Dream theater falling into infinity review năm 2024

FII differs from its predecessors in several aspects. Firstly, there is Kevin Shirley helping the band out with the production. Secondly the songs on FII, unlike the previous releases, were recorded one at a time. This means, as opposed to every member coming in the studio and laying down his parts for the entire album and then being done, everyone had to come in and do the recording of a single song only. The end result was that each song had its own traits, certainly allowing the change of mood of each member to shine through. Perhaps this is one of the factos why FII is still one of DT's most diverse releases -- at least sonically. There is the typical Dream Theater song, "New Millennium", just with a more modern production, that features great bass playing from Myung and a somewhat more emphasized keyboard approach. Then there is the more pop-structured "You Not Me", which is perhaps what angered so many fans, but I like it. I think the catchy chorus serves its purpose quite well and mashes nicely with the funky guitar riff. This album has a very unique tone to it if you can get into it.

My immediate favourites off of FII are the Pink Floyd-ish "Peruvian Skies" inspired by an article John Petrucci read about an abused girl in Peru, hence the title. After the Floydian influence wears off, the song builds up into a very melodic and emotionally charged guitar solo that sends shivers down my spine. Derek's keyboard solo follows immediately, only less melodic and more straightforward. "Lines in the Sand" and the last track, "Trial of Tears", span over 25 minutes when put together, and are the album's most progressive pieces. Doug Pinnick of King's X also sings some back-ups on "Lines in the Sand" which is a very dense song. It is an attack on organized religion and explores feelings of isolation once the person realizes the religious zealots' hypocrisy. Mike Portnoy keeps a fantastic groove to this song, before giving way to Petrucci's amazing guitar solo. Anyone who dislikes John Petrucci's playing should hear this wonderfully amazing guitar run before passing judgement. It's a soaring solo that descends all over the song like a thunder with so many textures to it. "Trial of Tears" is broken down into three subtitles "i. It's Raining", "ii. Deep in Heaven", and "iii. The Wasteland" -- the song finds DT in their element. They go from soft, gentle passages to soul-crushing melodic moments and various odd-metered rhythm patterns.

The album contains some amazing ballads, which to my surprise are overlooked by many DT fans, but I think they are very well written songs with strong lyrical messages. Take the piano-based "Anna Lee" as an example: James Labrie invented this character after he was deeply moved by child abuse and incest; "Take Away My Pain" is a song dealing with the loss of a loved one (John Petrucci's late father who died of cancer in this case); while "Hollow Years" is a slow acoustic number portraying someone who leaves his loved ones behind. The repeated lines ("Once the stone/ You're crawling under") are quite possibly the most emotional lyrics Labrie sings on this album.

"Burning My Soul" and "Hell's Kitchen" were originally intended to be one long song, but then the band decided to lift off the instrumental section from the former and create an all instrumental track ("Hell's Kitchen" as it is), which got its name from the neighbourhood in NYC where this album was recorded. Give Petrucci's fretwork on this song a close listen, it may leave you speechless! As this review tries to express, FII is a quite solid album, with thoughtful lyrics, different but good production, and less complex but immensely amazing musicianship. It's not DT's finest moment, but it certainly holds a special place in their back catalog.

"Falling Into Infinity" is Dream Theater's fourth full-length album and it was released in 1997, following the very complicated "Awake". So what could you expect more from this record? Surely a lot seeing the amazing work produced on "Awake". And their music meets again fans' expectations while bringing new people into their pool of listeners. Why? Let's see...

First, let's talk about the band a little bit. The lineup is almost the same as on "Awake" with Mike Portnoy [drums], John Petrucci [guitars], John Myung [bass], Derek Sherinian [keyboards] and James LaBrie [vocals]. The bad news is, their previous talented keyboard player Kevin Moore is now gone, taking with him a part of the uniqueness of Dream Theater's sound for ever. That starts not really promising but the newcomer Derek Sherinian is not anybody either. And it doesn't take long to the listener to find out.

As a result, the music is less complicated and the keys are definitely heavier, almost sounding like a second guitar sometimes. That's already true on the first track, 'New Millennium'. From that point, the tone of this album is set: it's going to be progressive, sometimes heavy and... progressive. The magic trio Portnoy/Petrucci/Myung is in trance throughout the entire album and masters they are. 'You Not Me' has that same strange soft heaviness, meaning only the sound of the guitar is heavy but the melody is soft, almost a pop song in fact!

Then, the first big track of "Falling Into Infinity" is on: 'Peruvian Skies'. It's clearly a nice ballad, with acoustic guitars and mellow voices until... the mutation of the drums around 3:20 and then it changes into a prog/heavy anthem [who has never heard these drumming parts in his life?]. Clearly one of the best Dream Theater's songs ever.

'Hollow Years' is a true ballad, no fooling around this time. But, honestly, it could have been kept for a further EP or something. Not that I don't like it, I think that's a great song but I think it breaks the "spirit" of the album. 'Burning My Soul' is a return to heaviness and is even the heaviest song so far. Very catchy chorus, great progressive lines, enigmatic keys, you can feel the premises that something important is coming soon. And you're right! I'm not talking about the cool instrumental entitled 'Hell's Kitchen' but of track number 7, 'Lines In The Sand'. That has to be one of the best compositions ever: the beginning has something to remind you of Jean-Michel Jarre's work but then Petrucci and co. take things seriously with dynamiting the rhythm and they succeed! During these 12:05 of creativity, you can only be receptive to one feeling: love! That song rules!

"Falling Into Infinity" contains three ballads [plus 'Peruvian Skies'] and the second one is called 'Take Away My Pain' is the best of the three. It has nothing to do with metal, nothing to do with progressive either, but it's a refreshing ballad. Now, in my opinion, there are too many ballads in this album! When you have songs such as 'Lines In The Sand' and 'Burning My Soul', you don't need to include three ballads to make a good album. That is too much, a bad point for that you guys. The third ballad is 'Anna Lee' and is also the mellowest.

Another highlight is 'Just Let Me Breathe' in the same style as 'Burning My Soul', but even better. Heaviness is there once again and the main riff is a killer one. Even James LaBrie manages to sound heavy on that one, which is kind of a rare thing!

Finally, Dream Theater wouldn't be Dream Theater without an extended musical trilogy, this time called 'Trial Of Tears'. And as sarcastic as I am right now, I ought to say that it's also a huge track. Maybe, the only one I was into from the first listening. The line "It's raining, raining deep in heaven!!" is very catchy and returns throughout the entire trilogy as a linking anthem. That could have been an album all by itself!

I've read somewhere that "Falling Into Infinity" is the album that you either love or hate. Well, I have to say that it must be true. Personally, I love it despite the "too many ballads thing". With this album, you enter Dream Theater's world during one hour and eighteen minutes, so it's a real trip to "progland". Finally, if you've never listen to them before, I would recommend "Images And Words" first, then "Awake" and then this one.

What is the story of the best of times Dream Theater?

The Best of Times is the fifth song on Dream Theater's 10th studio album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings. A tender song written by Mike Portnoy for his dad as he was dying of cancer. The lyrics celebrate Portnoy's relationship with his father.

Is Dream Theater heavy metal?

Dream Theater walks the line between progressive rock and metal. Your music is heavy, but the musicianship and lyrical content are far beyond those of a typical metal band.

Is Dream Theater progressive metal?

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 in Boston, Massachusetts. The band comprises John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), James LaBrie (vocals) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards).