This is truly where Dream Theater hit their straps and come to attention as a band to be reckoned with. Having sifted through the debut, things seem to come together a lot more coherently here on Images And Words.
What still grabs my attention when I listen to this album is the freshness of the music. Everything that comes out of the speakers to you has a mark of quality in it. OK, so perhaps a lot has gone into the production of the album, and the crispness of the playing suggests that a lot of time was spent getting just the right nuances in all the right spots. But that doesn’t detract from the music itself – it obviously enhances it. You can tell Portnoy must have spent ages getting the drum sound he has, perhaps even obsessed with it, much like Lars Ulrich’s on …And Justice For All. No doubt the same is true for the guitars and keyboards.
What impresses me most is LaBrie’s vocals – they are quite staggering here. He does his best work in the studio, and though he may not always carry it on stage, here I feel he sounds amazing.
OK, so a couple of the songs are far too slow and mellow for my taste. That is generally expected from this genre of metal. Overall however it has all the elements required for enjoyment in listening.
Favourites for me here include "Pull Me Under", "Take The Time" and "Metropolis Part 1".
Rating: An album that still holds its mystique. 4/5
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