DREAM THEATER — When Dream and Day Unite (review)

DREAM THEATER — When Dream and Day Unite album cover Album · 1989 · Progressive Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
Losimba
When I got this CD in 1994 or so, I wasn't very impressed. Unfortunately this unimpression hasn't changed until now and I doubt that it ever will.

While the instrumental parts clearly show the talent of the musicians, the voice of Charlie Dominici is nowhere near James LaBrie's. I wouldn't call him a bad singer, just not the right one for this band and style of music. It is similar with the songs themselves: While none causes immediate vomit, there's nothing that would remain distinct even after a hundred times of listening in. Finally, the sound, while not bad, hasn't developped into that wall I love on the later Dream Theater albums. Here, and to a slightly lesser extent on the second album, Dream Theater sound like Metallica plus keyboards. This is not necessarily bad, but on the other hand not good enough for a high rating.

So in the end, I can't justify more than 2 stars for a debut album which is not bad but overshadowed by the things to follow. Had Dream Theater not gone on to albums like Awake or Scenes From A Memory, I might have given 3 for this one, but it's unlikely that I'd thought about reviewing them at all.
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Losimba wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Still no vomit puppy, so it's unlikely it will.
adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
It's not an album I listen to much (though I haven't been in that much of a Dream Theater mood at all for quite some time) but there are a couple of tracks from this I'm quite fond of. Especially Light Fuse and Get Away.
UMUR wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Not their finest hour I agree, but I´ve grown to appreciate this one a bit more than I initially did.
siLLy puPPy wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Did it cause eventual vomit? :) Still haven't heard this one. Always thought Images & Words was their first.

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