Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[Skeever]

Not to pile on, but the "... with balls" remark just kinda rubs me the wrong way, which is something I haven't been able to put my finger on before. They're marketing this as a super macho manly prog metal band. Kansas with balls! No anus puckering screams! We have metal swagger! It just strikes me all as lame and hell, and not even true. Their bassist is 64 years old, and has never been considered a metal artist. They're rocking double keyboards, double necked guitars, and a double necked bass with 4 strings on both. They're so overly worried about image they can't decide if they want to be the "more is more" prog wankfest band (which is fine), or the tough guy metal band that is taking cues from Anselmo. It's the same issue Adrenaline Mob fell into. Russ made his name singing about prophets and sages. MP didn't start getting full sleeve tats and dying his goatee (don't get me started) well into his 40s. Singing about knocking about wannabes (in AMob's case), and buying into a machismo version of progressive giants (SoA) is such a misguided poor attempt at credibility. It's like they're trying way too hard to maintain a trumped up and false image when it's all transparent and belies the actual music they're putting out. Over the top machismo from musicians who are trying to push their 'virtuosity' in a genre such as this just screams of ... well... I don't need to finish that sentence. That's probably my biggest turn off of this band, other than the actual songs.

This is essentially an aftertaste of every MP album since DT went ahead and did ToT.
What can you say, the man loves ass and balls.

[devieira73]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Jxfm8dUPazg
MP sign of times drum cam

[ReaperKK]

Pretty cool

I always enjoyed watching MP's drum cam videos

[Peace and Love]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Jxfm8dUPazg
MP sign of times drum cam

That was great! MP is awesome to watch, no matter what I think of the song. Hell, I even like watching his Adrenaline Mob drum cam videos.

[bill1971]

That's the part of MP I really like the drum cams. Really fun to watch.

[devieira73]

Interesting to note that Jeff don't sing alone almost the entire song.
Also interesting to note, despite the double necks guitars and bass, the multiple keyboards, MP didn't use a siamese drum kit

[mikeyd23]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Jxfm8dUPazg
MP sign of times drum cam

Good stuff, MP is always a joy to watch work regardless of the band or the drama. Also, and I’ve said this before, these drum cam videos are such a great idea. Throw a couple video cameras up in the studio and edit the thing together. You’ve got a super easy to make product his die hards will buy every time. No clue why MM hasn’t done this with DT stuff yet, could potentially be a nice little amount of bonus money around an album release.

[Adami]

I do love those videos of him drumming. Even if he's not doing anything mind blowing or pushing the genre forward, he's always inspirational to me as a drummer.



SEE STADLER?!?!

[mikeyd23]

SEE STADLER?!?!

 

[Zook]

God of the Sun isn't bad at all... Or so I've heard.


Would be better with Russell Allen.

[Herrick]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=Jxfm8dUPazg
MP sign of times drum cam

Cool thanks for posting that, devieira73   

[PepeLePew]

The video fulfilled its purpose (at least for me) - my excitement for the album is re-ignited! Just love to see MP play! 

[gzarruk]

Great video, indeed! I just don't understand why he has to include his vocal recording shots on his DRUM CAM videos
But, anyway, I liked the video, please don't take this as more MP criticism.

[SjundeInseglet]

This is essentially an aftertaste of every MP album since DT went ahead and did ToT.
What can you say, the man loves ass and balls.

I don't think that applies to Flying Colors or the Neal Morse Band at all. Not even by a longshot.

[Lethean]

Here's a new interview with Mike:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=h5rBPxl-UMc

[rumborak]

I may, or may not, have heard the album in its entirety, but let me just write down the following words: "Accidental Karate Kid credits"

[Sycsa]

-

[Anguyen92]

I may, or may not, have heard the album in its entirety, but let me just write down the following words: "Accidental Karate Kid credits"

I was hoping you would say something along the lines of "You're The Best!"  I would be legitimately more pumped for the album if the songs would be somewhere along the lines of that.

[rumborak]

Well ... the album just went up a notch for you.

[King Postwhore]

Well ... the album just went up a notch for you.

Nothing's gonna ever keep Anguyen92 down......

[Anguyen92]

Well ... the album just went up a notch for you.

I was only partially kidding on that one, but all right.  I'll just give it the old listen through Spotify when it comes out and determine whether or not I probably would hear more songs on repeat or not.

I mean the singles are all right, but I don't know if I want to listen to those more often.

[Schurftkut]

ok so after hearing the first few tracks of this album i'm not too warm about it, but looking forward to seeing/hearing this being performed live with a band who aren't statues like DT nowadays. The music is definitely proggy and virtuosic in a lot of places. Many melodic riffs and kind of "safe" vocals that do work well with the songs.

