Dream Theater Album Update

thejokeriv wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Apparently Portnoy also hears big similarities to Images & Words.

Yeah, I read that... my response is so what? Dream Theater has lots of songs that have the same structure, so MP has no reason to bitch. It's part of their sound. MP sounds like a guy that left his wife for a younger woman and is now pissed that she is successful.

To be fair, the rest of the members of Dream Theater seem to be the ones slinging the most mud. I think fans are more inclined to take their side because they're putting out a new album, while Portnoy really isn't doing anything of interest right now.

And let's not pretend like the album title isn't about the split with Portnoy, and given some of the song titles, I'd bet many are about it as well.

Wow. This album is perfect in every way. It's the first Dream Theater album that's kept my interest from start to finish.

Eyesore wrote:

You can't get away with anything these days.

That's awesome!!

Everyone wants to know what Mike thinks because when you think of Dream Theater you think of Mike Portnoy, even still. The new album is great and there is def similarities. O WELL!!

So my box set is delayed but I got the MP3's from The End Records. I listened to it twice today and I don't hear what everyone else is hearing with the comparison to Images and Words. I don't really find the songs memorable as I do with Images and Words. Nothing really seems catchy at all. The drumming is kind of blah. You can tell he either could have done more or was holding back a little and keeping it almost simple.

I love DT ever since Images. The only thing is they haven't really wow'd me since then. That WAS up until Black Clouds and Silver Linings. I thought that album was truly a return to Images sort of writing, with all the chorus'. The music was still progressive but not over bearing like on most albums. I don't know, to me that was a perfect album. I love Octovarium too but Black Clouds really saved their butts after the horrible Systematic Chaos.

Maybe I'm just really burnt out on them and everything they put out just sounds the same to me after a while. Almost to the point where I would rather hear them try and just record 4 minute songs in 4/4. Whatever it is though maybe the next album we will get to hear a lot more of what Mangini can do and hopefully the next album will be better. I still have to give it more listens but so far nothing really blowing me away.

Tried this one out on Spotify today. It's boring like the rest of their albums. Haha.

"Images and Words", along with many other classics, cannot be recreated today.

They worked on that material for many months (I believe it was almost 3 years), and reworked it over and over. Remember, they were working on that instrumental music during the period while they were looking for a singer.

They simply do not put enough time into their compositions these days to have arrangements, riffs, and melodies as strong as that any more because the music industry doesn't allow them to. They have to keep playing shows and keep dropping albums (no matter how good they are) to be a profitable recording artist. For most "fans", the brand stamped on the album is what counts and not the actual content.

Temple of Blood wrote:

"Images and Words", along with many other classics, cannot be recreated today.

They worked on that material for many months (I believe it was almost 3 years), and reworked it over and over. Remember, they were working on that instrumental music during the period while they were looking for a singer.

They simply do not put enough time into their compositions these days to have arrangements, riffs, and melodies as strong as that any more because the music industry doesn't allow them to. They have to keep playing shows and keep dropping albums (no matter how good they are) to be a profitable recording artist. For most "fans", the brand stamped on the album is what counts and not the actual content.

Absolutely correct. Right until the last sentence, which I think is rather unfair considering most of these bands are putting out enjoyable albums. Maybe not classics, but still enjoyable, still worth the money. Yeah, name matters to a lot of people, but if the material were truly horrible they wouldn't be content.

And historically, most artists of any sort produce good, enjoyable material their whole career, only occasionally doing something great.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

So my box set is delayed but I got the MP3's from The End Records. I listened to it twice today and I don't hear what everyone else is hearing with the comparison to Images and Words. I don't really find the songs memorable as I do with Images and Words. Nothing really seems catchy at all. The drumming is kind of blah. You can tell he either could have done more or was holding back a little and keeping it almost simple.

I love DT ever since Images. The only thing is they haven't really wow'd me since then. That WAS up until Black Clouds and Silver Linings. I thought that album was truly a return to Images sort of writing, with all the chorus'. The music was still progressive but not over bearing like on most albums. I don't know, to me that was a perfect album. I love Octovarium too but Black Clouds really saved their butts after the horrible Systematic Chaos.

