Recommend me another album...

[enjibenji89]

Thought I'd get back to you all about the recommendations and what I purchased.

I decided to go with Awake and to be honest, I find it hard to listen to... Probably my least favourite DT album I have heard (That's out of Octavarium, Metropolis Pt. 2 & Black Clouds) After I purchased that album I gave DT a bit of a rest, not sure why.

Recently I purchased Six Degrees and WOW! I'm listening to it at the moment and it has potential to be my favourite DT album. My next purchase will probably be Train of Thought or Images and Words (Pull Me Under I have heard on Guitar Hero and thought it was brilliant)

I wish I did like Awake but I just can't get in to it...

[Mladen]

Don't worry, Awake will take a couple of years. 

And how come you still don't have Images and words? 

[enjibenji89]

Don't worry, Awake will take a couple of years. 

And how come you still don't have Images and words? 

I will keep listening to it, I want to like it ha.

I kinda assumed wrongly that if I didn't like Awake how was I going to like an album released earlier than that. I didn't realise Pull Me Under was there earlier work until I looked in to it.

Don't worry I'll have it soon 

[TAC]

I&W should be next. It doesn't really have anything in common with Awake.
I&W is the greatest album ever released!

[enjibenji89]

I&W should be next. It doesn't really have anything in common with Awake.
I&W is the greatest album ever released!

As I said all I have heard is Pull Me Under and I thought it was amazing, I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the album is like.

I don't know if I asked this earlier in the forum (I apologise If I have) but I love the song The Dance of Eternity on Metropolos Pt. 2, I love it because of the change of syles throughout the song, is there any albums that have more of this?

[TAC]

Pull Me Under isn't anywhare indicative of the grace and genius of I&W.

[hefdaddy42]

Cheers guys

What's there most experimental/wild card cd?

For this, go Train of Thought.

What?  Nothing experimental or wild card about Train Of Thought, it's just straight up metal.

By far, their most experimental album is Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

[enjibenji89]

Pull Me Under isn't anywhare indicative of the grace and genius of I&W.

Really?! Is it that good?? Wow, I'm tempted to buy today. Is there a special edition of the album? (Like Black Clouds)

[hefdaddy42]

Pull Me Under isn't anywhare indicative of the grace and genius of I&W.

Really?! Is it that good?? Wow, I'm tempted to buy today. Is there a special edition of the album? (Like Black Clouds)

No, just the album.  BTW, the entirety of SFAM is based on the song Metropolis Pt. 1 from I&W.  Specifically, the song DOE from SFAM is based (conceptually, not musically) on the instrumental section from Metropolis Pt. 1.

[King Postwhore]

I'll say just get the whole catalog.  Great bands with longevity have cd's that meld different styles, mixing, songwriting and this is true of DT.  Great bands experiment and that shouldn't stop you from trying them all.

[Mladen]

I don't know if I asked this earlier in the forum (I apologise If I have) but I love the song The Dance of Eternity on Metropolos Pt. 2, I love it because of the change of syles throughout the song, is there any albums that have more of this?

This song rocks. 

I'd say that every Dream Theater album has a lot of wild instrumentals, but pretty much none can compare to the sheer brilliance and craziness of The Dance of eternity. At least in my opinion, a lot of people around here don't enjoy it as much. The only instrumental section that is as insane as The Dance of eternity is the instrumental portion of Metropolis part 1 on Images and words, so there's another reason for you to get the album as soon as possible. 

[Xanthul]

The easiest songs to get into from Awake are probably the Mirror, Voices and Erotomania. I don't mean the rest is bad, it just takes a while longer - once you get used to the sound from Awake you will love other songs (I particularly enjoy Lifting shadows off a dream and some people live and die by Scarred).

As far as albums go, this is a short description of what they look like for me - I actually felt more or less like you do when I started listening to DT so I might be helpful for you:

1989 - When day and dream unite: Different singer, very raw sound. Get this second to last.
1992 - Images & Words: Very different to the modern stuff, less heavy but don't let that affect you: it's incredibly awesome. Like they said, the whole Scenes from a memory is based on the song Metropolis Pt. 1 from this album, so you will at least love that song (you will probaby love at least 4-5 songs on the first listen, maybe more). Get this next.
1995 - A change of seasons. This is an EP with the title track lasting 23 minutes, a VERY awesome song. It also contains some covers that I don't particularly care about.
1997 - Falling into infinity: It's a weird album, they had some problems with the label so the overall quality isn't as great imho. They have a different keyboardist here (same as in the EP, but he was just filling in there), a very psychedelic one that adds a lot to the songs. For me, it has 2 brilliant songs, a few decent/good ones and a lot of filler. At the very least, it's a fairly different album in terms of DT catalog. Get this third to last.
2003 - Train of thought: One of their heaviest releases so far along with Systematic Chaos. Unlike Systematic Chaos though, this one isn't terrible (SC is by DT standards). It's a pretty easy album to get into though you will probably grow out of the first two songs pretty quick. The rest of the album is from very good (tracks 3 and 4) to brilliant (5 to 7). Get this after I&W.
2007 - Systematic Chaos. Most of the fans feel this is their worst effort, though you will also find people that love it. My personal opinion is that it has one awesome song (In the Presence of Enemies), a few good/decent songs and 2-4 forgettable songs.

