SC + TOT vs. OV + BC&SL

[perfey]

Even though the albums themself are as varied as a Dream Theater album can be, it feels, at least to me that Train of Thought+ Systematic Chaos belongs to Dream Theater's more metal side while Octavarium + Black Clouds & Silver Linings belongs to their more proggier side. You dont nessercialy have to agree with me and just look at as 2 random albums vs. 2 other random albums grouped together, but it would be interesting to see what two-album-punch you prefer and why.

My choice is OV + BC&SL, simply because they have more replay value to me.

[Zydar]

Octavarium + Black Clouds & Silver Linings

[Dublagent66]

Octavarium + Black Clouds & Silver Linings

I prefer this, but I really love it all.  SC+TOT is a very close 2nd.

[The Letter M]

8VM+BC&SL

While I can listen to any of these four albums in any given day, the latest two even-numbered albums get my vote - I do enjoy their longer pieces (ANTR, TCOT, 8VM), and the shorter songs on these albums (i.e. singles) sound better than those on the other two (although I do quite enjoy "Constant Motion", I like "Panic Attack" a bit more, and "Wither" > "Forsaken"). I would also miss the last three tracks on TOT, but I'm okay with getting TCOT over that.

-Marc.

[MykeHavoc]

I'm imagining this to remain one sided. Prog for sure.

[orcus116]

The merits of the first one marginally outweigh the merits of the second one.

[Plasmastrike]

This was one quick decision.

In my album rankings, OV and BC&SL both rank higher than the other two.

[TheSoylentMan]

Hmm, I like BC&SL and ToT better than the other 2.

[?]

SC is my least favorite DT album and TOT is a bit too one-dimensional. So, 8V and BC&SL.

[Marvellous G]

Very easy choice for me. SC and ToT were probably my least favourite DT albums except WDADU, so not them thanks.

[Tuneman]

I'd prolly vote OV > SC + TOT

but               OV < SC + TOT + BS&CL

you can do the rest of the math to figure out other combination of my preferences.

[tri.ad]

Ocatavarium & BCASL. How is this even a question?

[BRGM]

This was actually tough for me, but 8VM and BC&Sl are pretty much the 2 best albums ever created in human history so...

[King Postwhore]

Octavarium + Black Clouds & Silver Linings

[orcus116]

This was actually tough for me, but 8VM and BC&Sl are pretty much the 2 best albums ever created in human history so...

You need to listen to more music.

[BRGM]

IN Your opinion

[Dream Team]

I voted the 1st option, but honestly I don't see BC&SL as all that proggy - to me it's more of a "metal" album.

IMO-

Prog - When Dream & Day Unite, Images & Words, Scenes, Six Degrees
Metal - Awake, Train of Thought, Systematic Chaos, Black Clouds
Pop/Rock - Falling into Infinity, Octavarium

[Jarlaxle]

Just looking at it I feel like I should say Octavarium and BC&SL.

[j]

None of them are particularly good albums, but I'd give the slight edge to 8VM & BCSL.

-J

[TL]

Easily 8VM+BC&SL. TOT and SC, though I do enjoy them, are my two bottom ranked DT albums.
8VM has a cool vibe to it, and obviously has its title track. BC&SL is musically interesting pretty much start to finish.

[tri.ad]

IN Your opinion

No, you really do. Listening to only one or two artists is very, very, VERY limited.

[MetalManiac666]

I guess I'm in the minority that actually prefers TOT and SC.

[Mladen]

Train of thought > Octavarium
Systematic chaos > Black clouds & silver linings

An easy choice for me.

[Seventh Son]

Train of thought > Octavarium
Systematic chaos > Black clouds & silver linings

An easy choice for me.

I'll pick the one that doesn't have Snoozeamatic Chaos in it.

[moffatt]

Octavarium + Black Clouds & Silver Linings

[BRGM]

IN Your opinion

No, you really do. Listening to only one or two artists is very, very, VERY limited.

just cuz I appriciate 8Vm and BC&SL more than most albums doesn't mean I only listen to DT? :S

[yorost]

ToT > BC&SL > SC > 8VM

Pretty easy choice.

Octavarium is the only particularly bad album of those four.  Systematic Chaos might not be that great, but at least it is a good album from top to bottom.  It was a welcome recovery from the terribly inconsistent mess of Octavarium.  Still, easily the worst two album stretch they've had.

[cramx3]

I dont think this is close, even with me being one of the few who loves ToT.  BC&SL is my favorite album since Awake and Octavaruim was the album that got me into DT so this is an easy win. While I like SC, it is just above WDADU and FII on my least favorite DT albums.

[Rafael Guerra]

Black Clouds and Octavarium.

[ScioPath]

Neither. I don't really care much for the albums following SDOIT.

But if i had to choose, the proggy side definitely.

[orcus116]

There really wasn't much prog in any of the albums aside from stuff like Octavarium and the beginning of TCOT. Since the heavier parts are clearly more of the metal stuff I'm getting the impression most people are assuming the lighter parts are the prog parts.

[ariich]

I voted the 1st option, but honestly I don't see BC&SL as all that proggy - to me it's more of a "metal" album.

You should keep listening past AROP sometime, the rest of the album is quite good.

[j]

There really wasn't much prog in any of the albums aside from stuff like Octavarium and the beginning of TCOT. Since the heavier parts are clearly more of the metal stuff I'm getting the impression most people are assuming the lighter parts are the prog parts.

Yeah, people seem to call them "the two sides of DT" as if they're mutually exclusive, or the antithesis of each other or something.  IMO, most of their mellower passages/songs lately haven't been what I'd call "progressive".

-J

[In The Name Of Rudess]

SC + ToT. I love BC&SL, but from Octavarium I only really like TROAE and the song Octavarium. The rest of the album doesn't do much for me. ToT is my favourite DT album out of these 4, and I like more songs from SC than Octavarium.

[Dream Team]

I voted the 1st option, but honestly I don't see BC&SL as all that proggy - to me it's more of a "metal" album.

You should keep listening past AROP sometime, the rest of the album is quite good.

Actually, the exact opposite is true - I usually only listen to the last 2 tracks, not the first 2. But outside the intro to TCOT, there's nothing much proggy on BC&SL. Certainly nothing that could stack up to the prog of Images, Scenes, or SDoIT.