Sara Collantes: DREAM THEATER's SCENES FROM A MEMORY

I don’t know yet how my brother managed to wangle all those ripped CDs and tapes that I still have in my room. He used to borrow original CDs and vinyls from some friends and then record them on tapes, thus making up a huge collection. Mountains of CDs of completely different styles, from Iron Maiden to Mike Oldfield, from Children of Bodom to Barricada, started to pile up and we would spend hours and hours listening to all of them. We used to photocopy entire booklets and I learned lots of lyrics by heart, which helped me with my weak English back then.

The first time an album by Dream Theater fell into my hands was one of those recorded tapes but I didn’t even know it, as the tape wasn’t labelled at all; no name, no title, not even a single mark. So I gave it a go. “Close your eyes and begin to relax …” 

What was that? I was absolutely astonished after my first shot; it left me so stunned that I only could do one thing: listen to it again. And then once again. I’d never listened to something like that, strange and complicated but at the same time catchy and fascinating. That was my first approach to the, to my mind, one of the best concept albums to date: Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory.

For the metal “pagans”, let me dress the scene for you. Dream Theater is one of the earliest progressive metal bands and, since his foundation in 1985, the most prominent and influential in the field. They have as many staunch followers as bitter detractors; one loves them or hates them at once, there’s no happy medium. They have been voted as the best in the whole world playing their respective instruments, especially John Petrucci, who strums his guitar at the speed of light, John Myung’s extremely efficient job on the bass guitar, and my favorite, the imposing presence of Mike Portnoy on the drums.

Left to right: Myung, Petrucci, LaBrie, Rudess & (the sorely missed) Portnoy

In the late July 2012, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory was voted as the number one all-time progressive album in a poll conducted by Rolling Stone. (Wikipedia quote)

Metropolis Pt.2 is the sequel to Metropolis Pt1: The Miracle and the Sleeper, the fifth track of their 1992 album Images and Words. However, this second part was conceived in its entirety as a concept album which deals with an outstanding storyline. It revolves around the story of the murder of a young girl back in 1928. This girl, Victoria, is reincarnated in a man named Nicholas, who has the strange feeling of knowing her and attends a regression hypnotherapy session to explore his own mind. I don`t believe in reincarnation or life after death. Nevertheless, both the music and the lyrics involve you perfectly and I like the album unconditionally. This is arguably the most famous track of the album, The Spirit Carries on, performed live in 2009:

When one first holds the box and sees the cover one knows straightaway that one is in front of something truly special. It has a brilliant lyrical content; the plot is confusing and dense yet interesting, and so well written that it’s worth spending 77 minutes of your life listening really carefully to it. This is not an album that you can listen to as background music or shuffled, but from the very first to the last second. The tracks aren’t separated but conceived as a coherent whole, instead of small bits. You’d better make use of your five senses, sit down with the booklet in your hands and relish the sound.

The five virtuosos during a live performance

DT push their own technical abilities to the limit. I remember thinking “How many arms and legs do these guys have?” Not only does the music fit the lyrics but it also highlights them enormously. There are some recurring melodies throughout the record which give it continuity and fluidity. The music is sometimes beautiful, soft and moving, whereas others there are powerful samples of the most elaborate thrash and progressive metal. It is a perfect blend of their hardest, most intense songs with their softest ones. 

I simply love how some melodies slightly appear and then subtly fade away, whereas others are just vigorously spread out showing all their musical delirium. Atonic, irregular rhythms are played along with shocking odd melodies, jazzy chords, samplers and lovely ballads which give the album a touch of eccentricity and also its distinguishing hallmark. Every instrument can always be clearly heard but hearing all of them together, this is perfection.

I had the chance to see them play live twice. The first time was unforgettable for me, as I was so hooked on their music that I didn't listen to anything else the weeks before the concert, which took place in Madrid in 2007. More than five thousand people were there packing the venue and I've only felt more squeezed during a Metallica gig in 2012. It was absolutely memorable: they nailed every single song and created a special atmosphere. The whole concert was projected on video screens and the acoustics of the place was impeccable.

My second time was in 2011 at the Sonisphere festival but my expectations weren't as high as the first time. This was due, principally, to the leaving of Mike Portnoy, who for me was the most charismatic member of the band and because I was also looking forward to seeing Iron Maiden, who were going to play immediately after Dream Theater. On this occasion the concert was in broad daylight, which reduced the excitement, and the set list didn’t seem right to me. Although, as usual, they played accurately, it didn't feel the same.

“Scenes from a Memory” is, without a doubt, the artistic peak of the band, in which they show an astonishing creativity and flawless execution. Nothing is missing. A perfect circle. A true masterpiece.

Sara knows how much I have longed for this post, since I'm also very fond of this fantastic band myself, though I admit I only come second (at least here in Salamanca!) after my son, David, who literally owns every single CD and DVD there is of Dream Theater - and I'm not exaggerating! 

Like Sara, I've been lucky enough to watch them live in Madrid - twice actually, and on both occasions with David -, and I must emphasize their immense talent, as they play their set list with such beauty and precision. 

They have produced many great songs both live and in the studio for over 25 years, but if I had to choose one for this post, that would definitely be the glorious, 14-minute long "Trial of Tears", in fact the longest song of their 1997 album "Falling into Infinity" - not necessarily the band's best or most commercially successful album to date. But to me Trial always sounds so so big, especially when rendered in front of an audience, as you can see on this clip I've selected from "Live at Budokan" (2004). I just love everything: the psychedelic intro, Myung and Portnoy's mind-blowing rhythmical cushion - so sad indeed that the latter quit the band 3 years ago - and Rudess & Petrucci's accurate solos, not forgetting Mr Labrie's high-pitch"screams" and versatile voice while singing some beautiful lyrics: "I may have wasted all those years. They're not worth their time in tears. I may have spent too long in darkness, in the warmth of my fears". How about that for some past modal verbs in "prog(ressive) rock" music, ha ha! Enjoy! I'm positive at least Sara - and indeed David from Holland - will - a lot!