# New Dream Theater!



## ominipotentgoldfish (Jun 26, 2009)

So has anyone else listened to the new Dream Theater album?  I sat and listened to it and loved every moment of it, mostly because huge DT fan, but I want to hear your opinion! ^^


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## KaiFox (Jun 26, 2009)

You're the first other huge DT fan I've seen on here (YAY!)! 

Are you kidding me? I bought it 30 minutes after it came out. A buddy of mine (who is also a huge fan) and I were at Best Buy around 10 am on Tuesday, and we both bought a special edition 3-CD copy of _Black Clouds and Silver Linings._ It simply kicks ass, and is tied for my 2nd favorite DT album with _Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence,_ behind only _Scenes From a Memory_, which is the best album in the world. Thank god there's another big DT fan on here!

Check my FA page; I've been ranting about it in my journals for the past month.


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## Dei3and8 (Jun 26, 2009)

Dream Theater's songwriting is really generic bro, especially their newer material, the lyrics practically have no substance and are easily predictable.

Whatever though, I guess if it's played fast, people like it.


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## ominipotentgoldfish (Jun 27, 2009)

Ever think maybe I'm not here for lyrical value?  If I wanted that from DT I'd listen to thier old work.  Plus, it's not all speed, a lot of it acctually slow and melodic.

Oh, and Pettrucci is a beast.


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## Aden (Jun 27, 2009)

Got the 3-disk edition in lossless three days before it was out. :B

Anyway, it's your typical Dream Theater. Not much deviation from their norm, so fans should be pleased. I thought lyrics were fairly weak, but with a special exemption for The Shattered Fortress. Finished up the twelve step suite in style (albeit with lots of borrowed parts from previous songs in the suite). The Count of Tuscany had some great instrumentation, as did the other songs. Some parts of The Best of Times actually managed to grab me emotionally, considering it was written for John's Mike's (hurr) dying father. I also liked the darker tone they took in A Nightmare to Remember.

I also have to mention that LaBrie's vocals have always been kind of the weak point of the band, at least in most peoples' eyes. However, I thought they were very well done in this album, and just...fit for some reason. It's very odd to explain. 

However, the album never quite stuck with me. I own a lot of albums that you have to listen to over and over again for it to really grab you, but this album has still failed to do so. I can see myself revisiting it every once in a while like I do Systematic Chaos, _et al_., but never with the frequency of some of their better works (such as Six Degrees, Octavarium). They seem to release a gem every third album, so I'll be looking forward to their next.

\Petrucci is indeed a beast... guitar-wise. Never did like his lyrics.


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## Takun (Jun 27, 2009)

Don't like Dream Theater.  :|


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## Excitement! (Jun 28, 2009)

I like DT, but I haven't really been impressed by anything they've put out in the last several years. I'll probably hit up the new album when I get the chance.


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## KaiFox (Jun 28, 2009)

Aden said:


> Got the 3-disk edition in lossless three days before it was out. :B
> 
> Anyway, it's your typical Dream Theater. Not much deviation from their norm, so fans should be pleased. I thought lyrics were fairly weak, but with a special exemption for The Shattered Fortress. Finished up the twelve step suite in style (albeit with lots of borrowed parts from previous songs in the suite). The Count of Tuscany had some great instrumentation, as did the other songs. Some parts of The Best of Times actually managed to grab me emotionally, *considering it was written for John's dying father*. I also liked the darker tone they took in A Nightmare to Remember.
> 
> ...


 
First of all, I have to mention that "The Best of Times" was made for Mike Portnoy's father, not John Myung's. Howard Portnoy passed away earlier this year. And that song has my favorite riff on this album.

LaBrie gets bashed very unfairly, in my opinion. His vocal work on "Wither", "Count of Tuscany", and "The Shattered Fortress" is incredible, especially on Shattered Fortress, where he captures the mood befitting the ending of the 12-step suite perfectly. And what else would fit Dream Theater other than James LaBrie? Seriously, would you prefer Charlie Dominici or James LaBrie? I prefer actual singing over the power metal crap that Dominic brought to When Dream and Day Unite, which is a singing style that is soooooooooo NOT Dream Theater.

The album is being torn a new one by critics because they say it's not revolutionary. And while it may not be revolutionary RELATIVELY when compared to other DT albums, it is definitely an album for the fans, and is revolutionary in the fact that it is Dream Theater, and they are revolutionary as a band, as a whole.

