What was your first new DT album release and your reaction?

[Mebert78]

I became a fan during Awake, so Falling Into Infinity was my first release as a fan.  My college roommate got me into DT and so we checked out the new CD together.  As soon as we bought it, we were concerned.  The DT logo was gone and the cover artwork was a big change from the cool artwork of I&W and Awake.  It seemed that DT were changing their winning formula and we hated it.  Personally, I had become a big Kevin Moore fan and had learned "Space-Dye Vest" and "Wait for Sleep" note for note.  I was initially horrified at the somewhat cheesy in-your-face keyboard sounds opening "New Millenium," which was a big change from the more subtle Moore playing.  It eventually grew on me and I now like FII alot.  But our initial reaction was that DT's best days were already behind them and we were sad.

[hefdaddy42]

I became a fan during Awake, so Falling Into Infinity was my first release as a fan.  My college roommate got me into DT and so we checked out the new CD together.  As soon as we bought it, we were concerned.  The DT logo was gone and the cover artwork was a big change from the cool artwork of I&W and Awake.  It seemed that DT were changing their winning formula and we hated it.  Personally, I had become a big Kevin Moore fan and had learned "Space-Dye Vest" and "Wait for Sleep" note for note.  I was initially horrified at the somewhat cheesy in-your-face keyboard sounds opening "New Millenium," which was a big change from the more subtle Moore playing.  It eventually grew on me and I now like FII alot.  But our initial reaction was that DT's best days were already behind them and we were sad.

That was my same reaction to FII.

[Nick]

I became a DT fan no long after the release of Train of Thought, and it was my first album, but I wasn't already a fan when it came out.

And that brings us to Octavarium. I remember samples leaked on Amazon or something before they should have and I wasn't really impressed by them, but when I first got the album I loved it. That being said it has aged the worst of all DT's records for me and I now consider Octavarium to be either my least favorite or next to least favorite.

[jdprsaga]

My first album was a live album, Live At the Markee, I instantly felt in love with Dream theater, i was 12 i think.

Then i bought Images and Words as it was the studio album around that time.. and i like it but i remember i liked more the live versions of metropolis and pull me under than the studio version.. maybe cause it sounded heavier.. i don't know.

since then.. i have bought all their album as they arrive.

[skydivingninja]

First new release as a fan was Systematic Chaos.  At the time, I liked it except for TDEN and POW.  I thought it was a pretty solid release.  Now I can't even listen through the whole thing.  Easily their worst.  BC&SL was the second (obviously) and did a great job restoring my faith.

[ytserush]

I had been a fan for 3 years by the time IaW was released. So when their "new" album came out, I was really looking forward to buying it and hearing it. Imagine my SHOCK when this new album sounded NOTHING like the album I had grown to love for the last 3 years. I knew Charlie was gone, but it wasn't just the voice, but everything sounded completely different from what I was used to. Obviously, I got used to their "new" sound, but it did take some time.

Same here.

I thought Dream Theater was turning into Journey was my very first reaction, but I was happy to have it because I didn't think there would ever BE a new album.

Wasn't very fond of the IMAGES either, thank goodness for the WORDS and MUSIC.

[Darkes7]

My first album was Octavarium a few months after it appeared, so I guess it doesn't count. Really it was Systematic Chaos. I think the beginning can be summed up in the simplest way...
In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 - 
Forsaken - 
Constant Motion - THIS IS IT!

...and from that moment it has never disappointed me in anything. I got addicted to the album just like to every one of the other eight before getting it, and every single one of the eight songs had some time when I really loved it and listened to it lots of times (Prophets of War included, a year or so later also ITPOE Pt. 1 finally clicked). Repentance and The Ministry of Lost Souls got the "favourite" status since the first listen, and they hold it until now.

[Metropolis Pt. II]

Octavarium.

I was shocked at how fresh the album sounded.

This. It still sounds fresh to me now.

[toro]

My first album was Octavarium a few months after it appeared, so I guess it doesn't count. Really it was Systematic Chaos. I think the beginning can be summed up in the simplest way...
In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 - 
Forsaken - 
Constant Motion - THIS IS IT!

