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"Trial of Tears" is the 11th & closing track of Dream Theater's 4th studio album 'Falling Into Infinity. The album was recorded from June–July 1997 at Avatar Studios in Manhattan and released on September 23, 1997. It's the band's only studio album to feature keyboardist Derek Sherinian, following the departure of Kevin Moore in 1994. It is considered to be their most infamous album. Often cited as being the "black sheep" of Dream Theater's discography, Falling Into Infinity is the result of a dark period for the band resulting from several forced compromises with East West Records for a more radio-friendly sound. It is also notable for being the first & only studio album to feature Derek Sherinian on keyboards. However because the more mainstream sound and this being the only album to feature Sherinian, it is often seen as the transitional album between the "old" and "new" Dream Theater.

Falling Into Infinity's release was somewhat lukewarm, with the album selling less than Awake, though it still did respectably. EastWest, who expected a more commercial album to sell more, eventually relented to the band, allowing them creative control again.

Since its release, a lot of the heat surrounding Falling Into Infinity has died down and many fans have embraced the album as being good, albeit a departure for the band.

Trial of Tears has three sections; the first one is called "It's Raining", the second is "Deep In Heaven", and the third is "The Wasteland". John Myung owns this song. His groovy bass lines are all over it and for any aspiring bass player, this is a song that should be in your bible of bass songs to learn.

[Time Stamps below reference the album version]


I: It’s Raining

The vocal melody on the chorus below is George Harrison’s While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It comes back again in the 3rd movement.

It’s raining
It’s raining
On the streets of New York City
It’s raining
It’s raining
Raining deep in heaven

I can picture myself in New York City & allowing the rain to fall on me. That is the connection that the melody makes with me.

As I walk through all my myths
Rising and sinking like the waves
With my thoughts wrapped around me
Through a trial of tears

Wow, what a verse. How many different masks do we wear in life? How many myths do we create around us? Are these myths there to make us feel better about ourselves or do we create these myths just to fit in? In the end it all ends with a trial of tears.

Hidden by disguise, stumbling in a world
Feeling uninspired, he gets into his car
Not within his eyes to see, open up, open up
Not much better than the man you hate

LaBrie’s voice has been a topic of many discussions I have had about Dream Theater however in Trial of Tears he nails this bridge part. He is barking it out, pushing his throat until it blows. It fits with the music to a tee.

II: Deep In Heaven

The instrumental section of the song is a mash up of influences. Coming into it, at the 5.58 mark, Dream Theater is referencing Metropolis I: The Miracle & The Sleeper from the Images and Words album, & then during the guitar lead break from 6.12 to 8.10 the bass groove is reminiscent to Learning To Live (again from Images & Words) and also Yes – Heart Of The Sunrise.

Then from 8.11 to 10.04 the bass line lays a funky groove in a style very similar to the verse riff in Take The Time which is also from Images and Words.

Overall it is a great jam session and it reminds me of the Kevin Moore era of Dream Theater. Derek Sherinian and Kevin Moore had similar abilities on the keys, however the big difference between them is that Kevin Moore brought songs to the table, with lyrics and vocal melodies.

III. The Wasteland

When The Wasteland section kicks in at the 10.05 mark, One is immediately reminded of George Harrison’s, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It’s perfect. A sense of familiarity and also something that is new.

Welcome to the wasteland
Where you’ll find ashes, nothing but ashes

My mind is picturing this great garbage dump where peoples’ dreams, possessions, hopes and memories end up and that there is a massive machine that is churning it out into massive piles of ash.

Rising, sinking, raining deep inside me
Nowhere to turn,
I look for a way back home

I take the above to mean that the rain was never physical rain outside. It was always a storm inside the persons soul. For a long time, the person controlled it and then one day the rain/storm exploded. Now the rain falls as a metaphor for the tears that fall when someone passes away.

It’s raining, raining, raining deep in heaven

How effective is the above line, done over & over again? The way the music picks up around it, it gives one a sense of hope & that everything will be OK.

*Note: Anyone that doesn't hear a Rush vibe in this song needs to listen to it again! I can definitely hear shadows of "Xanadu" & "Red Sector A" in this song.


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