 |
DREAM THEATER
Metropolis Part 2 - Scenes From A Memory
(WEA/Elektra)
Reviewed by Christophe Chuvan
Mention the term "prog-rock" and people will often find themselves conjuring up images of pompous 70s super-productions, full of weird metaphors (A flying pig? Topographic oceans? A lamb lying on Broadway?), stereophonic landscapes bathing in bright, flashy colours sprayed across double-LP covers and, of course, bell bottom pants. This was a music genre which, by walking far too close to the edge of self-indulgence, was always going to fall into it one day. However, when all the ingredients were right, one cannot deny that the likes of Genesis, Pink Floyd and Yes produced some quite compelling and sometimes beautiful music.
Although that kind of musical foray hasn't lit the charts on fire for a while (make that a decade, since Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime"), Dream Theater has contributed, along with Fates Warning andthe aforementioned Queensryche, to a slow but steady revival of the genre. This trend looks set to continue with Dream Theater's latest offering, an ambitious concept-album entitled Metropolis Part 2: Scenes for a memory. For those interested, Metropolis Part 1 was actually a track from their 1992 album, Images And Words, and a fans' favorite. However, the new album, while it uses a few elements from that earlier song in order to set up its lyrical concept, does not really require knowledge of Part 1 in order to convey its story successfully. Thankfully so, otherwise, what would this world come to if rock bands started resorting to cheap Hollywood ploys to keep the crowds coming in?
A concept album is by very definition an ambitious piece of work, and that's probably why most bands fail miserably at it. Dream Theater, however, combine a high level of musicianship with a fine ear for pop stylings, which helps them achieve what most concept-albums can't: sustaining and even to some extent increasing the listener's interest as the story unfolds. The story itself tells of the visions experienced by an individual called Nicholas. As we progress through the album, we discover that Nicholas is reliving past experiences belonging to Victoria, a woman who met an untimely death. However, all is not what it seems as tales of betrayal, love and death are unraveled and a mystery is resolved.
Spanning twelve songs and two acts, the album is neatly structured, but what makes its strength, ultimately, is that the songs stand on their own, even taken out of the story's context. There aren't really any fillers which many bands seem forced to include, if just to connect the dots, on a concept-album. This particular bunch of musos is also renowned for its versatility and it shows in the diversity of styles that sometimes co-exist within the same song. Fast-tempo, heavy numbers with a metallic touch, alternate with slower and mellower ballads, each song adequately reflecting the mood required by the story arc.
It wouldn't be progressive if you didn't have long instrumental sections and extended solos, and this band certainly isn't going to re-write that rule: in this case, the musicians are of the highest caliber, combining virtuosity with a highly developed sense of melody. The newest addition to the line-up, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, makes quite a favorable impression as this record contains many piano-driven moments which are among the most beautiful and memorable ever recorded by Dream Theater.
This release has already been hailed as Dream Theater's crowning achievement, although it may be a bit early to bestow that kind of title on the record. Nonetheless, whatever lies ahead, this record will most definitely stand tall and proud in the band's canon. The bottom line: if you're a fan of the band, you've probably had this record stuck in your CD player for the last few weeks like me (and there wasn't really any point in you reading this review, was there?). If you're a fan of the genre, this one will be a worthy addition to your collection. If you're neither of the above but the terms "progressive-rock" and "concept-album" intrigue rather than scare you, give this one a try. I can't really think of a better starting point.
© 2000 - Christophe Chuvan