Review Summary: Open your eyes, Nicholas
Dream Theater had never been the sort of group to fit into anybody else’s mold, but there’s something almost defiant about 1999’s Scenes From A Memory. Commercial pressure seemed to instantly evaporate in the wake of Falling Into Infinity, allowing them to make an album on their terms and responding to persistent fan demands for a sequel to “Metropolis, Pt. 1” with a full-blown prog metal opera. It feels like an assertive last stand ala Rush’s 2112, culminating the journeys of Images And Words and Awake, while also showing some signs of the territory that lay ahead in the 21st century.
That defiance is most apparent in the musicianship, which exaggerates their established technicality to downright cartoony levels. “1928 Overture” and the memetic “Dance of Eternity” push their prowess to its absolute limits, threading the needle of constant time signature changes that somehow manage to be catchy as hell while even narrative songs like “Beyond This Life” and the colossal “Home” see them throwing solos out the wazoo any chance they get. Perhaps the instrumentalists’ inhibitions were lowered by the side dabbles in Liquid Tension Experiment but it’s easy to imagine them gleefully giving the fans what they want while jeering at detractors.
One can also imagine they were pretty jazzed to be finally have former Dixie Dregs keyboardist Jordan Rudess on board, who they’d had their eye on since Kevin Moore’s departure. He certainly does well in his debut appearance, an array of effects and acrobatics cast as Moore’s polar opposite but he also shows off his own quirks with moments like the infamous ragtime bit on “The Dance of Eternity” and even a little subtlety with the ballads’ piano. The other guys haven’t felt this enthusiastic since Images And Words, it’s especially great to see the guitars bring back some of that extra crunch the previous installment had lacked.
It might be a minor miracle that the narrative comes out coherently at all taking these elements into consideration, but the album’s storytelling is among the best in the genre thanks to their watchful songwriting. The reincarnation-murder mystery plot may not be the deepest ever, but it suits the band’s signature atmosphere perfectly and songs like “Strange Deja Vu” lay out the details with clarity and memorable melodies. Little touches like the recurring motifs and the Hypnotherapist’s spoken word (portrayed by Rush producer Terry Brown) do a lot to enhance the experience.
I must also give LaBrie props for how much he puts into his performance. It’s even easier than usual for him to get overshadowed by the flash surrounding him at every turn, especially with his voice still feeling shaky, but singing the lines for every character highlights his versatility and conviction. It’s a relief for his Victoria falsetto to not be as silly as it could be and the lower sneer as the Miracle is pretty cool to see.
The album’s narrative takes over for the last couple songs, most notably with “The Spirit Carries On.” The ‘what if “Comfortably Numb” but with more gospel’ foundation makes for one of the band’s most straightforward structures to date, putting all the focus on the equally direct yet insightful lyrics. It works beautifully in and out of the narrative, giving comfort to the existentially driven protagonist as well as the listener. “Home” may be my personal favorite but it ain’t the one played at people’s funerals.
And then “Finally Free” happens.
In contrast to the album’s other epics, “Finally Free” puts its twelve minutes entirely into the story with shifting dynamics, action sounds and spoken segments invoking a stage play, dark riffs, and symphonic swells that come this close to Mickey Mousing. Part of me wonders how effective this closer would be for a listener who wasn’t invested in the narrative, but goddamn I sure am.
Overall, Scenes From A Memory is an easy candidate for Dream Theater’s magnum opus and one of the best prog metal albums ever made. The relentless technical flourishes scratch a different itch than The Wall or Operation: Mindcrime, yet the story is much easier to follow than most bands aiming for similar densities. The album sees the band unabashedly being themselves, putting their best foot forward as a unit with some of their greatest songs. It may seem like the most accessible Dream Theater album, but it’s the one you absolutely need to hear.
Now who’s up for Metropolis, Pt. 3: More Scenes From Even More Memories?