Every third album is a gem? Scenes From a Memory, Six Degrees, and Train of Thought were all gems in my eyes, especially Scenes, and those three were consecutive (1999, 2001, 2004).  (Also, Falling Into Infinity gets a bad rep, in my opinion.  If you take out "You Not Me", "Burning My Soul", and "Anna Lee", you are left with a fantastic album, particlarly "New Millenium", "Take Away My Pain", and "Trial of Tears".  VERY underrated album, because you have to dig through the mainstream crap to find the pure Dream Theater material.)  Then Octavarium ended that run by having a few forgettable tracks, and Systematic Chaos has a couple "meh" tracks as well (i.e. Prophets of War and Constant Motion, which is HORRIBLY OVERRATED by the way). This album does not have a weak track, and yes, the lyrics are more linear (the perfect word to describe them) than previous albums, but that's okay, seeing as how they more than make up for it due to great storytelling and catchy, beautifully composed songwriting, which are the main reasons that I love Dream Theater.

And we all know that Petrucci is a beast. That's VERY common knowledge. But don't forget the beastly manners of Jordan Rudess and Mike Portnoy. Rudess is simply untouchable on the keys, and Portnoy plays the s**t out of that montrosity that he calls his drumset. Plus, Portnoy is one of the best personalities in the music industry. He's flat out awesome.


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## KaiFox (Jun 28, 2009)

Dei3and8 said:


> Dream Theater's songwriting is really generic bro, especially their newer material, the lyrics practically have no substance and are easily predictable.
> 
> Whatever though, I guess if it's played fast, people like it.


 
That's not what lures me to them.  Petrucci's and Rudess' best moments are usually in the slower parts of songs (i.e. Wither, The Spirit Carries On, Ministry of Lost Souls, Trial of Tears, etc. etc.)  People who like bands because they play really really fast are what are known as "Faggotforce fans".  And they suck.  Really, REALLY suck.

You say that their songwriting is generic, huh?  Yet you only go into detail about how you don't like the lyrics...  Dude, songwriting is not just about lyrics.  It's about song and album composition and making the separate parts flow together and mesh into one large entity of sound.  And Dream Theater accomplishes this with a level of expertise that cannot be found anywhere else.  So I don't know what you're talking about, because the main reason that I love their music is because their songwriting is incredible.


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## Takun (Jun 28, 2009)

Hitman344 said:


> That's not what lures me to them.  Petrucci's and Rudess' best moments are usually in the slower parts of songs (i.e. Wither, The Spirit Carries On, Ministry of Lost Souls, Trial of Tears, etc. etc.)  People who like bands because they play really really fast are what are known as "Faggotforce fans".  And they suck.  Really, REALLY suck.
> 
> You say that their songwriting is generic, huh?  Yet you only go into detail about how you don't like the lyrics...  Dude, songwriting is not just about lyrics. * It's about song and album composition and making the separate parts flow together and mesh into one large entity of sound.  And Dream Theater accomplishes this with a level of expertise that cannot be found anywhere else.*  So I don't know what you're talking about, because the main reason that I love their music is because their songwriting is incredible.



I lol'd.


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## KaiFox (Jun 28, 2009)

Takumi_L said:


> I lol'd.


 
Why? If you don't like Dream Theater (cuz you said you don't, and now it sounds like you're dismissing my opinion as a joke), then don't post here.

Just saying. I don't really care if you don't like them, cuz that's your opinion and you're entitled to your own musical tastes.  But please do not dismiss my musical taste as a mere joke.  I may be misinterpreting the "lol", so please correct me if I did so.


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## Takun (Jun 28, 2009)

Hitman344 said:


> Why? If you don't like Dream Theater (cuz you said you don't, and now it sounds like you're dismissing my opinion as a joke), then don't post here.
> 
> Just saying. I don't really care if you don't like them, cuz that's your opinion and you're entitled to your own musical tastes.  But please do not dismiss my musical taste as a mere joke.  I may be misinterpreting the "lol", so please correct me if I did so.



Your fanboyism.  It fuels my lulz.

