Diggin' it! Although I still think Myung needs a tad more in the mix. Can't wait to hear the rest 
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New Dream Theater single.
- Thread starter nick g.
- Start date
- Mar 30, 2007
- 4,017
- 321
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genzler Amplification/Spector Basses/Mojo Hand FX
I think these guys are great (except for LaBrie)...incredible compositions and musicianship...again, I'm not a huge LaBrie fan...but Petrucci, Myung, Mangini and Rudess are monsters...wow...
Would be cool to see someone like Cris Cornell (for example) front this band...
Would be cool to see someone like Cris Cornell (for example) front this band...
It didn't blow me away, but it's got my attention. I agree re: the production as well. Interested.
Wow. Dream Theater is back bigtime. The single sounds great, I can't wait for the full album.
I love Dream Theater. So many sounds, so many textures, so many feelings, and unparalleled musicianship on every album.
I love Dream Theater. So many sounds, so many textures, so many feelings, and unparalleled musicianship on every album.
+1
my thoughts exactly. never thought of CC fronting them or maybe Mike Patton....
and as for the new song it sounds best material DT has come up in a looong time.
Superficially this might seem like "more of the same" from DT, but there is more depth and substance to the composition than has been the case with most of their more recent material. I think it's obvious they took their time writing this song while the creative processed was more rushed with Portnoy still in the band (Jordan pretty much confirmed this in a recent interview, saying that he took more time to develop independent keyboard parts rather than just follow the guitar lines, for example).
A few observations:
-The keys are distracting in parts although I like the piano solo breakdown part.
-Myung's bass sounds a little more up front and aggressive than the past few albums.
-Generic, uninspired vocals and lyrics.
-The drumming sounds great. I could care less that Portnoy left. The band needed something new to break them out of their funk but...
...The song isn't bad but it lacks punch. No hooks or catchy sections to be heard. No amazing instrumental sections. By the numbers sadly.
-I'll still end up buying the album even though I have threatened not to buy DT's new album for the last few releases.
-The keys are distracting in parts although I like the piano solo breakdown part.
-Myung's bass sounds a little more up front and aggressive than the past few albums.
-Generic, uninspired vocals and lyrics.
-The drumming sounds great. I could care less that Portnoy left. The band needed something new to break them out of their funk but...
...The song isn't bad but it lacks punch. No hooks or catchy sections to be heard. No amazing instrumental sections. By the numbers sadly.
-I'll still end up buying the album even though I have threatened not to buy DT's new album for the last few releases.
^I didn't buy BCSL...that album was crap. I think I'll be getting this one, though. I think the best is yet to come with this new album...
Well I hope you are right but I am cautiously optimistic this will be a big improvement over BCSL (it has to be right?). Maybe all the drama surrounding Portnoy has really pushed the band to write some great material. Looking forward to hearing the new album in September.
Definitely needs more bass. Check out the riff at about 3:09 where the guitar drops out, the bass tone is nice and crunchy like a pushed svt. Too bad it's maybe 2/3rd the volume of the guitar in the mix, as is evident when the guitar kicks back in.
This always pissed me off about Dream Theater, it's a bit too guitar wank for me.
This always pissed me off about Dream Theater, it's a bit too guitar wank for me.
Since when did Dream Theater release singles? This smells like Falling Into Infinity which is an abortion of a record.
If you've never seen the 3 part Dream Theater drummer tryout video on Roadrunner's Youtube channel you should check them out. What was most disappointing about that was Marco Minnemann was a far, FAR superior drummer but they went with Mike Mangini because he sounds like Mike Portnoy. Without so much wanking on the drums.
Something else to take note from those audition videos is Jordan Rudess pretty much ran the whole process. I guess since he's the guy with the most advanced college degree (that is, the ONLY college music degree) I guess he gets the call when they need someone to write music. The forwardness of the keyboards in the songs sounds to me like Jordan is driving the bus right now. Maybe he needs the paycheck the worst. Who knows.
I think Dream Theater's relevance has faded greatly.
If you've never seen the 3 part Dream Theater drummer tryout video on Roadrunner's Youtube channel you should check them out. What was most disappointing about that was Marco Minnemann was a far, FAR superior drummer but they went with Mike Mangini because he sounds like Mike Portnoy. Without so much wanking on the drums.
Something else to take note from those audition videos is Jordan Rudess pretty much ran the whole process. I guess since he's the guy with the most advanced college degree (that is, the ONLY college music degree) I guess he gets the call when they need someone to write music. The forwardness of the keyboards in the songs sounds to me like Jordan is driving the bus right now. Maybe he needs the paycheck the worst. Who knows.
I think Dream Theater's relevance has faded greatly.
Long time DT fan here, saw them live first for When Dream and Day Unite.
Hopeful:
Much better mix than what has been happening lately.
Nice epic feel.
Discouraged:
Petrucci wrote the drum parts on a computer.
Vocal melodies are laconic and feel a bit, "been there, done that."
Lyrics are kinda flat.
Keyboards still sound like a carnival. Man, I miss Kevin Moore.
I am very much hoping we get some Myung compositions this time around - I could use another Learning to Live right about now. And how about something actually heavy? Maybe another Lie, or Lite Fuse and Get Away.
Hopeful:
Much better mix than what has been happening lately.
Nice epic feel.
Discouraged:
Petrucci wrote the drum parts on a computer.
