‘Falling Into Infinity’ is arguably Dream Theater’s most controversial album. Allegedly, Elektra Records demanded a more radio-friendly album. In all honesty, it is difficult to picture any mid-nineties radio station having most of the material on ‘Falling Into Infinity’ on heavy rotation, with all the odd meters on display. There are a few more accessible tracks, but what Elektra’s alleged demands did result in is an album that is closer to contemporary progressive rock than it is to the progressive metal of its three predecessors. And for what it’s worth, I personally think Dream Theater does progressive rock better.

If Dream Theater was looking at successful nineties bands for inspiration, it seems like they mainly took it from the most prog-sounding bands, such as Soundgarden. There are nods to Alice In Chains (the vocal harmonies in the chorus of ‘New Millennium’) and Rage Against The Machine (the main riff to ‘You Not Me’), but the overall sound is fairly unique. Given the blatant Rush references on recent albums, one might assume Dream Theater would have looked to mid-nineties Rush for inspiration, but the compositions on ‘Falling Into Infinity’ are notably more complex. There is also plenty of room for instrumental virtuosity, though somewhat more reined in than before.

The album’s reputation seems to suggest that there are no progressive moments on ‘Falling Into Infinity’, but the opposite is actually true. In fact, ‘Lines In the Sand’ is possibly the best prog song released in the nineties. It slowly builds from an atmospheric keyboard-only intro by relative newcomer Derek Sherinian to a powerful rock song that goes through multiple changes. The gospel-tinged backing vocals courtesy of King’s X frontman Doug Pinnick are a great bonus. ‘New Millennium’ is another prog rock masterpiece and a fantastic opener, while ‘Burning My Soul’ and ‘Just Let Me Breathe’ are spirited rockers with cool rhythms.

Power ballads generally aren’t Dream Theater’s forte, often devolving into overly schmaltzy AOR choruses, but there are actually a few good ones here. Lengthy closer ‘Trial Of Tears’ is a moody slow builder with some excellent proggy sections and ‘Peruvian Skies’ is a brooding track that makes brilliant use of climaxes – or rather anti-climaxes if we’re splitting hairs – and easily the most nineties rock-sounding track on here. Even ‘Hollow Years’ and the Elton John-esque ‘Anna Lee’ are quite good, though both could have a minute chafed off without hurting the tracks. The instrumental interlude ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ is excellent as well.

Admittedly, ‘Falling Into Infinity’ did not need to be seventy-eight minutes long. There is an even better fifty-five minute album in here somewhere. But it is far from the pop album its reputation sometimes seems to suggest it is. The songwriting resonates with me more than most of the wildly inconsitent ‘Images And Words’ and the first half of ‘Awake’ did. Compared to the latter, I actually like that guitarist John Petrucci doesn’t chug on his lowest strings quite as much. If you go into ‘Falling Into Infinity’ with the right expectations, you will find a highly creative album that I rate as one of Dream Theater’s top three albums.

Recommended tracks: ‘Lines In The Sand’, ‘New Millennium’, ‘Trial Of Tears’