So, my recommendation is:
1- Images & Words
2- Train of Thought
3- A change of seasons
4- Falling into Infinity
5- When Day and Dream Unite
6- Systematic Chaos

[VioletS16]

Images and word is a must, as well as Awake. Those two are my favorites, along with Scenes. And then there's Systematic chaos, an album I absolutely love, but a huge number of people doesn't. So it really is a wild card, although I hope you'll like it.

This

I LOVE SC but so many people hate it!

[RuRoRul]

Images and Words, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, Train Of Thought.

Six Degrees is probably the closest sound to Metropolis Pt 2 and is one of their best albums in general.
Images and Words has Metropolis Pt 1 which makes it worthwhile alone, it also is pretty consistently great and is one of the easiest to get into, as well as being their first with Labrie.
Train Of Thought is just awesome, their heaviest and also contains some easy to get into songs from their metal side (i.e. As I Am). The rest of the album consists of some of their best soongs, in my opinion.

[emindead]

Hard to say. Since you're used to the sound of those three I'd actually recommend Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. It's pretty all over the place and definitely the last album I'd say that actually experimented with stuff. Falling Into Infinity is your wild card since it seems to stand by itself (in a lateral way). Images And Words and Awake are probably their best two, IMO, but they're nothing like the newer stuff.

This post is all you need to know.  Based on what you've heard and like, Six Degrees is the next logical choice.

Images and Words and Awake are considered by most (including myself) to be DT's two best albums, but like Orcus said, they really don't sound much like their later stuff at all.  So keep that in mind if/when you pick 'em up.

-J

Thanks for pointing this out. I will purchase Six Degrees rather than Images and Words next

MOTHER OF GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

No, but please fell in love with everything post-Scenes From a Memory first so you won't become the regular Scrooge "Everything after Images and Words and Awake is sub-par!" attitude. This is DTF we're talking, you'll eventually buy all the discography, all their DVDs-will get an overdose and then start to whine because they are not as good as they once were.

It happens every single time.

[emindead]

By far, their most experimental album is Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Quoted for truth. This is a double CD album. Disc 1 is the really, really experimental one.

[volwrath]

Personally I would get I&W and TOT or SC next. Alot of people blast SC on here, but it starts off with a blazing guitar intro and is balls to the walls for the next 15 minutes. OK maybe not balls to the wall, but freakin incredible. The final 30 minutes of the CD is phenomenal as well. You also get your monies worth with 80 minutes of music. I like it better than ToT, but ToT has some amazing music on it as well. Its the hardest so far.

Both SC and ToT blow away BCSL, so if you liked that album you will love either ToT or SC

[darkshade]

to the OP:

Awake is in my top 3 albums and ive been listening to the band for something like 7 years on and off. I didnt like Awake as an album until sometimes last year. It's a big grower, and I appreciate it better knowing their whole discography. Dont worry, you'll love it eventually.

I&W is a completely different album, and may be the one youve been looking for. But i think you'd be better off with SDoIT, since you really like SFAM.

[j]

Thought I'd get back to you all about the recommendations and what I purchased.

I decided to go with Awake and to be honest, I find it hard to listen to... Probably my least favourite DT album I have heard (That's out of Octavarium, Metropolis Pt. 2 & Black Clouds) After I purchased that album I gave DT a bit of a rest, not sure why.

Recently I purchased Six Degrees and WOW! I'm listening to it at the moment and it has potential to be my favourite DT album. My next purchase will probably be Train of Thought or Images and Words (Pull Me Under I have heard on Guitar Hero and thought it was brilliant)

I wish I did like Awake but I just can't get in to it...

Glad you like Six Degrees, it's a very good album.

The reason I didn't recommend Awake is because it's definitely the least accessible of DT's albums.  It's arguably my favorite, but took me the longest to appreciate.  It's very different from the other stuff they've done, and it's both more dense and more subtle at times.  As much as I love it, I would get it last.

Images and Words, however, is easy to get into.  Its overall sound is a little dated, so keep that in mind, but the music is superb.

-J

[enjibenji89]

The easiest songs to get into from Awake are probably the Mirror, Voices and Erotomania. I don't mean the rest is bad, it just takes a while longer - once you get used to the sound from Awake you will love other songs (I particularly enjoy Lifting shadows off a dream and some people live and die by Scarred).

