Editing Falling into Infinity (section)

==Release==
{{Music ratings
| rev1       = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score  = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=allmusic>Ulrey, Jeremy. [http://www.allmusic.com/album/falling-into-infinity-mw0000595447 "Falling into Infinity - Dream Theater"]. ''[[AllMusic]]''. [[Rovi Corporation]]. Retrieved November 22, 2013.</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2score = 7/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]] |year=2007 |location=[[Burlington, Ontario]], [[Canada]] |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=129}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |author-link=Malcolm Dome |last=Dome |first=Malcolm |date=October 25, 1997 |title=Albums |magazine=[[Kerrang!]] |location=UK |publisher=[[Ascential|EMAP]] |issue=671 |page=46}}</ref>
}}
''Falling into Infinity'' was released on September 23, 1997.<ref name=RD /> In America, the album debuted at number 52 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Billboard Artists: Dream Theater|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/301301/dream-theater/chart|publisher=Billboard|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref> ''Falling into Infinity'' received mixed reviews from critics and fans. In a three out of five star review for [[AllMusic]], Jeremy Ulrey called it "the band's weakest effort since their debut."<ref name=allmusic/> Rich Wilson has described it as "one of the patchier albums in the band's catalogue."<ref name=RD />

According to ''Lifting Shadows'', ''Falling into Infinity'' was considered a commercial failure, failing to break any new ground for Dream Theater or increase their sales despite its more commercial direction.<ref name=TwoZeroFive /> As a result of the creative and personal tensions experienced during the album's production phase, it has been described as the band's "most difficult album",<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Rich|title=Lifting Shadows: The Authorized Biography of Dream Theater|year=2007|publisher=Essential Works Limited|isbn=978-0-9545493-7-4|pages=208}}</ref> and eventually led to their demanding to be free from record label interference for all future albums.<ref>{{cite web|author=RhinoEntertainment|title=Dream Theater - 20th Anniversary Documentary (Video)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LduXtT3edlI|publisher=YouTube|access-date=July 22, 2012}} Timestamp 33:30.</ref> Mike Portnoy has mentioned that if Elektra Records, Kevin Shirley, and Desmond Child were not involved in the making of the album, he would have made a "completely different record".<ref>{{cite web|last=Portnoy|first=Mike|title=Would Mike say that Falling Into Infinity a blatant attempt at radio success?|url=http://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/faq/answers/31.aspx#339|publisher=Mike Portnoy Official Website|access-date=July 22, 2012|archive-date=August 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802200555/http://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/faq/answers/31.aspx#339|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2007, the band released a demo version of the album reflecting Portnoy's original song arrangements and track listing, including a live rehearsal of the original "Metropolis Pt. 2".<ref>{{cite web|title=Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity Demos ( 2007 )|url=http://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/discdetails.aspx?ID=1266|publisher=Mike Portnoy Official Website|access-date=July 22, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Portnoy|first=Mike|title=What would Mike have done differently with Falling Into Infinity if he would have had full control?|url=http://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/faq/answers/31.aspx#209|publisher=Mike Portnoy Official Website|access-date=July 22, 2012|archive-date=August 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802200555/http://www.mikeportnoy.com/aboutmike/faq/answers/31.aspx#209|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In contrast to Portnoy's comments, John Petrucci has spoken fondly of the album, and in a 2014 interview stated, "Maybe I could set the records straight: I think that’s a really big misunderstanding. The label didn’t have an influence on the album. We wrote the kind of album we wanted to write."<ref>{{cite web|title=John Petrucci Interview - "The Label Didn’t Have An Influence On The ’Falling Into Infinity’ Album"|url=http://www.rockbook.hu/hirek/john-petrucci-interview-label-didnt-have-influence-falling-infinity-album|publisher=RockBook|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref>