DREAM THEATER – HMH Amsterdam 17 February 2014

Dream Theater has always been one of my favorite prog metal bands. However when Mike Portnoy left, I was flabbergasted and I truly have to say that the new two albums without Mike P. do not belong to my favorite DT albums. So, anyway I went to Amsterdam to see and hear the guys in the flesh again and to be honest I did not expect that much from this evening. But DT proved me wrong, as the three hours set of this evening was really impressive, although James’s vocals sometimes let him down a bit….

The biggest surprise on the set list was Space-Dye Vest from the amazing album Awake, which was played for the very first time ever in our small country. From the new album the audience could enjoy no less than five tracks, of which the opening song The Enemy Inside belonged to one of the best played songs on the entire evening. One of my favorite DT albums Awake (featuring Kevin Moore on keyboards) was released twenty years ago and therefore we were treated to five songs from that amazing album. Lifting Shadows Of A Dream and The Mirror are also two spectacular highlights of this evening. However, the cartoons which are being shown on a big screen are totally ripped off from Rush, not very original, guys, although some of the You-Tube movies were rather hilarious… Another surprise in the set list is the song Trial Of Tears, a track from DT’s weakest album Falling Into Infinity; released in 1997.Furthermore DT played one track from Black Clouds & Silver Lining, being The Shattered Fortress, a heck of a song of course.

The closing song of DT’s last album Illumination Theory was also played and it was a prog metal feast for more than 22 minutes! The show did not end there and then but we were treated to four encores of another favorite DT album of mine, Metropolis Pt2, Scenes From A Memory. DT kicks off with Overture 1928, followed by Strange Déjà Vu, The Dance Of Eternity and ending with Finally Free and these encores were absolutely brilliant. Although I missed Mike P. behind the drum kit and I also missed songs from the killer album Train of Thought (2003), it was a great night and DT is still the number one prog metal band in the world.

SET LIST

The Enemy Inside

The Shattered Fortress

On The Backs Of Angels

The Looking Glass

Trial Of Tears

Enigma Machine

Along For The Ride

Breaking All Illusions

The Mirror

Lie

Lifting Shadows Off A Dream

Scarred

Space-Dye Vest

Illumination Theory

ENCORES

Overture 1928

Strange Déjà vu

The Dance Of Eternity

Finally Free

Review by Martien Koolen
Photos from Dreamtheater.net
( I was not allowed to take pictures.)

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