Review Summary: Dream Theater's debut album had good intentions, but is ultimately mediocre due to poor production and lackluster vocals.
The Journey Through Dream Theater, Part 1
Dream Theater’s influence since their formation in 1985 is undeniable. Loved by many, hated by others, they have left their mark with their long and prosperous career in the world of progressive metal. Their debut album,
When Dream and Day Unite, was what started it all. John Petrucci proved himself to be a great guitarist from the start, and Mike Portnoy’s drumming was just as technical. Despite the talent of the musicians in the band, the debut from Dream Theater is very mediocre compared to their later works, and is overall their weakest effort.
The poor production is one problem, but the biggest issue with the album is the vocals. This is the only work of theirs without current lead singer James LaBrie. For those who take issues with LaBrie’s vocals, and wish for a Dream Theater without LaBrie, this could be a dream come true. Unfortunately, the original vocalist, Charles Dominici, was a poor singer and his grating vocal performance can make the album a chore to even finish in the first place. It doesn’t help that the lyrics he’s delivering are usually poor as well. The chorus of
Status Seeker boasts the laughably bad line of “You draw the battle line with a dollar sign” and Dominici’s delivery of it is equally bad. He does have his more tolerable moments on the album. His performance in
Only A Matter Of Time isn’t too bad and occasionally he will deliver a decent chorus hook (
Light Fuse and Get Away), but overall he drags the album down.
The ones who steal the show here are Petrucci and Portnoy. The instrumental parts of the album are not surprisingly the best part of the album. Given Dominici’s poor vocal performance throughout, it’s not surprising that the best song on here is the instrumental.
The Ytse Jam is very enjoyable, with changes in pace and enjoyable riffs as well as a signature shredding solo from Petrucci. His solos are a highlight here, showing off his virtuosic abilities even in Dream Theater’s early days. He lays down some good riffs like the speedy intro to
Afterlife. Portnoy’s drumming is outstanding as well. Keyboardist Kevin Moore isn’t too flashy, but he does create one of the album’s best moments with the excellent long keyboard intro to
The Ones Who Help To Set The Sun. The instrumental breaks are always a breath of fresh air from Dominici’s vocals, and with a different singer would have made this a very enjoyable album.
Overall, aside from the excellent
Ytse Jam,
When Dream And Day Unite is only worth hearing if you want to hear where Dream Theater came from or complete your Dream Theater collection, as they would only get better from here. The instrumental sections are excellent, Petrucci’s solos in particular are often a delight to listen to, but the vocals usually kill whatever momentum has been built. Add in the poor production, and you have a well-intentioned but mediocre album. When James LaBrie would later join the band, they would start creating the high-quality material that they were capable of.
Top Track: The Ytse Jam
For
When Dream and Day Unite, Dream Theater was:
• John Myung – Bass guitar
• John Petrucci – Lead guitar
• Mike Portnoy – Drums, Percussion
• Kevin Moore - Keyboards
• Charles Dominici – Vocals
To Be Continued…
