Author Topic: DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)  (Read 346508 times)

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Offline Setlist Scotty

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #70 on: April 07, 2020, 05:09:12 PM »
I am having ongoing technical issues with The Astonishing that are baffling and quite frustrating, and prevents me from listening to it as often as I would like.  For some reason, the coding for each track on that album is a mess, and it doesn't help that it is 2 disks.  For whatever reason, when downloading the tracks to a hard drive or my phone, they do not appear in order.  I have to go in manually and figure out how to get them to show up in the correct order.  And then it seems like every time either my music player app or Sonos app updates, it is all screwed up, and I have to figure it out all over again.  Quite annoying.
I don't know what software you're using, but I know with iTunes, it's good to specify disc 1 and disc 2. So you select all the tracks, do a command-I (on a Mac - don't know the key command on PCs) and then specify the disc numbers. That way all the tracks should fall into place. If you're using some other software, I still would imagine that there is a similar settings window or page for songs/albums.
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Offline Northern Lion

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #71 on: April 07, 2020, 05:50:49 PM »
1.  I also believe TA is a great album.

2. I know there are some audiophiles on this forum, but I'm not one of them.  I just don't see a reason in buying CD's anymore.  I always buy my music as mp3's.  So I don't have this "album songs out of order" problem.  Having said that, I do feel bad that some of you are.  I wish I had a solution for you.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2020, 06:50:19 AM by Northern Lion »
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Offline Lonk

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #72 on: April 07, 2020, 05:52:24 PM »
There's no way else to say it - TA is a work of art!

So is this:




FIFY. I don’t know what that is, but I like it.
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Offline Northern Lion

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #73 on: April 07, 2020, 06:14:19 PM »
It's definitely... Interesting.
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #74 on: April 07, 2020, 08:07:44 PM »
So I don't have this "album songs out of order" problem.  Having said that, I do feel bad that some of you are.  I wish I had a solution for you.

Can't you just change the tags? Am I missing something?
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Offline wolfking

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #75 on: April 07, 2020, 10:55:12 PM »
I loved DOT, but I'd love to see DT do something like a 30-40 minute single song or something.
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Offline gzarruk

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #76 on: April 07, 2020, 11:38:15 PM »
I loved DOT, but I'd love to see DT do something like a 30-40 minute single song or something.

This. I really want a 30+ minute song on the next album. It's been a while since we had a big epic.
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline wolfking

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #77 on: April 08, 2020, 12:06:52 AM »
I loved DOT, but I'd love to see DT do something like a 30-40 minute single song or something.

This. I really want a 30+ minute song on the next album. It's been a while since we had a big epic.

And not a 6 Degrees type of thing.  One actual song, Edge of Sanity, Insomnium, Green Carnation kind.
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Offline IDontNotDoThings

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #78 on: April 08, 2020, 01:08:40 AM »
As for whether I'd want a 30 minute song on the album, it could be cool, but I don't know if I'd appreciate them actively trying to write a piece that long. I do worry that there would be a lot of fluff if they approached it like "let's write a 30 minutes song" as opposed "let's write a song & if it happens to be 30 minutes then so be it" (the latter was the mindset behind the Six Degrees suite if I remember correctly). It would be interesting for sure, but I wouldn't want it to feel forced.
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Online MirrorMask

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #79 on: April 08, 2020, 01:10:29 AM »
As for whether I'd want a 30 minute song on the album, it could be cool, but I don't know if I'd appreciate them actively trying to write a piece that long. I do worry that there would be a lot of fluff if they approached it like "let's write a 30 minutes song" as opposed "let's write a song & if it happens to be 30 minutes then so be it" (the latter was the mindset behind the Six Degrees suite if I remember correctly). It would be interesting for sure, but I wouldn't want it to feel forced.

What he said.


