Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, etc.), with classical hints and, of course, metal (in my opinion, more prog than metal), giving us a historic masterpiece. But let's move on to the tracks: the first song, "Pull Me Under," begins with an arpeggio from Petrucci's guitar, which changes into the most energetic piece of the album, aligning the lyrics (which are about death) with the music. The second song is "Another Day," a poignant ballad with melancholic tones, showcasing an outstanding keyboardist (Kevin Moore) and the sublime James Labrie (Petrucci's solo is beautifully brilliant, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful): here too, the lyrics (about John Petrucci's father's battle against cancer) align perfectly with the melodies, even more beautiful thanks to the various sax solos. The third track is "Take The Time," a long piece characterized by the excellent harmonies of the Theater, demonstrating varied structure (starting with an intro in a grand metal style, then prog fragments, and finally, an instrumental piece with a great solo). Curiosity: as you might have heard, at a certain point in the piece, you can hear a phrase in Italian, "ora che ho perso la vista, ci vedo di più," addressed to a family member of the band who has lost their sight. "Surrounded," the fourth track of the album, opens with an intense melody of piano, synth, and voice, before transforming into a more energetic piece, while still maintaining sunny and melancholic tones (Petrucci's solo is beautiful). The fifth track, "Metropolis Pt.1, The Miracle And The Sleeper," is perhaps the band's most famous song and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful on the album (it’s fantastic live): an instrumental keyboard intro builds intensity in the central part to make way for excellent Prog melodies, showcasing their immense technical and compositional skill. "Under A Glass Moon," the sixth track, is a mix of Prog and metal, shaped with their usual prowess, and constitutes one of the hardest pieces on the album, with fast and technical parts, yet with Moore crafting unique harmonies and instrumental layers. After the storm, tranquility arrives with "Wait For Sleep," a beautiful piece for piano and voice: emotional, melancholic, poignant—these are just a few adjectives that can be attributed to this song, one of the most beautiful written by Moore (alongside "Space Dye-Vest"). We are now approaching the final piece, "Learning To Live," perhaps the most varied track on the album: very rock in the first part, then featuring prog, classic, jazz influences, and again rock and prog together, culminating in the final section, characterized by many similarities to "Wait For Sleep." In conclusion, the five New Yorkers have gifted us a magnificent album, certainly one of the best in the history of Progressive Metal (they are among the pioneers of this genre, along with a few other bands), demonstrating technique, accuracy, precision, taste, and how skilled they are at evoking emotion.

[STIPE - March 19, 2007 in the morning] “Images And Words,” images and words of every person, thoughts of every human being, words that touch you deeply. This album represents the peak aspiration for Dream Theater; it is James LaBrie's first record, who replaced Charlie Dominici. The album was released on July 7, 1992, and at that time the band consisted of James LaBrie as vocalist, John Petrucci on guitar, John Myung on bass, Mike Portnoy on drums, and Kevin Moore on keyboards. Over the years, the lineup underwent various changes.
With this album, Dream Theater wrote many pages of progressive metal, of which they are the leading exponents. The songs that make up the record are all of the highest level, both in terms of melody and technique. The album opens with "Pull Me Under," the most aggressive song on the album, characterized by powerful rhythmic accelerations and a meticulously crafted chorus. The lyrics, composed by Kevin Moore, talk about death inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet. In fact, to simulate the sudden arrival of death, the song abruptly cuts off. “Another Day” is a very poignant ballad, featuring exquisite melodies and unusual saxophone parts, all adorned with a wonderful solo by John Petrucci. The lyrics speak about Petrucci's father and his battle against cancer, from which he unfortunately would not survive. “Take The Time” is a lengthy track that presents various typical elements of progressive metal; it is the only song written by all the band members. At one point in the lyrics, there is a phrase in Italian taken from the film Nuovo Cinema Paradiso that says, “ora che ho perso la vista ci vedo di più.” This phrase is directed to a family member of the band who lost their sight. “Surrounded” features an intro with piano and LaBrie's beautiful voice, then shifts to sunny yet melancholic tones, largely the work of Kevin Moore. “Metropolis Part I: The Miracle And Sleeper” fully expresses the characteristics of the band's sound; in fact, it can be considered the true manifesto of Dream Theater. A 9-minute track where one can notice a technique that is never self-indulgent, alongside an excellent melody combined with great compositional class. The long instrumental section is an impressive series of musical virtuosity.
“Under A Glass Moon” is a piece with fast rhythms and highly technical passages; Petrucci's inspired solo is worth noting. “Wait For Sleep” is a poignant track with melancholic tones, showcasing how essential Kevin Moore was to the group. The album concludes with “Learning To Live,” another classic from the band. A track lasting 11 minutes where acoustic guitar, jazz, and progressive parts are blended with the usual class that distinguishes the five musicians. The lyrics, written by Myung, speak of a girl suffering from AIDS, and the theme of the song emerges especially in the central part of the piece.
With this album, Dream Theater cements their place in the history of progressive metal. An album full of emotions and various feelings suitable for every man. Songs that express the pain and fragile existence of humanity. The masterpiece of progressive metal, but in essence, this genre was invented by them!

