DREAM THEATER “Original Album Series” /Slipcase 5CD Set/

The third Box Set by legendary American Progressive Metal/Rock band.
Dream Theater is a Progressive Metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to concentrate further on the band that would ultimately become Dream Theater.
The band well known for the technical proficiency of its instrumentalists, who have won many awards from music instruction magazines.
Guitarist John Petrucci has been named as the third player on the G3 tour six times, more than any invited players. In 2009, he named the No. 2 best Metal guitarist by Joel McIver in his book "The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists". He also named as one of the "Top 10 Fastest Shredders of All Time" by GuitarOne Magazine.
Jordan Rudess considered as one of the greatest keyboard players of all time by many publications like MusicRadar.
Former drummer Mike Portnoy has won 26 awards from Modern Drummer Magazine and is also the second youngest person (at the age of 37) to be inducted into the Rock Drummer Hall of Fame. John Myung voted the greatest bassist of all time in a poll conducted by MusicRadar in August through September 2010.
The band inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
“The Triple Album Collection” contains three cardboard (mini-LP replicas) compact discs housed in slipcase, and includes Maxi-Single and the albums "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" (1999) and "Octavarium" (2005).
"Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" was ranked number 95 on the October 2006 issue of Guitar World Magazine's list of The greatest 100 guitar albums of all time. It is ranked as the 15th Greatest Concept Album (as of March 2003) by Classic Rock Magazine and as the number one all-time Progressive album by Rolling Stone Magazine (as of July 2012).
"Octavarium" reached the top five in the Finnish, Italian and Swedish charts, as well as the top ten in the Dutch, Japanese and Norwegian charts.
Atlantic Records/Rhino Entertainment Company, a Warner Music Group Company, 2012 (8122797205). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist 

CD 1 "A Change Of Seasons" 1995
1. A Change Of Seasons 23:09
2. Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding 10:48
3. Perfect Strangers 5:33
4. The Rover/Achilles Last Stand/The Song Remains The Same
7:28
5. The Big Medley 10:32

CD 2 "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" 1999
1. Scene One: Regression 2:06
2. Scene Two: Overture 1928 3:37
3. Scene Two: Strange Deja Vu 5:12
4. Scene Three: Through My Words 1:02
5. Scene Three: Fatal Tragedy 6:49
6. Scene Four: Beyond This Life 11:22
7. Scene Five: Through Her Eyes 5:29
8. Scene Six: Home 12:53
9. Scene Seven: The Dance Of Eternity 6:13
10. Scene Seven: One Last Time 3:46
11. Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On 5:38
12. Scene Nine: Finally Free 11:59

CD 3 "Octavarium" 2005
1. The Root Of All Evil 8:07
2. The Answer Lies Within 5:26
3. These Walls 6:59
4. I Walk Beside You 4:29
5. Panic Attack 7:16
6. Never Enough 6:33
7. Sacrificed Sons 10:42
8. Octavarium 24:00
Total playing time: 207:08 min.

The fourth full-length video album by the legendary American Progressive Metal band.
Steadfast at the apex of the Prog Metal heap, Dream Theater has reached the coveted position where it can do no wrong in the eyes and chops-hungry ears of its international fan base. 
The production of this show is great. The picture quiality is great and the lighting used in the show was great. The best part about the production was that the camera mainly focused on the instrument being played at that time, so we can be blown away with John and Jordan's solos! The whole gig seemed a lot more real as we got views of the crowd and the stage from far away, and also there were no split screens/visual effects infront of the band to distract you.
Recorded at the Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan, on April 26, 2004 .
First disc features the full live show at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan, from April 26th, 2004.
Second disc contains bonus material:
"Riding the Train of Thought" - Japanese tour documentary;
John Petrucci - Guitar World;
Jordan Rudess - Keyboard World;
Mike Portnoy - drum solo;
The Dream Theater Chronicles 2004 - tour opening video;
Instrumedley multi-angle.
Region: 2/3/4/5/6 PAL | 16:9; 4:3 | DVD 5 | Dolby Surround 5.1 | Dolby Digital Stereo | English, French, German, Italian, Spanish | 242 mins. approx.
Atlantic Recording Company, a Warner Music Group Company, 2004 (0349 70366-2). Bootleg.

