Where are you in your love for DT - starting to wane, or as strong as ever?

[Skeever]

I voted "significantly less" than it used to be.

I originally got into the band after Train of Thought came out. I geeked out on the band all summer, when my interest in them was probably at a 10. By the time Octavarium came out, I was over my initial infatuation and I wound up being somewhat underwhelmed by the album at first, so my interest was only at about a 7. Systematic Chaos time, same thing - I was initially wow'd by the album, but eventually interest died down. After Black Clouds, my interest was at an all time low - probably a 4 or 5 - but MP quitting changed all that. By Dramatic Turn, I was probably at a 9, but then Luna Park and DT12 brought be back down to a 5 or so.

DT will always be an all time favorite band for me, but I'm just not as interested in their new material. IMO, their best work is behind them, but I'll always be a big DT fan.

[CharlesPL]

1st Option.

[PROGdrummer]

#4

[Dreamer]

None of those statements apply to me. I bought DT's first album in 1989 after being hyped by a Rush fanzine that it was really good. It wasn't. I then avoided DT for many years until I saw the Score DVD which I thought was mostly very good. I then got Octavarium and Systematic Chaos which I thought were mostly good but still some awful non melodic parts and bad singing in there. I then got Black Clouds which to be honest I found pretty awful and became a non DT fan again...

It was only when I started listening to DT12 online I realised how good this album was, and bought it straight away. I also got A Dramatic Turn Of Events which I love too. These two are my fave DT albums. This year I acquired all the rest of DT's back catalogue and listened with new ears so to speak. There's still a lot a I don't like, but more that I do so I've made compilations of my fave tracks. I sold my copy of Black Clouds though, cannot like that one at all.

So, what does it mean? I like melody, something which is sadly lacking in some of DT's work over the years. The last two albums though seem to have opened up a more open and melodic sound. Perhaps this is because James is more involved in the songwriting and perhaps Mike Portnoy is no longer in the band? I don't know.

So now I can say I'm a real DT fan, more now than ever before.

[Rodni Demental]

Hmm, I put "as strong as ever". Not that that's entirely true, I've definitely been more obsessive of them in the past. But I also wouldn't say that they're "starting to wane" because I don't really bring many expectations into it. I just like to hear where they're going, and I like the band enough to trust whatever direction they explore musically. One of the things I loved from the beginning was that they were diverse. So I may have favourite aspects of the band, but I don't really care if they try new or different things that don't always align with my tastes, I'll still be interested to check it out. For that reason, I don't think my perspective change all too much any time soon. The band can wear on me if I overlisten and I'll need to take a break, but that happens with all music. I've been completely satisfied with the direction of DT12/ADTOE. And I believe their live releases only keep getting better. At this point, I'm just casually listening, but I'll probably get quite excited when a new album is announced.

[rude boy]

Strong as ever.   

[fischermasamune]

Strong as ever.   

[425]

I went with "Starting to wane, but still very strong" because that seemed most accurate. It's not exact, because my love for them has been going up and down for a while, but I would be lying if I said either "as strong as it ever was" or "significantly less than what it used to be."

When I first heard their music, I went into that obsessive period where they were practically the only band that I listened to and where I liked everything they did a lot. By now I'm more critical of some of their material and am listening to them rather rarely. Which, as ThatGuy2112 said on the first page, does not necessarily equate to not liking them, but just to the fact that there's a lot of music out there. Still, I would say that my love for them is marginally less than it once was. If, for example, we scaled my love of them from 1 to 10, and when I was first getting into them it was a 10 (and stayed that way for about a year and a half or so), right now it's probably around an 8 or 8.5. Still love them, still would probably name them as my favorite band, but do I follow them obsessively anymore? No.

[Elite]

"Significantly less than it used to be", bordering on the last option.
I still love their older music just as much when I listen to it, and a lot of it is among my favourite music of all time, but I don't listen to them often these days, as I'm not that interested in the band as I used to be.
I feel like I mostly bought the last two DVDs out of fan obligation, and have only watched them once, and have barely listened to the last two albums since they came out.

