Dream Theater released the progressive metal concept album Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. Issued in 1999, it is the band’s fifth studio album and a direct continuation of ideas introduced in their earlier song “Metropolis—Part I: ‘The Miracle and the Sleeper.’”
The album follows Nicholas, a man whose recurring dreams lead him into a past-life mystery involving Victoria, Edward, and Julian. Its songs are arranged as a connected narrative rather than a collection of unrelated tracks, with recurring musical themes, spoken passages, instrumental transitions, and dramatic changes in mood. The record is commonly divided into two acts and is regarded as one of Dream Theater’s signature works.
The title can cause confusion because “Metropolis—Part I” appeared on Images and Words, released in 1992. Scenes from a Memory is the later full-length sequel, not an album by Symphony X, Fates Warning, or Queensrÿche. Its lineup included James LaBrie, John Petrucci, John Myung, Mike Portnoy, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian.