"Awake" is DT's third studio album and probably the most experimental. It is during the mixing phase of this one that Kevin Moore announces to the other members of the band his decision to leave. He will soon create his own group, "Chroma Key". This announcement will of course have no impact on the release of the album and the tour that will follow will see the arrival of Derek Sherinian as keyboard player.
If "Images & Words" was following a very clear path from the beginning, it is obvious that "Awake" disrupts the expectations of those who could have expected a follow-up. The DT style remains easily definable, but many evolutions lead the listener to notice that the "Images & Words" era does indeed seem to be over.
The first comes from James Labrie's vocals: The flights in the high notes if they have not totally disappeared are often replaced by a deeper voice that is forced enough to sound raspy.
The second comes from the music itself, which leads to the definition of an experimental album. The different tracks move in different directions, giving a particularly disconnected aspect of DT that we did not know. Probably Kevin Moore had something to do with it... Indeed, the atmospheric passages on both keyboards and guitar are numerous, giving a throbbing, sometimes very unusual mystical side.
Apart from these differences, we find what makes DT's strength, in particular the famous successions of rough technical and melodious passages that give the thrill.
"Awake" is not in the end such a different album from the others. As usual, the band evolves smoothly, not completely cutting off its previous production while adding enough elements to renew itself. Some parts will make you join (the end of "Innocence Faded" for example) and others will annoy you deeply. But overall, everyone should benefit.