I... I think I might like this album now.

https://m.popkey.co/846398/grArK.gif

I'm trying to give it a listen again but Labrie is like nails on chalkboard to me. I'm not really fond of Petrucci's lead guitar playing either. And whenever they decide to do a ballad... *ugh*

Images & Words is brilliant and very different in overall approach from everything else that was happening in 1992. Plus it succeeded commercially despite a million different market factors working against it, which is rather impressive. I know people years ago who hated it...but they inevitably come around to its festive melodic sense.

Oh, and 'Surrounded' is a great ballad, LaBrie and all.

This album is for those whose emo moments are moments of incandescent rage that don't understand how the world can continue to exist in the face of such karmic injustice.