@Zelse: Excellent news.

@Eeric: The Count of Tuscany part II sounds like a good idea, maybe they'll pick on that, who knows what they'll do next.

I really think Labrie should be praised for his vocals on the new album, very moody and varied, perfect for the melodies. The people that didn't like his vocals before probably won't like them now though, as usual.

I personally would love to see DT do another concept album - not necessarily along the lines of Six Degrees, either. I mean a full-on concept album like Scenes From A Memory, maybe even taking inspiration from an older song, just like how Scenes came to be. Maybe take some inspiration from The Count of Tuscany and make a full-fledged concept album! That'd be incredible.

Written by Zelse on 01.07.2009 at 02:34

I don't bash the album, but I just don't think WDADU is very good. The production is subpar, Dominici's voice does nothing for me (I just don't care much for his voice) and it just comes off as an immature band (which they most definitel were), especially compared to their second album, which is pretty much considered the defining DT album alongside Scenes. The songs aren't very memorable for me past Afterlife, and I prefer the Score version of that one.

I absolutely love the Kevin Moore era sans WDADU, though. Awake has been climbing up my list of favorite DT albums because I've been listening to it more and more lately. Absolutely stunning album, I really want to know more about the conflict between Kevin and Dream Theater - I read the DT biography, but it never shed any light on the behind-the-scenes conflict, I've been hearing that the two camps are not in very good standings with each other nowadays. I hope before Dream Theater's done making music some many years from now that they play Space-Dye Vest..

I wouldn't call DT's debut album "immature" considering that the members (except for the vocalist) were barely 21 when the album was released - so to be able to create such music at this age, i think it's amazing if you ask me - so congrats from me to DT for that.

As for the conflict between Kevin Moore and DT, I don't know much. I even think it's a good thing they are discrete about it. Apparently Kevin had other musical directions in mind. After all, just listening to Space Dye Vest shows that Kevin had other musical ideas. And then just listening to Kevin's project Chroma Key says it all. Or have in mind the keyboards parts Kevin did with Fates Warning on A Pleasant Shade of Gray and Disconnected, totally different from DT, right?

I don't think there is a real conflict between Kevin and DT, after all Portnoy and Kevin worked on the first 2 OSI albums. On the second OSI album, "Free" Portnoy was disatisfied with the new direction (softer than the debut, more keys from Kevin, Mike did his drums parts and abandoned the project).

The musical ideas are just very different, that's all.

DT's album debuted at #6 on US Billboard's Top 200 album chart... I never thought this would ever happen.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/DREAM-THEATER-DEBUTS--6-HIGHEST-CHART-EVER-20355.aspx

Yes I read it online too. It's really something special for DT. Just goes to show that people still buy original albums. And that DT's goal, reaching new audiences is coming to fruition.

I'm happy if they continue to put out interesting records.

Pretty awesome considering a decade ago I had to special order Scenes because no stores had any information on Dream Theater.

At the same time - not to burst anyone's bubble or anything - the numbers aren't much better than Awake's or Systematic Chaos's, but the place of the new album is much better than before, showing just how badly CD sales have dropped over the years. First week sales:

Black Clouds & Silver Linings: 40,285 (#6) - June 2009
Systematic Chaos: 35,689 (#19) - May 2007
Awake: 36,160 (#32) - October 1994

Mainly between Awake and SC, sales must have absolutely tanked to make such a huge difference in chart placement.

Still, I'm really happy for the band. I'm extremely happy to see them doing this well, they deserve it so much.

Their CD sales are doing fantastic but at the price of their souls...oh well, if it was their goal to make it then I guess they're getting one step closer to that...

DT in Portugal in October again. Is it my lucky year?

Bigelf is actually kind of oool:)

I mean cool:)

#6? Wow, I didn't think that the new album would chart that high. Albums where the average song length is about 11 minutes (a very rough calculation done by me) don't usually get that much mainstream success. Still, this is a good thing. Shows that great bands can achieve mainstream success while still being totally awesome.

Written by Biedrik on 10.07.2009 at 03:38

#6? Wow, I didn't think that the new album would chart that high. Albums where the average song length is about 11 minutes (a very rough calculation done by me) don't usually get that much mainstream success. Still, this is a good thing. Shows that great bands can achieve mainstream success while still being totally awesome.

Your usual billboard album top whatever listener doesn't buy albums anymore they just download them so nowadays it's easier for non-commercial non-mainstream albums to enter the charts.

The new DT sold less copies in the first couple of weeks of release than older albums (although they entered the charts much lower)

Let's say you needed to sell 30000 copies to enter at nr. 40 ten years ago, now you will on need to sell around 10000 to enter at nr 30

DT have been playing A Nightmare to Remember lately. I hope they also play Count of Tuscany on this tour. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

Written by BloodTears on 10.07.2009 at 21:05

DT have been playing A Nightmare to Remember lately. I hope they also play Count of Tuscany on this tour. Maybe it's just wishful thinking.

It probably is... for the Prognation Tour, but I don't think so for the album tour. On the Systematic Chaos Tour they played both parts of In the Presence of Enemies at the show I went to and lots of others. I hope they play it too, because it's probably the only song on the album that is pure, perfect DT sweetness. Everything about the song is interesting... all 20 min. of it. I really like Octavarium (the song), and The Count of Tuscany is definitely on par with it. A Change of Seasons will always be there classic epic though.

How long are Dream theater shows on progressive nation tour? is it much shorter becasue of the other bands? i hope not

Written by RockeRoy on 10.07.2009 at 21:24

How long are Dream theater shows on progressive nation tour? is it much shorter becasue of the other bands? i hope not

Last year when I saw PN08 Dream Theater played for a little over 90 minutes. Opeth was a little less than 90 and BTBAM and Thr3e each got about an hour.