Maybe I'm just really burnt out on them and everything they put out just sounds the same to me after a while. Almost to the point where I would rather hear them try and just record 4 minute songs in 4/4. Whatever it is though maybe the next album we will get to hear a lot more of what Mangini can do and hopefully the next album will be better. I still have to give it more listens but so far nothing really blowing me away.

I'm exactly the same way from my first listen. Black Clouds was such a return to form and I put it up with Images, Awake, & Scenes (& Falling-but I'm usually in the monority on that album) in quality. While this album right now suffers some of the same problems I had with Systematic Chaos. Lack of memorability and solos that stray a bit too far from the songs. However, it took me about 8 listens to get into SC (I still find myself liking the beginning and the end of the songs but zoning out in the middle). This album I don't think will take as long to stick with me because I liked it more on the first listen than I did with SC.

I gave this album a spin recently, and liked a couple melodies that were playing. I bought it cause DT is one of those bands I used to be really into. However, my tastes have shifted away from their style of music and am more interested in the stoner/sludge/doom genres these days.

I've listened to this on the way to work this morning and I have to say I'm very impressed.

I've been a big fan since images and words and for me this band have always maintained a consistent quality in their albums, certainly enough to keep me excited on new release day after all these years

I must say I don't hear the comparisons to images and words at all!! 

When bands of a certain pedigree release albums these days I hear this kinda talk a lot and it's like some fans are stuck in a timewarp and can never accept change or progression. Bands that have a decent legacy of albums seem to always have their latest releases compared to the perceived classics and it often leads to disappointment. Not because newer albums are poor but because the band may never recreate the feeling or sound of the past in a fans eyes.

Dream theater have always been as much about the prog as they are about the metal but their early albums, like images and words, were in my opinion much more song orientated. What I mean is like many bands the first 2/3 albums are full of songs the band had written and been playing for a while before they were signed. I find way more individual stand out songs from the earlier albums like 'pull me under' 'caught in a web' etc. As the years have gone by dream theater have embraced even more prog elements and these days I find that their are maybe less stand out individual songs but rather I listen to whole albums at a time. This isn't to say recent albums have poor songs, not at all but I tend to get more pleasure listening to whole albums at a time where as with past albums I could easily compile a playlist of individual songs. 

The bands influences have changed since the early days, their musician skills improved and their taste in music may have altered so to expect a modern album to be like an old album is kind of folly.

I for one am glad the band carried on and stuck a middle finger up at portnoys proposed lengthy hiatus. He claimed the band needed a rest, no HE needed a rest more like. Maybe if he didn't keep turning up on so many side project albums and concentrated more on just dream theater he wouldn't feel so burned out.

Anyway, great album and one I'll be listening to for a long time to come.

Wayne - I agree with you!!!!! I can't stop listening to this album, I think it's fantastic!!!!! Until this album, I didn't realize how far up in the mix the drums have been. Time will tell where this one stands with the rest of their discography, but for now it is fantastic. I love the proggy elements and the melodies. Plus, no Portnoy cookie monster vocals

I've listened to this album for a couple of days and I like it. I get more of a feel of Images & Words mixed with Falling Into Infinity from it.

The instrumental section in Lost Not Forgotten reminds me of the Under A Glass Moon JP solo section with a little bit of Metropolis mixed in. Also, something sounds Symphony X-ish about that song as well. I think that is a fair comparison(and I'm not stuck in a time warp ).


I knew that there was something different about the mix..... it is the Drums!!!! Their mixed "normal" .


On a different note, I didn't like it when Jordan Rudess he made fun of Kevin Moore on the commentary of the Dream and Day Reunite DVD during the Metropolis performance.

I think this album is good too. Better than expected.

The arrangement of "On the Backs of Angels" is very similar to "Pull Me Under", but it's not as good. Beyond that, I don't think this album rips off "Images and Words". Yeah, they still do piano ballads, so what?

