Anna ~ Queen_of_Loss ~

THE RECORD SERIES – ENTRY 7 Dream Theater – Scenes From a Memory (1999)
I was introduced to Dream Theater between 2006 and 2007 by my then boyfriend. It took me some time to fully appreciate their music, but by autumn 2007 I had become a big fan as I attended their concert in my hometown on 30th October. That gig was part of the Chaos in Motion tour in support of their latest release at that time, Systematic Chaos. I remember that night so vividly. At 17, that was the first metal gig I have attended. Since then, I have been to half a dozen DT gigs, the last one being the 20th anniversary celebration for their 1999 masterpiece Scenes from a Memory. Undoubtedly, this album goes down in history as one of the best prog-metal albums ever made. Its concept revolves around Nicholas who is put under hypnosis by his therapist and during the session he experiences the tragic story of Victoria, Julian, and Edward. The music and lyrics form together a beautiful piece of art, where nothing feels out of place. Musically, it is brilliantly paced, alternating between heart-wrenching ballads and harsher, faster songs. Crucially, the wide musical spectrum serves the unfolding plot perfectly. Critics of the prog-metal genre usually have one main argument against this type of music: that it is soulless and just a display of technical playing. While I agree that there are instances in which technique is overused to mask deeper issues such as the lack of ideas, this argument completely falls apart if you listen to Scenes From a Memory (and countless other albums). Nowadays, my focus has decisively shifted towards music made by younger bands; however, it would be foolish to forget that what the American band achieved in the 90’s was of the same magnitude of what djent pioneers did at the turn of the past decade: innovative, ground-breaking music. It would be difficult to overstate the impact of early Dream Theater on modern prog metal music. From a personal perspective, I would not have been where I am today regarding my music taste if I had not been exposed to Dream Theater music.
#progmetal #dreamtheater #1999 #scenesfromamemory