Written by Dane Train on 01.07.2009 at 23:28

Pretty awesome considering a decade ago I had to special order Scenes because no stores had any information on Dream Theater.

At that time they were already pretty well known in France. And France isn't a metal country!

Okay, don't worry, the Warman have been listening to the album since release date. He just have been busy lately to share his thoughts.

Okay, hmmm...

I LOVE IT!!!

Like it was a big surprise. All three CD:s are great, "To Tame a Land" is superb. "The Count of Tuscany" is one of the best songs they've done in years and "The Best of Times" is sooooooo Rush! I laugh every time I hear the part at 02:45! Listen to that and then listen to the intro of Rush's "The Spirit of Radio"!!!

Written by Warman on 11.07.2009 at 03:06

Okay, don't worry, the Warman have been listening to the album since release date. He just have been busy lately to share his thoughts.

Okay, hmmm...

I LOVE IT!!!

Like it was a big surprise. All three CD:s are great, "To Tame a Land" is superb. "The Count of Tuscany" is one of the best songs they've done in years and "The Best of Times" is sooooooo Rush! I laugh every time I hear the part at 02:45! Listen to that and then listen to the intro of Rush's "The Spirit of Radio"!!!

Eh, To Tame A Land wasn't a great cover. Mostly because it was never a great Iron Maiden song to begin with. I think Dream Theater could have picked a much better song to cover.

Written by Biedrik on 12.07.2009 at 03:34

Written by Warman on 11.07.2009 at 03:06

Okay, don't worry, the Warman have been listening to the album since release date. He just have been busy lately to share his thoughts.

Okay, hmmm...

I LOVE IT!!!

Like it was a big surprise. All three CD:s are great, "To Tame a Land" is superb. "The Count of Tuscany" is one of the best songs they've done in years and "The Best of Times" is sooooooo Rush! I laugh every time I hear the part at 02:45! Listen to that and then listen to the intro of Rush's "The Spirit of Radio"!!!

Eh, To Tame A Land wasn't a great cover. Mostly because it was never a great Iron Maiden song to begin with. I think Dream Theater could have picked a much better song to cover.

If you did not like the Maiden song in the first place, I understand why you don't like the DT cover of it, it makes sense. I still think it's great they did not choose one of Maiden most famous songs frankly. I was surprised in a good way they chose To Tame a Land.

Written by [user id=17278] on 12.07.2009 at 03:53

Written by Biedrik on 12.07.2009 at 03:34

Written by Warman on 11.07.2009 at 03:06

Okay, don't worry, the Warman have been listening to the album since release date. He just have been busy lately to share his thoughts.

Okay, hmmm...

I LOVE IT!!!

Like it was a big surprise. All three CD:s are great, "To Tame a Land" is superb. "The Count of Tuscany" is one of the best songs they've done in years and "The Best of Times" is sooooooo Rush! I laugh every time I hear the part at 02:45! Listen to that and then listen to the intro of Rush's "The Spirit of Radio"!!!

Eh, To Tame A Land wasn't a great cover. Mostly because it was never a great Iron Maiden song to begin with. I think Dream Theater could have picked a much better song to cover.

If you did not like the Maiden song in the first place, I understand why you don't like the DT cover of it, it makes sense. I still think it's great they did not choose one of Maiden most famous songs frankly. I was surprised in a good way they chose To Tame a Land.

I agree that it's good that they didn't choose one of Maiden's most famous songs. It takes no imagination to decide to cover Hallowed Be Thy Name or Fear of the Dark.

Written by Biedrik on 12.07.2009 at 03:34

Eh, To Tame A Land wasn't a great cover. Mostly because it was never a great Iron Maiden song to begin with.

Take... it... back...

TAKE IT BACK!!!

:O! :O! :O!

I really like song To Tame A Land. It's a matter of taste really but I know I'm a minority.

Written by BloodTears on 12.07.2009 at 11:11

I really like song To Tame A Land. It's a matter of taste really but I know I'm a minority.

Obviously I really dig the song too. I think that the cover is fantastic (Well, except some of James's vocals... but I can't really expect a good Bruce Dickinson from him now). It pretty much captures the same atmosphere and imagination of the original.

So I'm listening to the other covers on the album... I was sorta diggin' the Queen cover... but then I got I got to the Lily of the Valley segment and uh... why why why why why why why why why why doesn't James sing like that on recent Dream Theater albums? Fuck this whole "bad-ass-metal" shit he's trying do. Those smooth, crisp, clean vocals are the way to go!

I think he's vocals on BC&SL are particularly good. even the bad-ass-metal ones as you call them lol

You have wither, he totally rocks it.

I really want a return to the cleaner vocals too, I'm slightly annoyed by Mike's ever-growing Opeth influence in Dream Theater...

Written by BloodTears on 12.07.2009 at 22:21

I think he's vocals on BC&SL are particularly good. even the bad-ass-metal ones as you call them lol

You have wither, he totally rocks it.

I somewhat agree. His vocals don't really annoy me in the new album... But damn, that part in that Queen cover reminded me of why I liked him in the first place.

Written by Zelse on 12.07.2009 at 22:40

I really want a return to the cleaner vocals too, I'm slightly annoyed by Mike's ever-growing Opeth influence in Dream Theater...

I think Mike's vocal parts in BC&SL are silly, if anything. Not saying I don't like them, because they make make smile with cheesy amusement.

Written by Fat & Sassy! on 12.07.2009 at 09:40

Written by Biedrik on 12.07.2009 at 03:34

Eh, To Tame A Land wasn't a great cover. Mostly because it was never a great Iron Maiden song to begin with.

Take... it... back...

TAKE IT BACK!!!

:O! :O! :O!

Nevar!