Dream Theater Live at Hammersmith Apollo

Dream Theater

Hammersmith Apollo

22 February 2020

Photograph: Tayler and Amanda Altman for Bright Light Digital Art @brightlightda

By Decibel Report

Back in the Theatre Of Dreams at Hammersmith Apollo (Odeon) for this long-awaited Dream Theater show, the palpable sense of anticipation was so strong that it could almost be touched and tasted before the lights went down in this art-deco architectural masterpiece.

As the projected backdrop fizzed into life, with a futuristic technological video film centred around the recent Distance Over Time release, musical molecules elided to create a controlled mass of sonic precision as this five-man byword for blue-chip prog metal played a scintillating show.

In harmony with the specially created animated narrative behind them, the band untethered a cinematic soundscape of near unparalleled musicianship to be currently witnessed on a live stage.

Mostly dipping their collective fingers into the darker end of the sonic spectrum, the palette of both ethereal and brimstone tones sizzled the ears and super heightened the senses of an astonished audience.

The first half of tonight’s show concentrated heavily upon choice cuts from their current release Distance Over Time; an album which slots into the top grade of these former Berklee College alumnus’ super-natural catalogue of recordings.

With a timely interval break for both band and audience to catch their collective breath, what followed was a masterful complete performance of their concept album Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes From A Memory executed to perfection. As keys star Jordan Rudess’ first album with the band, the exchange of individual musical brilliance and flair between himself and guitarist John Petrucci was jaw-dropping. In fact, all players excelled as they launched this live redux into the sonic-sphere as encore song At Wit’s End sealed a night to remember.

Photograph: Mark Maryanovich Photography