Metal Reviews

You're welcome to comment on:


Click here to see the review.

I think the quote is a bit low. This is their most inconsistent album, but when they get it right, it's really really good.

I think Zad got it right. It's a good album.

Yeah... but the fact that there is only 2-3 good songs here, and that this is nowhere near the quality of their previous releases made me rate it that low. The rating system says medium with that score. It's pushing fair, and I could score it 62-63 at most. But all in all this is a mediocre album from Dream Theater, hence the low score.

And I mean killer in a bad way.

I used to be a huge DT fan, but this release killed it. It was just plain boring, had little unique to DT, was boring, didn't offer much that wasn't already out there, was boring, lacked any real energy, and was boring.

Plus, it was boring.

After this release, I heard a rumor that the band was breaking up, and at the time, I thought "good riddance." If DT was going in this horrific direction, euthanasia was the best solution.

Metropolis II was an outstanding release, but I could never really get back into them with the giant blot of Falling, and inconsistent releases after M2, with that mixture of unique DTness and mainstream trendy grinding.

It is, isn't it? Fine, the songs may not flow as perfectly as Images & Words or Awake, but they're all good songs, even if they are a bit catchy and commercial. Still, that's why I gave it 88 and not 99/100.

What this is, is an album of great songs with a couple that are only good. It's not as good as the prior two, and so it gets shit on. Why is this more mainstream than I&W, which is just as catchy if not moreso? People really turn on their favourite bands when they don't do just what they want, don't they?

I have not at all turned on this band because of this. Dream Theater is one of my absolute favourite bands. This is just their weakest moment to date.

It's probably easier to label it commercial because of all the softer songs and the ballads. This is an album of average songs, with a couple of killers. Hence a Dream Theater album way below their usual standard.

I quite enjoy the album. Every song is good, just not on the level of some of the other albums, well some of them are. I really enjoy: Peruvian Skies, Hollow Years, Hell's Kitchen, New Millenium and Burning My Soul.

How can you not like Take Away My Pain? It's awesome. It sounds like it came straight off the Lion King soundtrack,

hah yes... Anyway, it's not a bad song. It's just that it is too unexciting and boring in a way. Not very enjoyable or fun to listen to. The guitar-solo is pretty nice though.

This album is definitely different from all the other DT releases, but I still find it to be a great album. I surely has its commercial side, but the songs sound good to me. And then there are these really killer songs like Hells Kitchen, Lines in the Sand and Trial of Tears which make up for the more commercial slow songs.

I don't see the problem with this album. Some of it didn't work, but the majority of it is standard Dream Theater fare. And standard Dream Theater fare is synonymous with quality in every area.

It's more a watered down version of Dream Theater. And Scenes from a Memory was way way better, but Falling is nonetheless good. My fav. songs are: You not me, Peruvian Skies, Hollow Years, Lines in the Sand, Take Away my Pain and Anna Lee.

I would say dont listen to this:

1. if you only like metal
2. if you dont like prog rock
3. if you dont like pop influences
4. if you cant stand slow/mid tempo songs.
4. if you only like Dt because of their complex/technical side.

Otherwise, it is a very good album and it shows what this band can do when they leave their shreddy "oh look at me i can doo tehknical shitz" personas and concentrate on what the songs need, preshured or not by the label, the fact is that most of the album is very well written, very catchy, very likeable and doesnt wander in predictable musical masturbation, the masturbation here is much more tamed and tastefull.

Overall i think this is up there with Scenes and Images.

1. I don't only like metal
2. I love Prog Rock
3. I like pop
4. I have nothing against slow/midpaced songs
5. I love DT, I love their technical/complex side, I love most of their soft stuff.

This lacks energy and excitement, the thrilling and amazing melodies (for the most part), and is therefore not more than a 59 / 100.

I just wanna say that You Not Me is perhaps the most embarassing song Dream Theater has ever written.

Have you heard I Walk Beside You?

That one comes in close second.

This album is limp. There is nothing exciting or interesting about it. It's just like 'here are some songs. we played our instruments some. it was kind of half-assed. hope you like it.'

Pretty decent album from DT.
DT from a softer side, nothing wrong with that. Burning Soul rocks hard!!!
All in all a lot better than all the other shit coming out these days:

8/10