A View from the Top of the World

A View from the Top of the World is a work on which Dream Theater splendidly pulls together complex rhythm, precise, virtuosic unisons and melodic singing into a long construction. Each member’s outstanding technique stands out as ever, yet it is by no means a mere succession of showcases but is used precisely to design tension and release in each song. The opener “The Alien” is a powerful effort that won a Grammy. From the power of the speeding opener “The Alien” and the drama of “Answering the Call” to a cut like “Invisible Monster,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Sleeping Giant” and the grand over-twenty-minute title suite “A View from the Top of the World” convey the work’s fullness. In particular, the further it progresses into the latter half, the more heavy riffs, grand keyboards and the guitar’s rich lyricism powerfully connect like one big story. A record letting you richly savor both the fun of carefully following its details and the sure pleasure of receiving it as one grand song. You can enjoy the essence of progressive metal extremely densely. A powerful, engaging masterpiece that showed outstanding ability and tireless inquiry even as veterans — a record where the band’s maturity shines.