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Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

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Nick:
Old thread here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=49857.0

Folks, as we move forward with this thread a couple of things we would like to remind everyone of.

1. Personal attacks are not allowed. Please keep the discussion civil among your follow posters.

2. You can constructively critique anything you want, but outright bashing or personal attacks on Portnoy or Sherinian (or the other members) will not be tolerated.

3. As a simple request, let's try to enjoy the upcoming release and not get too bogged down in any negative comments or events. That's not a rule or anything, just me being a temporary hippie so we can all be a little happier.

What we have so far:
Coming Home Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_1N8kVYfkE

Signs of the Time video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLVWkqnN3Ck

Press release:

--- Quote ---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.

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!”
--- End quote ---

PSYCHOTIC SYMPHONY

1. God of The Sun
2. Coming Home
3. Signs of the Time
4. Labyrinth
5. Alive
6. Lost In Oblivion
7. Figaro's Whore
8. Divine Addiction
9. Opus Maximus

SystematicThought:
I’m gonna check it out when it is released.

Mindflux:
I have it preordered.. reserving final judgement for release day.

King Postwhore:
If not, Nick will bash you with his extremely grotesquely large  fists.

Samsara:
Thanks, Nick.

I'm pretty excited for this record. I loved Falling Into Infinity, and continue to really love Derek's work (Black Country Communion rocks). His tone is just amazing. I really haven't sat down and listened to the first two preview tracks (which are probably not indicative of the record anyway, given the prog nature of the project).

I'm a bit on the fence about JSS, Billy Sheehan, and Bumblefoot. I really wish Mike and Derek would have gone elsewhere on both bass and guitar. Nothing against those two, but I'm sorta tired of seeing Billy in everything Mike does, and Bumble...he's an amazing player, but he has never really resonated with me.

I really enjoy JSS, but have a hard time placing him in what my personal expectation is for the band. I hope it works out really well. What I really hope is that this is a permanent band, rather than an MP project. My suspicion is, this will be a band until DT needs a drummer again, and then it'll fold up.

But in the meantime, I am thrilled to have Sons of Apollo, because I very much enjoy what Derek brings as a keyboardist and writer, and of course the drumming of Portnoy. HOpefully it all comes together in a great way. Bring on the record!

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