Tracklist:

DVD 1:
1. As I Am
2. This Dying Soul
3. Beyond This Life
4. Hollow Years
5. War Inside My Head
6. The Test That Stumped Them All
7. Endless Sacrifice
8. Instrumedley 
9. Trial Of Tears
10. New Millennium
11. Keyboard Solo
12. Only A Matter Of Time
13. Goodnight Kiss
14. Solitary Shell
15. Stream Of Consciousness
16. Disappear
17. Pull Me Under
18. In The Name Of God


DVD 2:
1. Riding The Train Of Thought (Japanese Tour Documentary)
2. John Petrucci Guitar World
3. Jordan Rudess Keyboard World
4. Mike Portnoy Drum Solo
5. The Dream Theater Chronicles 2004 (Tour Opening Video)
6. Instrumedley Multiangle Bonus


 

The ninth full-length video album by the legendary American Progressive Metal band.
The entire 20th Anniversary World Tour grand finale recorded live at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 1st 2006. Nearly 3 hours of music, over 90 minutes of which was performed with a full orchestra.
The DVD also contains a 1 hour Documentary tracking the entire career of the band from the very beginnings at the Berklee College Of Music in 1985 all the way to the Radio City Music Hall grand finale. Including rare never before seen footage and interviews with current and previous members of the band. Also included on the DVD are several live Bonus Tracks from through the years taken from the Portnoy Archives.
1 NTSC | 16:9 | DVD 10 | Dolby Digital | English | 4hrs 12 mins. approx.
Rhino Entertainment Company, A Warner Music Group Company, 2006 (46123454671327). Bootleg.

Tracklist:

Side 1 (Concert):
Set 1 - Dream Theater
1. The Root Of All Evil
2. I Walk Beside You
3. Another Won
4. Afterlife
5. Under A Glass Moon
6. Innocence Faded
7. Raise The Knife
8. The Spirit Carries On

Set 2 and Encore with the Octovarium Orchestra
9. Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence
10. Vacant
11. The Answer Lies Within
12. Sacrified Sons
13. Octavarium
14. Metropolis

Side 2 (Bonus Material):
1. The Score So Far... (20th Anniversary Documentary)
2. Octavarium Animation
3. Another Day (Tokio 26/8/1993)
4. The Great Debate (Bukarest 4/7/2002)
5. Honor Thy Father (Chicago 12/8/2005)

Embroidered bordered woven patch.

125x25mm 

The third full-length album by legendary American Progressive Metal/Rock band.
Following the release and commercial success of “Images And Words”, Dream Theater entered the studio with an increased level of pressure from ATCO Records to release another hit album, as well as working with a deadline for the first time in their career. The band recorded a much darker, heavier and longer album, creating a strong contrast to the optimism seen in “Images And Words”, for the first time filling a CD with music, something they would later become known for.
“Awake” is known for its brooding themes and heavy guitar riffs. Petrucci used a seven-string guitar for the first time on this album, giving the songs a much crunchier tone. Out of the four tenets of Dream Theater's sound (Progressive, Metal, Melodic and Pop) the album tends to focus on the Metal and Melodic aspects, creating a unique sound in their discography, though there is a lot of Progressive feel on the album, with only "Innocence Faded" being a strong Pop song. "Caught In A Web", "The Mirror" and "Lie" are all Extremely Heavy Metal songs, with "6:00", "Erotomania", "Voices", and "Scarred" being more Progressive. Most of the songs tend to be melodic, with the exceptions of "The Mirror" and "Lie". The album's ballads are "The Silent Man", "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream", and "Space-Dye Vest", the last of which has a unique sound due to being completely penned by Moore.
It was the last album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album. The album is also considered to be the band's second highest selling album, behind its predecessor, "Images And Words". There is no title track on the album, but the lyric awake appears in the songs "Innocence Faded" and "The Silent Man".
Much of the material for Awake was written in writing sessions between February and April 1994, during which Dream Theater were under pressure from their record label to produce an album as successful as "Images And Words" (1992) with a single similar to "Pull Me Under". The label wanted the band to produce a more Metal-oriented album, hoping it would be easier to market.
Released at the height of the popularity of Grunge music, "Awake" initially received mixed reviews; more recent reviews regard the album as one of the band's finest. 
"Awake" marks a definite change in the band's tone. From the moment the guitars enter on "6:00", the first track, a darker sound is immediately evident, and it continues through the entire 75 minutes of the disc. The complex song structures, marked by arrangements that would give many good players fits, are very impressive. Drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci, in particular, reach new heights with their instruments, but keyboardist Kevin Moore and bassist John Myung hold up quite well, adding to the Prog Metal sound with their own contributions.
The album peaked at 32 on the US Billboard 200 (remaining in the charts for six weeks), the highest position a Dream Theater album would reach on that chart until 2007's "Systematic Chaos", which peaked at 19 (that was eventually topped by 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", which peaked at No. 6). "Lie", "Caught in a Web" and "The Silent Man" were released as singles but failed to be as successful as "Pull Me Under" had been. The album peaked in the top 20 in four countries.
The band's record label considered the album a commercial failure. This led to the band once again working with David Prater on "A Change Of Seasons" and to the record label putting increasing pressure on the band to make songs on their next studio album, "Falling Into Infinity", more commercial and radio-friendly.
In a 1995 Guitar World interview, Chuck Schuldiner praised "Awake" and the band Dream Theater in general, claiming that "their music is very complex, but they definitely have hooks, which is crucial to making music listenable", citing them as an influence on the more Progressive nature of his band Death's later material as opposed to the stagnant Death Metal scene at the time.
In 2005, Awake was ranked number 390 in Rock Hard Magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time. In July 2014, the album was ranked number 1 in Guitar World Magazine's list of "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994".
"Awake" is a classic album showcasing Dream Theater at their best. This is one of the dark episode of Dream Theater, but remain a wonderful album with complex song writing, beautiful solos and a perfect ambiance in the whole CD from the beginning until the last note of keyboard! A must for everyone into metal!! Easily the most influential piece of Progressive Metal to this day!!!
EastWest Records America/Atlantic Recording Corporation/WEA International/Warner Music Manufacturing Europe GmbH, 1994 (7567-90126-2). Made in Germany. Re-press.