With SC i was like:

In The Presence of Enemies Pt. 1 -
Forsaken -   
Constant Motion - 

and so on.(until repentance) 

[PlaysLikeMyung]

Octavarium


Was totally blown away

[Zantera]

My first experience of DT was around 2004/2005, when some classmates of mine provided me with some individual songs from Train of Thought and Octavarium.
The songs as i recall: Panic Attack, The Root of All Evil & As I Am.
I loved them all, but for some reason i didn't dig deeper into the catalog, except for the fact that my dad bought Live at Budokan, which i really liked.
Systematic Chaos was my first 'new' release by the band, and it got good reviews in the magazines etc, and i really liked it.
ITPOE was an instant favorite, and still remains a top5 DT-song for me. (part 1)
Constant Motion was another early favorite (which i still love), overall i really liked the album.
Now the interest for the album overall has kinda faded a bit, but i still think its really good.

[Setlist Scotty]

I had been a fan for 3 years by the time IaW was released. So when their "new" album came out, I was really looking forward to buying it and hearing it. Imagine my SHOCK when this new album sounded NOTHING like the album I had grown to love for the last 3 years. I knew Charlie was gone, but it wasn't just the voice, but everything sounded completely different from what I was used to. Obviously, I got used to their "new" sound, but it did take some time.

So you're sayin you're glad you decided to take the time?

Not so much as that I learned to live with it for a while!   

[Adami]

  I guess you could say it was all under a glass moon?


HAHAHAHAHAHA

[jackbauer114]

First album was 6DOIT when i was like 6 or something, my dad put on The Great Debate in the car and i just kept asking him to play it. First time i actually was aware of a release coming out was ToT, and when it came out, i listened to SoC over and over

[AcidLameLTE]

I guess you could say it was all under a glass moon?


HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Perpetual Change]

My first DT album release since I had become a fan was actually the re-release of Live in Tokyo/Once in a Livetime. I wasn't as knowledgeable about the internet then, but I must've bought that DVD within a few weeks or so of it coming out, because it was in the summer of 2004.  I watched it pretty often. At that time, the only albums I had were Awake, Images and Words and Train of Thought, and I just remember being totally blown away by what seemed like a really, really rich discography of music I had and hadn't already heard. I also watched it with the commentary tracks, so I learned a lot of things about the band that way.  I really think that it's that DVD collection that made me fall in love with the band, because shortly after I just knew I had to buy Scenes and LSFNY. I didn't get L@B when it came out later, because of all the complaints people had about the sound not working properly. And because the setlist was full of songs I hadn't heard yet.

My first legit studio album was Octavarium, which I'm sure I bought a day or so within the day it came out. I had heard nothing of the album before hand, so I was pleasantly surprised. But, at that time, I was discovering bands like Nightwish and Blind Guardian for the first time. I was reading the Silmarillion again, I had just met my first girlfriend, and was busy working a really lame 1pm-9:30pm shift at Staples.  So I don't even remember my reaction, other than liking it and then not really paying a whole lot of attention to it until much later. 

[contest_sanity]

But, at that time, I was discovering bands like Nightwish and Blind Guardian for the first time. I was reading the Silmarillion again, I had just met my first girlfriend, and was busy working a really lame 1pm-9:30pm shift at Staples.  So I don't even remember my reaction, other than liking it and then not really paying a whole lot of attention to it until much later. 

I love the inclusion of this detail.  Too engrossed in Middle-earth to remember anything about Octavarium?

[Setlist Scotty]

I guess you could say it was all under a glass moon?


HAHAHAHAHAHA

Nah - I had to wait another day to be surrounded by it. 

[Adami]

I guess you could say it was all under a glass moon?


HAHAHAHAHAHA

Nah - I had to wait another day to be surrounded by it. 

Ok, that's enough. Go to your room and wait for sleep. Dream of a great metropolis, then tomorow you can be awake..





...and find your caught in my web!

MWahahahahahaha

[Nic35]

I guess you could say it was all under a glass moon?


HAHAHAHAHAHA

Nah - I had to wait another day to be surrounded by it. 

Ok, that's enough. Go to your room and wait for sleep. Dream of a great metropolis, then tomorow you can be awake at 6:00..





...and find your caught in my web!

MWahahahahahaha

Fix'd

[Adami]

Don't lie.

[contest_sanity]

Ok, that's enough. Go to your room and wait for sleep. Dream of a great metropolis, then tomorow you can be awake.

...and find your caught in my web!

Your innocence faded in the glow of Adami's erotomania.

