Metal Storm logo
Dream Theater - Awake



8.6 | 1397 votes |
Release date: 4 October 1994
Style: Progressive metal

Owners:

1739 have it
69 want it
3 trade it


01. 6:00
02. Caught In A Web
03. Innocence Faded
04. A Mind Beside Itself: I. Erotomania
05. A Mind Beside Itself: II. Voices
06. A Mind Beside Itself: III. The Silent Man
07. The Mirror
08. Lie
09. Lifting Shadows Off A Dream
10. Scarred
11. Space-Dye Vest
12. Eve [Japanese bonus]

Top 20 albums of 1994: 8

Additional info
Produced, engineered and mixed by John Purdell and Duane Baron.
Recorded in May-July 1994 at:
One on One Studios, North Hollywood, CA - assisted by Mike Stock;
Devonshire Studios, North Hollywood, CA - assisted by Greg Cathcart.
Mixed in July-August 1994 at:
Larrabee Studios, L.A., CA - assisted by Ryan Arnold;
Unique Studios, NYC, NY - assisted by Ed Miller.
Mastered at Sterling Sound, NYC, NY by Ted Jensen.
Pre-production at:
Prince Enterprises, NYC, NY;
Full Blast Rehearsal Studios, L.A., CA.
Programming on "Space-Dye Vest" by Rich Kern.
Dialogue on "Voices" by Prix-mo (Courtesy of "Cultural Revolution").

Staff review by
Dream Taster
Rating:
9.0
Progressive pioneers of New York based combo Dream Theater returned in 1994, with this album entitled "Awake". Following the magnificent "Images And Words", their 1992's highly acclaimed effort, and their first live album 1993's "Live At The Marquee", this record is another important brick in the wall of progressive metal.

Read more ››
published 09.01.2004 | Comments (23)

Staff review by
Herzebeth
Rating:
9.0
We all know what to expect when you buy a Dream Theater album, complex music, incredible guitar solos, enjoyable bass-lines, polished vocals, and well Mike Portnoy (we all know who he is right?). Awake is not an exception, James Labrie gives us an incredible vocal performance, his vocals have all kinds of shapes and cool structures. The Music is exceptional and well Mike Portnoy as always is marvelous.

Read more ››
published 21.01.2005 | Comments (4)

Found in 85 lists
Top lists



Comments

Comments: 43   Visited by: 1253 users
10.09.2011 - 19:45
Rating: 9
musicalkaratekid
My favourite DT album overall, but that's not to say that i didn't love images and words either. Its just that 'Awake' for me explored further territory even more than Images and words did, making this album have that little extra surprise. A semi-ballad, some extremely heavy songs, and two sprawling epics, i couldn't really go wrong. Plus there was a little element of peculiar songwriting(I'm talking about the closer 'Space Dye Vest',which,at first listen, i though was really strange) to top things off:)
Loading...
19.03.2012 - 16:25
Rating: 7
Mountain King
K i K o
Overrated! 7/10...
Loading...
19.03.2012 - 16:41
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Written by Mountain King on 19.03.2012 at 16:25

Overrated! 7/10...

I disagree, people talk more about Images and Words and Scenes from a Memory and praise them endlessly; never saw this with Awake.
Loading...
19.03.2012 - 16:47
Rating: 10
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Elite
Written by [user id=17278] on 19.03.2012 at 16:41

Written by Mountain King on 19.03.2012 at 16:25

Overrated! 7/10...

I disagree, people talk more about Images and Words and Scenes from a Memory and praise them endlessly; never saw this with Awake.

I agree, definitely underrated, I hardly ever see people referring to Awake as such a big special album.
----
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.

My Instagram
Loading...
19.03.2012 - 18:03
Rating: 7
Mountain King
K i K o
Written by BloodTears on 19.03.2012 at 16:47

Written by [user id=17278] on 19.03.2012 at 16:41

Written by Mountain King on 19.03.2012 at 16:25

Overrated! 7/10...

I disagree, people talk more about Images and Words and Scenes from a Memory and praise them endlessly; never saw this with Awake.

I agree, definitely underrated, I hardly ever see people referring to Awake as such a big special album.

