Review Summary: Literally progressive metal
With Dream Theater’s status as a prog metal institution ensured decades later, it’s easy to forget just how idiosyncratic Images and Words was when it originally came out. The success of “Pull Me Under” as a single will never not be weird, even if in edited form, and its 1992 release combined with some eighties holdovers boldly flies in the face of the old “grunge killed heavy metal” myth. It has an optimistically forward thinking attitude paired with a wintery atmosphere that invites a sense of mystery. The closest comparison one could make is to what Fates Warning was doing around the same time with Parallels, albeit with a more ambitious and flamboyant delivery.
The musicians certainly made the most of the three years since 1989’s When Dream and Day Unite, broadening their palettes while staying true to their technical foundation. Guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Kevin Moore especially come into their own here, the former fleshing out his Yngwie shredding with jagged chugs more indicative of Pantera than power metal while the latter stakes a claim as the Dream part of the equation with ethereal patches and more supplementary sweeps. The rhythm section isn’t quite as in your face as on the debut but there’s undeniable growth in the honed-in timing and nuanced dynamics.
Perhaps most significantly, this album is also the first to feature former Winter Rose singer James LaBrie. While I always found Dominici’s performance endearing, LaBrie is a better fit for what the band was going for at the time. He is much more confident in comparison, displaying greater mastery over a broader range as his AOR background makes the choruses even more soaring and the ballads get more pathos courtesy of his breathy croon. Subsequent performances would prove to be controversial, but you can’t say they didn’t have some serious synergy here.
You can also hear how much of that finetuning and toil went into the songs themselves. While the sprawling length and epic scope on a track like “Pull Me Under” can seem overwhelming, the structuring always feels careful. There are enough pleasant melodies to go with the impressive instrumental showcases, and cohesive shifts between movements do a lot to keep the listener from feeling too lost in the shuffle.
Subsequent songs play into this methodology while showing off distinct personalities. “Take The Time” sees that optimism out in full force with catchy verses and inspired choruses that are immediately contrasted by the contemplative, keyboard-driven “Surrounded.” The closing one-two of “Wait for Sleep” and “Learning to Live” may see the album’s prog tendencies at their most obvious, but “Metropolis, Pt. 1” has it at peak extravagance between that ominous introduction, theatrical jumps, and esoteric lyrics. I also gotta give some love to “Under a Glass Moon” as the most overtly *metal* track on display.
Of course, even a near-perfect album like this can come with a couple nitpicks. The drums are the trickiest factor to consider; the playing itself is brilliant but the rather artificial tone can get distracting at times. The new age balladry on “Another Day” works well enough in itself to not be a concern, but the soprano saxophone can come off a little too shrill.
At the risk of sounding cheesy, Images and Words is progressive metal in a very literal sense of the phrase. There are huge strides made here as the songwriting is incredibly focused and the playing is even more skillful than it already was. The band has established their own identity with an over the top presentation that went a step beyond their eighties forebears while also having a more accessible bent than their peers without going fully mainstream. There are a couple other strong contenders for Dream Theater’s greatest achievement, but this might still be the best entry point.