[limnides]

Metropolis.  Overture 1928, to be precise.  Although it took me a lot longer to appreciate the entire album.  I had a hard time with the vocals at first.   

[Perpetual Change]

But, at that time, I was discovering bands like Nightwish and Blind Guardian for the first time. I was reading the Silmarillion again, I had just met my first girlfriend, and was busy working a really lame 1pm-9:30pm shift at Staples.  So I don't even remember my reaction, other than liking it and then not really paying a whole lot of attention to it until much later. 

I love the inclusion of this detail.  Too engrossed in Middle-earth to remember anything about Octavarium?

That, and I was spinning Nightfall in Middle Earth CONSTANTLY. I am just as amazed as anyone that "had just met my first girlfriend" is also part of that sentence.

[The Letter M]

Octavarium.

I was shocked at how fresh the album sounded.

This. It still sounds fresh to me now.

I became a fan shortly after the release of Train Of Thought, so the next newest studio release by the band was my first, Octavarium. I found the new album very fresh sounding, and quite a change from the heavy-sided sounds of TOT and the experimental sounds of SDOIT. The idea behind the album also drew me in and made the album very special to me, and I still find it to be one of my favorite DT albums of all time, especially the closing epic.

-Marc.

[contest_sanity]

But, at that time, I was discovering bands like Nightwish and Blind Guardian for the first time. I was reading the Silmarillion again, I had just met my first girlfriend, and was busy working a really lame 1pm-9:30pm shift at Staples.  So I don't even remember my reaction, other than liking it and then not really paying a whole lot of attention to it until much later. 

I love the inclusion of this detail.  Too engrossed in Middle-earth to remember anything about Octavarium?

That, and I was spinning Nightfall in Middle Earth CONSTANTLY. I am just as amazed as anyone that "had just met my first girlfriend" is also part of that sentence.

[FlashCE]

Technically, Octavarium. I didn't get it straight away though since I wasn't a massive fan back then and many people said it sucked. I got it and I think I liked it. I remember thinking that the intro to These Walls sounded very similar to something Linkin Park would do, since LP was huge back then lol.

The first album I actually anticipated was Score and I would go into the store everyday for a week to check if it was in. When I got it I loved it so much and I cried during The Spirit Carries On hahaha.

When Systematic Chaos came out, I loved the album. I overplayed it though I think and now I can't stand it anymore.

[Volk9]

I&W- I had never heard any prog/anything like it before, and I absolutely loved it

[Bonham]

Technically it was BC/SL, since I got into em only a couple of years ago. I was still into their more generic hits at the time, but my jaw dropped when I listened to CoT for the first time. That prompted me to actually listen past the intro of Octavarium, and now I'm a bit obsessed. I'm a bit ashamed to say my favorite song off that album before then was Never Enough...

[Nic35]

  Yeah it is indeed very odd.

[Sigz]

I was a fan shortly after Octavarium, and a fully fledged fanboy (for the most part) by the time SC came out. I loved it at first, though it hasn't aged that well.

[Setlist Scotty]

Ok, that's enough. Go to your room and wait for sleep. Dream of a great metropolis, then tomorow you can be awake.

...and find your caught in my web!

Your innocence faded in the glow of Adami's erotomania.

Lemme tell you, I was scarred after seeing that in the mirror.

[contest_sanity]

Ok, that's enough. Go to your room and wait for sleep. Dream of a great metropolis, then tomorow you can be awake.
...and find your caught in my web!

Your innocence faded in the glow of Adami's erotomania.

Lemme tell you, I was scarred after seeing that in the mirror.

That's why I'm really glad it was you not me.

[Implode]

I tell you, it's these quote/reference fights that convinced me to join DTF. 

I am a DT newby. I haven't had my first release yet, but something I've found out about DT's songs (and other prog songs) is that I rarely like something first listen. The songs grow on me. I've made these graphs to represent the enjoyment of a song respective to times listened to.



I remember my first thoughts of Glass Prison were, "Oh. This is some generic metal song...okay moving on..." Then it got to, "Huh. This isn't so bad. It's kind of catchy..." until finally, "Wow. Amazing. No doubt this is some of their greatest work!"

[contest_sanity]

I tell you, it's these quote/reference fights that convinced me to join DTF.

Graphs like these are what convinced me to join DTF.