Dream Theater - Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York [DVD]

Firstly, there is the entire live rendition of Scenes from a Memory. This 16 track wonder really hits home, showing how amazing these muscians really are. They show wonderful verstility in this set, having to adjust from relatively slow numbers such as "The Spirit Carries on" and "Through Her Eyes" to much quicker works like "The Dance of Eternity" and "Home". The fact that they can adjust so easily on stage just illistrates how good they really are. The sound quality is great, and the picture quality is even better!

Next up are the 'Deleted Scenes'. A collection of bonus live material. This one hour feast includes Erotomania, Voices, The Silent Man, Learning to Live, and the only live release of their 24 minute classic "A Change of Seasons". All of these are excellent, but "A Change of Seasons" is really one of the most awesome pieces of music I have ever heard, especially seeing as though it is performed live! I would have bought the DVD just for that song alone.

Just when you thought that you couldn't find anything more on the DVD, Mike Portnoy suprises us again with a rather unique band commentry that spans the entirety of the live scenes footage. In the commentary they help you to understand the story behind the music as you go through, and also give you insights into where the inspiration for various parts of the music came from. For the musicians amongst Dream Theater's audience, the band do delve a little into the various musical concepts shown in the footage too.

If you thought this wasn't enough - there is still more! A gallery of photos in the form of a slideshow is next. Mostly taken by Mike Portnoy on the tour they depict the various venues, along with some amusing ones of the band and people behind the scenes.

Finally to sum up the DVD there is a nice documentary showing snippets of film taken before the gig at the Roseland Ballroom of the band warming up, along with parts dedicated to the fans.

All in all, this is a stunning DVD packed full of extras! Any music fan who is prepared to adapt slightly will enjoy this DVD. As for the Dream Theater fans, it is a MUST buy - you're collection is not complete without it!

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The DVD contains some visuals (or cut-scenes) that try to communicate the story and inspiration behind SFAM. The cut-scenes didn't do the music justice, which is a pity, since the band has the word "Theater" in their name, and theatrics should appeal both auditory and visually. This doesn't bother me too much, though, because DT for me is all about the music. And, the cut-scenes ain't often. But, my rating does drop one star, just to be fair. [ As a true DT fan my argument still stands that when you listen to DT, you close your eyes, and dream up your own awesome visuals, but not everyone agrees with this. ]

The camera-work is very satisfying. Thought has been put into combining certain angles onto one screen (for instance the Rudess/Petrucci show-off, and of course Mr Portnoy's exceptional drumming).

This is a must have for any DT fan, guitarist, drummer, bassist, keyboardist, any musician for that matter. DT is eye-candy technically.

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