Level of expertise that cannot be found anywhere else. 9_9


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## KaiFox (Jun 28, 2009)

Takumi_L said:


> Your fanboyism. It fuels my lulz.
> 
> Level of expertise that cannot be found anywhere else. 9_9


 
Not a fanboy.  But whatever, I don't feel like arguing with you about the band, about music, about much of anything.  That's what I think about their musicianship, and yet because you don't agree with with me, specifically because you disagree with me, you mock me. Kinda classless.  But whatever.  That's your outlook on the topic, and...blah.  It's 2 in the morning and I'm tired .  You can have your lulz, I don't really care.  At least you're not completely bashing the band like some people tend to do.


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## Aden (Jun 28, 2009)

Hitman344 said:


> And we all know that Petrucci is a beast. That's VERY common knowledge. But don't forget the beastly manners of Jordan Rudess and Mike Portnoy. Rudess is simply untouchable on the keys, and Portnoy plays the s**t out of that montrosity that he calls his drumset. Plus, Portnoy is one of the best personalities in the music industry. He's flat out awesome.



Rudess has been one of my piano idols for a while. His solos tend to go nowhere, though.

Speaking of Portnoy, I found it interesting when he dipped into the double bass/metal beats for A Nightmare to Remember. Sounded novel and interesting for the band at first, but then I just realized that it took away from his usual dynamic and complex flow. Wish he'd steer away from it in the future.



Hitman344 said:


> Why?



I think it was mostly for the comment "level of expertise that cannot be found anywhere else". DT writes very complex and flowing songs, yes, but I don't think they're the apex of songwriting in that regard. I personally think that Cynic, Between the Buried and Me (Most notably the CD/song "Colors"), In the Woods..., Opeth, and the like blow them out of the water in the area of writing long and/or complex songs that shift moods/time/key often but still remain their own cohesive entities.


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## Whitenoise (Jun 29, 2009)

So Dream Theater have managed to expel yet another steaming pile of trite, directionless masturbatory noise? Gonna have to side with Tacooni on this one. 

Prog metal in general is a joke, and after their second album this band has worked their way up to being the worst of them all. The only other bands I can think of that get as much utterly undeserved praise are Opeth and Behold the Arctopus. Any moron can crank out a lumbering, thirteen minute abortion of a song and the sad thing is as long as it's disjointed and technically demanding enough they'll have legions of fantards tickling their balls in no time. Emperor's new clothes and all that :V .


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## Aden (Jun 29, 2009)

Whitenoise said:


> as long as it's disjointed and technically demanding enough they'll have legions of fantards tickling their balls in no time.



I like some bands for their technical prowess. I have other bands to listen to that have other merits. I don't really see the problem here.


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## ramsay_baggins (Jun 29, 2009)

I used to like Dream Theater but now I can only listen to two or three songs tops


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## Takun (Jun 30, 2009)

Aden said:


> I think it was mostly for the comment "level of expertise that cannot be found anywhere else". DT writes very complex and flowing songs, yes, but I don't think they're the apex of songwriting in that regard. I personally think that Cynic, Between the Buried and Me (Most notably the CD/song "Colors"), In the Woods..., Opeth, and the like blow them out of the water in the area of writing long and/or complex songs that shift moods/time/key often but still remain their own cohesive entities.



It wasn't just the song flow part that I'm laughing at.  It's the album part I'm laughing at.  As if no other bands have albums that flow together, carry moods tones, and all that from song to song.  In fact, good ones do. 

Also, Neurosis writes long songs and keeps you interested.  Dream Theater writes long songs and puts you to sleep.


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## Magikian (Jun 30, 2009)

Dream Theater's music puts me to sleep faster than any lullaby ever could.

Seriously, that shit is so slow and boring.


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## Whitenoise (Jun 30, 2009)

Aden said:


> I like some bands for their technical prowess. I have other bands to listen to that have other merits. I don't really see the problem here.



Those bands are bad and you should feel bad >:[ .


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## Aden (Jun 30, 2009)

Whitenoise said:


> Those bands are bad and you should feel bad >:[ .



Oh.

Okay then. :C


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## KaiFox (Jul 4, 2009)

Aden said:


> Speaking of Portnoy, I found it interesting when he dipped into the double bass/metal beats for A Nightmare to Remember. Sounded novel and interesting for the band at first, but then I just realized that it took away from his usual dynamic and complex flow. Wish he'd steer away from it in the future.


 
Yeah, I didn't like that either.  Dream Theater and double bass don't mix.  I don't really understand why they decided to put it in there, hell, it doesn't even fit the song very well.  The good parts of that song are the softer sections.  I don't really like the heavy sections.


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