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METROPOLIS 2000 - SCENES FROM NEW YORK DVD
The arrival of Dream Theater's first dvd has a back-story almost as complex as the story played out on the 'Scenes From A Memory' album.
However, a year later and the region 2 dvd is finally with us, we can get to see the last night of the full 'Scenes...' show in all its glory.
If like me, you didn't get a chance to see the full show, then this dvd will more than make up for it. Not only do you get 90 minutes of an extended live performance of the album, but you also get an additional
hour's worth of music including the 'Mind Beside Itself' suite, 'Learning To Live', and the epic 'Change of Seasons'.
You can also hear the remainder of the set as a soundtrack to further bonus materials which include backstage footage and photo galleries.
As you'd expect with dvd, the picture is nice and sharp, so you can see plenty of detail, right down to the strings being bent on the fretboards - so any aspiring guitarists can save themselves money on instruction
videos and buy this instead!
Unfortunately the sound is a bit of a missed opportunity - a dolby digital 5.1 mix would really have brought out powerful live sound that the band produce, but instead we have to settle for plain old stereo.
Still, the mix does deliver the goods with plenty of bass and a clarity missing from the 'Once In A Livetime' CD. You can clearly hear each instrument, even during the more intense moments.
As the bulk of the set is taken up with the 'Scenes...' album in its entirety, it can be a bit heavy going at times during the lengthy instrumental breaks, but imaginative editing and plenty of camera angles keep the
attention on the screen. Mind you, some of the cheesy 70's type visuals could have been left out, and the split screen edits looked like they had been borrowed from Led Zep's 'Song Remains The Same' movie (ie
mirror shots of Page playing the twin-neck etc). But drummer Mike Portnoy, who produced the dvd, does have a valid point that the split screen allows you to see what each member is playing at a particular
point in a song and it certainly made me realise just how accomplished they are as musicians.
Footage of actors playing out the key parts of the back story has also been incorporated into the performance, and having only paid the studio album's lyrics a cursory glance, I was chagrined to realise that I'd got
the story completely the wrong way round! Although you wouldn't realise it on first viewing, a lot of thought and detail has gone into the background film - the early snapshots from 1928 are deliberately left
blurred and only sharpen their focus as the story progresses and the character of Nicholas begins to piece his memories together.
And if you've only heard the CD and wondered what that ending was all about .... well, watch the dvd and all will be revealed! (it does make you sit up sharply when the penny drops.....).
The key feature on this dvd though, which shows the band pushing the envelope, is the full-length commentary.
Whether you're interested in chord progressions or technical details, or want to know what each member was thinking when they approached each song, it's all in the commentary. The band readily admit their musical influences, and I was surprised at how blindingly obvious a lot of the musical references are with hindsight - Prince, Radiohead, Journey and Zappa to name a few.
It also becomes apparent from the lighthearted banter that these guys genuinely enjoy each other's company and respect one another's contributions to the music, which would explain why the band are able to pull off
such complex material on stage. Mind you, they do admit early on in the commentary that they frequently worried about "how the hell are we gonna recreate this live" once they had laid it down in the
studio, which only endeared them to me. Far from being clinical and humourless, as the media has sometimes portrayed them, they come across as a fun bunch that you'd be happy to share a beer with.
If you're a fan, then you should try to get hold of this dvd, as the band have strived to pack it full of material and really make it something special. If on the other hand you've not been impressed with what
you've heard on CD, then it's worth borrowing or renting the dvd just to see the band at a creative peak and understand why they have such a devoted following.
John Stout 14th January 2002
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SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE
Track Listing: The Glass Prison (13:52); Blind Faith (10:21); Misunderstood (9:32); The Great Debate (13:45); Disappear (6:45); Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (42:02) i. Overture, ii. About To Crash, iii. War
Inside My Head, iv. The Test That Stumped Them All, v. Goodnight Kiss, vi. Solitary Shell, vii. About to Crash (Reprise), viii. Losing Time/Grand Finale.
When this album came out nine months ago, I had originally planned to review it while it was still fresh, but I kept putting the review off as I struggled to get to grips with such a lengthy and dark opus and, as a
result, 'Six Degrees...' has been on and off my deck in varying (ahem) degrees since then...
With the boys shortly due to play these shores again, it seemed appropriate to have another go at the album, this time in its entirety, to get a broad overall feel for it.
I have to nail my colours on the mast and admit that Dream Theater have been a particular favourite of mine for a number of years now, and with the possible exception of the 'Falling Into Infinity' album, in my
humble opinion, they haven't made a duff album yet. So, bias aside, what's the verdict?
Well the usual DT trademarks are all present and correct:-
frantic drumming, patented prog-metal riffery, expansive keyboard backgrounds, a distinctive bass sound and soaring vocals. But just as 'Scenes From A Memory' pushed the envelope a bit wider by attempting a concept album, 'Six Degrees' sees the band sidestepping the temptation of Scenes Part 2, and going for an album which explores images and sounds closer to the dark side of the force.
