Dream Theater, currently the most famous band in mainstream
prog-metal, mixes 70s prog rock ideas with 90s pop and crunch on
"Metropolis Pt. II - Scenes from a Memory," a 77
minute concept album based on the song "Metropolis Pt.
I" from 1992's "Images and Words." Like much
Dream Theater, the concept is grandiose and the execution is
coldly flawless, but the songwriting wavers between clever
twists and vapid cheese.
Dream Theater's last CD "Falling into Infinity"
featured simplified songwriting aimed for radio airplay, but was poorly
received. Meanwhile, the band wrote an unreleased 30 minute sequel to
"Metropolis Pt. I," and drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John
Petrucci shredded on their side project Liquid Tension Experiment. The band
decided to return to their heavier, more progressive roots, and replaced
keyboardist Derek Sherinian with Liquid Tension collaborator Jordan Rudess.
The return to a heavier and more progressive
style also included an attempt at the 70s prog rock staple, the concept album,
with direct reference to old Dream Theater in the writing of a sequel to their
most respected song. "Scenes" follows a boy with strange dreams of a
murdered girl who lived many years ago. The themes of young love, murder, and
reincarnation strongly recall the Kenneth Brannaugh movie "Dead
Again."
The dichotomy between crunchy progressive
metal and synth pop found throughout Dream Theater's work is evident on
"Scenes." The empty pop interludes, particularly the synth drum
ballad "Through Her Eyes," seem like breaks for less sophisticated
listeners, or singles for radio, and they disrupt the flow of the album. The
concept album format is also dumbed down by silly, unnecessary trappings, like
a clock tick intro with a hypnotist narration, and a legend to the liner notes
explaining which lyrics represent past and present characters. These
simplifications mar the album.
Dream Theater has always worn their musical
influences prominently on their sleeve. "Scenes" features blatant
references to Pink Floyd, Rush, Journey, Tool, and even Meshuggah and Mariah
Carey. Diverse influences are usually a strength, but Dream Theater can't seem
to assimilate their influences into a novel collage that doesn't sound like a rip-off
of the original sources.
Lyric and music fragments from
"Metropolis Pt. I" are cleverly worked into the music and lyrics on
"Scenes," making it feel like a true sequel. In addition, new musical
themes repeated throughout "Scenes" connect most of the songs into
one larger work, although without the overall cohesiveness of Fates Warning's
"A Pleasant Shade of Gray." Unfortunately, the pedantic and dull
lyrics fall flat compared to the music. They adequately tell the story, but
they lack any poetic impact beyond simple communication, and in places are
downright awful.
New keyboardist Rudess matches Petrucci's
guitar on lightning fast runs, just like old Dream Theater. Drummer Portnoy and
singer James LaBrie, however, have matured somewhat in their restraint, Portnoy
playing more sparse drum lines, and LaBrie avoiding the ultra-high register
where his voice cracks.
"Scenes from a
Memory" is more interesting and ambitious than their last
CD, but it suffers from blatant influence coping in addition to
the same lifeless lyrics and sugary pop found in most Dream
Theater. The attempt is impressive, but "A Change of
Seasons" remains their most cohesive and original work.
Note: This review is Copyright 1999 by Scott H. Andrews and may not be
reprinted or used in public, like posted on a home page, without permission.
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