Dream Theater - 'The Silent Man' (official music video)

A question well served
Is silence like a fever,
A voice never heard
Or a message with no receiver?

Pray they won't ask
Behind the stained glass
There's always one more mask

Has man been a victim
Of his woman, of his father?
If he elects not to bother
Will he suffocate their faith?

Desperate to fall
Behind the great wall
That separates us all

When there is reason tonight I'm awake
When there's no answer arrive the silent man
If there is balance tonight he's awake
If they have to suffer there lies the silent man

Sin without deceivers
A god with no believers
I could sail by on the winds of silence
And maybe they won't notice
But this time I think it'd be better if I swim

When there is reason tonight I'm awake
When there's no answer arrive the silent man
If there is balance tonight he's awake
If they have to suffer there lies the silent man
There lies the silent man

Λένε -ως ο τρίτος δίσκος είναι ο πλέον καθοριστικός ενός μουσικού συγκροτήματος, ως προς την εξέλιξή του. Με αυτό το δεδομένο οι Dream Theater είχαν να ανέβουν τα... Ιμαλάια καθώς το τρίτο τους full length album οφείλει να επιβεβαιώσει (και να δικαιώσει) τις προσδοκίες που δημιούργησαν το καταπληκτικό "When Dream and Day Unite" (αγαπημένο μου D.T. album) και το υπέροχο "Images and Words".

Τα κατάφερε; Νομίζω πως, ναι. Είναι καλύτερο των προκατόχων του; Σε καμία περίπτωση, αλλά καταφέρνει να κοιτά τα δύο πρώτα albums στα μάτια χωρίς να χαμηλώνει το βλέμμα. Ο δίσκος "Awake" κυκλοφόρησε το φθινόπωρο του 1994 και ήταν ο τελευταίος με τον Kevin Moore στα πλήκτρα, καθώς την ίδια χρονιά αποχώρησε (και αντικαταστάθηκε από τον Derek Sherinian). Ο δίσκος "έβγαλε" δύο singles, το "Lie" και το "The Silent Man"...

Δελτίο τύπου: «After a month-long break, Dream Theater started working on their third studio album in February 1994. The band's two-month writing sessions were located at Prince Studios, New York City.

The lack of a leader within the band increased tensions in what were already tense sessions. Keyboardist Kevin Moore noted at the time that "there are arguments that last forever because there's nobody to come in and draw the line".

"When it came to the music, you had guitarist John Petrucci and I playing the roles we still kind of play, and Kevin was also a forceful element", drummer Mike Portnoy said.

"In those days, bassist John Myung was a little bit more out of his shell, so the bass was a bit more predominant in the band. The fighting never came to blows, but there was a lot of bickering over every single element, like the fine details of what the third note on the sixty-fourth bar should be."

The success of Dream Theater's previous album, Images and Words, particularly the single "Pull Me Under", put pressure on the band to produce a similarly successful follow-up album.

"Somebody once said that you have your whole life to prepare for your first album and have about two months to prepare the follow-up, and that was very much the situation we faced in early 1994", Portnoy noted.

The popularity of alternative metal and groove metal meant that the band's record label, East West, were keen for the band to create a heavier, darker album.

Awake featured Petrucci's use of a seven-string guitar for the first time, establishing a more riff-based writing style. "This style would further cement the fusion of metal and progressive music, which is what Dream Theater are known for", Petrucci said.

"I think it paved the way for many of our strongest and heaviest later songs like 'A Change of Seasons', 'The Glass Prison' and 'The Dark Eternal Night'."

Vocalist James LaBrie described his vocals on Awake as "more varied and a lot more aggressive" than on Images and Words to the extent that people may think the band had a new singer for the album.»

Band: Dream Theater
Country of origin: United States
Location: Long Island, New York
Formed in: 1988
Genre: Progressive Metal
Years active: 1985-1988 (as Majesty), 1988-present

Video: "The Silent Man"
Album: "Awake"
Type: Full length
Release date: October 4th, 1994
Label: Atlantic Records, EastWest

Track listing:
01. 6:00 (0:00:01)
02. Caught in a Web (0:05:31)
03. Innocence Faded (0:10:59)
04. A Mind Beside Itself (Part 1: Erotomania) (0:16:41)
05. A Mind Beside Itself (Part 2: Voices) (0:23:25)
06. A Mind Beside Itself (Part 3: The Silent Man) (0:33:18)
07. The Mirror (0:37:05)
08. Lie (0:43:50)
09. Lifting Shadows off a Dream (0:50:24)
10. Scarred (0:56:29)
11. Space-Dye Vest (1:07:27)
12. Hope Is... (1:14:56)

Band members:
James LaBrie - Vocals, Lyrics (track 2), Songwriting (tracks 1-5, 7-10)
John Petrucci - Guitars, Lyrics (tracks 2, 3, 5, 6, 10), Songwriting (tracks 1-8)
John Myung - Bass, Lyrics (track 9), Songwriting (tracks 1-5, 7-10)
Kevin Moore - Keyboards, Lyrics (tracks 1, 8, 11), Songwriting (tracks 1-5, 7-11)
Mike Portnoy - Drums, Lyrics (track 7), Songwriting (tracks 1-5, 7-10)

Guest/Session:
John Purdell (R.I.P. 2003) - Vocals (backing) (track 6)
Rick Kern - Programming (track 11)

Miscellaneous staff:
Ted Jensen - Mastering
Dan Muro - Cover art concept
Mike Stock - Recording (assistant)
Greg Cathcart - Recording (assistant)
Ryan Arnold - Mixing (assistant)
Ed Miller - Mixing (assistant)
John Purdell (R.I.P. 2003) - Producer, Engineering, Mixing
Duane Baron Producer, Engineering, Mixing
Larry Freemantle - Artwork
Dennis Keeley - Photography