Since its inception, Dream Theater has not produced a new album identical to the previous one. And this "Falling Into Infinity" is no exception to the rule.
However, the turning point achieved on this opus is not the most flattering since it is considered the most commercial of DT's albums. Several songs were even played on TV in a video clip like "Hollow years". And unfortunately, what is considered commercial tends to be set aside in the progressive environment without judgment or objectivity. Has Dream Theater lost his identity by falling into the easy way?
Of course, this is not the case. From beginning to end, the personal touch that has made this band a reference is present. But it is true that some of the usual aspects have been erased. The aggressive and dissonant parts have almost disappeared, as have the endless soli usually located in the middle of the compositions. The perfect example is the fabulous Hell's Kitchen, which should have been placed in the middle of a piece and is now a track in its own right.
The main part is thus left to vocals, which seem much less acute and less sought-after. Technically these changes result in a less complex and therefore much more fluid album. Amateurs can rest assured, not all the soli have disappeared and are sometimes even more harmonious than ever.
Despite its commercial label that sticks to its skin, "Falling Into Infinity" is an excellent album and once again presents DT in a new light, more rock, more open, more accessible. Not too experimental like Awake, not too technical like Images & Words, not too good like Scenes From A Memory.