Technical perfection with minor flaws

With your second studio album Dream Theater have certainly done a lot for the world of Prog. The Ausnahmsmusiker have already let so fold your brilliant debut in respect of technical perfection some jaw downwards. As before, however, are a major problem when it comes to song structure and interpretation.

It is undisputed that Portnoy and Petrucci, Morre and Co extremely talented virtuosos are on their instruments. Each mastered the technical finesse of his instrument and has an adequate opportunity to demonstrate this on the album "Images and Words" impressive. Especially Portnoy is emphasized here, the true rhythm conjures marvels at his drums. Downright phenomenal is the production that leaves excellent rumble from the speakers bass and drums.

Quite large smears but there are at singing and songwriting. Of course, James LaBrie is not a bad singer and far better than some extra from the metal area, but his performance is not convincing. Especially in the high notes, which he drives relentlessly in every song, tilts his voice and he scars just past the right tone. In addition, his voice is not powerful enough to carry songs like "Pull Me Under" - which is a shame, because this song has become by far the best on the album and since then a fan anthem.

But the accusation that Dream Theater is a tech-savvy band with no soul, is no accident and is in my opinion, justified. Each song comes up with several instrumental parts, where the musicians can introduce yourself with breathtaking solos. It breaks but the actual song structure on unpleasant. The solos are like foreign bodies in the Song construct. That's probably the best name for the songs - there remain constructs that may have some interesting set pieces, but can not convince as a whole. The only exceptions are the songs "Pull Me Under" and "Learning to Live". Even the Opus "Metropolis - Part 1" can only captivate due, but the middle part is advised to long-winded and pretentious.

What Dream Theater are definitely fails the quiet ballads that degenerated again into a Kitschbrei unparalleled. Very unfortunate. When "Wait for Sleep" also may initially surprise with a very interesting piano performances, the chorus also drifting again into irrelevance from. This is also reflected in the texts again, the most not just poetic masterpieces, although Moore manages thanks to the spiritual words always an interesting counterpoint to the driving rhythms of the song "Pull Me Under" has to offer.

The album is by no means bad, on the contrary, it is even very good. However, compared to other prog-metallers no serious rival. Dream Theater would do well to exchange their gimmicks and technical finesse against addictive songwriting.