DREAM THEATER — Awake (review)

DREAM THEATER — Awake album cover Album · 1994 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
aiylyn
Awakened!

After digesting all of Dream Theater's full-length releases, I have found that Awake is the album that ends up in my stereo more often than any of the others, even despite the fact that I consciously consider their newest album to be their best, I end up listening to this one more.

This is the heaviest Dream Theater album, overall. It doesn't have all the mood-swings that FII has, but it is quite brooding in places. The musical focus displayed on this album wouldn't be repeated until their 1999 offering, SFAM. There are four "sections" to this album: the first 3 tracks, then the tracks 4-6 which are "A Mind Beside Itself," then 7 and 8, and then the final three tracks. You will notice similar lyrical moods and musical ideas unifying each of the four sections. Mike Portnoy stated in an interview during the 1994 European tour that Awake is a "concept album of sorts."

They are distancing themselves from their 80s'-reminiscent style with Awake. Seven-string guitars are first used here (The Mirror and Lie) to great effect. Kevin Moore shines on this album; his last with the band. The only weakness this album has is the wildly overused movie samples which appear in many of the songs and often multiple times in one song. The production is top notch; though you will have to concentrate to hear the bass in some places. This is, all in all, probably the quintessential Dream Theater release - own this one if nothing else.
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