Author Topic: Mike Portnoy's "Prog Metal" supergroup: Sons of Apollo  (Read 305609 times)

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Offline cramx3

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #735 on: August 01, 2017, 08:59:01 AM »
I guess I am feeling different than the rest with regards to this.  The clips sound like there's a lot of potential here.  The thing I worry about the most is the vocals.  I'm not sure yet if I really enjoy them, but I can't say I do or don't just from the teaser.  But I really like Billy on bass and although he's involved with a lot of MP stuff, I can't sit here and say I can't/won't enjoy this just because of that.  I like his sound and I think he could be really good on this.  I'm actually excited to hear more after this whereas my interest level was very low to start.

Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #736 on: August 01, 2017, 09:04:47 AM »
I like it!!!

 

Offline ErHaO

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #737 on: August 01, 2017, 09:05:22 AM »
Sounds like mid-career DT with a different vocalist, I am interested! But these samples are horribly paced, can't really make anything out of them the way they are cut, outside that the sound and musical direction appeals to me.

Offline The Silent Cody

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #738 on: August 01, 2017, 09:09:21 AM »
So Sheehan :) ok, I can deal with that ;) lot of Derek's keyboards in those clips which is fine. Sounds promising, very DTish, somewhere between SDOIT and ToT.  :tup

Offline Mindflux

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #739 on: August 01, 2017, 09:16:55 AM »
Quote from: MP
SONS OF APOLLO
FEATURING EX-MEMBERS OF DREAM THEATER, GUNS N’ ROSES AND JOURNEY
DEBUT ALBUM, ‘PSYCHOTIC SYMPHONY,’
DUE OUT OCTOBER 20 ON INSIDEOUTMUSIC/SONY MUSIC
APOLLO: The ancient Greek and Roman God of music and poetry.
SONS OF APOLLO: The new supergroup featuring members of Dream Theater, Mr. Big, Guns ‘N Roses, and Journey.
For the past few months, rumors have been circulating about a new secret project including former Dream Theater members Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian. Now, the time has come to make the grand and highly anticipated introduction to their new band, SONS OF APOLLO.
Reuniting to form SONS OF APOLLO, Portnoy and Sherinian have joined forces with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses), Billy Sheehan (The Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, David Lee Roth) and Jeff Scott Soto (ex-Journey, ex-Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force). Their debut album, PSYCHOTIC SYMPHONY, will be released October 20 on InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. An album teaser can be seen on InsideOutMusic’s official YouTube page here: https://youtu.be/kPN2DttzlZQ
PSYCHOTIC SYMPHONY was produced by the dynamic production duo of Portnoy and Sherinian, also affectionately known as “The Del Fuvio Brothers,” which is the nickname given to them over 20 years ago during their time together in Dream Theater.
SONS OF APOLLO got together very organically, as Portnoy explains: “Derek and I reunited shortly after I left Dream Theater in 2010 and we put together an all-instrumental touring band with he and I, Billy Sheehan, and Tony MacAlpine. That was my first time working with Derek since the ‘90s when he was in Dream Theater and it was just great to be working with him again. Ever since that tour, which was really just a one-off live thing, he has been nudging me to start a real, original, full-time band. The timing just had never been right, because I had too many other things on my plate. Long story short, the time was finally right to take the bait and put together a band.”
“Mike and I work at a relentless pace in the studio,” continues Sherinian. “The music is modern, but we have an old school soul. What is unique about SONS OF APOLLO is that we have true rock n’ roll swagger along with the virtuosity-- a lethal combination!”
But what to call the next great supergroup? “Derek was mainly the one behind the name,” says Portnoy. “I have a list that I keep on my phone of about a hundred different band names, which I constantly have to refer to every time I have a new band every year (laughs). So, I pulled up the list and Apollo was one of the names on the list. It was a word that both of us really liked. We started fiddling with different variations of the word. One of the original band names we were working with was Apollo Creed, the character from the ‘Rocky’ movies, but after lots of different discussions on different variations, Derek suggested SONS OF APOLLO and it seemed to stick. Apollo is the God of Music so with that in mind it seemed like a fitting name.”
Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Billy Sheehan previously toured together in 2012 and 2013 as PSMS (along with guitarist Tony MacAlpine), playing all instrumental versions from each of their previously recorded music. SONS OF APOLLO is the next logical progression by adding a vocalist and creating all-original material. The band incorporates the progressive style and individual technical prowess that Portnoy & Sherinian shared together in Dream Theater combined with the swagger and groove of Van Halen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.
“I have known Mike and Derek for a long time, so when they came to me with Sons of Apollo, I jumped on this straight away,” says Thomas Waber, Label Manager/A&R International of InsideOutMusic. “However, the album they ended up recording exceeded my already high expectations by a long mile! We couldn’t be happier about it!”
SONS OF APOLLO will hit the road in 2018 for their first worldwide tour.
“This is a real band,” Portnoy declares. “This is going to pick up for me and Billy where The Winery Dogs left off, in terms of this being the next logical full-time thing for us. I’m not saying The Winery Dogs have broken up, because we haven’t, we’re just on a break. SONS OF APOLLO is absolutely going to be a full-time band and we plan on touring all over the world all throughout 2018 and, honestly, it is the priority for all five of us.”
Sherinian agrees, “We will go on a worldwide crusade in 2018 to bring SONS OF APOLLO to as many people as possible. Apollo was the God of Music, and we are his mighty offspring!”