Vocal melodies are laconic and feel a bit, "been there, done that."
Lyrics are kinda flat.
Keyboards still sound like a carnival. Man, I miss Kevin Moore.
I am very much hoping we get some Myung compositions this time around - I could use another Learning to Live right about now. And how about something actually heavy? Maybe another Lie, or Lite Fuse and Get Away.
As previously stated, loving the fact that after six years and two bass-less albums (save for about 20 seconds on each each one), I can finally hear Myung again. He sounds great, along with everyone else except..... RUDESS. As previously stated, the music is good and Labrie's vocals are a nice balance of high and low, but damn it Rudess just cannot play anything that isn't background without sounding just stupid (though the piano bit is cool). He badly needs to drop the stupid Looney Tunes tone IMO.
Other than that, sounds cool. Does sound a bit FIF-ish, but we'll what the album turns out like. Liking the album cover too actually, and the drums are much better mixed than the last two albums. Musically I don't know if I really like it better than SC and DCASL just yet, but I definitely think the production is better. Kudos fellas (and the new Mike).
Other than that, sounds cool. Does sound a bit FIF-ish, but we'll what the album turns out like. Liking the album cover too actually, and the drums are much better mixed than the last two albums. Musically I don't know if I really like it better than SC and DCASL just yet, but I definitely think the production is better. Kudos fellas (and the new Mike).
ugg...I find almost all Dream Theater music pretty listenable but James LaBrie, as always, ruins everything. Please James, go solo forever and don't come back.
Those auditions were pretty cool to watch, it would also have been cool to see what a cat like Thomas Pridgen would have brought.
You know, I've tried to like DT for years. I mean really tried. But I can't do it.
That was soul-less. The whole thing sounded programmed and sequenced. It would have been better without the vocals. Myung needs to find a band with musos instead of programmers. Petrucci needs to throw away his lifeless rig and get a JCM800 and a LesPaul and dime them both. Jordan... where to start? How is it that some of the coolest rock bands of the 60s and 70s had keyboards, cool keyboards, but your's sounds like a Casiotone?
On the upside, at least portnoy is gone. Most overated drummer after Weckl.
Come on guys, so much talent. Surely you can make some music with it? If the kings of Leon could write 1 good song, you could write 2.
That was soul-less. The whole thing sounded programmed and sequenced. It would have been better without the vocals. Myung needs to find a band with musos instead of programmers. Petrucci needs to throw away his lifeless rig and get a JCM800 and a LesPaul and dime them both. Jordan... where to start? How is it that some of the coolest rock bands of the 60s and 70s had keyboards, cool keyboards, but your's sounds like a Casiotone?
On the upside, at least portnoy is gone. Most overated drummer after Weckl.
Come on guys, so much talent. Surely you can make some music with it? If the kings of Leon could write 1 good song, you could write 2.
^ How original. Who are you to say they have no soul, anyway? You don't like it, leave it at that.
That whole bit about the Les Paul and JCM was really laughable, too. If anything, that would be a more grievous blow to his soul; to sacrifice his artistic tonal vision for the going trend.
Dream Theater, love them or hate them, are absolute paragons of musical integrity, for those reasons you've found to call them soulless. Their tones are their own. Their music is their own. Whatever else they may be, they are true to their musical vision. I don't love them unconditionally. I find some of their catalog nigh-unlistenable. But I don't mistake my distaste for a lack of 'soul' on their part.
That whole bit about the Les Paul and JCM was really laughable, too. If anything, that would be a more grievous blow to his soul; to sacrifice his artistic tonal vision for the going trend.
Dream Theater, love them or hate them, are absolute paragons of musical integrity, for those reasons you've found to call them soulless. Their tones are their own. Their music is their own. Whatever else they may be, they are true to their musical vision. I don't love them unconditionally. I find some of their catalog nigh-unlistenable. But I don't mistake my distaste for a lack of 'soul' on their part.
Um, I think you misunderstand. I get precision. I get that they like to be superprecise, but there's point you reach where it's so precise it's just science.... ie. you've lost the art. That's what I felt. Ok, I liked the bit where Myung got down and dirty, but the rest of it, was so 'tight' and controlled that it seemed inhuman to me.
Of course I said LP and JCM as a wind up.
Petrucci is a great player. But the thing that stood out to me as I've listened to him on G3, LTE and everything I've heard him do is that his sound is so produced, it's overproduced. Every note sounds the same, even, compressed, but no art. It's like watching F1. Of course they go fast, but that's all they do. Where is the rawness and the emotion? I just don't feel it... and trust me I want to.
Paragons of musical integrity? Sorry I don't see it.
BTW, I saw some stuff with Jordan trying out a Harpieji (spelling). That was worth watching. I wish I'd heard some of that in this song.
Of course I said LP and JCM as a wind up.
Petrucci is a great player. But the thing that stood out to me as I've listened to him on G3, LTE and everything I've heard him do is that his sound is so produced, it's overproduced. Every note sounds the same, even, compressed, but no art. It's like watching F1. Of course they go fast, but that's all they do. Where is the rawness and the emotion? I just don't feel it... and trust me I want to.
Paragons of musical integrity? Sorry I don't see it.
BTW, I saw some stuff with Jordan trying out a Harpieji (spelling). That was worth watching. I wish I'd heard some of that in this song.
