Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity


Year of Release: 1997
Label: Eastwest Records/Elektra
Catalog Number: 62060-2
Format: CD
Total Time: 76:13:00

My initial impression of Dream Theater's Falling Into Infinity was not favorable - I found it slow and tough going. After a few listenings ... well, let's just say you could jettison the first four tracks and end up with a good album.

The problem is the first four tracks. "New Millenium," which opens the album, seems sludgy when it should kick. Both "You Not Me" and "Peruvian Skies" are songs in slow motion. And "Hollow Years", despite a pleasant opening guitar appregio, is hard to listen to. I like James LeBrie's voice, but here he sounds off key.

Of course, there are the signature vocal and guitar flights of fancy, complicated arrangements - all the Dream Theaterism are here, only this time they seem lackluster.

Granted, there are moments during the first half hour or so - a solo in the middle "Peruvian Skies" (track 3) is okay, and shows a bit more signs of life

Picking the best track from the remainder of the album, is kinda tough, many of them are good. Nods have to go to the instrumental "Hell's Kitchen" (#6), "Lines In The Sand" (#7, which features guest vocals by Doug Pinnick of King's X), and the thoughtful "Take My Pain Away."

Only "Just Let Me Breathe" returns to the dark, muddied pace of before - maybe here it is appropriate, dealing as it does with dark underbelly of the record business - see the rise and crash of Nirvana for the idea here.

So this isn't their best to date - my vote still goes to Images and Words - but, sixty percent of it is worth listening to more than once.


Tracklisting:
New Millenium (8:20) / You Not Me (4:58) / Peruvian Skies (6:43) / Hollow Years (5:53) / Burning My Soul (5:29) / Hell's Kitchen (4:16) / Lines In The Sand (12:05) / Take Away My Pain (6:03) / Just Let Me Breathe (5:28) / Anna Lee (5:51) / Trial Of Tears: I - It's Raining, II - Deep In Heaven, III - The Wasteland (13:07)

Musicians:
James LaBrie - lead and backing vocals
John Myung - bass and Chapman Stick
John Petrucci - guitars and backing vocals
Mike Portnoy - drums, percussion and backing vocals
Derek Sherinian - keyboards and backing vocals
Doug Pinnick (King's X) - vocals (7)

Discography:
When Dreams and Day Unite (1989)
Images and Words (1992)
Live At The Marquee (1993)
Dream Out Loud (1994)
Awake (1994)
A Change in Season (1995)
Falling Into Infinity (1997)
Once In A Livetime (1998)
Scenes From A Memory (1999)
Cleaning Out The Closet (Xmas CD 1999) (1999)
Scenes From A World Tour - Christmas CD 2000 (2001)
Live Scenes From New York (2001)
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (2002)
Train Of Thought (2003)
Live At Budokan (2004)
Octavarium (2005)
Score (3CD) (2006)
Systematic Chaos (2007)
Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) (2008)
Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)
A Dramatic Turn Of Events (2011)
Dream Theater (2013)
Live At Luna Park (2013)
Breaking The Fourth Wall - Live From The Boston Opera House (2014)
The Astonishing (2016)
Distance Over Time (2019)

Metropolis 2000: Scenes From New York (DVD) (2001)
Live At Budokan (DVD) (2004)
Score (DVD) (2006)
Chaos In Motion (DVD) (2008)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin US

Added: May 1st 1998
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.dreamtheater.net
Hits: 3450
Language: english

  

[ Back to Reviews Index | Post Comment ]