Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
Scenes From a Memory is Dream Theater's fifth studio album and their first full concept album. It picks up the story begun in "Metropolis—Part I: 'The Miracle and the Sleeper'", a song from their 1992 record Images and Words, and stretches it across a whole record. It came out on 26 October 1999 through Elektra, and the band recorded it at BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York, the same place they made Images and Words and the EP A Change of Seasons.
It also marks the arrival of Jordan Rudess on keyboards, a change that shapes the band's sound from here on. For progressive metal fans, it's the record where Dream Theater's long-form ambitions are most fully realised. The band played it in full on the Distance Over Time tour for its twentieth anniversary, documented on Distant Memories - Live in London, and a novel adaptation by Peter Orullian followed in October 2024.
Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 1:17:15Tracklist
- 1Act I: Scene One: RegressionJohn Petrucci2:07
- 2Act I: Scene Two: I. Overture 1928Dream Theater3:38
- 3Act I: Scene Two: II. Strange Deja VuDream Theater and Mike Portnoy5:12
- 4Act I: Scene Three: I. Throug My WordsJohn Petrucci1:02
- 5Act I: Scene Three: II. Fatal TragedyDream Theater and John Myung6:49
- 6Act I: Scene Four: I. Beyond This LifeDream Theater and John Petrucci11:23
- 7Act I: Scene Five: I. Through Her EyesDream Theater and John Petrucci5:29
- 8Act II: Scene Six: I. HomeDream Theater and Mike Portnoy12:53
- 9Act II: Scene Seven: I. The Dance of EternityDream Theater6:14
- 10Act II: Scene Seven: II. One Last TimeDream Theater and James LaBrie3:47
- 11Act II: Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries OnDream Theater and John Petrucci6:38
- 12Act II: Scene Nine: I. Finally FreeDream Theater and Mike Portnoy12:02
- Produced by
- Terry Brown, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy
- Recorded at
- BearTracks Studios in Suffern, New York, Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario (vocal parts)
- Recorded
- 1999
- Mixed by
- David Bottrill, Kevin Shirley
- Mixed at
- Electric Lady Studios, Power Station at BerkleeNYC
- Engineered by
- Doug Oberkircher, Terry Brown
- Mastered by
- George Marino
- Artwork
- Lili Picou, Dave McKean
- Photography
- Andrew Lepley, Ken Schles
- Label
- Elektra
- Length
- 1:17:15
Line-up
- John Petrucci · guitar, background vocals
- Jordan Rudess · keyboard
- James LaBrie · lead vocals
- John Myung · bass guitar
- Mike Portnoy · drums (drum set), percussion, background vocals
- Theresa Thomason · vocals · guest
- Clarence Burke, Jr. · choir vocals · guest
- Mary Canty · choir vocals · guest
- Carol Cyrus · choir vocals · guest
- Dale Scott Robinson · choir vocals · guest
- Sheila Slappy · choir vocals · guest
- Jeanette Smith · choir vocals · guest
- Mary Smith · choir vocals · guest
Singles
- “Through Her Eyes” · February 2000
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1999 | 73 |
| Finnish Albums · 1999 | 6 |
| German Albums · 1999 | 8 |
| Hungarian Albums · 1999 | 13 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1999 | 19 |
| Dutch Albums · 1999 | 28 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1999 | 28 |
| French Albums · 1999 | 40 |
| Swedish Albums · 1999 | 44 |
| Swiss Albums · 1999 | 44 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
Released the same week
Also released on 26 October
Every year →More from Dream Theater
Full discography →The best of 1999
All of 1999 →More on Elektra
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1999-10-25 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 25 October 1999 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 26 October 1999 | |
| Wikidata | 26 October 1999 | |
| US release | 26 October 1999 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 25 October 1999 | earliest UK or European date |
12 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | AR | Elektra | 075596244824 | other |
| 1999 | AU | Elektra | 9325583005039 | other |
| 1999 | US | EastWest | 075596244824 | other |
| 25 October 1999 | XE | Elektra | 075596244824 | original |
| 26 October 1999 | US | Elektra | 075596244824 | other |
| 27 October 1999 | JP | Elektra | 4988029708748 | other |
| 24 June 2009 | JP | Elektra | 4943674090662 | other |
| 25 November 2011 | US | Enjoy the Ride Records | 850372002061 | other |
| 2014 | US | Enjoy the Ride Records | 850372002061 | other |
| 14 July 2014 | XW | Atlantic | 075596244862 | other |
| 3 October 2014 | XE | Music on Vinyl | 8718469534975 | other |
| 1 March 2019 | XE | Elektra | 8718469534975 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |