Are we gonna get different cover art?

[robwebster]

I've never been too much of a fan of the sort of "collagey" artworks - IAW, Awake and Black Clouds, essentially. Awake's the best of the three, but they don't tend to look like a single "image," as it were? There doesn't tend to be a single focal point (with Awake being the possible exception). Cool bits about all three - BCSL's moons in the sky, particularly - but it's not a style I'm that fond of.

I quite like Hugh Syme's work but there's something a wee bit false about it - think it's typically the lighting. It's often wonderfully composed but juuuust too obviously synthetic. Photoshop age. Systematic Chaos had quite a lavish booklet, liked that a lot. Same goes for Octavarium. I think he does interiors better than exteriors, actually.

Think their best covers are probably Train of Thought, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Chaos in Motion. As a general rule, they're getting better, but I think I am probably ready for a break from Syme.

Does any1 know who's on the WDADU cover?

Someone they knew from school, I think. It's in Lifting Shadows, but it's a fairly mundane answer. "Just some bloke" is essentially the message.

[Voyage 34]

Gustavo Sazes should do the cover art.

On the basis of a quick Google Images search I just did of his album artwork, I would vote "HELL NO" on this suggestion.

Eww, agreed. DT isn't a crappy metalcore band. They need cover art that conveys the complexity of the album.

[hefdaddy42]

Does any1 know who's on the WDADU cover?

bosk1

[Orbert]

How about just a giant Majesty symbol in a single color...maybe silver... on a black background. Nothing else. No words on the front of the cover/booklet. You'll only find the name of the band and album on the spine and the back.

Put all the fancy and colorful stuff inside the booklet. Make us want to read the lyrics and look at the booklet. Prove that you don't need flashy or fancy cover art to get anyone's attention. I think just having DT's recognized symbol as the cover would be a BOLD statement. It'd be like saying - This is a Dream Theater album, we're STILL Dream Theater.

In a similar vein, this would also be a good time for a self-titled album. Bands sometimes do that later in the catalogue after a major change in the lineup, for the same reason. Spock's Beard and Fleetwood Mac (twice) come to mind.

[Global Laziness]

How about just a giant Majesty symbol in a single color...maybe silver... on a black background. Nothing else. No words on the front of the cover/booklet. You'll only find the name of the band and album on the spine and the back.

Put all the fancy and colorful stuff inside the booklet. Make us want to read the lyrics and look at the booklet. Prove that you don't need flashy or fancy cover art to get anyone's attention. I think just having DT's recognized symbol as the cover would be a BOLD statement. It'd be like saying - This is a Dream Theater album, we're STILL Dream Theater.

In a similar vein, this would also be a good time for a self-titled album. Bands sometimes do that later in the catalogue after a major change in the lineup, for the same reason. Spock's Beard and Fleetwood Mac (twice) come to mind.

Yeah, you're right, but even though it would be a good time for a self-titled album, I hope they don't. I'm not a fan of self-titled albums, I perceive it as a lazy and boring approach to naming an album.

[rumborak]

How about just a giant Majesty symbol in a single color...maybe silver... on a black background. Nothing else. No words on the front of the cover/booklet. You'll only find the name of the band and album on the spine and the back.

IMHO, the Majesty symbol is part of the bag of over-used imagery. Make it really small and stick it somewhere inconspicuous. Or, get rid of it altogether. I personally don't have any particular attachment to it.

rumborak

[Ben_Jamin]

That's the bands symbol. You'd be dumb to do that, its like changing the Opeth O.

I'm hoping for a whole new approach, something simple that has an impact.

[rumborak]

A band has to have the same symbol throughout their career?

Many bands changed theirs over time.

rumborak

[7StringedBeast]

BCSL I looked at almost in disbelief. At that point I thought DT would finally move on from that type of album design.

Yeah. I almost looks like a bad graphic design final project.

Yeah I agree with this.  The cover art was weak for BCSL.  Octavarium is phenomenal though.  I love the whole design of that CD. 

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Get Storm Thorgerson to do another album cover!

[Ben_Jamin]

They don't have to have the same symbol. They can do whatever they want. I was just saying what other fans would think. But in all reality, it belongs to Charlie.

[jonny108]

Get Rodger Dean to come up with something completely new and inspiring which differs vastly from his Yes work.

[Ben_Jamin]

They should have whoever makes it, listen to the album and come up with an idea, then listen again to further the idea.

[King Postwhore]

A band has to have the same symbol throughout their career?