[Adami]

Based solely off what I’ve read and the two released songs, are we all equating elongated soloish sections with prog now? So if I hear a song is prog on the album, I can assume it has a few longer solos and standard MP style instrumental stuff?

[Schurftkut]

avant-garde flashy 80s rock/metal with a modern production would describe this band better.

[ytserush]

Not to pile on, but the "... with balls" remark just kinda rubs me the wrong way, which is something I haven't been able to put my finger on before. They're marketing this as a super macho manly prog metal band. Kansas with balls! No anus puckering screams! We have metal swagger! It just strikes me all as lame and hell, and not even true. Their bassist is 64 years old, and has never been considered a metal artist. They're rocking double keyboards, double necked guitars, and a double necked bass with 4 strings on both. They're so overly worried about image they can't decide if they want to be the "more is more" prog wankfest band (which is fine), or the tough guy metal band that is taking cues from Anselmo. It's the same issue Adrenaline Mob fell into. Russ made his name singing about prophets and sages. MP didn't start getting full sleeve tats and dying his goatee (don't get me started) well into his 40s. Singing about knocking about wannabes (in AMob's case), and buying into a machismo version of progressive giants (SoA) is such a misguided poor attempt at credibility. It's like they're trying way too hard to maintain a trumped up and false image when it's all transparent and belies the actual music they're putting out. Over the top machismo from musicians who are trying to push their 'virtuosity' in a genre such as this just screams of ... well... I don't need to finish that sentence. That's probably my biggest turn off of this band, other than the actual songs.

Perhaps "rock and roll swagger" is not what you're looking for?

[ytserush]

avant-garde flashy 80s rock/metal with a modern production would describe this band better.

There's nothing avant-garde about this band.

[Schurftkut]

it's intentionally disjointed at times?

[ytserush]

it's intentionally disjointed at times?

I'm sure it's that, but I've not heard anything yet.

[Schurftkut]

like someone said, it's out there now. i couldn't finish the last track though.

[Peace and Love]

Here's a new interview with Mike:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=26&v=h5rBPxl-UMc

Thanks, that was a nice interview.

A genuine question: can anyone think of any examples of genuine bands (not solo projects) where one band member is so vocal and public about being the "leader"? The nearest to it I can think of is Steven Wilson, he definitely looked upon himself as the leader of PT - and eventually decided to break it up and go solo because he couldn't get the others to conform to his broad taste in styles of music.

Just curious - don't mean for this to be an invitation to yet another MP-bashing session. But MP's insistence on being known as the leader, the man in charge, etc. for a band where he clearly doesn't write most of the music (arrangements, sure) struck me as quite unusual.

...maybe Noel Gallagher in the case of Oasis?

[ReaperKK]

Are we holding off to discuss the album until it releases in case of leak?

[Adami]

A genuine question: can anyone think of any examples of genuine bands (not solo projects) where one band member is so vocal and public about being the "leader"?

Iced Earth
Stratovarius (before he left)
Nightwish
Opeth
Megadeth
Evanescence


That's just off the top of my head and not nearly complete.

[MirrorMask]

Are we holding off to discuss the album until it releases in case of leak?

Well, I suppose it's common courtesy and netiquette, downloading albums and discussing them before the release date should be seen as masturbation - everyone's doing it, but it's not nice to talk about it openly.


And about MP being "known" as the leader... I think this comes more from his recent past. He was burned out in overseeing everything in DT, he was "just the drummer" with many projects, and now he's back to directing things. I assume it's more of an information for his longtime fans rather than a sudden burst of ego.

[Peace and Love]

A genuine question: can anyone think of any examples of genuine bands (not solo projects) where one band member is so vocal and public about being the "leader"?

Iced Earth
Stratovarius (before he left)
Nightwish
Opeth
Megadeth
Evanescence


That's just off the top of my head and not nearly complete.

Slightly embarassed to admit that I don't listen to any of those bands except Megadeth...

But that's a great example! Mustaine is definitely the uncontested leader of that band and makes it known to all. Good call!

[Sycsa]

2b. With regard to "leaked" material, you are not allowed to discuss the leaking or sharing of an album by any artist, or that an album has leaked. In addition to the above, with regard to Dream Theater and side-projects by the members of Dream Theater, you may not discuss the leaked material whatsoever.  For other bands, you can in most cases discuss the content of the leaked material as long as you do not reference the leak, where you obtained the material, or sharing the leaked material.

I don't know how to interpret this tbh. If it were just the first paragraph, it'd be straightforward, no leak discussion at all. But then the last paragraph muddles up the situation. For all intents and purposes, it's not possible to discuss the content of leaked material without at least indirectly referencing the leak itself, since it is known that the given album hasn't yet been released at that point. That's the definition of "leak," piracy before release. This seems like a paradoxical rule.