There are some awful tracks here (Innocence Faded, Lifting Shadows Off a Dream :O), I prefer Systematic Chaos. Everyone has his own opinion...
Loading...
19.03.2012 - 18:06
JohnDoe
Account deleted
But Lifting Shadows Off a Dream is such a great song IMO; tastes differ indeed.
Loading...
19.03.2012 - 18:36
Rating: 10
BloodTears
ANA-thema
Elite
Opinions differ so much indeed. I like both Innocence Faded and Lifting Shadows actually
----
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29

Like you could kiss my ass.

My Instagram
Loading...
20.03.2012 - 10:00
Rating: 9
R'Vannith
ghedengi
Elite
Some of their best tracks are on here no doubt.
Loading...
29.03.2012 - 19:15
Rating: 10
Azarath
Free as a.. Fish
My favourite Dream Theater album. Fantastic songs, great performances (LaBrie has never been better) and, all in all, it's the best sounding album DT ever made.
Loading...
29.03.2012 - 21:20
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Written by Azarath on 29.03.2012 at 19:15

My favourite Dream Theater album. Fantastic songs, great performances (LaBrie has never been better) and, all in all, it's the best sounding album DT ever made.

finally someone making sense around here

my favourite Dream theater album as well; Kevin Moore sounded fantastic even though he did not have his heart into it (from what I read)
Loading...
31.03.2012 - 23:13
Rating: 10
Azarath
Free as a.. Fish
Written by [user id=17278] on 29.03.2012 at 21:20

finally someone making sense around here

my favourite Dream theater album as well; Kevin Moore sounded fantastic even though he did not have his heart into it (from what I read)

That's what I do.

Moore is my favourite Dream Theater keyboardist (and lyricist). Apparently he wasn't a "team player" at this point but he was very involved with the songs he wrote lyrics for as well as Erotomania and Voices. He was the heart and soul of DT - Space-Dye Vest is one of the most emotional songs I've ever heard.
Loading...
31.03.2012 - 23:33
Rating: 10
Milena
gloom cookie
Staff
Written by Mountain King on 19.03.2012 at 18:03

Lifting Shadows Off a Dream is bad... or I've misread it, I must have misread it...

...What what what what?
Damn.

About the little Moore discussion, I'm in two minds about him - obviously he's very stubborn and difficult to deal with and not a team player at all, which is a shame, but whenever I hear anything he wrote, I can't help but be completely mesmerized by his musicianship. I am almost obsessed with him.
Awake is one of the best albums of prog metal, ever. There's no discussion about it. Rare are the things that come close to this.
----
7.0 means the album is good
Loading...
25.04.2012 - 19:00
Rating: 8
Regolith
Not my favorite album of their's but it has one thing that none of the other albums can claim (for me): The gateway song into the prog-metal genre - 'The Mirror'. This song alone opened my eyes to progressive music. All the time changes/feels in the first 60 seconds amazed me. Bravo, DT.
Loading...
17.08.2012 - 23:16
Rating: 7
CobiWan1993
Secundum Filium
I really enjoy this album. Every band member delivers a phenomenal performance (as usual), the production is wonderful (every instrument sounds fresh and crisp, almost like it could have been recorded yesterday instead of 18 years ago), and many of these songs kick ass, I particularly love the songs "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" and "Scarred". Even though I much prefer "Images and Words" when it comes to favorite DT albums, this is still one hell of a release. Best Album of 1994 for sure.
----
Ordinary men hate solitude. But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe (Lao Tzu).
Loading...
02.10.2012 - 15:43
LordHypnos
Account deleted
Didn't like it.
Loading...
02.10.2012 - 16:37
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Written by [user id=135634] on 02.10.2012 at 15:43

Didn't like it.

what is wrong with it?
Loading...
02.10.2012 - 16:47
LordHypnos
Account deleted
Written by [user id=17278] on 02.10.2012 at 16:37

Written by [user id=135634] on 02.10.2012 at 15:43

Didn't like it.

what is wrong with it?