Tracklist:
1. 6:00 5:31
2. Caught In A Web 5:28
3. Innocence Faded 5:43
4. Erotomania 6:45
5. Voices 9:53
6. The Silent Man 3:48
7. The Mirror 6:45
8. Lie 6:34
9. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream 6:05
10. Scarred 11:00
11. Space-Dye Vest 7:29
Total playing time: 74:56 min.

The twelfth full-length album by the legendary American Progressive Metal band.
Album features nine tracks, including the lead single "The Enemy Inside". Produced by guitarist John Petrucci and engineered by Richard Chycki (Aerosmith, Mick Jagger, Rush), the album showcases the band's patented mind-bending instrumental passages, soaring vocals and epic storyteller-style lyrics.
Dream Theater have had an interesting release history; from classic records like "Images And Words" and "Scenes From A Memory", the band released what's regarded as "their last good record" "Octavarium" in 2005. Then came the period of their career where "Systematic Chaos" through "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" seemed like a good idea, the latter being a step up from essentially the abomination "Black Clouds & Silver Linings". Finally we arrive in 2013, where Dream Theater drop their self-titled record and, more importantly, return to where they left off with "Octavarium" by crafting a record that is front-to-back great. "We have a great history. We've made a lot of albums that we're incredibly proud of and that are special to us," said Petrucci. "Self-titling this album was a way to illustrate that we remain in a constant state of evolution."
Dream Theater can be summed up simply; think of the record as having the heaviness of "Train Of Thought", the catchy sensibilities of "Images And Words", and the vocal work of "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory"… thrown into a movie soundtrack. It's the perfect storm of what Dream Theater fans have anxiously been waiting for from the band and so much more.
Where songs like "The Enemy Inside" and "Enigma Machine" have the capability to wrap their hands around your throat and slam you into the pavement, there are Rush-influenced jams like "The Looking Glass", ballads like "Along For The Ride" and even the movie-prog closer "Illumination Theory" keeps the record interesting right up to the final piano-laden minutes.
While guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess play their heart out as they've always done, which is constantly commendable, the rest of the band deserve equal praise. For the first time since "Train Of Thought", bassist John Myung is not only audible in the mix but brings the gritty, low-down riffs like no other. Dream Theater might be his best performance to date. Then there's drummer Mike Mangini, who for the first time since joining the band has written his own parts… and it shows. Mangini is an amazing fit for the band and truly takes the record to another level. Then there's vocalist James LaBrie, who usually gets a lot of flack for his performances, but lo and behold! Once more easily one of his best performances to date and some of the highest notes we've heard out of LaBrie in a long while.
The diversity strewn across the record is simply astonishing, and never once gets boring or have you checking how long you've been listening. In essence, Dream Theater has taken all the mistakes they've made on the past few records and righted them in the best way possible!
Dream Theater is a grower! It's an album that really takes a lot of you but it's worth it in the end!! The performances are genuinely amazing and… it's one of those records where words simply don't do it justice. The bottom line is that if you've been disappointed in the band for the past few years and you're yearning for early 2000's Dream Theater, then this record is for you!!!
After being released on September 24, 2013, album sold around 34,000 copies in the first week to land at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the band's second highest chart position, behind "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", which peaked at No. 6. It also is the band's third consecutive top 10 debut. Also, the album topped Billboard's list of "Hard Rock Albums". It entered the Top 5 in fifteen countries including Japan, Germany, Argentina, Holland, Finland, Italy, Switzerland and Canada; and Top 10 in nine countries including Denmark, Norway, Austria, Australia and United Kingdom. On December 6, 2013, it was announced that "The Enemy Inside" was nominated for the "Best Metal Performance" Grammy Award.
Roadrunner Records, 2013 (RR7604-2). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. False Awakening Suite     2:41
2. The Enemy Inside     6:17 
3. The Looking Glass     4:52 
4. Enigma Machine     6:01
5. The Bigger Picture     7:40 
6. Behind The Veil     6:52 
7. Surrender To Reason     6:34 
8. Along For The Ride     4:44 
9. Illumination Theory     22:16
Total playing time: 68:07 min.

