| Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 1999 (1999-10-26)[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Studio | BearTracks Studios inSuffern, New York Metalworks Studios inMississauga, Ontario (vocal parts) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 77:06 | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Producer | ||||
| Dream Theater chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory | ||||
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Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album and firstconcept album by the Americanprogressive metal bandDream Theater, released on October 26, 1999, throughElektra Records. It was recorded atBearTracks Studios inSuffern, New York, where the band had previously recorded their second studio album,Images and Words (1992), and theEPA Change of Seasons (1995).
The album is the sequel to "Metropolis—Part I: 'The Miracle and the Sleeper'", a song featured on the band's 1992 albumImages and Words. It was the first album to featureJordan Rudess on keyboards.
For the album's twentieth anniversary, the band performed the album live in its entirety throughout the Distance over Time Tour (as documented onDistant Memories - Live in London).
On June 24, 2024, it was announced that the album would receive a novel adaptation, withPeter Orullian as the author. It was released on October 26, 2024, coinciding with the album's 25th anniversary.[3][4][5]
Fans had previously requested a sequel to the song "Metropolis—Part I" fromImages and Words, but the band had not yet been able—nor had they originally intended—to make one. The "Part I" was added by Petrucci as a joke. During the sessions forFalling into Infinity (1997), the band recorded a 21-minute instrumental demo of "Metropolis Pt. 2" (which Mike Portnoy later released via his YtseJam Records site along with the otherFalling Into Infinity demos), but this did not make it onto the album. The demo, which included several musical references to "Metropolis—Part I" and featured many motifs that would later appear onMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (most notably the majority of "Overture 1928" and "Strange Deja Vu" and parts of "The Dance of Eternity" and "One Last Time"), was, however, significantly different from the finished album version in most parts.
At some point during the mixing sessions for their 1994 album,Awake, keyboardistKevin Moore left Dream Theater. Accordingly, they held auditions for keyboardists. Initially,Jordan Rudess played one concert with them on September 9, 1994, but he was not yet considered a full-time member due to commitments to another band, theDixie Dregs, and his job atKurzweil Music Systems. Once more, they held another round of auditions for keyboardists, and in October 1994, they selectedDerek Sherinian as a touring keyboardist, then promoted him to full-time member in February 1995. His time in Dream Theater yielded an EP (A Change of Seasons), one studio album (Falling into Infinity), and one live album (Once in a LIVEtime). Sherinian provided synth work for the "Metropolis Pt. 2" demo recorded during the sessions forFalling Into Infinity.
While Dream Theater had to promote that album with Sherinian, their drummer Mike Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci had a side project namedLiquid Tension Experiment, which also included bassist Tony Levin and returning session keyboardist Jordan Rudess.
Portnoy and Petrucci then convinced bassist John Myung and singer James LaBrie to have Jordan Rudess join, and Derek Sherinian was fired from Dream Theater via conference call. (Portnoy and Petrucci have stated that while it was an uncomfortable and unattractive situation, they did not want to ask Derek to fly from Los Angeles to New York only to be fired.)[6]
After his departure, the band returned toBearTracks Studios inSuffern, New York, to record their new album, the same location whereImages and Words was recorded (a photograph of BearTracks is featured on the album's back cover, meant to represent the house in the album). After the commercial failure ofFalling Into Infinity, their record label gave the band free rein over the direction of their new album, which led the band to finally finish the story. The final version of the story became aconcept album, dealing with the story of a man named Nicholas and his discovery of his past life, which involves love, murder, and infidelity as Victoria Page, and as such was heavily inspired by the 1991 filmDead Again,[7][8] more so than "Metropolis—Part I".
Following the album's release, the band embarked on an extensive world tour, and at a show in New York City, they hired actors to perform the narrative elements of the album while they played. The performance was recorded and released in 2001 as theMetropolis 2000 live DVD. In 2011, the album was released on LP for the first time to celebrateRecord Store Day. In 2019, the twentieth anniversary of the release ofMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, Dream Theater performed it live in its entirety alongside material from their fourteenth studio album,Distance over Time.[9][10] TheDistance over Time tour was documented as well and released in November 2020.