Once again, the band take chances, moving further away from the melodies associated with the 'Images and Words' album (a style which many fans would like to see the band return to), to embrace a sound bordering on
the brutal. 'Six Degrees' is an angry and unsettling album, yet a strong streak of humanity runs through each song.
'The Glass Prison' opens with the sound of static and a dramatic prelude before an urgent riff announces starters orders.
Then they're off in a blur of syncopated rhythms and flurries of guitar notes - definitely a case of light the fuse and stand back. Meanwhile, the vocals veer between bouts of anguished wailing and distorted maniacal phrasing. The pace does slow down long enough to catch your breath before the song crashes in with the sort of aggressive power metal more associated with the likes of Pantera. The listener may feel thoroughly bruised at the end of this song; DT can wield fierce power in their songs, but you get the feeling that it's always under control.
'Blind Faith' slows the pace down a little, and offers a chance for Jordan Rudess' piano to make itself heard before the song launches into the crunching riff/chorus.
During the quieter passages there's an interesting guitar echo in the background. I'm sure the guitar techniques have been done before, but the way they have been textured into this song make it an interesting listen, and it certainly sounds like John Petrucci is trying to stretch his creativity. I particularly liked the interplay between Petrucci's solid riff mid-section and Rudess' Hammond organ improvisation in the gaps between the riffs.
'Misunderstood' has a gentle intro very similar to Led Zeps' 'Ten Years Gone' which allows La Bries' vocals to take a confident lead. More often than not he tends to get lowered in the mix as the rest of band
wade in, especially live, so it's nice to hear him get his chance to shine in this song. But this is no ballad - and, in fact, is probably one of the darkest pieces on the album from a melodic
perspective. Halfway through, the song wanders into discordant King Crimson territory and gets quite unsettling at times. Inner turbulence indeed!
'The Great Debate' is perhaps the band's finest composition yet.
A busy bass line ushers in the song with some imaginative drumming in and around the main beat, backed by a series of vox pops on the ethics of stem cell research. Then when La Brie steps up to the microphone some nifty mixing allows him to argue both sides of the debate - one side from each speaker. There are rock-solid performances from all the players, showing how well they gel as a band. Together with a song structure that avoids the usual prog-metal clichés, and some genuinely thought provoking lyrics, this is the highlight of the album for me, and raises the bar for other prog-metal bands to strive for. I doubt that the band could have pulled off such a masterpiece earlier in their career, it feels like the big payoff after the years of honing their craft on the earlier albums and tours.
'Disappear' feels like being gently lowered to the ground after the previous song, with La Brie getting a second bite at the cherry. This has a more traditional ballad style, with some nice keyboard offerings
from Rudess; but the themes are still slightly emotionally off-key in keeping with the earlier songs.
The 42 minute title track is the album's epic piece, dealing with subject of mental illness, society's rejection of those who suffer from it, and in turn, the sufferer's withdrawal from the world around them.
The grandiose overture sounds a little out of place given the darker themes of the other songs, but I can imagine this going down well in a live setting; building up the audiences' anticipation before the band kick
in together.
It's also a good showcase for Jordan Rudess' talents for song arrangement - and a useful reminder of how much he contributes to the band's sound on this album, adding shades of darkness and light throughout.
As the suite gathers pace, the band appear to be performing in a more traditional format, with richer melodies and less frantic tempos and at one point I could just imagine the raised lighters and scarves, but then
'War Inside My Head' explodes all over the speakers with the kind of crunchy riff that Sabbath would be proud of.
The tension rises with 'The Test That Stumped Them All' as the playing gets increasingly faster and dangerous.
But in sharp contrast, the gentle guitar work of 'Goodnight Kiss' offers an oasis of calm and serenity, before the upbeat feel of 'Solitary Shell', and the rock-out 'About to Crash'. These closing tracks have an uplifting vibe to them, but I felt they were at odds with the downbeat conclusion suggested by the lyrics. But hey, after the 90 minute roller coaster of this album, even my perception is affected by the turbulence...
The title 'Six Degrees of Turbulence' is an appropriate description of this album and even a quick look at the design of the CD cover gives a pretty good indication of the sounds waiting within. This is an
album that scales the emotional heights and plunges you into disturbing depths, but the musicianship is superb throughout, with everyone playing their socks off individually and collectively.
If you've sampled the earlier albums, then you should give this one a try because it's possibly DT's most accomplished offering yet. However, if you like your prog-metal bands with greater emphasis on the former and less on the latter then this may be a challenging album for you...
I certainly found it rewarding to listen to it all again in one sitting, but now I'm left wondering ... how the hell do they top this?
