helterskelter.ca

DREAM THEATER
1994 - Awake.
2003 - Train Of Thought.
way more Helter Skelter.

October 4, 1994 - 2024: 30 years of: Awake.

A fully mature mix.

More acrobatics from the newly crowned progressive-metal DREAM THEATER. Following 1992's well-acclaimed Images And Words CD, more upper-class music shall ascend from this playhouse. Out of the dream-sequence comes, Act III: it's time for this scene to awake.

Under a glass moon, the deafening silence is broken at "6:00" o'clock on Christmas morning and fat metal-vibe are presented on the higher-paced "Caught In A Web". The now iconic jack-hammering crush of "The Mirror" is one of the decade's proudest metal-pounding, quickly followed by the hot slick grooves of "Lie". These thick guitar-tones are courtesy of the Ibanez Universe 7-string ...properly handled by John Petrucci obviously.

Temptation is displayed on the cosmic piano-led "Space-Dye Vest" and the 10min+ marathon of "Scarred". Pure posh pristine precision is powered on the instrumental "Erotomania" ...proving that they are rock / metal's finest craftsmen.

Albeit keyboardist Kevin Moore exited during the recording-sessions, Derek Sherinian would take DREAM THEATER deeper into more rich textures. No alternative-scene nor flavor of the month shall influences these Berklee graduates, ever.

More metal-majesty would bloom on 1997's gigantic Falling Into Infinity CD.

*
Lie = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD7OdyY1js4
The Silent Man = video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1gFXVANCt8
Awake = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElgXCB4exGU&list=OLAK5uy_mSQAf-fo5V_C1QP1VgzjjCKG7lHnSVvpU
Interview in 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LhD5NEvQNU
Live in San Francisco in 1994
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2exgqrLZgI
Portnoy on 6:00 in 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvXebl_F1o4
some guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3w6oCc-_vc
some guy dissect Awake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1oK7qls-BM&list=PLPq9xpeutqiPZHoPnLV7LkaUjoT0QUBGU
Awake isolated-tracks
https://www.youtube.com/@atomestudio8864/videos

November 11, 2003 - 2023: 20 years of: Train Of Thought.

High-octane prog-metal.

Following 2002's Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence 135min+ 2CD fiesta, the progressive cortege would now take a lead towards a heavier path. In this tormented post-Napster era, DREAM THEATER brings us a rich metal showcase. Listen and learn.

Deep bass and harmonies sets the mood to destroy, as "As I Am" slowly breaks in. Crystal-pure power ravages as the main riff drives us inside this loose heavymetal loaded freight-train. Caught in the eye of the tornado, the band had a firm grip on the genre.

Both pillars of "This Dying Soul" and "Honor Thy Father" are pristine exhibition of riff-o-ramas and top-shelf drumming. Both might be 10min+ adventures, yet never a dull moment. The soft church-like "Vacant" resets the pace to tear, while the build-up of "Stream Of Consciousness" is a solid barrage of rock-progression with harden steel alloy.

The Live At Budokan 3CD / 2DVD features a focused band, at the pinnacle of their craft, deep in the land of the Rising Sun.

Definitely not shaken by the shape-shifting new-millenium hard-music landscape, DREAM THEATER's direction would dwell within this new muscular-metal evolution. The culprits would provide more strong epic-metal, with 2005's Octavarium CD.

*
Train Of Thought = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q9Ss5zZU4k&list=OLAK5uy_mzHbHh63t-rMNesv4qdp459qrE1AD290E
Live At Budokan = full DVD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7j0rB4hC0A&list=PL6QO5UqFxBPFLTbL03GgnOkMXA9oqXZoq
Interview in 2004
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbttVrrvLOU
The making of Train Of Thought
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ovdzUj8h6o