Customer Reviews

Theater of War

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Jacobs Dream's self-titled debut (from 2000) was an excellent American power metal release that effectively combined various aspects of Fates Warning, Iron Maiden and Queensryche. All right, I'll admit that mixing Maiden, `Ryche and Fates Warning is kind of like mixing a golden retriever, a Labrador retriever and a Chesapeake Bay retriever: In the end, you still end up with a retriever. While merging influences from the aforementioned bands isn't exactly groundbreaking, with Jacobs Dream you still get a good band (even though this formula doesn't work for all bands). Some detractors would say that originality isn't Jacobs Dream's strongest attribute and to a degree, I concede that point. In the end, however, who cares how Jacobs Dream arrived at their sound? An album-any album--should be judged by the songs, not by who the band sounds like. Jacobs Dream write great songs and that's what counts most.

"Sanctuary" (which ranks a nine out of ten) is a fierce rocker with excellent vocal melodies, especially the chorus. The vigorous "Theater of War" (ranks a seven out of ten) shows the bands ability to change pace quickly as the song moves from slow to fast to slow again. "Traces of Grace" (another nine) is a compelling, swiftly moving song with an almost Metallica-like opening and brawny riffs. Showcasing more muscular riffs "Wisdom" (an eight out of ten) is another tune that swiftly changes pace. "The Warning" (a seven) moves briskly with a tough riff that carries the song throughout. Track six, "Sarah Williams" (ten out of ten), is a powerful ballad that tells the story of a young lady who was killed by a drunk driver and it's told through the apologetic drunk's point of view which makes this song an emotional powerhouse. "De Machina Est Deo" (ranking a nine) is an instrumental that recalls many European power metal bands along with Metallica as it moves fast and furiously. "Black Souls"(a seven) is aggressive, fast and brutal but lacks engaging vocal melodies. Finally "Critical Mass" (another seven) is heavy and aggressive but like "Black Souls" it suffers from the lack of strong melodies.

Vocalist David Taylor sounds like a cross between Maiden's Bruce Dickinson and Queensryche's Geoff Tate with maybe a bit of Geddy Lee thrown in (apparently, some think this combination a bad thing-go figure) . The vocal melodies remind me of Queensryche and Fates Warning while the music is reminiscent of Queensryche, Iron Maiden and even Metallica (the Metallica similarities aren't major). I may be drawing upon too many comparisons, but this is my attempt to give the listener a good idea of what the band sounds like. My constant comparisons to Iron Maiden and Queensryche are probably a bit overboard and I need to point out that Jacobs Dream does clearly have their own style. To sum up, I really like this album. The strong song writing and the engaging performances make this CD as strong as Jacobs Dream's debut.

Oh my !!! Jacob's Dream's self-titled album was decent, but nothing spectacular. Theater of War is miles beyond that album. This album starts out full throttle and never lets up.

The production is flawless, all of the instruments can be clearly heard. Every song is great. There are no filler tunes to be found. Jacob's Dream is an all-around band, they produce great songs without focusing simply on one member (guitarist, vocalist, etc.). The riffs found on this album are so sweet to these ears. Its tough to pick faves when every song is great, but I'd say "The Warning" and "Traces of Grace" are among the best.

For musical comparisons, think Dio, Iron Maiden, or old Queensryche. I'll be surprised if a better metal album is released this year.

Each song is well crafted and well executed, resulting in a very musically adept and soncially powerful album.

Great album! Heavy music with awesome lyrics. I also have the first c.d. and love it. This one does have a little more kick to it though. If you love prog. metal I recommend you buy this one.

This is so much more focused than the self titled release. It rocks from end to end. I dare anyone to listen to Theater of War right after listening to the self titled release and tell me that there is anything lacking on theater of war. The only drawbacks (if you could call it that) i hear is the flat and dry production, little depth or seperation. Very in your face.

The self titled cd was very eclectic and open to the listeners interpreations where as this cd just rips you head off and hands it to you!

This album was such a letdown after the awesome self-titled album from 2000 (which I give 4 stars). That album had an intensity and cohesiveness that really grabbed you from the first song until almost the end, where a little bit of filler could be found. This album in contrast seems to have been a rush job, the songs don't jell into anything you might remember and there aren't many grooves that hook into you. The music in general is harder than the first album, but the guitar work is less interesting and the drumming is at times laughable - some of the fills sound like they're right out of Spinal Tap.

My suspicion falls on the absence on Rick Map, who was the drummer and producer of the first album. This album has a new drummer and is producted by "Jacobs dream", which is usually a sign of a band in trouble because there are too many cooks in the kitchen.

Interestingly enough, the last couple of songs on the album seem to pick up a little bit, which is unusual since that's where most albums tend to lose steam. Maybe these were songs made before Map left and the band just stuck them on the end to finish up the recording.

Save your money, but the first album and move on.

My Rating:
*

My Scale:
* Weak, maybe 1 or two good songs, lots of filler
** OK, throw it in the car or MP3 player for long trips
*** Good, several excellent songs, still needs some work
**** Excellent, a classic that I will listen to for years to come.
***** Awesome. The entire world will be talking about this album for the next 10 years.

This album sounds so much like Queensryche that I wonder why they even recorded it. If you read other comments you'll hear the Maiden/Ryche/Fates comparison many times, I totally agree. Why bother with imitations when you can always listen to the originals.