So, I just listened to Octavarium again and forgot that is a pretty decent album. I also have very high hopes for the new album.

Written by Yellax on 31.08.2012 at 17:26

So, I just listened to Octavarium again and forgot that is a pretty decent album. I also have very high hopes for the new album.

Why the high hopes? After the last one, the expectations should be at least low

Written by BloodTears on 07.09.2012 at 20:51

Written by Yellax on 31.08.2012 at 17:26

So, I just listened to Octavarium again and forgot that is a pretty decent album. I also have very high hopes for the new album.

Why the high hopes? After the last one, the expectations should be at least low

I suppose that I have high hopes for a reason. I have been listening to Dream Theater for a long time. They let me down a few times here and there. One of the times they let me down was back when Falling Into Infinity came out. Actually, that whole period between 1994-1998 seemed like a kind of lost period, but only in my opinion of course.

I guess I am a man who never looses faith no matter what happens. Everything turns around eventually. Or, maybe I am crazy and in denial!

Take Yes for example. Magnification back in 2001 wasn't that great of an album. It was kind of poppy. They didn't do anything after that for ten years. Then all of a sudden they come with this amazing album, Fly From Here with this beautiful 25 minute introductory opus. They are coming out with a new album next year. Dream Theater can album keep coming back like that.

Actually, there's a lot of the people who quite like the newest output, both among the casual fans and the more engaged fans. I re-listened to it, and it's not as bad as I remember, but I still don't like it. There's some space for hope the next one will be an improvement. Although, some six or so months ago, when Azarath and me brought this topic back around, I was convinced they'd be better off with Portnoy on board, and that Mangini is too stable to rekindle that fire. I think that was just the nostalgia talking out of me.

While Portnoy represented the control-factor, it was more creative control, and they don't need creative control, just a bit of quality control. And Mangini is a lot more colorful than my first impression of him, although he has that stable, scholarly base, I got that part right. Still, it's a mystery whether he'll be an important factor in their songwriting and how will that play out; he can write music using multiple instruments, from what I've found out, so it should be interesting to see whether he'll do it and how will that turn out.

Anyway, they've closed the tour in very high spirit and are by all accounts excited to get back out there when it's time. John's got his G3 tour coming up, James is writing his new solo stuff with Guillory and all the guys from Static Impulse will be there to play it - I'm really excited about that! anyone else? - Jordan has got... the zillion things he usually does and afterwards, who knows. We'll get the DVD sometime around January, the tour went nice (judging only by videos, sadly - I've given up hope any bands I like will stop by here, I must hunt them "outside" it seems) and they seem to have covered and split between them most of Portnoy's DT-related duties. Yeah, I think they're doing fine. They look quite happy, too. But still. Will the new music coming out of the DT-camp be as close to my heart as the music they made 10 or so years ago... I hope so. The last time I was holding my breath for it, it wasn't.

The new songs surely sounded good live, even though the album is annoying. Maybe the fact that they were scattered on a setlist with older DT songs helped.
Anyway, I don't have hopes for the new album. I'd honestly like if they said goodbye to LaBrie for a change...

Written by Unhealer on 12.09.2012 at 05:26

The new songs surely sounded good live, even though the album is annoying. Maybe the fact that they were scattered on a setlist with older DT songs helped.
Anyway, I don't have hopes for the new album. I'd honestly like if they said goodbye to LaBrie for a change...

They definitely need to shake things up a bit and work with and outside producer. Not just for sound, but for discipline. Are far as sound goes, there's bands out there with far lower budgets that DT that are put out albums that same 100 times better than most of DT's material, especially the later albums. There's not excuse for a world class band like DT to suffer from marginal production. Maiden is another band that suffers from this. No excuse. No sure about the getting rid of LaBrie thing, he IS annoying but I think he sounds brilliant on his solo albums, maybe they should work with Matt Guillory as a producer.

Written by Milena on 11.09.2012 at 18:24

Anyway, they've closed the tour in very high spirit

I wanna hold you till I die, till we both break down and cry ♪

I stayed at the first line, right in front of Labrie. I passed a week in agony until i figured out which song they were playing

I hope the new DVD will be worth it. They usually put out good ones, but since Portnoy took care of everything, it's all new now.

Written by BloodTears on 16.09.2012 at 20:07

I hope the new DVD will be worth it. They usually put out good ones, but since Portnoy took care of everything, it's all new now.

It'll surely be worth it if they caught me on tape in the audience.

Written by Unhealer on 19.09.2012 at 05:19

Written by BloodTears on 16.09.2012 at 20:07

I hope the new DVD will be worth it. They usually put out good ones, but since Portnoy took care of everything, it's all new now.

It'll surely be worth it if they caught me on tape in the audience.

ahah you were there?

Written by Iriki on 16.09.2012 at 17:54

I wanna hold you till I die, till we both break down and cry ♪

I stayed at the first line, right in front of Labrie. I passed a week in agony until i figured out which song they were playing

You could have googled the lyrics lucky you!

Yep, Unhealer was there on the second night.

How cool is that. I'll try to find you =P

Written by Milena on 19.09.2012 at 15:30

You could have googled the lyrics lucky you!

I've never heard of this song before, and I didn't understand cleary the lyrics at that time. I throwed everything i understood at google and it didn't bring me the right song. I discovered the song by chance on a review in a very hidden blog.


Oh, and I got a vip ticket and met the guys before the concert, it was a bit disturbing the fact that everything was too formal and fast, but they are pretty nice, everyone notice the T-shirt I was wearing, Petrucci even told me that it was preety cool.

I got some souvenirs from that day

I don't know why, but for some reason I haven't really been getting into the band's post-Awake work as much. It's not that I think it's bad or anything, I think it's very good, but for some strange reason, I don't really go back to it that often. I still have a lot of respect for the band regardless.