And I'm most certain you remember correctly about Six Degrees, they wanted a longer song, but tried to not go over 20 minutes or so, and ended up by doubling their set limit.
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Offline IDontNotDoThings

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #80 on: April 08, 2020, 02:09:11 AM »
As for whether I'd want a 30 minute song on the album, it could be cool, but I don't know if I'd appreciate them actively trying to write a piece that long. I do worry that there would be a lot of fluff if they approached it like "let's write a 30 minutes song" as opposed "let's write a song & if it happens to be 30 minutes then so be it" (the latter was the mindset behind the Six Degrees suite if I remember correctly). It would be interesting for sure, but I wouldn't want it to feel forced.

What he said.

I'm a she
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Online MirrorMask

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #81 on: April 08, 2020, 02:14:59 AM »
D'uh, and it was even there under the avatar!  :facepalm: sorry.
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Offline IDontNotDoThings

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #82 on: April 08, 2020, 02:35:17 AM »
D'uh, and it was even there under the avatar!  :facepalm: sorry.

No problem~ :tup
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Offline qed

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #83 on: April 08, 2020, 04:57:46 AM »
What I find funny about the compression discussion is that Falling Into Infinity is "the gold standard" for what an album should sound like for DT, and it's also among the most compressed of them all. Just goes to show that average compression on an album is not always the best way to measure whether something sounds good or not.

Compressed or not, there are only two types of sound: 1. Analog mix, and 2. Digital mix. Like, 70's Pink Floyd albums would sound better than anything else that was digitally mixed, and if you take seperate stems of those albums and mix them together in DAW, you will never achieve that original sound.

Offline Max Kuehnau

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #84 on: April 08, 2020, 07:09:08 AM »
Just a quick note: Since this is the timeline thread for DT15 (and to be honest, I don't mind the derailment. It happens, it's DTF innit :D ), in case and anytime you find new information on DT15 before me, please post it here and I will add it in ASAP, ok? Now carry on. 
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Offline Setlist Scotty

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #85 on: April 08, 2020, 09:46:58 AM »
2. I know there are some audiophiles on this forum, but I'm not one of them.  I just don't see a reason in buying CD's anymore.  I always buy my music as mp3's.
While I can't speak for anyone else, I like actually having something tangible in my hands. Honestly, I can't tell you the last time I actually listened to a CD, but I like having it instead of just some files sitting on my HD. And even then, when you purchase many CDs on Amazon, they give you the option to download MP3s of the album anyway, so that's always an extra benefit if you don't opt to RIP the CD yourself.
As a basic rule, if you hate it, you must solely blame Portnoy. If it's good, then you must downplay MP's contribution to the band as not being important anyway, or claim he's just lying. It's the DTF way.

Online pg1067

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #86 on: April 08, 2020, 10:09:54 AM »
2. I know there are some audiophiles on this forum, but I'm not one of them.  I just don't see a reason in buying CD's anymore.  I always buy my music as mp3's.
While I can't speak for anyone else, I like actually having something tangible in my hands. Honestly, I can't tell you the last time I actually listened to a CD, but I like having it instead of just some files sitting on my HD. And even then, when you purchase many CDs on Amazon, they give you the option to download MP3s of the album anyway, so that's always an extra benefit if you don't opt to RIP the CD yourself.

Ditto for me.  I almost always buy CDs.  The only album I can recall buying that wasn't on CD (and not including stuff bought in the days before CDs) is Nostradamus by Judas Priest.  Had I liked it, I may have bought the CD, but I didn't.  I have, however, downloaded several songs where I like a particular song but don't want the entire album.  Having sold my 2006 Honda CRV last year, I no longer own a CD player (other than the disc drive on my home computer), but I still want CDs.
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Offline gzarruk

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #87 on: April 08, 2020, 04:43:58 PM »
As for whether I'd want a 30 minute song on the album, it could be cool, but I don't know if I'd appreciate them actively trying to write a piece that long. I do worry that there would be a lot of fluff if they approached it like "let's write a 30 minutes song" as opposed "let's write a song & if it happens to be 30 minutes then so be it" (the latter was the mindset behind the Six Degrees suite if I remember correctly). It would be interesting for sure, but I wouldn't want it to feel forced.