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory opens with Nicholas, a troubled man undergoingpast life regression therapy. In a hypnotic trance induced by his hypnotherapist, he begins to see a girl named Victoria Page (her full name is in the CD booklet and was shown during the 2019 tour, when the album was performed in its entirety) and experiences a life that feels strangely familiar, despite never having been there. ("Regression") He learns that she was murdered and discovers that he was Victoria in a past life. ("Strange Deja Vu") Nicholas starts to believe that Victoria is haunting him to reveal the truth about her murder. ("Through My Words") He recalls that Victoria distanced herself from her lover, Julian Baynes (his last name is given in the 2019 tour video and is also in the CD insert), due to his drinking and gambling addictions. She sought comfort in Julian's brother, Edward Baynes, and began an affair with him. Nicholas assumes that Julian, out of jealousy, murdered her and then killed himself, a story supported by a newspaper article covering the events, which cites a witness's testimony. However, Nicholas begins to doubt this version of events and converses with an older man who was more familiar with the case (an animated video shown during "Fatal Tragedy" on the 2019 tour strongly suggests he is a reincarnated Julian). Nicholas realizes that he will never be able to move on with his own life until he solves her murder. ("Fatal Tragedy"; "Beyond This Life"; "Through Her Eyes")
The second act opens by describing Julian's addictions to cocaine and gambling, which drives Victoria away from him. Edward feels guilty about deceiving his brother but decides that his love for Victoria is stronger than his guilt, and he seduces her when she is vulnerable following her breakup. ("Home"; "The Dance of Eternity") After visiting Edward's old house, Nicholas believes he has solved the mystery: Julian had tried to beg Victoria for forgiveness, and when rebuffed, killed both her and Edward, then positioned himself as the witness in the newspaper article. ("One Last Time") Nicholas comes to terms with what happened and bids farewell to Victoria. The hypnotherapist ends the session at this point, despite pleas from Victoria's memories. ("The Spirit Carries On") The narrative then shifts to Edward's perspective, revealing that he wished his romance with Victoria was more than a simple affair. As Victoria begins to reconcile with Julian, Edward confronts the two of them, murders them, then stages the scene and assumes the role of the witness for the newspaper column. The flashback includes Edward telling Victoria to "open [her] eyes" before killing her, echoing the same words the hypnotherapist used to wake Nicholas from his hypnotic trance. ("Finally Free") In the present, Nicholas arrives home, followed by the hypnotherapist. Nicholas is startled by another request to "open [his] eyes" before the album cuts to (and concludes with) phonographic static. The band confirmed on theMetropolis 2000 live DVD that the hypnotherapist is Edward's reincarnation and has killed Nicholas to complete the cycle once again.
The static that closes the album continues at the beginning of "The Glass Prison", the first song on their next album,Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002), and this pattern persists through their subsequent albums untilOctavarium (2005), with the same concept but different closing notes.
Scenes from a Memory showcased a traditional progressive rock sound.[1][11][12][13] According to the "Making of Scenes from a Memory" video, some of the influences forMetropolis Pt. 2 are the following concept albums:The Who'sTommy (1969),Genesis'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974),Roger Waters'Amused to Death (1992),Radiohead'sOK Computer (1997),Queensrÿche'sOperation: Mindcrime (1988),The Beatles'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967),Marillion'sMisplaced Childhood (1985), andPink Floyd'sThe Wall (1979) andThe Final Cut (1983). These albums are shown on a table Mike calls "Inspiration Corner".[14]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | 8/10[15] |
| Rock Hard | 10/10[16] |
| Metal Storm | 10/10[8] |
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory reached #73 on theBillboard 200 albums chart, #2 on the Billboard Top Internet Albums, #6 on theFinnish Albums Chart, and #8 on theGerman Albums Chart. The album received acclaim from various sources. It was ranked number 95 in the October 2006 issue ofGuitar World magazine's list of "The greatest 100 guitar albums of all time".[17] It was also ranked as the 15th Greatest Concept Album (as of March 2003) byClassic Rock Magazine.[18] The GermanRock Hard magazine voted itAlbum of the Month, giving it a perfect score,[16] and eventually ranked it number 410 in their bookThe 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time in 2005.[19]
In 2012, the readers ofRolling Stone voted the album into the #1 position in their "Your Favorite Prog Rock Albums of All Time" poll.[20]Scenes from a Memory was also ranked by the same magazine at #29 in their list of "50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time".[21]
In 2015, The Prog Report ranked it #3 in the Top 50 Modern Prog Albums 1990–2015.[22]
Jordan Blum ofPopMatters called the album "the greatestprogressive metal work of all time."[23]
Loudwire named it #14 in their list of "Top 25 Progressive Metal Albums of All Time."[24]
All music is composed by Dream Theater, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Scene One: Regression" (music: Petrucci) | John Petrucci | 2:06 |
| 2. | "Scene Two: I. Overture 1928" | (instrumental) | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu" | Mike Portnoy | 5:12 |
| 4. | "Scene Three: I. Through My Words" (music: Petrucci) | Petrucci | 1:02 |
| 5. | "Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy" | John Myung | 6:49 |
| 6. | "Scene Four: Beyond This Life" | Petrucci | 11:22 |
| 7. | "Scene Five: Through Her Eyes" | Petrucci | 5:29 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Scene Six: Home" | Portnoy | 12:53 |
| 9. | "Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity" | (instrumental) | 6:13 |
| 10. | "Scene Seven: II. One Last Time" | James LaBrie | 3:46 |
| 11. | "Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On" | Petrucci | 6:38 |
| 12. | "Scene Nine: Finally Free" | Portnoy | 11:59 |
| Total length: | 77:06 | ||
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[25] | 28 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[26] | 6 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[27] | 40 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[28] | 8 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[29] | 13 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[30] | 19 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[31] | 28 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[32] | 44 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] | 44 |
| USBillboard 200[34] | 73 |
