Instrumentals

[Jamesman42]

One thing I really love about DT is their instrumental sections/songs. They have mostly great passages of music between songs or sections of songs.

To me, it's part of DT's trademark sound and formula (which works, IMO). They take TDEN and make what could've been a decent cheesy metal song and kick it up a notch with a really interesting instrumental break. Metropolis Pt.1's instrumental break is maybe the best thing they've ever done. TDOE and Overture 1928 follow it up nicely as well.

Octavarium was great for instrumental breaks. TROAE, PA, NE, SS, and 8VM all have fantastic breaks.

Recently, SC was a little bit of a let down in the instrumental department. TMOLS has a really boring one, and ITPOE Pt.2 isn't much better (the one before the moog solo). They feel sloppy and incomplete.

BC&SL was a step up. TCOT's opening is probably one of favorite musical passages by DT. And this was their most recent album!

In terms of their next album from what they have given us recently, I really hope that, while they may also focus on lyrics, that they look at their instrumentals and make some really memorable ones. It may be one of my favorite things about DT. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[antigoon]

For modern DT, instrumental sections really have the ability to make or break songs. Everything in The Count of Tuscany is brilliant, whereas the instrumental section in A Nightmare to Remember brings the song down quite a few notches for me. Old DT songs used to have consistently memorable instrumental passages, I hope to see a return to that and less reliance on the "who can shred faster" battles between JR and JP that seem to have pervaded the music recently.

[GuineaPig]

For comparing the direction of old DT to new DT, one only has to compare the contrast in the way instrumental sections are approached.

[Plasmastrike]

I would like to say: Never Enough's instrumental section = 

[Jamesman42]

For modern DT, instrumental sections really have the ability to make or break songs.

Agreed. It really helps with the flow of the entire song. And I would really like to see a focused instrumental standalone song (meaning, not Raw Dog, which is still good, but was a one-off thing).

For comparing the direction of old DT to new DT, one only has to compare the contrast in the way instrumental sections are approached.

I was just thinking about that. If anything else, DT has their stock in their instrumentals. At least to me, they do.

[GuineaPig]

To expand on my meaning of my original post, one can tell how DT's approach has changed because of how less proggy their instrumentals are.  Comparing a song like "Learning to Live", "Voices", "Lines in the Sand", or "Trial of Tears" instrumentally to "The Dark Eternal Night", "A Nightmare to Remember", it becomes really evident in the way things have changed.  There isn't the same buildup and release, the same sense of tension and swell, as before.  Instead, there's a series of interchangeable riffs that do little, in my mind, to capture the audience's attention or draw them in.

In fact, I don't think it's wholly unsurprising that the few songs that I think hold these qualities off of the more recent albums ("In the Name of God", "Octavarium", and "In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 1") are usually held among the best DT have written in the past decade.

[Dream Team]

To expand on my meaning of my original post, one can tell how DT's approach has changed because of how less proggy their instrumentals are.  Comparing a song like "Learning to Live", "Voices", "Lines in the Sand", or "Trial of Tears" instrumentally to "The Dark Eternal Night", "A Nightmare to Remember", it becomes really evident in the way things have changed.  There isn't the same buildup and release, the same sense of tension and swell, as before.  Instead, there's a series of interchangeable riffs that do little, in my mind, to capture the audience's attention or draw them in.

In fact, I don't think it's wholly unsurprising that the few songs that I think hold these qualities off of the more recent albums ("In the Name of God", "Octavarium", and "In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 1") are usually held among the best DT have written in the past decade.

Agree with all of this, and would just like to add that focusing on MELODY during those sections is key (and I don't mean MP's daughter  ).

[Dark Master Of Sin]

The intro instrumental into In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 is  beyond anything.

The only superior sections are: Metropolis and Octavarium (Full Circle)

[hefdaddy42]

To expand on my meaning of my original post, one can tell how DT's approach has changed because of how less proggy their instrumentals are.  Comparing a song like "Learning to Live", "Voices", "Lines in the Sand", or "Trial of Tears" instrumentally to "The Dark Eternal Night", "A Nightmare to Remember", it becomes really evident in the way things have changed.  There isn't the same buildup and release, the same sense of tension and swell, as before.  Instead, there's a series of interchangeable riffs that do little, in my mind, to capture the audience's attention or draw them in.

In fact, I don't think it's wholly unsurprising that the few songs that I think hold these qualities off of the more recent albums ("In the Name of God", "Octavarium", and "In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 1") are usually held among the best DT have written in the past decade.

Yes.

[Dublagent66]

Recently, SC was a little bit of a let down in the instrumental department. TMOLS has a really boring one

I still don't understand all the hate for this section.  MP has some phenomenal drum licks going on.  The rhythm guitar has some great key/chord changes.  JR is well.......JR.  JP rips out another awesome solo and of course the unison to wrap it up.  I don't get what is so boring about it.  There's a lot of tasty stuff going on.  Even just listening to MP is enough to make it interesting.  What's the problem?