Mangini sounds good on the discs, stands out several times, but doesn't exactly blow Portnoy out of the water or anything. He was the best drummer choice.

chewie wrote:

I knew that there was something different about the mix..... it is the Drums!!!! Their mixed "normal" .

Yeah, good point. It gives the song a chance to breathe but Mangini less of a chance to shine. Oh well.

Yeah I noticed the drums aren't so prominent. I can still hear them fine but there not so in your face. To be honest for me it's always been about John petrucci anyway. That man is a god amongst men when it comes to the guitar

Actually I always felt that with portnoy, myung and petrucci that dream theater pretty mch had the best guitar, bass and drums collective line-up if any other band on the planet. Yes there may be better individuals but I can't think any other band that has this much if a talent pool amongst it's ranks.

I'm listening to the album at the moment and it's just getting better and better. On the backs of angels and build me up, break me down are two of the best opening songs I've heard on any album this year.

Wayne wrote:

Yeah I noticed the drums aren't so prominent. I can still hear them fine but there not so in your face. To be honest for me it's always been about John petrucci anyway. That man is a god amongst men when it comes to the guitar

Actually I always felt that with portnoy, myung and petrucci that dream theater pretty mch had the best guitar, bass and drums collective line-up if any other band on the planet. Yes there may be better individuals but I can't think any other band that has this much if a talent pool amongst it's ranks.

I'm listening to the album at the moment and it's just getting better and better. On the backs of angels and build me up, break me down are two of the best opening songs I've heard on any album this year.

I agree with this.. No other band comes close in terms of how damn good they play their instruments...

MetalRob331 wrote:

Wayne wrote:

Yeah I noticed the drums aren't so prominent. I can still hear them fine but there not so in your face. To be honest for me it's always been about John petrucci anyway. That man is a god amongst men when it comes to the guitar

Actually I always felt that with portnoy, myung and petrucci that dream theater pretty mch had the best guitar, bass and drums collective line-up if any other band on the planet. Yes there may be better individuals but I can't think any other band that has this much if a talent pool amongst it's ranks.

I'm listening to the album at the moment and it's just getting better and better. On the backs of angels and build me up, break me down are two of the best opening songs I've heard on any album this year.

I agree with this.. No other band comes close in terms of how damn good they play their instruments...

Exactly!!! And Jordan Rudess finally got to let loose on this album

I tried listening to this again today and its just not doing anything for me at all. I'm waiting for something memorable and I'm getting nothing. I even got bored with it and went to something else after the 5th song. I don't like the mix the drums sound blah. I also fell like they play the same things over and over again. I'm getting bored with them real quick.

I have the vynal version but have not heard it yet.

Wargod

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I tried listening to this again today and its just not doing anything for me at all. I'm waiting for something memorable and I'm getting nothing. I even got bored with it and went to something else after the 5th song. I don't like the mix the drums sound blah. I also fell like they play the same things over and over again. I'm getting bored with them real quick.

Try a different tracklisting... Start with the third song or the fifth and loop it around that way. Resequence it how you want.

Even though I'm still not a fan of the vocalist (I can tolerate him at least) I'm REALLY enjoying this album.

You have to start at Track 3, the first two songs are essentially throw-aways, but the third song is KILLER and it's all enjoyable from then on. Bridges In The Sky and Outcry are amazing songs.

I prefer this drummer, he's got some swing, thus he doesn't sound like a human metronome.

chewie wrote:

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I tried listening to this again today and its just not doing anything for me at all. I'm waiting for something memorable and I'm getting nothing. I even got bored with it and went to something else after the 5th song. I don't like the mix the drums sound blah. I also fell like they play the same things over and over again. I'm getting bored with them real quick.

Try a different tracklisting... Start with the third song or the fifth and loop it around that way. Resequence it how you want.

maybe... Sometimes I will listen to an album the original way and then later I'll go and put it on shuffle so I can get to know the songs a little more. That doesn't always make it better haha.

The album FINALLY arrived (some six weeks after posting!?!), and the first couple of listens are promising. It sounds more focused than Black Clouds, no irritating growls and a great mix of songs. That middle sction of Outcry is simply amazing.

Great, great album. Never made me push the skip button