John Stout 9th October, 2002
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TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Tracklist: As I Am (7:47), This Dying Soul (11:28), Endless Sacrifice (11:23), Honor Thy Father (10:14), Vacant (2:58), Stream Of Consciousness (11:16), In The Name Of God (14:16)
As a long-standing fan of this group, I have to admit that I approached my first listen to this album with some trepidation. 2002's 'Six Degrees of Infinite Turbulence' was very disappointing to these ears
and received very few plays, but I was pleased to hear of the band's return to producing an album of 'songs' rather than another 'concept album'. With five of the seven songs featured clocking in at more than 10
minutes in length, it appeared that there would still be plenty of room for the band to flex their muscles and show off their technique.
The album opens suitably bombastically with the heavy booming riff of 'As I Am' which has a distinct Black Sabbath / Metallica ring to it. That being said, it is quite catchy and shaved of a minute or two
of instrumental filler at the close it would have made an even better, punchier start to the disk. 'This Dying Soul' opens with almost two minutes of instrumental overture, guitar and keys weaving themes before the
bass-driven main riff appears. When James Labrie's vocals appear, it is calm and peaceful at first, but become more forceful as the song gets to the chorus. Megaphone effects and an almost 'rapping' style of
delivery fit the pace of the song well before an altogether calmer piano interlude sets the mood for the soul to 'pass over'; in fact this part might have fitted nicely into their 'Scenes From A Memory' album. From
there it bridges into a much faster paced passage and into a lengthy shred-fest finale that merely extends the song unnecessarily.
'Endless Sacrifice' is, along with 'In The Name of God' one of the better tunes, opening in a style which would also fit easily alongside the 'Scenes From a Memory' material. Labrie sings over keys and
orchestral samples before the song bridges to a heavier, strident Nu-Metal style riffing, then, 5 minutes into the tune the band break into an extended instrumental section. Guitar and keyboards weave disparate
themes together with the song's heavier riff as the glue. Unfortunately neither Jordan Rudess's nimble fingers nor Petrucci's noodling offer much in the way of a memorable melody, though there is clearly plenty of
technique on show.
I could continue in the same vein with 'Honor Thy Father' and the other compositions, as they too would benefit from the shedding of some extraneous minutes of mainly instrument excess. That's not to say
that it is all bad, but more to emphasise that sometimes less is more and that perhaps the band should have put some of the under-developed themes to one side or developed more shorter tunes, instead of throwing
everything that they had into a single pot.
Dream Theater of old managed to combine both melody and technique into their solos. My main grumble with the disk is not that there are too many solos, as one expects that from Dream Theater, but that the solos feature plenty of technique, while melody and emotion is largely absent.
It is clear that the band continues to have a fertile musical imagination while continuing to incorporate recognisable elements of the music of other artists such as Tool, Metallica and some of the
Nu-Metal acts into their compositions. However I can't help but think that the presence of an external producer might have assisted the band in focusing and distilling the best of the music here to produce a finer
result and one that might have been more satisfying to these ears, at least.
Charlie - January 11th 2004
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SCORE - 20th Anniversary World Tour Live with the
Octavarium Orchestra
TRACK LIST
Disc One:
The Root Of All Evil, I Walk Beside You, Another Won, Afterlife, Under A Glass Moon, Innocence Faded, Raise The Knife, The Spirit Carries On, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, Vacant, The
Answer Lies Within, Sacrificed Sons, Octavarium, Metropolis.
Disc Two:
20th Anniversary Documentary (1 hour), Octavarium Animation, Bonus tracks: Another Day (1993), The Great Debate (2002), Honor Thy Father (2005).
REVIEW
It's strange how long it can take to get into a band. After being hyped into it by 'The Spirit of Rush' fanzine, I bought DT's debut album 'When Dream And Day Unite' way back in 1989 but didn't like it that much. So,
some 17 years later when I decided to rent this DVD out of sheer curiosity I was pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying it. In the past I had found Dream Theater's music rather inpenetrable and somewhat
lacking in melody and indeed still think that is true of some of their material. Sometimes where DT excel with their sheer musical ability they can then fall short on the songwriting front. However, over the years I
guess they have got better at their craft and of course DVD's like this one are only going to include some of their very best material.
Beautifully filmed and recorded in 2006 this 2 disc set shows Dream Theater at their peak and packed with lots of extras provides excellent value for money for existing fans and newbies like me who can discover the
thrill of the band in a live setting. Each member of the band get a chance to shine here with John Petrucci's guitar and Jordan Rudess' keys particularly standing out while of course Mike Portnoy's drumming is
incredible too. I wish John Myung's bass was a little further up in the mix sometimes as he too is an amazing player. James LaBrie's voice can occasionally decend into a wail but there's no denying the range and
emotion of his powerful voice.
When a DVD makes you wish you were actually at the concert you know it has done it's job. It's converted a long time sceptic like me into a fan who now has the new Dream Theater album on order. Highly recommended.
Steve 28/05/07
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