I think I'm turning into rumby.

Exactly this, but I haven't bought the DVDs.

[ReaperKK]

I don't really have much love for DT anymore. I rarely listen to them if it's not a new release. My music have changed so much that they just don't interest me. I remember being a huge fan in 2002 after hearing SDOIT. SC was the last album I really enjoyed.

[James Mypetgiress]

#4! Was once an obsessive, then I stopped listening, then I went to see them on this tour, then I became obsessed again, now it's dying off substantially again 

[Cool Chris]

Strong as ever, but relatively, as my general interest in music has fallen off over the recent years with other stuff going on in my life.

[tiagodon]

This seems like a marriage analogy thread.

52% thinking about a divorce (so far)? 

[Zydar]

I think we should see other bands.

[rumborak]

Not today, DT, I have a migraine.

[King Postwhore]

Remember when you dressed up in overalls and were clean shaven?  Now look at us.

[Skeever]

DT keep releasing these "bundles" with as little time in between to try and save "us"

[nicmos]

I voted the second option.  They're still my favorite band, based on their entire body of work.  But the overall trend has been downward following Octavarium which is their last great album IMO.   There's lots of great stuff on the recent ones, but DT12 marked a change in their writing style, and it seems to be towards simpler less metal-ish songs, and maybe DT isn't that good at writing those kinds of songs, or anymore at least.  If they continue that direction (and they have every right to), I will find less to like.  But there will always be a lot of great albums to listen to.  Who knows, if you had asked me about Rush after Signals, I would have been very pessimistic.  But they found their footing going new directions after tha , and I love a lot of their later stuff.  So we'll see...

[LTE3]

I first got into them with the release of Awake so it's been a long and mostly loving relationship. I have listed to DT for than every other band in my music listening history except maybe Rush, but I think DT has taken the lead. My peak years and most passionate listening years were when Six Degrees came out, I then went back and picked up Scenes from a memory (not sure why i didn't have it earlier) so then I had those two as new and I was obsessed. Then a couple years after that I finally bought Images and Words which I absolutely love, and til this day feel they blew it little bit of their wad on that one it is so good and well rounded. I have to admit I started to wane just a little with ToT came out that one took longer to grow on me and I know love, but they waning continued with with Octavarium (it was a major grower for me now really like waning halted)  Then I went to see the Score show at Radio City Music Hall and they were on top of their game and my musical world again. It was the first time I had heard Raise the Knife and that alone blew me away. I is now and likely will remain my favorite concert of all time. So my hopes were high for the next album but sadly my waning was back with Systematic Chaos (my least fav album other then first) BCSL brought me back into the fold a little still they were nothitting it out of the park though.   Then the bomb dropped and MP left which increased my waning but I was also a little excited to see what they would do. Then the documentary of the drum additions had be totally addicted again. I would leave work for my lunch hour race to the Barnes and Noble Starbucks to get my lap top and head phones ready for the episodes (so good). Mike and Marco were my fav's but Virgil was sick and could have been an amazing new direction. So I was Glad MM got the gig and was really excited again. The anticipation for ADToE had me lovin again, and I think it is a fantastic DT album (waning stopped) So that year and every year prior I had and have seen DT live. I have to say that for me it is just not the same (or as exciting) without MP so that started my waning again. Also with the latest studio album DT13 I have waned more than ever before as I just don't feel that record at all. Most of my DT cd's spent at least a year in my car's player not this one it was out fairly quickly. I did love the show this year as I feel JP had one of his best showings (saw in NYC) but I could have done without the new songs except Illumination Theory (love that one) Luna Park I say in the theater and bought Blu-ray and am disappointed, and the new one I actually for the first time have held off buying as I am not liking the reviews although something tells me I will end up getting, but I have never hesitated on anything they have put out before so I guess the waning is continuing and I will likely wait next time to buy the new studio album and this latest one was so disappointing to me and I have to admit a lot of it is the production which sounds like crap I think. Ok I'm starting to bore myself gotta go.