The ninth full-length studio album by legendary American Progressive Metal band.
The first and so far only album to be released with fan involvement. During the recording sessions, Portnoy invited fans to come to Avatar Studios (NY) to be a part of the recording process. 
This is the band's debut release on Roadrunner Records, and it was sold by their previous label, Atlantic Records. Pre-release promotion for “Systematic Chaos” was much stronger with Roadrunner Records, which led the album to initially chart at #19, much higher than any previous Dream Theater album. A video was shot for “Constant Motion”, which was released prior to the album. A second video was shot for “Forsaken”, which is notably the band's first and so far only foray into animation. “Forsaken” was also released as a digital EP, containing live tracks from the band's tour. Dream Theater promoted the album on their Chaos In Motion World Tour, which lasted a year and spanned thirty-five countries.
“Systematic Chaos” was the first band's album to break the Billboard top 20, making it the highest peaking Dream Theater album in the United States until the release of “Black Clouds & Silver Linings” (2009), which debuted at the 6th position. In the US, the album sold 35 689 copies in the first week it was released.  The album also peaked in the top 25 in the United Kingdom and Australia, where the band had never previously charted. It peaked in the top 20 in eight countries' sales charts.
Roadrunner Records, 2007 (RR 7992-2). Made in Germany. First press.


Tracklist:
1. In The Presence Of Enemies Part I 9:00 
2. Forsaken 5:35 
3. Constant Motion 6:55 
4. The Dark Eternal Night 8:53 
5. Repentance 10:43 
6. Prophets Of War 6:00 
7. The Ministry Of Lost Souls 14:57 
8. In The Presence Of Enemies Part II 16:38 
Total playing time: 78:41 min.


Samples:  http://www.last.fm

The first EP by legendary American Progressive Metal band.
It comprises the 23-minute title track, which composed of seven parts with various titles, as well as a collection of live cover songs performed at a fan club concert at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, England.
The title track was recorded at BearTracks Studios in New York and was originally slated to be released on the 1992 album, "Images And Words", but was instead re-recorded and released as an EP. Although the record is labelled as an EP, its running time of about one hour makes it significantly longer than a standard EP, and even many LPs, including Dream Theater's first two albums. According to Portnoy, "It was important for us and the label for it not to be perceived as the latest studio record. That's why we tagged it an EP".
"A Change of Seasons," is one of the most impressive pieces of music ever written in the Progressive Metal vein. With the same heavy sound that marked "Awake", but with many other styles mixed in, the track features incredible playing, dramatic, complex instrumental arrangements, and soaring vocals. Although the song includes audio samples from the 1989 film "Dead Poets Society" (as well as quotes from the 1648 Robert Herrick poem, "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time"), the lyrics, written by drummer Mike Portnoy, were not inspired by the film. An edited version of the title track was used by NBC in a downhill skiing feature during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
The remainder of the tracks are live cover tunes, recorded from the band's "Uncovered"; the material varies widely and includes Elton John's "Love Lies Bleeding" and Deep Purple's "Perfect Strangers." The final track, "The Big Medley", has to be heard to be believed; Dream Theater shift musical styles on a dime to cover Pink Floyd, Kansas, Queen, Journey, the Dixie Dregs, and Genesis all in ten minutes!
"A Change Of Seasons" was the first Dream Theater release featuring Derek Sherinian (formerly of Kiss and Alice Cooper) on keyboards. Derek Sherinian adds his own stamp to the Dream Theater sound as if he'd always been with them.
EastWest Records America/WEA International Inc./Warner Music Manufacturing Europe, 1995 (7559-61842-2). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. A Change of Seasons 23:09
    I) The Crimson Sunrise
    II) Innocence
    III) Carpe Diem
    IV) The Darkest Of Winters
    V) Another World
    VI) The Inevitable Summer
    VII) The Crimson Sunset
2. Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding (Elton John covers) (live) 10:49
3. Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple cover) (live) 05:33
4. The Rover / Achilles Last Stand / The Song Remains the Same (Led Zeppelin covers) (live) 07:29
5. The Big Medley (live) 10:33
    I) In the Flesh? (Pink Floyd)
    II) Carry On Wayward Son (Kansas)
    III) Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
    IV) Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (Journey)
    V) Cruise Control (Dixie Dregs)
    VI) Turn It On Again (Genesis)
Total playing time: 57:33 min.