While I agree, generally speaking, it's also true that DT always enter the studio with a set idea of what kind of album they want to make. Sure, things could change during the writing process, but they've said plenty of times in interviews that they usually have a meeting (most likely a call) before entering the studio where they discuss the direction they want their new album to take and what kind of approach are they going to use this time around. And, considering they usually want to make something different than the previous album(s), I'd say it's not too unrealistic to say they'd consider writing a big epic this time around. Whether that morphs into a 30 min song, or not, is another story :P
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Online devieira73

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #88 on: April 08, 2020, 09:23:28 PM »
About this epic song discussion... I really would like them to make a 20, 30 minutes epic in next album. I don't know if anyone here shares this feeling, but I somewhat feel that the last "true epic" they did was Count of Tuscany. I love The Illumination Theory, but that middle part with sounds of nature and only orchestra gives me the strange sensation that this song is more like a suite of three songs that doesn't "sound" like one big epic, because of the total absence of the band in the middle part.
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #89 on: April 08, 2020, 09:43:06 PM »
No more 20+ minute songs please. You guys are talented enough to write a song that feels "epic" without being that long. Heck, At Wit's End feels epic and is <10 minutes.
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Offline the_silent_man

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #90 on: April 09, 2020, 04:37:55 AM »
Gotta be honest, I really can't see any work starting on DT15 until later this year/early next year. Of course they could write/record and transfer files from isolation, but I would personally rather they wait and work collaboratively like with DOT.

They have also rescheduled tour dates in November for Australia. Not sure what other areas were cancelled/postponed and whether they will reschedule these for after the Australia dates as well, so they could potentially be touring into spring 2021 on the DOT/SFAM tour still.

I would expect a late 2021 release at the earliest for the album, as much as I would like it sooner.

As others have mentioned, now is the perfect time for Petrucci to do his solo album and maybe LaBrie as well. I'm sure JR will record something as well given how prolific he is. I have a feeling if Petrucci does his album Mangini would be involved with that (since he's been doing all the G3/ guitiar camp things as well). As for Myung, I'm not sure.

Offline utopiarun

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #91 on: April 09, 2020, 07:49:06 AM »
No more 20+ minute songs please. You guys are talented enough to write a song that feels "epic" without being that long. Heck, At Wit's End feels epic and is <10 minutes.


This 100%. The last 2 epics Illumination Theory and Count of Tuscany IMO ran too long (sacrilege?) due to the breaks in both songs. DT except for ACOS is not really a 20+ minute song band. Don't force an epic, they can do a 10-12 minute song and make it epic.

Online MirrorMask

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #92 on: April 09, 2020, 07:51:39 AM »
One of my favorite DT songs ever, Voices, is and feels epic and is "barely" 10 minutes long, it's full of twists and changes of mood.

Imagine that for whatever reason that song "had" to be 15 minutes long at least, it would have been a bloated disaster. Well, never say never, I guess you can attach somewhere another section that doesn't feel forced, but..... those 10 minutes are so full and there is no need for more.
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Offline geeeemo

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #93 on: April 09, 2020, 08:05:32 AM »
My top songs are the epics for the most part. But what I love about Dream Theater is their creativity and how each album has it's own personality. If their creativity busts out another Octavarium, great! But like was said before, DT can make a shorter song epic!. Six Degrees is cool because it is like many songs, yet all ties together. Nothing seems extraneous, like ItNoG which seems to be a tad repetitive at the end for me. I would bet all my TP that there will be something pretty long, as that is what they do and I believe JP has said that they have to work at making their songs short.

Offline fadetoblackdude7

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #94 on: April 09, 2020, 04:20:37 PM »
I only want a 20+ minute song if it comes naturally. Illumination Theory sounded so forced to me.

I’d like another album like DoT, a bunch of short concise songs, but with maybe a couple 10-15 minute songs on it.

Online hunnus2000

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #95 on: April 10, 2020, 09:23:09 AM »
I only want a 20+ minute song if it comes naturally. Illumination Theory sounded so forced to me.