[Sacul]

Despite almost never spinning their stuff nowadays, they're still my fav band.

[gmillerdrake]

I went with 'strong as ever'  I'm a huge fan of DT's releases post MP and although most of my favorite DT songs aren't from these past two releases....I have enjoyed what they've given us in ADTOE and DT. More so than the songs....I enjoy 'seeing' these guys enjoying the happiness they find themselves in now....you can't watch 'Behind the 4th Wall' and tell me those guys aren't loving life right now. 'Why' they got to the point they got to with MP in the band is neither here nor there for me....I personally thing these last two albums with MM blow away the last two they recorded with MP,,,but that's just my taste.

I don't expect anything from the music they are giving us so I think that's why I've yet to be disappointed in anything they've ever released.....and that's why my 'love' for them and the music is as strong as ever.

[dparrott]

"HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO OTHER BANDS BEHIND MY BACK???"
Oh no, honey, never, it's all about you.  In fact I'm going to watch LALP right now!

[As I Am]

Interest has been waning since MP left. Not that I don't love seeing DT, and I still love their music they have been making "post MP", but they just don't interest me as much as before. If they keep performing static set lists I will certainly change from seeing 2-3 shows per leg to just a singular show. Since MP left, I just feel their mojo has gone (especially in concert). IMO, they are just like every other band now (just better than most  )

[Stadler]

I don't know what my answer is.   "Images and Words" is still one of my favorite albums of all time.   I still get goosebumps when listening to parts of SDOIT and Octivarium.

But while I have bought the latest two, I am not a first-day buyer anymore (though I've pre-ordered the new live Transatlantic, something I've done maybe twice in my entire life).   I have enough bands to listen to that aren't "special" to me the way most of the MP-led bands are. 

[changing_seasons]

My favorite Dream Theater albums/songs still stand about as high as they used to, but I really don't like this new, heavier direction they've been going in these last few albums. My favorite track off DT12, Behind the Veil, barely makes it into my top 20. I will always buy their stuff, and probably see them if they come to Norway, but my expectations for new albums are very low.

[lumpy33]

yes, dt, it's true.  i've been seeing another band behind your back.  tesseract is my new love now, much like you once were when you couldn't do anything wrong from images and words to six degrees.  then your writing got a bit...predictable to me.  then portnoy left.  sigh.  the magic is gone, even thought you still crank out amazing stuff album after album.

so yeah, i picked #2.

[Polarbear]

"Significantly less than it used to be", bordering on the last option.
I still love their older music just as much when I listen to it, and a lot of it is among my favourite music of all time, but I don't listen to them often these days, as I'm not that interested in the band as I used to be.
I feel like I mostly bought the last two DVDs out of fan obligation, and have only watched them once, and have barely listened to the last two albums since they came out.

This is pretty much me, however the "4th Wall" was quite good!

[TheGreatPretender]

I'm gonna say the first option, but really, it comes in waves. I mean, I'm not super into DT ALL the time, but every time I return to another DT "phase" so to speak, I feel like my love for the band is bigger than ever. You know when it happens, because that's when I'm the most active here, haha. And honestly, I am glad that it comes in waves, because it gives me a chance to take a break from them once in a while, explore different music, etc. That, and every time one of these waves comes along, I end up spending way too much money on DT stuff that I don't already own.

[Viking of the Sagas]

My tastes have changed and I don't really listen to DT anymore, except the odd song here and there. I still really like their music, but I usually prefer Toehider when I want something to listen to these days.

Now that they've stopped pushing themselves into unventured directions, the interest also wanes due to that.

[Dublagent66]

Starting to wane (because of DT12), but still very strong (because of all the greatest before DT12).  So yeah...