The debut full-length studio album by legendary American Progressive Metal band.
Dream Theater's first official release gave an indication that this was a talented band that combined the styles of Yes, Rush, and Queensrÿche. The latter seemed to be too big of an influence at this stage of their career. Vocalist Charlie Dominici's voice is not powerful enough to carry out the band's otherwise convincing intensity, and his attempt to sound like Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate was unsuccessful. The music here is not as heavy as it would become in the '90s but could still be classified as Progressive Metal. Guitarist John Petrucci and drummer Mike Portnoy established themselves as competent musicians, but their individual styles were not yet refined.
The band was originally formed in 1985 by John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums), and John Petrucci (guitar) under the name Majesty, which was inspired by Portnoy's commentary on the ending of "Bastille Day" by Rush. After the band found a keyboardist in schoolmate Kevin Moore, the band hosted auditions and settled on Chris Collins as the lead vocalist. Majesty recorded "The Majesty Demos" between 1985 and 1986 but, shortly thereafter, were forced to change their name after another band threatened to take legal action. While touring around New York, Collins left the band, and the band went through many lead singers before settling in with experienced vocalist Charlie Dominici. Still trying to come up with ideas to rename their band, Portnoy's father suggested the name Dream Theater, which was the name of a nearby movie theater. They accepted the name, and eventually signed their first recording contract with Mechanic/MCA. The album was then recorded in mid-1988 at Kajem/Victory Studios in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, notable for the recording of "Operation: Mindcrime" by Queensrÿche, and the whole process took three weeks. With the relatively warm reception of their original demos, the band expected their debut album to be received with much fanfare and buzz, but the album went largely unnoticed by the music industry, and eventually led to Mechanic/MCA cutting their contract ties with the band, resulting in a small club tour for the album exclusively in the New York area. 
"When Dream And Day Unite" is composed mostly of material that originally surfaced during the band's early years as Majesty, and it is the only Dream Theater album to be recorded with their full original lineup. Due to tensions within the band and creative differences, Dominici was fired from the band, and they were without a lead singer until late 1990. James LaBrie replaced Charlie Dominici as the lead vocalist on all subsequent albums.
With Charlie Dominici on vocals, they took their first step in becoming one of the world's best known bands in the Progressive Metal. It’s their shortest release, but one in which you can hear what later became the signature of the band. With Shreddy riffs and Jazzy signatures, the band putted their influences out of 70s and 80s Prog Rock. As a milestone in the evolution of Progressive Metal, it’s an album full of atmospheric keyboard sounds, epic vocals and some powerful riffs. Charlie Dominici got some similarity with the voice of Geddy Lee and even the melodies got some of the stronger parts from Rush. But all to all, it’s just a great start in the massive popularity they would receive a few years later. Dream Theater is one of the most successful bands in the Progressive Metal. After releasing their first top-selling album, "Images And Words" (1992), they were performing to bigger audiences. To date, has they sold over 13 million records worldwide.
"When Dream And Day Unite" did not receive much attention upon release, but due to the commercial success of "Images And Words", the album later received critical reviews and criticism from many resources. This is the only Dream Theater album that failed to chart on the Billboard 200.
Mechanic Records/MCA Records, Inc., 1989 (422 259-2 | MCD42259 | MCAD42259). Made in the E.U.


Tracklist:
1. A Fortune In Lies 5:12
2. Status Seeker 4:17
3. The Ytse Jam 5:46
4. The Killing Hand 8:41
5. Light Fuse And Get Away 7:23
6. Afterlife 5:26
7. The Ones Who Help To Set The Sun 8:05
8. Only A Matter Of Time 6:35
Total playing time: 51:25 min.