I’d like another album like DoT, a bunch of short concise songs, but with maybe a couple 10-15 minute songs on it.

What does forced even mean?

Offline fadetoblackdude7

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #96 on: April 10, 2020, 12:22:22 PM »
I only want a 20+ minute song if it comes naturally. Illumination Theory sounded so forced to me.

I’d like another album like DoT, a bunch of short concise songs, but with maybe a couple 10-15 minute songs on it.

What does forced even mean?

To me, it sounds like they pieced a bunch of random parts together just for the sake of having a 20 minute song. I still like the song, but it doesn’t flow as well as the other ones.

Offline geeeemo

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #97 on: April 10, 2020, 12:51:56 PM »
I only want a 20+ minute song if it comes naturally. Illumination Theory sounded so forced to me.

I’d like another album like DoT, a bunch of short concise songs, but with maybe a couple 10-15 minute songs on it.

What does forced even mean?

To me, it sounds like they pieced a bunch of random parts together just for the sake of having a 20 minute song. I still like the song, but it doesn’t flow as well as the other ones.

It's different for me. The beginning poses a question, the middle is thoughtfulness, after the middle, the answer. The music all goes together the way I hear it!

Offline Northern Lion

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #98 on: April 10, 2020, 12:55:19 PM »
I only want a 20+ minute song if it comes naturally. Illumination Theory sounded so forced to me.

I’d like another album like DoT, a bunch of short concise songs, but with maybe a couple 10-15 minute songs on it.

What does forced even mean?

To me, it sounds like they pieced a bunch of random parts together just for the sake of having a 20 minute song. I still like the song, but it doesn’t flow as well as the other ones.

I can see that.  It sounds more episodic I guess.  Certainly more so than say 8vm or ITPoE.  I still love it though.
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #99 on: April 10, 2020, 01:10:46 PM »
I have no problem with the "piecing together" of a song like IT (though I don't like the song much). I'd rather that approach than making sections repetitive and drawn out like songs on BC&SL. How the hell is Rite of Passage almost 9 minutes long?
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Online hunnus2000

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #100 on: April 10, 2020, 02:51:03 PM »
Mmmm, I dunno, if the criteria for "forced" is piecing together songs then 2112 should be considered forced  because those songs are all pieced together by the Overture and I don't think that song sounds forced.

So that begs the question of, what songs in the DT catalog seems unforced?

Offline gzarruk

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #101 on: April 10, 2020, 03:02:18 PM »
I have no problem with the "piecing together" of a song like IT (though I don't like the song much). I'd rather that approach than making sections repetitive and drawn out like songs on BC&SL. How the hell is Rite of Passage almost 9 minutes long?

This. Most songs on Black Clouds feel longer than they should. AROP, TBOT and ANTR feel like that to me, for example.
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Online MirrorMask

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #102 on: April 10, 2020, 03:18:28 PM »
How the hell is Rite of Passage almost 9 minutes long?

4 minute verse / chorus song with a 4 minute jam slapped in the middle, easy.
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #103 on: April 10, 2020, 04:48:25 PM »
How the hell is Rite of Passage almost 9 minutes long?

4 minute verse / chorus song with a 4 minute jam slapped in the middle, easy.

Touche, but I was thinking more of the quality of those two groups of 4 minutes, especially the latter. The first verse doesn't start till 1:00 in, and that first 1:00 is not interesting enough to last that long. I don't expect DT to write Highway to Hell (approx 3:30) but ACDC sure got a lot out of their verse/chorus and :20 second guitar solo.
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Online pg1067

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Re: DT15 and Mike's solo album are on the horizon (Timeline for DT15)
« Reply #104 on: April 10, 2020, 05:13:53 PM »
I have no problem with the "piecing together" of a song like IT (though I don't like the song much). I'd rather that approach than making sections repetitive and drawn out like songs on BC&SL. How the hell is Rite of Passage almost 9 minutes long?

This. Most songs on Black Clouds feel longer than they should. AROP, TBOT and ANTR feel like that to me, for example.

TBOT is 13:09 too long.
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