As with Rush and Neal Morse. From this point on, DT [excluding some slight physiological dips] will increasingly follow the path marked by 'Images And Words': technique, unpredictability, poetry, evolution. Long live the Theater of Dreams!
P.S.: I know there are already 5 reviews of 'Images And Words' : p It's just that this is the first and currently only review I've written and I wanted to share it with you xDD In the next one, I hope to review only new or less commented stuff... bye!

[Cortez - August 4, 2006 in the late afternoon] Year of release: 1992 Label: ATCO Genre: Progressive Metal Duration: approximately 57 minutes
Tracklist: 1. Pull Me Under 2. Another Day 3. Take The Time 4. Surrounded 5. Metropolis Pt. 1 – The Miracle And The Sleeper 6. Under A Glass Moon 7. Wait For Sleep 8. Learning To Live. The Band In 1992, singer James LaBrie, destined to become another cornerstone of the group, joined Dream Theater, replacing Charlie Dominici. "Images And Words" is his first album with the band, and according to many, it coincides with the peak of his vocal power. On guitar, there’s always John Petrucci, more inspired than ever. The frantic rhythms of the album are driven by drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist John Myung. The band's keyboardist is Kevin Moore: his contribution to the direction of the music and his classy touches at just the right moments are definitely major strengths of the band.
The Album "Images And Words" follows “When Dream And Day Unite,” where the group’s potential and its prog-rock influences were already evident… but nothing hinted at such an explosion! It starts with “Pull Me Under,” entirely written by Moore. A fierce, aggressive track centered on the theme of death. It’s a continuous crescendo of tones and technique, featuring majestic rides and engaging riffs, changes in rhythm, and a slight hint of LaBrie’s vocal abilities.
The second track is “Another Day,” dedicated to Petrucci’s father’s difficult health conditions. It’s a slightly slower piece, with some jazz hints [featuring saxophone parts played by Jay Beckenstein]. A very melodic song with decidedly poetic and touching lyrics. From my point of view, one of the three most beautiful songs by DT.
“Take The Time” is a rather varied work, almost a suite that evolves over its 8-and-a-half-minute duration. Petrucci’s guitar work is very beautiful, and finally, Myung’s work shines through, which was a bit more hidden in the previous tracks. A particularly notable cameo: after the lines “I can see much better now I’m blind,” a line from an Italian movie by Tornatore, “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso,” is ‘stuck’ in: ‘Now that I’ve lost my sight, I see more.’ These words are dedicated to a family member of an unspecified band member who has become blind.
Fourth track: this is where James LaBrie explodes. “Surrounded” is a total celebration of the vocal abilities of the then twenty-nine-year-old singer. Soft tones and sung whispers, the rhythm rises, and the vocalist's acrobatics increase. Catchy rhythms, but everything else takes a backseat here. Welcome, progressive metal! According to some, it is with “Metropolis Pt. 1” that this eclectic genre truly comes to light. Eleven minutes of pure madness, with themes that succeed each other with a calculated unpredictability, some explosions from Portnoy, and a constantly active Petrucci, never mundane… no riff is repeated more than twice, and never identical.
“Under A Glass Moon” is the most technical piece of the album in my opinion, where the drummer and guitar soar above all [just to change things up]. According to many, the solo of this song is one of the best solos in the metal landscape ever… who can argue with that? In “Wait for Sleep,” we find Kevin Moore’s entire compositional flair, creating a small ballad with jazz-blues shades, very enjoyable to listen to. Catchy.
The album concludes with “Learning To Live,” a text written by John Myung for a girl ill with AIDS. It’s one of the most notable lyrics in this album, imbued with sweet aggression. There’s a certain musical resemblance to the first track, both for the type of distortion used by Petrucci and for the rhythmic pulse that is especially recognizable in the first part of the song.
Final comment: It’s the album that consacrates Dream Theater among the fathers of prog metal, placing them alongside sacred monsters like Rush and Neal Morse. From here on, DT [excluding some slight physiological drops], will increasingl