I had some time off, so I decided to do the thing that I love the most, which is listening to all albums by Dream Theater and watching all of the DVD's they have released. When it comes to this band, words cannot describe my relationship with their music, if I had to try: it's the air that I breathe :)
I see every release as something truly special and the music reaches the most private and deepest corners of my soul. I just feel the best when I'm in company with their music, so giving, learning and interesting. Their music has become a very big part of me. The most important thing is the understanding music, it's difficult to explain, it just understands my mind.
I started in the morning with the albums and at night I watched the DVD's and next morning I felt like doing the whole thing one more time!
My Dream Theater Marathon: Dream Theater - When Dream and Day UniteThis is an underrated album. Yes, the production is crappy, yes, Charlie Dominici doesn't come near James LaBrie, however, the musicianship is outstanding. A solid album and the birth of the biggest progressive metal band. I consider this as a great debut album - lots of potential is shown, which we only can verify today.
Dream Theater - Images and WordsOne of my all time favorite albums. A true groundbreaking masterpiece. The song
Learning to live, is one of the songs that has made the biggest impact on me in my life
"The way your heart sounds makes all the difference, it´s what decides if you´ll endure the pain that we all feel, the way your heart beats makes all the difference in learning to live" - one of those lines that you'll never forget.
The technical flair combined with the exceptional lyrics and emotion is just overwhelming. All of my senses are busy during the entire album.
Read review written by Tommy Dream Theater - AwakeMy first DT and favorite album of all time (in great competition with "Images and words" and "Scenes From a Memory")
Every single song is beyond belief. I love when James sings (
Voices): "
I'm lying here in bed swear my skin is inside out, just another morning, seen my diary on the newsstand, seems we've lost the truth to quicksand, it's a shame no one is praying, cause these voices in my head keep saying ." it just get me EVERY single time... for the last 4 years
. In short: Awake is musical perfection period.
Read review written by Tommy
Dream Theater - A Change of SeasonsThe title track is one of my all time favorite DT songs; it's a true piece of art. It has such a varied structure, and everything they are capable of comes to play. It's one of the best ways to spend 23 min of your life, believe me. I'm mad about every single second of this creation.
Read review written by Yoni
Dream Theater Falling Into InfinityNot the most consistent album from them, some songs does better. Here are my personal highlights:
Peruvians Skies - I have always thought that this one has a lovely chorus and the heaviness creates a nice contrast.
Hollow Years and
Trail of Tears -
Hollow Years is warm and very moody, and
Trail of Tears has some touching lyrics and a stunning chorus. The personal relationship I have with these two songs does make me think very highly of them.
Take away my pain - stunning and has some great lyrics.
Dream Theater - Metropolis PT II: Scenes From A memoryIs something utterly special, very touching and tragic story and the music is amazing. At this point (during my marathon) I looked like Bridget Jones in the "All by myself"scene , red wine, Kleenex all over the place, Ben and Jerry's, the sofa , a duvet and very red eyes and singing
Through My Words out loud and just thinking to myself: "
I'm not worthy enough listening to this music". The lyrics are of the finest quality, and touching deeply.
Read review written by Tommy Dream theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence The title track
Six Degress of Inner Turbulence, which is divided into 8 parts, is a masterpiece (yes I've used this word a lot in this playlist, but take a look at the band!). When you listen to this song you really run an emotional marathon. Exhausted, that's for sure, but you want to go back and just start it all again.
Disappear is one of the most depressing songs ever, just listen to the heavy bass when James sings "so I'm moving on" it's so deep. One of my favorite DT songs.
Dream Theater - Train of ThoughtThis dying soul has a very complex structure but it holds 100%.
A quite dark album with some mesmerizing and exiting progressive songs and one instrumental that consists of several diverse passages.
Read review written by Tommy Dream Theater - Octavarium Is my least favorite album from them. However, it is still OK. The title track has a very Pink Floydish beginning - delightful and atmospheric. Sadly it just fades and becomes a little bit to fluffy for my taste. When you consider of what DT is capable of, this album is like a drop of water. If they just added more emotion and some highly impressive moments, then it defiantly would do better.
Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos The beginning of
In The Presence Of Enemies part I is stunning
. At 2.10 you get into a magical moment of total bliss, I almost feel like I'm off the ground. Portnoy is insane, the drums builds a very tense mood up to this moment. The guitar solo by Petrucci in
Repentance is full of emotion and fits perfectly into the very calm and mesmerizing mood.
Prophets Of Wars is the only song that I never ever seem to get into, it lacks something special, something memorable, something that lifts it up.
Read review written by Tommy Dream Theater Black Clouds & Silver Linings 3 disc. Is the latest DT album and it's highly impressive. As all of their albums, it needs time to grow, however, when it opens up it's incredible. The instrumental disc and the disc with the cover songs are the icings!
Read review written by Tommy
Other albums:
Anathema - Alternative 4A very interesting album with many deep feelings in it. It has a more "unforgiving" and "angry" vibe than the album
Jugdement. The Pink Floyd covers
Your Possible Pasts, One Of The Few and
Goodbye Cruel World are covered surprisingly well. And the Bad Religion cover
Better Off Dead is executed in a new way, and I like this version much better than the original. I really find this band very interesting and I'm very fond of their way of creating miserable, relatable and yet rocking songs e.g.
Empty and
Fragile Dreams. Obus - PrepárateI got fed up with all the snow and the Ice cold wind so I decided to give this album (which I brought in Spain some years ago) a spin. I felt better instantly. This album is just so much fun. It's NWOHM, it's from 1981, simple classic Heavy Metal. It always makes me laugh and I love singing along to every single song. There's just one thing left to say: Prepárate! (English:prepare yourself)
Savatage - Dead Winter Dead "We placed our years in the hourglass, they were never unearned and we seemed destined to watch them pass - it was never our turn" Faaaaantastic! I simply L O V E
This Is The Time (1990) it's filled with emotion, great guitar and marvelous vocal performance. Just listen to the guitar solo in the beginning, I feel so ecstatic every time I hear it - it's defiantly one of my favorite Savatage songs. It's a superior album, telling a fantastic story.
Savatage - The Wake of MagellanAn album which has made a huge impression on me. I've never ever heard anything like
The Storm, it's as if someone hits you suddenly in your stomach about 1:49, then you find yourself at peace and it is as if you're floating in the ocean.
Turns To Me is also one of my faves, the chorus is just fantastic
"all of those moments she ". sung in the most fantastic calm and sensitive way. The guitar solo at 3:46, starts just as he sings "
there's no one to pray for me tonight" ooh that point is heavenly. An emotional song and still a brilliant rocker.
This album must be heard with sea wind in your face, the songs reach another dimension, and so does your mind - I can highly recommend this.
