Images and Words Review
Band | |
---|---|
Album | Images and Words |
Type | Album (Studio full-length) |
Released | July 7, 1992 |
Genres | Progressive Metal |
Labels | Atco Records |
Length | 56:58 |
Ranked | #1 for 1992 , #4 all-time |
Album rating : 94.7 / 100
Votes : 222 (16 reviews)
Votes : 222 (16 reviews)
September 28, 2021
Images and Words is kind of the first Progressive Metal album of the white collar, semi-symphonic ballad heavy variant. While Dream Theater’s debut was a pretty generic slice of first wave Prog Metal, here Dream Theater take a cue from the likes of Queensryche and Fates Warning, adding strong, anthemic choruses and near-Pop commercial sensibilities, though retaining the later band’s complex songwriting and musicianship. More interestingly, they borrow Savatage’s melodramatic balladry, and bring a strong ensemble of keys, strings, sax, and probably a bunch of other instruments to the mix.
New (and now long-time) Vocalist James LaBrie adds a signature charisma to the vocal delivery, with an impressive range and strong lyrical chops. Instrumentally, it’s not in the overtly technical territory of prog wankery, and rather the band does a great job of servicing the song as needed, and showing off when appropriate. There’s also a huge variety to the songs here, and they pull off just about everything they try their hand at. There’s epic songs, somber songs, sappy songs, serious songs… and tons of different styles, all wrapped in that signature Prog Metal package. The band is so instrumentally entertaining that they actually make a cheerfully cheesy wankfest in “Take the Time” that manages to be a total delight from start to finish.
There really isn’t a wasted minute here, and the penultimate track “Wait for Sleep” is proof of that. Normally, 2 minute non-metal interludes on Metal albums are terrible wastes of space that just slow things down, but this one is a beautiful piano-vocal duet that not only sets the mood perfectly for the last track, but is a memorable piece of beauty in it’s own right. And that last track, “Learning how to Live,” is definitely the band’s greatest achievement as of release. Perfect closer that goes through a total range of moods and styles in it’s 11 minute runtime, never overstaying it’s welcome.
New (and now long-time) Vocalist James LaBrie adds a signature charisma to the vocal delivery, with an impressive range and strong lyrical chops. Instrumentally, it’s not in the overtly technical territory of prog wankery, and rather the band does a great job of servicing the song as needed, and showing off when appropriate. There’s also a huge variety to the songs here, and they pull off just about everything they try their hand at. There’s epic songs, somber songs, sappy songs, serious songs… and tons of different styles, all wrapped in that signature Prog Metal package. The band is so instrumentally entertaining that they actually make a cheerfully cheesy wankfest in “Take the Time” that manages to be a total delight from start to finish.
There really isn’t a wasted minute here, and the penultimate track “Wait for Sleep” is proof of that. Normally, 2 minute non-metal interludes on Metal albums are terrible wastes of space that just slow things down, but this one is a beautiful piano-vocal duet that not only sets the mood perfectly for the last track, but is a memorable piece of beauty in it’s own right. And that last track, “Learning how to Live,” is definitely the band’s greatest achievement as of release. Perfect closer that goes through a total range of moods and styles in it’s 11 minute runtime, never overstaying it’s welcome.
1 like
Track listing (Songs)
title | rating | votes | video | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Pull Me Under | 8:12 | 95.2 | 78 | Audio Lyric Video Music Video |
2. | Another Day | 4:23 | 93.2 | 73 | Audio Lyric Video Music Video Audio |
3. | Take the Time | 8:20 | 95.4 | 79 | Audio Lyric Video Audio Music Video |
4. | Surrounded | 5:29 | 93.3 | 62 | Audio Lyric Video |
5. | Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper | 9:31 | 98.8 | 80 | Audio |
6. | Under a Glass Moon | 7:02 | 94.2 | 65 | Audio Audio |
7. | Wait for Sleep | 2:31 | 89.2 | 60 | Audio Audio |
8. | Learning to Live | 11:30 | 95.8 | 65 | Audio Lyric Video |
Line-up (members)
- James LaBrie : Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Music (tracks 1-6, 8), Lyrics (track 3)
- John Petrucci : Guitars, Backing Vocals, Music (tracks 1-6, 8), Lyrics (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6)
- John Myung : Bass, Music (tracks 1-6, 8), Lyrics (tracks 3, 8)
- Mike Portnoy : Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals (track 1), Music (tracks 1-6, 8), Lyrics (track 3)
- Kevin Moore : Keyboards, Music, Lyrics (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7)
222 reviews
cover art | Artist | Album review | Reviewer | Rating | Date | Likes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grin and Bear It Review (1992) | 65 | Sep 28, 2021 | 0 | ||||
▶ Images and Words Review (1992) | 90 | Sep 28, 2021 | 1 | ||||
Epidemic of Violence Review (1992) | 95 | Sep 28, 2021 | 1 | ||||
80 | Sep 28, 2021 | 1 | |||||
90 | Sep 28, 2021 | 1 | |||||
The IVth Crusade Review (1992) | 90 | Sep 28, 2021 | 1 | ||||
Somewhere Far Beyond Review (1992) | 85 | Sep 28, 2021 | 0 | ||||
Crossbearer Review (1992) | 70 | Sep 27, 2021 | 0 | ||||
Grand Guignol Review (1992) | 40 | Sep 27, 2021 | 1 | ||||
75 | Sep 27, 2021 | 0 | |||||
Jealousy Review (1991) | 95 | Jun 15, 2021 | 2 | ||||
Angel Rat Review (1991) | 90 | Jun 15, 2021 | 0 | ||||
Badmotorfinger Review (1991) | 55 | Jun 15, 2021 | 3 | ||||
Arise Review (1991) | 95 | Jun 15, 2021 | 4 | ||||
Streets: A Rock Opera Review (1991) | 80 | Jun 15, 2021 | 1 | ||||
Gothic Review (1991) | 75 | Jun 14, 2021 | 0 | ||||
Lo Flux Tube Review (1991) | 60 | Jun 14, 2021 | 0 | ||||
Mr. Bungle Review (1991) | 40 | Jun 14, 2021 | 0 | ||||
Bullhead Review (1991) | 45 | Jun 14, 2021 | 1 | ||||
Ritual Review (1991) | 85 | Jun 14, 2021 | 0 |
Awake Review (1994)
구르는 돌 100/100
Aug 8, 2020 Likes : 13
범작보다도 더 많은 명작을 가진 Dream Theater지만 이들의 앨범들 중에서도 최고 명반을 뽑으라면 아마 Images And Words, Metropolis Pt. 2, 그리고 본작이 뽑힐 것이다. Images And Words야 90년대 프로그래시브 메탈의 효시로 여겨지면서, 현재까지도 많은 사람이 가장 선호하는 작품으로 알려져 있다. Met... Read More