[Jamesman42]

I do love the unison, but I think I love all of their unisons regardless. It's everything else. And I love most of DT's stuff. I can't put my finger on it.

[BRGM]

Recently, SC was a little bit of a let down in the instrumental department. TMOLS has a really boring one

I still don't understand all the hate for this section.  MP has some phenomenal drum licks going on.  The rhythm guitar has some great key/chord changes.  JR is well.......JR.  JP rips out another awesome solo and of course the unison to wrap it up.  I don't get what is so boring about it.  There's a lot of tasty stuff going on.  Even just listening to MP is enough to make it interesting.  What's the problem?

I Also Love that instrumental section, most ppl are just sayin' it doesn't "fit in" :S What nonsense! That instrumental section is so cool and unexpected, I think it helps to make the song so good.

[Zantera]

The intro instrumental into In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 is  beyond anything.

This.

[GuineaPig]

TMOLS has one of the most boring, paint-by-numbers DT instrumental sections ever, and considering the song it is placed in, it is downright awful.

Every time I force myself to listen to it I have to purify my ears with "Trial of Tears" immediately afterward.

[SinisterMinisterX]

...There isn't the same buildup and release, the same sense of tension and swell, as before.  Instead, there's a series of interchangeable riffs that do little, in my mind, to capture the audience's attention or draw them in.

Mostly, yes - but two notable exceptions (IMO) are Octavarium and The Count. Maybe DT only thinks to build and release when they're working on 20-minute-ish songs?

[RoeDent]

At the moment, my favourite DT instrumental break is that in Metropolis Pt. 1. As I came to it after Pt. 2 (SFAM), it's interesting to spot the references back to Part 1 scattered throughout the album.

And, because everyone seems to be doing it:

 

There's 7 for ya...

[ShadowWalker]

For comparing the direction of old DT to new DT, one only has to compare the contrast in the way instrumental sections are approached.

Correct, and for me, this is the chief reason why I do not like most DT post SFAM. With few exceptions, I find the instrumental passages to be out of place when taken in context of the overall song. In looking at anything pre-SFAM, and to a large extent, SFAM, the epic length songs felt a lot more "composed." Everything felt like it had a purpose for the most part, or had perfect transitions in and out of instrumental passages so those parts fit nicely and were able to carry the emotion of the song.

When I listen to a lot of the post-SFAM, especially ToT (not counting SoC, which I think is the only track that is good on the studio effort), I find the instrumental passages to be very sterile and lacking the emotional connection to the lyrics of the songs they are shoe-horned into. They are more of a distraction because they don't carry the emotion of the songs they are tied to.

[Jamesman42]

^I don't totally agree (I find most of their modern instrumentals to be great to stellar), but I do agree that in the past, they connectivity was a lot stronger. Even Metropolis Pt. 1, which has a more random instrumental than any other early DT song, still feels like it connects with the song (it feels like the instrumental is a tour through the city, if that makes sense).

[GuineaPig]

...There isn't the same buildup and release, the same sense of tension and swell, as before.  Instead, there's a series of interchangeable riffs that do little, in my mind, to capture the audience's attention or draw them in.

Mostly, yes - but two notable exceptions (IMO) are Octavarium and The Count. Maybe DT only thinks to build and release when they're working on 20-minute-ish songs?

I mentioned Octavarium in my post, and yes, one could somewhat argue the Count.


Hmm, this has made me devise a good example of the contrasting styles.  Take two instrumental sections from Octavarium: from 15:40 to 18:30, and from 21:25 to 24:00.  I think the overwhelming majority would prefer the latter, because of the way it is constructed, rather than being a mish-mash of interchangeable riffs.

[Dublagent66]

TMOLS has one of the most boring, paint-by-numbers DT instrumental sections ever, and considering the song it is placed in, it is downright awful.

Every time I force myself to listen to it I have to purify my ears with "Trial of Tears" immediately afterward.

Why would you force yourself to listen to something that you think is downright awful?  That makes even less sense than your previous sentence.

[Scrub206]

every DT instrumental is my favorite instrumental...


.. just thought id put my 2 sense in.. /fanboi

[CrimsonE]

Personally, I favor the break for Learning to Live.  Just an awesome section, and if you count James' voice as an instrument, the F# is spectacular.  And they've only gotten better with the extended live versions. 

DT have also had some excellent intro instrumentals on the last few albums, including Count, and Enemies.

Home also has a couple of great sections as well. 

[Global Laziness]

I'd love to see some more instrumental sections like in A Change of Seasons - long passages that don't need to have a solo or solos to be strong and memorable.

[Adami]

I'd love to see some more instrumental sections like in A Change of Seasons - long passages that don't need to have a solo or solos to be strong and memorable.

And that don't have the mandatory super synchopated scale fragments in odd times.

[BRGM]

hehee

[wasp2020]

More stuff like TCOT's intro, Hell's Kitchen, etc would be pretty cool.

[AwakeFromOctavarium]

Hey, I loved the instrumental sections of Constant Motion and Dark Eternal Night. Honestly, SC have pretty decent instrumental sections. But then, TCoT trumps all over it.