It sounds too dark in comparison to Images and Words, that's why I didn't like it.
Loading...
02.10.2012 - 16:55
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Written by [user id=135634] on 02.10.2012 at 16:47

Written by [user id=17278] on 02.10.2012 at 16:37

Written by [user id=135634] on 02.10.2012 at 15:43

Didn't like it.

what is wrong with it?

It sounds too dark in comparison to Images and Words, that's why I didn't like it.

that's it? so what if it's darker than I&W?
Back then, I could only admire that they tried something different and in my opinion a great job at it.
Loading...
02.10.2012 - 16:59
LordHypnos
Account deleted
Written by [user id=17278] on 02.10.2012 at 16:55

Written by [user id=135634] on 02.10.2012 at 16:47

Written by [user id=17278] on 02.10.2012 at 16:37

Written by [user id=135634] on 02.10.2012 at 15:43

Didn't like it.

what is wrong with it?

It sounds too dark in comparison to Images and Words, that's why I didn't like it.

that's it? so what if it's darker than I&W?
Back then, I could only admire that they tried something different and in my opinion a great job at it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a great album, it's just not my taste.
Loading...
04.10.2012 - 00:13
LordHypnos
Account deleted
I guess I am the only DT fan who disliked this album...
Loading...
09.12.2012 - 18:39
megadeath13
Account deleted
Not my favourite Dream Theater record, but its a good one. Caught in a web is awesome, but the album has also its bad moments.
Loading...
19.05.2014 - 20:29
Rating: 3
Dr. Strawberry
Song 1,2,3 & 4 - are infused with strong 70's blues composition made this album very awkward.
Song 5 - dream theater is back
Song 6 - is a country rock made this album awful. DT is gone again...
Song 7,8.9,10,11 - I pushed stop as there's no point to go on listening...
Loading...
01.07.2014 - 06:56
Maco
Pvt Funderground
This is more boring than the previous two. I still think it's decent tho.
----
Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
Loading...
12.02.2016 - 15:03
Rating: 7
Mountain King
K i K o
A few really good songs here but several extremely bad songs. "Innocence Faded", "Scarred", "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream" are some of the worst songs I've ever heard even outside the prog genre. I don't understand how the same band that did I&W and that is so talented can follow it up with a mediocre album like this? I tried listening to it times and times again but the bad songs keep getting worse. A hard 7 for me...
Loading...
02.08.2016 - 06:49
Rating: 9
mikeprado30
Not as good as Images and Words but still a great and enjoyable album

My favorite track: Caught in a Web and maybe also Space-Dye Vest.
----
BARDS WE ARE, BARDS WE WILL BE!
Loading...
21.08.2016 - 20:04
Maco
Pvt Funderground
Written by Mountain King on 19.03.2012 at 16:25

Overrated! 7/10...

+1
----
Crackhead Megadeth reigns supreme.
Loading...
25.01.2017 - 01:11
Rating: 10
Nicko's Nose
Written by Mountain King on 12.02.2016 at 15:03

A few really good songs here but several extremely bad songs. "Scarred"

What the hell? That's one of their best songs. Hell, it's one of the best songs ever.
Loading...
22.09.2018 - 20:12
Zap
Too bad this band never made something like Space-Dye Vest again. It's the tiebreaker song that makes Awake my favorite Dream Theater
Loading...
22.09.2018 - 22:52
Rating: 7
Redel
Moderator
Written by Zap on 22.09.2018 at 20:12

Too bad this band never made something like Space-Dye Vest again. It's the tiebreaker song that makes Awake my favorite Dream Theater

Space-Dye Vest is my favourite DT song. Closely followed by Pull me under.
But I cant find any other really great song on Awake.
I prefer Images and Words.
Loading...
14.02.2019 - 10:42
Rating: 10
JoHn Doe
Written by Zap on 22.09.2018 at 20:12

Too bad this band never made something like Space-Dye Vest again. It's the tiebreaker song that makes Awake my favorite Dream Theater

The simple explanation why there isn't another song like that is because it was written (music and lyrics) by Kevin Moore.

My favorite DT album to this day, and I listened to this when it came out.
----
I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
Loading...

Hits total: 25259 | This month: 1