Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)

This album is not only the best album of 1999, but Dream Theater has finally put out their masterpiece. The release of Liquid Tension Experiment 2 gave us a few hints on what the new Dream Theater album would sound like, but nothing could have prepared fans for the music featured on this album. Scenes From a Memory mixes the emotional, and melodic, content on A Change Of Seasons and Images And Words, with some of the heavy-ness on Awake, and the technical insanity featured on Liquid Tension Experiment 2. But there are plenty of new sounds not found on any of their previous albums. This includes a cool little ragtime section, complex Indian/Arabic riffing, Helloween-influenced harmonies (done on guitar and keyboards), and Zappa-like dissonance. Of course, the album is not without some flaws. Some of the Pink Floyd-ish sections could have been left out. And some of the solos tend to drag a bit after a while. But these flaws are minor when you listen to the CD from beginning to end. Dream Theater has, once again, changed the world of prog-metal.

review by Steve Hegede

Act I

1. "Scene One: Regression" - 2:06

2. "Scene Two, Part. I: Overture 1928"(instrumental) - 3:37

3. "Scene Two, Part. II: Strange Déjà Vu" - 5:12

4. "Scene Three, Part. I: Through My Words" - 1:02

5. "Scene Three, Part. II: Fatal Tragedy" - 6:49

6. "Scene Four: Beyond This Life" - 11:22

7. "Scene Five: Through Her Eyes" - 5:29

Act II

8. "Scene Six: Home" - 12:53

9. "Scene Seven, Part. I: The Dance of Eternity" - 6:13

10. "Scene Seven, Part. II: One Last Time" - 3:46

11. "Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On" - 6:38

12. "Scene Nine: Finally Free" - 11:59

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