Offline Madman Shepherd

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #740 on: August 01, 2017, 09:19:27 AM »
I think Bumblefoot is actually the most exciting part of the project. I've heard some of his solo stuff which sounded more punk to me. I know he is versatile so I'm excited to see what he'll do with prog metal.

Offline Polarbear

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #741 on: August 01, 2017, 09:19:43 AM »
I'm optimistic! :tup

Sheehan onboard is a plus for me! Never heard of the vocalist, but he sounds great. Getting mid 2000-era DT, and some Iconoclast era SX vibes from what I heard.

Definitely a lot of potential here!

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #742 on: August 01, 2017, 09:35:54 AM »
I'm optimistic! :tup

Sheehan onboard is a plus for me! Never heard of the vocalist, but he sounds great. Getting mid 2000-era DT, and some Iconoclast era SX vibes from what I heard.

Definitely a lot of potential here!

You've never heard of Jeff Scott Soto? Go YouTube him. Trust me, you won't regret it. He's sung for Yngwie, Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and a ton of other smaller bands.
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Offline The Silent Cody

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #743 on: August 01, 2017, 09:39:50 AM »
Wow and the album it's out also on 20th October, the same day as new Europe record  :biggrin: my wallet will be soooooo empty  :biggrin:

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #744 on: August 01, 2017, 09:45:28 AM »
Ok, we'll see where this goes. I had wished for another singer but in the end it's the overall package that has to deliver. And I'm curious how much of a regular band they will be, all of them have a large amount of other things going.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Offline ariich

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #745 on: August 01, 2017, 09:47:17 AM »
From the lineup alone I wouldn't be all that excited (and wasn't when literally EVERY ONE OF THEM had been deduced) but I'm never one to pre-judge and honestly those teasers sounded really cool. In as much as anything can be learned from teasers (which is very little) there was a great energy that suggests some really good potential. We'll just have to wait and see how it translates into full songs.

EDIT: Oh and as someone who's not especially familiar with JSS, he sounds great in the samples.

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Offline The Silent Cody

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #746 on: August 01, 2017, 09:49:09 AM »
Why I can only see Facebook posts from Sons Of Apollo profile and no particular Facebook profile which I could like ?  :-\

Offline TAC

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #747 on: August 01, 2017, 09:52:44 AM »
I'm optimistic! :tup

Sheehan onboard is a plus for me! Never heard of the vocalist, but he sounds great. Getting mid 2000-era DT, and some Iconoclast era SX vibes from what I heard.

Definitely a lot of potential here!

You've never heard of Jeff Scott Soto? Go YouTube him. Trust me, you won't regret it. He's sung for Yngwie, Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and a ton of other smaller bands.

Yngwie's Marching Out is my #4 all time Favorite Vocal performance by anyone.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline devieira73

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #748 on: August 01, 2017, 09:59:21 AM »
I'm hoping this is really the case:

The band incorporates the progressive style and individual technical prowess that Portnoy & Sherinian shared together in Dream Theater combined with the swagger and groove of Van Halen, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin.
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Offline Elite

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #749 on: August 01, 2017, 10:18:05 AM »
Okay cool :tup
Hey dude slow the fuck down so we can finish together at the same time.  :biggrin:
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Offline Art

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #750 on: August 01, 2017, 10:18:55 AM »
Sounds awesome. I like it!

Offline RodrigoAltaf

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #751 on: August 01, 2017, 10:20:15 AM »
The samples are promising!!!! I already like this son of Apollo, so let´s see what the other ones have to bring:


Offline Zook

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #752 on: August 01, 2017, 10:29:16 AM »
Music sounds like DT which is fine (I'm fine with dirivitiveness if it sounds good), but the vocal melodies are severely lacking.

Offline gzarruk

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #753 on: August 01, 2017, 10:33:19 AM »
The secret lineup that was no secret at all!  :lol

I actually like the lineup, with the exception of Billy. I just don't like the way he overplays everything with the same old and tired licks.

