10 Best Songs Of Dream Theater Editor's Choice VOI

Dream Theater (Instagram @dreamtheaterofficial)

JAKARTA - United States progressive metal leader, Dream Theater will again visit Indonesia. This time on 10 August at Manahan Stadium, Surakarta in a concert entitled "Top Of The World Tour".

This is the fourth time for the band fronted by James LaBrie (vocals), John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), Jordan Rudess (keyboards) and Mike Mangini (drums) to hold a concert in Indonesia, having previously performed in Jakarta twice and Yogyakarta once.

The arrival of LaBrie et al this time really caught the attention of many people. We are no exception. The reason is, this concert was planned two years ago before it was finally postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While waiting for the Dream Theater concert, which is still more than a month away, here are the 10 best Dream Theater songs chosen by the VOI editor.

10. The Killing Hand (Live at the Marquee, 1993)

This song was originally on the album When Dream and Day United (1989). However, we prefer the live version because in this version the vocals are already filled with James Labrie, not Charlie Dominici anymore. Here the final result is very different compared to the previous version. The vocals are more exploratory, the actual musical composition doesn't change too much, but the touch seems to be carried away by Labrie. The beginning of the song is slow, more subtle and LaBrie can also execute smooth vocals. The intonation of the music began to rise to the back until finally getting louder. LaBrie can also execute vocals with screams. This song seems to come out of the original. Maybe the output that Dream Theater wants is actually like this compared to the one on the When Dream and Day Unite album. This song also has a progressive feel, it's not standard, it's an unusual song chart. There is also an element of power metal in addition to the progressive feel. There is a typical Dream Theater unisound.

9. Pull Me Under (Images And Words, 1992)

Maybe this is the first song that attracted the writer to Dream Theater. The thing is that once I heard it on the radio in the early 90's, I immediately liked it. This song has its own charm; heavy, rhythmically also pounding, a lot of harmonization which is quite complex but this song can be melodic, especially the refrain which can be sung together.

8. A Mind Beside Itself: I. Erotomania (Awake, 1994)

This is one of the best Dream Theter instrumental songs. Quite guitar oriented and different from other songs such as Dance of Eternity, for example, which has a more balanced portion of the filling with the keyboard. The music is very unusual, the notes use a lot of chromatic elements, there are neo-classical elements as well, there are melodies that sing too, there are those who indulge in speed and shred as well. Not to mention the unisounds which are quite complex and challenging to perform. Although the sound of the keyboard is not dominant, but it is enough to give a different feel. A bit 'vague' and dark.

7. Scarred (Awake, 1994)

This song is only on the CD version of the album Awake, not on the cassette version. This song is dynamically very cool but still has a distinctive feel from Awake. Maybe because it was influenced by Kevin Moore's keyboard sound. Starting from the tension which is still low where John Petrucci also plays it very bluesy but with a background that is quite strong. After that, go up with a stomping rhythm that is enough to make a headbang. While there aren't many solo parts and acrobatic stuffing, he's quite successful at finding nuanced stuff.

6. A Change Of Seasons (A Change Of Seasons, 1995)

Although the original version of this song was made during the production of the Images and Words album, the version on the 1995 self-titled EP (mini album) is more appetizing. This is one of the longest Dream Theater songs. This 24-minute song has a complex musical composition. From playing the low intonation of the song, keep it loud, keep going down again, loud again. There are parts that only use vocals and acoustic guitar, there are rhythms that make headbangs and all kinds of things. Very complex but nice to hear.

5. The Spirit Carries On (Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, 1999)

This is probably the most successful Dream Theater ballad in terms of popularity. In fact, there are other ballad songs that are subjectively better, but in general this is the song that is quite familiar to even ordinary people. The song is ballad but not whiny. It has gereget elements, such as a slightly serious backing vocal that makes this song stronger. And of course, the guitar solo is really cool. John Petrucci can create interesting and emotional solo compositions.

4. The Glass Prison (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 2002)

As long as Dream Theater is working, this song is probably the most full of energy. There was a bit of relaxation indeed, but after that it was immediately launched from front to back. Very energy draining. There are some interesting parts as well in the intro where John Petrucci plays an arpeggios solo. Very creative compositions. Repetition but not monotonous. The rhythms of this song at that time could be said to follow the times. The nuances sound modern and not like the '90s era. And again, there is Jordan Rudess who can fill in a keyboard that is compositionally and certainly complex. From start to finish this song is very metal, so it's one of the best metal songs.

3. The Best Of Times (Black Clouds & Silver Linings, 2009)

This song has a pretty strong message, telling the story of Mike Portnoy (former Dream Theater drummer) with his late father. How Portnoy's impression from childhood until his father died. There's a touch of violin, as well as a guitar solo with a sweet acoustic in the intro that seems ballad but again not whiny. As soon as the full music was entered, many said it was similar to typical Rush music. Indeed, this band is one of Dream Theater's influencers, but it's really felt here.

The dynamics of the song are also varied and the most important thing is that at the ending, John Petrucci's guitar solo is very conceptual. With a duration that is not short, he can make melodies that are not boring. Not just playing shredding, but actually 'singing'. It's easy not to say, because there is weight. But it is said that playing 'speeding' also has a very clear melody. The tone choices are also very smart.

2. Octavarium (Octavarium, 2005)

This is one of the songs from Dream Thetaer which is quite long. Here they are a bit different than before, the feel is more art rock from the Yes and Genesis eras. The composition of the song is complex. But, even though it's long, it doesn't feel long because every part sounds interesting.

1. Metropolis—Part I: 'The Miracle and the Sleeper' (Images and Words, 1991)

This is the root of all Dream Theater's songs. All of Dream Theater's musical styles are spilled in this song. Both in terms of heavy, technical, progressive, and variations. This song uses a tempo that changes. With a duration that is not too long, the complexity is very dense. This is the most complete Dream Theater song. For bands who are looking for new personnel, they usually use this song to audition. The reason is, if he can sing this song, usually other Dream Theater songs can do it too. In value, the points are very high. It's like a standard Dream Theater song.