Written by CobiWan1993 on 05.10.2012 at 19:26

I don't know why, but for some reason I haven't really been getting into the band's post-Awake work as much. It's not that I think it's bad or anything, I think it's very good, but for some strange reason, I don't really go back to it that often. I still have a lot of respect for the band regardless.

Funny because I became a fan of theirs during Images and Words, and I'm the opposite of you. I just don't listen to those albums as much. In fact, I don't really listen to Dream Theater that much anymore.

Written by GhostofCain on 05.10.2012 at 23:54

Written by CobiWan1993 on 05.10.2012 at 19:26

I don't know why, but for some reason I haven't really been getting into the band's post-Awake work as much. It's not that I think it's bad or anything, I think it's very good, but for some strange reason, I don't really go back to it that often. I still have a lot of respect for the band regardless.

Funny because I became a fan of theirs during Images and Words, and I'm the opposite of you. I just don't listen to those albums as much. In fact, I don't really listen to Dream Theater that much anymore.

I still go back to the first two James Labrie albums from time to time. Not so much anymore, but I still think they're really cool albums.

Written by CobiWan1993 on 05.10.2012 at 23:55

Written by GhostofCain on 05.10.2012 at 23:54

Written by CobiWan1993 on 05.10.2012 at 19:26

I don't know why, but for some reason I haven't really been getting into the band's post-Awake work as much. It's not that I think it's bad or anything, I think it's very good, but for some strange reason, I don't really go back to it that often. I still have a lot of respect for the band regardless.

Funny because I became a fan of theirs during Images and Words, and I'm the opposite of you. I just don't listen to those albums as much. In fact, I don't really listen to Dream Theater that much anymore.

I still go back to the first two James Labrie albums from time to time. Not so much anymore, but I still think they're really cool albums.

Oh yeah DT is still my favorite band of all time, my whole listening taste today pretty much stems from seeking out other bands like them. They just haven't really come out with a "game changer" in a while. I still enjoy something about every one of their albums too, there's a special place in my heart for every one of their albums, with maybe the exception of the last one.

I would say Awake is much more subtle in its genius. I tire of Images & Words because, to me, it sounds like a band emulating their heroes (mainly Rush) in the same way much of the new stuff sounds like a band trying to emulate themselves. Makes sense? Maybe not. I'm not sure but I think SFAM and Awake are the ones I've listened to the most. I have to check my last.fm charts if that is true. Brb!

EDIT: Ok, I was right. SFAM is my 9th most scrobbled album, followed by Awake at 14th place. SDoIT is third.

EDIT 2: Yes, I realize how utterly stupid it is using 'brb' on an internet forum. More fun this way, though.

Ya "Awake" is my favorite album from them, although my listening patterns end up going through them all from time to time. Awake has great balance throughout the album and really has some of the better songwriting/lyrics on this one.

Written by Storchillarn on 06.10.2012 at 13:25

I would say Awake is much more subtle in its genius.

I think you've nailed it. Even though I find "Images and Words" to be the best album of all time, "Awake" has something subtle. It's a much more "quiet" album if you know what I mean. Rarely people, even myself, pick out songs from that album and claim it's one of their best. Instead the whole album work as a whole. It's somewhat of a very logic album. They really thought through that one.

Damn, I feel I could explain that shit much better in swedish. I'm also drunk.

I'll just never get the love for this band. I really like what they created, it's just that many bands have taken what they did and made it so much better (seventh wonder, for example) They are like Venom...dont like their music but influenced many great bands.

Written by JÄY on 13.02.2013 at 04:34

I'll just never get the love for this band. I really like what they created, it's just that many bands have taken what they did and made it so much better

Dream Theater is and will always be the benchmark for prog metal. You are clearly lacking musical intelligence and you're not being a true prog fan.


96, 97, 2.

Oh, for a one atrocious second i thought you're serious

right now i would say i like Seventh Wonder much more than DT, but still - DT actually introduced me into prog together with Opeth (and i am still newb in this genre tbh)

Written by Azarath on 19.02.2013 at 20:06

Dream Theater is and will always be the benchmark for prog metal. You are clearly lacking musical intelligence and you're not being a true prog fan.


96, 97, 2.

good one.

I know nothing about Seventh Wonder so I have no idea if they've actually taken what DT did and "made it so much better".

Dunno if they take what DT did, but The Great Escape is awesome...and other songs and albums too

Written by Ellrohir on 21.02.2013 at 14:35

The Great Escape is awesome

Yeah, not bad at all. It's far from the greatest "epic" I've ever heard, and at 30 minutes I was hoping for a better climax, but it manages to avoid pointless soloing / wanking and that's always a plus. Dream Theater can't seem to stop themselves from throwing in meandering instrumental sections wherever they can, and that's become a real problem the last 10 years or so.

I'm not a big fan of Karevik's vocals though, at least based on that song. He seems to be quite prone to various histrionics, not to mention over-emoting.

Written by Azarath on 23.02.2013 at 19:33

It's far from the greatest "epic" I've ever heard

i demand examples (to learn what to listen)

Written by Ellrohir on 23.02.2013 at 21:09

i demand examples (to learn what to listen)

Oh crap. When I talked about "epics" I tend to like stuff by the big prog bands of the 70's. I'm not really the one to go to for recommendations when it comes to prog metal, since I'm mostly familiar with the popular bands like DT and Symphony X. Porcupine Tree as well, but they're more... prog, with some metal on the side.

The band stated that the self-titled album would be "everything that makes up the essence of DT."

So then guys, what are we to expect from this album?

(I'll list the things that we already know, just so people don't start repeating these:
Instrumental
Suite
Epic)