Based ond the snippets, it sounds promising, but we can't really judge a band by just a few seconds of a couple songs. I'll have to wait for the first single to see how this really sounds.

About the name, I just don't dig it, but that's not too important, anyway.
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline gzarruk

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #754 on: August 01, 2017, 10:33:57 AM »
Music sounds like DT which is fine (I'm fine with dirivitiveness if it sounds good), but the vocal melodies are severely lacking.

I didn't get too excited with the vocals either.
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline Phoenix87x

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #755 on: August 01, 2017, 10:36:12 AM »
I like what I am hearing so far

Offline Stadler

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #756 on: August 01, 2017, 10:40:19 AM »
I'm optimistic! :tup

Sheehan onboard is a plus for me! Never heard of the vocalist, but he sounds great. Getting mid 2000-era DT, and some Iconoclast era SX vibes from what I heard.

Definitely a lot of potential here!

You've never heard of Jeff Scott Soto? Go YouTube him. Trust me, you won't regret it. He's sung for Yngwie, Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and a ton of other smaller bands.

Yngwie's Marching Out is my #4 all time Favorite Vocal performance by anyone.

One, two and three?


(And mad props for being able to whip out "No. 4 all time Favorite Vocal performance" in about nine seconds notice.)

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #757 on: August 01, 2017, 10:53:56 AM »
It sounded....fine. Just very generic.

I'll give the actual album a shot, but if this was supposed to increase excitement, for me, it has failed at that.
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Offline axeman90210

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #758 on: August 01, 2017, 10:54:59 AM »
The music was a mixed bag for me from the sample, but being completely unfamiliar with JSS I thought the vocals sounded pretty good. Will still definitely buy right away.
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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #759 on: August 01, 2017, 10:56:36 AM »
Liked the sample but didn't like JSS. I'll give the album a listen though.

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #760 on: August 01, 2017, 11:12:49 AM »
I'm the opposide. Liked JSS but didn't like the sample. :lol
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline mikeyd23

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #761 on: August 01, 2017, 11:13:04 AM »
Count me in the meh crowd. I look forward to hearing more, but the samples didn't do much for me. Players with chops for days but nothing grabbed me. Hopefully that changes.

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #762 on: August 01, 2017, 11:15:15 AM »
I can see them opening for DT.













































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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #763 on: August 01, 2017, 11:40:22 AM »
Yeah, I liked the vocals but wasn't really blown away by anything else. Hard to judge based on samples though, so I'll hold off on judgment until we hear a full song.

Offline YtseJamittaja

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #764 on: August 01, 2017, 11:43:52 AM »
This sounds like Winery Dogs with a keyboard player and a little more progressive time signatures. Mike and Billy has done too much "supergroups" in the past so this sound bit lame. That's shame because I could really like if Mike did a prog metal supergroup with for example Eric Gillette and Haken guys...
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Offline gzarruk

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #765 on: August 01, 2017, 11:46:10 AM »
This sounds like Winery Dogs with a keyboard player and a little more progressive time signatures. Mike and Billy has done too much "supergroups" in the past so this sound bit lame. That's shame because I could really like if Mike did a prog metal supergroup with for example Eric Gillette and Haken guys...

They're in a cover band together, it's called The Shattered Fortress  :biggrin:
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline romdrums

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #766 on: August 01, 2017, 11:52:47 AM »
This may be the first thing of Mike's post-DT projects that I'm legitimately interested in.  Sounds like it has potential.
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Offline Destiny Of Chaos

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Re: Mike Portnoy Progressive Metal Supergroup
« Reply #767 on: August 01, 2017, 12:01:27 PM »
I'm optimistic! :tup

Sheehan onboard is a plus for me! Never heard of the vocalist, but he sounds great. Getting mid 2000-era DT, and some Iconoclast era SX vibes from what I heard.

Definitely a lot of potential here!

You've never heard of Jeff Scott Soto? Go YouTube him. Trust me, you won't regret it. He's sung for Yngwie, Journey, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and a ton of other smaller bands.

Yngwie's Marching Out is my #4 all time Favorite Vocal performance by anyone.

Yes... he's fantastic on that album!

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #768 on: August 01, 2017, 12:04:13 PM »
Just listened to the sample. Sounds really wanky and boring. JSS' voice isn't doing anything for me.
All that combined with the fact that Billy Sheehan is in the band has made my interest in this project drop significantly.

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Re: Mike Portnoy's prog metal supergroup: Sons of Apollo
« Reply #769 on: August 01, 2017, 12:12:10 PM »
So he basically formed PSMS into a real band switching guitarists and adding vocalist.

I'll wait till they release a full song. But based on who's in it, I'm hearing a more Old school style rock mixed with prog metal. I haven't checked the clips yet.
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