Artist: DREAM THEATER
Album: METROPOLIS PT. 2: SCENES FROM A MEMORY (CD)

Year: 1999
EAN/UPS: 0075596244824
Media type: CD

1997's 'Fallen Into Infinity', produced by Kevin Shirley, featured a guest vocal appearance from KINGS X man Doug Pinnick on the track 'Lines In The Sand' and a surprisingly impressive co-write with Desmond Child on 'You Not Me'. The record caused division amomgst the fans, many believing DREAM THEATER had pandered to commercialistic pressures.

DREAM THEATER toured America the same year alongside Jazz Rock maestros DIXIE DREGS which was later to bear fruit with musical liaisons between the two sets of musicians. Portnoy and Petrucci were both involved in the side project group LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT alongside respected sessioneers Tony Levin (PETER GABRIEL / KING CRIMSON) and Jordan Rudess once again. LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT released a self-titled album through Magna Carta in early 1998.

1999 Sherinian was out of the band and in came his logical successor Jordan Rudess for 1999's outing 'Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory' album. The album continues the theme of 'Metropolis Part 1' recorded on the 'Images And Words' album.

Side projects continued unabated though with Rudess pairing off with his ex-DIXIE DREGS drumming colleague Rod Morgenstein for the RUDESS/MORGENSTEIN project album and his inclusion on the classical 'Steinway To Heaven' album alongside his predecessor Sherinian and YES maestro RICK WAKEMAN. Myung would not be left out either as he re-united with erstwhile band mate DEREK SHERINIAN in an unlikely alliance with, yet again, Rod Morgenstein and KINGS X frontman TY TABOR to forge the PLATYPUS project.

A further union of Prog-Rock stars came in 2000 when Portnoy allied himself with MARILLION bassist Pete Trewavas, SPOCK'S BEARD's Neal Morse and THE FLOWERKINGS Roine Stolt to create SMPT releasing the 'Transatlantic' album on Rising Sun.

Sherinian meantime teamed up with guitar maestro TONY MACALPINE for their PLANET X project record 'Universe'.

TRACKLIST:

1. Act I: Scene One: Regression
2. Act I: Scene Two: I. Overture 1928
3. Act I: Scene Two: Ii. Strange Deja Vu
4. Act I: Scene Three: I. Through My Words
5. Act I: Scene Three: Ii. Fatal Tragedy
6. Act I: Scene Four: Beyond This Life
7. Act I: Scene Five: Through Her Eyes
8. Act I I: Scene Six: Home
9. Act I I: Scene Seven: I. The Dance Of Eternity
10. Act I I: Scene Seven: Ii. One Last Time
11. Act I I: Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On
12. Act I I: Scene Nine: Finally Free

LINE-UP:

James LaBrie (vocals)
John Petrucci (guitar)
John Myung (bass)
Jordan Rudess (keyboards)
Mike Portnoy (drums)