Any other good Dream Theater albums?

Metropolis Pt. 2 and Systematic Chaos are my favourites, but I just got into Metropolis so be open :)
 
I'd say Images & Words and Awake. I think that got progressively worse. But the sounds of it Lateralus, Train Of Thought is the closest of what you want (and I really like it for the record, as far as their latter day output goes).

Pretty much every other DT album is how you described, with some cringeworthy ballads and all that, even the good ones like Images & Words. Actually Awake would be the one to go with. Just for 'The Mirror' and 'Space Dye Vest'.
 
I'd say Images & Words and Awake. I think that got progressively worse. But the sounds of it Lateralus, Train Of Thought is the closest of what you want (and I really like it for the record, as far as their latter day output goes).

Pretty much every other DT album is how you described, with some cringeworthy ballads and all that, even the good ones like Images & Words. Actually Awake would be the one to go with. Just for 'The Mirror' and 'Space Dye Vest'.

I personally also think that 6:00, A mind beside itself, and definately SCARRED are some of their best songs.
 
Dream Theater have exactly 4 discs worth checking out, IMO:

Images & Words
Awake
A Change of Seasons
Scenes From A Memory

Images & Words is pretty much what you'd expect from an early 90's progressive metal album (lots of lingering 80's stylings), just done very well. If you don't find the 80's feel incredibly cheesy, it's all rather tastefully done.

Awake feels more 90's. It's all around much heavier than I&W (though not as much as ToT), and the lyrics are less abstract and dreamy and more dark and spiteful. It has the only 'angry' lyrics I've heard from Dream Theater that felt genuine to me; starting with 6DOIT, they began trying to sound pissed off a lot more often all of the sudden and it feels really forced IMO. Awake gets the feel right.

A Change of Seasons is a 20 minute studio track and a few live covers. The studio track itself is a favorite among most DT fans (I personally think it drags in sections) and the covers are really good. Best live vocals I've heard from the band.

Scenes From A Memory is a concept album and really proggy. It's pretty heavy in spots, and very gentle in others. A brilliant album musically and, aside from one or maybe two tracks, has DT's best studio vocal performance IMO.

Awake and Scenes are my favorites.

Oh yeah, the whole album is great. The more I think about it, the more I think I can easily say it is by far their best album.

It does have "The Silent Man" though, which I don't mind but it's pretty much the definition of a ballad. All DT albums have one, though. Even Train of Thought, IIRC.
 
It does have "The Silent Man" though, which I don't mind but it's pretty much the definition of a ballad. All DT albums have one, though. Even Train of Thought, IIRC.

I agree, all DT albums go a bit into power-ballad territory at one point or another, but 'The Silent Man' is nowhere near as cheezy as say, 'Through Her Eyes', it's rather brief, and is actually a decent song - plus it's more of an acoustic strum-along than a some overblown ballad.
 
I've just listened to the first two songs of the new album. Good Stuff. Petrucci is on fire. Best stuff he has written in years. There's an awaka kinda vibe. Sounds good after a first listen. A nightmare to remember begining sound like a black metal song lol. Very evilish keyboard and guitar with double bass.