As far as albums go, this is a short description of what they look like for me - I actually felt more or less like you do when I started listening to DT so I might be helpful for you:

1989 - When day and dream unite: Different singer, very raw sound. Get this second to last.
1992 - Images & Words: Very different to the modern stuff, less heavy but don't let that affect you: it's incredibly awesome. Like they said, the whole Scenes from a memory is based on the song Metropolis Pt. 1 from this album, so you will at least love that song (you will probaby love at least 4-5 songs on the first listen, maybe more). Get this next.
1995 - A change of seasons. This is an EP with the title track lasting 23 minutes, a VERY awesome song. It also contains some covers that I don't particularly care about.
1997 - Falling into infinity: It's a weird album, they had some problems with the label so the overall quality isn't as great imho. They have a different keyboardist here (same as in the EP, but he was just filling in there), a very psychedelic one that adds a lot to the songs. For me, it has 2 brilliant songs, a few decent/good ones and a lot of filler. At the very least, it's a fairly different album in terms of DT catalog. Get this third to last.
2003 - Train of thought: One of their heaviest releases so far along with Systematic Chaos. Unlike Systematic Chaos though, this one isn't terrible (SC is by DT standards). It's a pretty easy album to get into though you will probably grow out of the first two songs pretty quick. The rest of the album is from very good (tracks 3 and 4) to brilliant (5 to 7). Get this after I&W.
2007 - Systematic Chaos. Most of the fans feel this is their worst effort, though you will also find people that love it. My personal opinion is that it has one awesome song (In the Presence of Enemies), a few good/decent songs and 2-4 forgettable songs.

So, my recommendation is:
1- Images & Words
2- Train of Thought
3- A change of seasons
4- Falling into Infinity
5- When Day and Dream Unite
6- Systematic Chaos

Wow thank you for all the advice. I have been thinking about getting them in a very similar order (only exception is Systematic Chaos, My curiousity for that album is so high I may have to purchase it sooner)

Thank you to everyone else as well

[juice]

Glad to hear you're enjoying Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence!  My favorite album of theirs!    Xanthul's recommendations are in a good order but I would swap the last 2 in the order.

[enjibenji89]

After listening to Awake again it is definately growing on me. One thing I have noticed the most on this album especially on 'Innonence Faded' is the singers voice, he is GOOD!

[Dream Team]

Every day you put off getting Images and Words is just another day you're depriving yourself . . . just sayin'.

[enjibenji89]

Every day you put off getting Images and Words is just another day you're depriving yourself . . . just sayin'.

Haha 

I blame Royal Mail...

[Implode]

Every day you put off getting Images and Words is just another day you're depriving yourself . . . just sayin'.

[fsh3702]

the essence of dream theater are all contained in AWAKE.

[Mladen]

After listening to Awake again it is definately growing on me. One thing I have noticed the most on this album especially on 'Innonence Faded' is the singers voice, he is GOOD!

True, he's incredible on Innocence Faded. In fact, Awake has his best performance overall.

Go get Images and words, along with Systematic chaos.

[Dream Team]

Every day you put off getting Images and Words is just another day you're depriving yourself . . . just sayin'.

I didn't take the time to proof-read my post, otherwise I would have caught that!  Somehow I'll learn to live with it . . .

[Silver Tears]

I&W should be next. It doesn't really have anything in common with Awake.
I&W is the greatest album ever released!

Yeah I&W is teh best 

[Jamesman42]

Images and Words has a certain magic to it. It's definitely the most well-liked album by the community here. I bet you will love Metropolis Pt. 1.

[enjibenji89]

Images and Words has a certain magic to it. It's definitely the most well-liked album by the community here. I bet you will love Metropolis Pt. 1.

Once I get it through the post I will post my opinion of the album, I'm sure I will love it

[Dcrupi]

So glad you're getting I&W next.  You're going to freaking love it, and it may change your life. 

I would reiterate other posters' reservations about Systematic Chaos, it is a VERY polarizing album (most people hate it), but if you love the wank that is present on 6DOIT, you might dig it.  Who knows. 

ToT is heavy as HELL, sounds like you might be into that. 

Wouldn't recommend Falling into Infinity for you just yet, you don't seem to lean toward their poppier, more mainstream side. 

[volwrath]

Ive found Awake to grow on me, but Ive had to Will it to happen. Basically the way I did it was to listen to space-dye vest, which I really liked and then started the album at the beginning and did something else while I listen in the background. It was a 2 year process for me though and its still my least favorite.

[Perpetual Change]

Don't save Systematic Chaos for last. You have a better chance of enjoying it if DT's "sound" is still new to you.

[Bonham]

Hard to say. Since you're used to the sound of those three I'd actually recommend Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. It's pretty all over the place and definitely the last album I'd say that actually experimented with stuff. Falling Into Infinity is your wild card since it seems to stand by itself (in a lateral way). Images And Words and Awake are probably their best two, IMO, but they're nothing like the newer stuff.

This post is all you need to know.  Based on what you've heard and like, Six Degrees is the next logical choice.

Images and Words and Awake are considered by most (including myself) to be DT's two best albums, but like Orcus said, they really don't sound much like their later stuff at all.  So keep that in mind if/when you pick 'em up.

-J

Thanks for pointing this out. I will purchase Six Degrees rather than Images and Words next

You NEED to stop delaying purchasing Images in Words. Six Degrees is without a doubt a stellar album, but I&W is just a masterpiece.

EDIT: Never mind, apparently you've got it in the mail. OT, get SC while you still can. It's better than most other generic bands by a landslide, but if you save it for last, it'll sound like garbage compared to the rest of their work. Same w/ most of ToT.