Many bands changed theirs over time.

rumborak

And it's great marketing to have different symbols of how the name of the band is drawn.  Rush is a good example of their different logo's.

[rumborak]

Extreme is another example. They started out with

https://piercingmetal.com/graphics/logo_extreme.jpg

and evolved into

https://www.headbanger.us/gallerie_e/bilder/extreme_3_sides_to_every_story_front.jpg

I mean, DT doesn't need to scrap their logo altogether. Just give it an overhaul, because frankly, it fits a band called Majesty, not so much Dream Theater.

rumborak

[Cool Chris]

I have really liked the last 4 booklets, and the last 4 covers (except for SC). I actually think BC&SL came out better than it should have, based on the collage idea. I've never been a huge Syme fan, so won't care much if they go with someone else.

Put all the fancy and colorful stuff inside the booklet. Make us want to read the lyrics and look at the booklet. Prove that you don't need flashy or fancy cover art to get anyone's attention. I think just having DT's recognized symbol as the cover would be a BOLD statement. It'd be like saying - This is a Dream Theater album, we're STILL Dream Theater.

Yeah, you're right, but even though it would be a good time for a self-titled album, I hope they don't. I'm not a fan of self-titled albums, I perceive it as a lazy and boring approach to naming an album.

I agree that I don't like self-titled albums, especially this far in to a discography, but it is an awesome idea to emphasize this is a DT album, and that DT is still around and going strong. Totally different situation, but makes me thing of ACDC/s 'Back in Black.' Obviously that was more of a tribute to Bon Scott, but I also take it as a way to say 'forget the images, goofy band pictures, whatever. ACDC is still here, and this album is all about the music."   

A DT/Majesty logo revamp is also an interesting idea. Haven't other bands like VH and Maiden altered their logo over the years, while still keeping the core of it the same?

[Stoneyman]

I think they should go with a "Smell The Glove" approach, or at least a "Smell Myung" concept.

The all black with the majesty symbol would be cool.  "How much more black could it be?"

None more black.

[hefdaddy42]

I'm not a fan of self-titled albums, I perceive it as a lazy and boring approach to naming an album.

I perceive it as a lazy and boring approach to naming an album.

I perceive it as lazy

lazy

Global Laziness

[Gadough]

They need to get Stevetheater to do the cover art.

I agree.

[Global Laziness]

I'm not a fan of self-titled albums, I perceive it as a lazy and boring approach to naming an album.

I perceive it as a lazy and boring approach to naming an album.

I perceive it as lazy

lazy

Global Laziness

Boourns.

[orcus116]

They need to get Stevetheater to do the cover art.

I agree.

I dunno, Steve does some good work but his work seems to emulate Syme more than create his own style. Plus some elements of his stuff, notably the recent covers album, have that obvious Photoshop inconsistent lighting effect.

[rumborak]

Some of the best album covers just involved a camera and a good subject. No PS skills or collaging.

rumborak

[7StringedBeast]

They should have it hand drawn/painted.  That would be a good idea.  No photoshop at all.

[Orbert]

Crayons and white construction paper.

[rumborak]

Silver sharpies and blueprint paper.

DT 11: "Confirmed, plausible or busted?"

[hefdaddy42]

They should have it hand drawn/painted.  That would be a good idea.  No photoshop at all.

My daughter is a decent artist.  I will put her right to work.

[robwebster]

They need to get Stevetheater to do the cover art.

I agree.

I dunno, Steve does some good work but his work seems to emulate Syme more than create his own style. Plus some elements of his stuff, notably the recent covers album, have that obvious Photoshop inconsistent lighting effect.

Same goes for Syme, mind, lightswise.

Steve's dead keen with photoshop, think it'd be a very cool move to get him involved. Would like them to go somewhere completely different, though, directionally.

[TAC]

Rumbo, great idea for a thread.

How about just a giant Majesty symbol in a single color...maybe silver... on a black background. Nothing else. No words on the front of the cover/booklet. You'll only find the name of the band and album on the spine and the back.

Put all the fancy and colorful stuff inside the booklet. Make us want to read the lyrics and look at the booklet. Prove that you don't need flashy or fancy cover art to get anyone's attention. I think just having DT's recognized symbol as the cover would be a BOLD statement. It'd be like saying - This is a Dream Theater album, we're STILL Dream Theater.

-Marc.

M, love this idea. I like the self titled option, but I also love the gold fonted Dream Theater.

Haven't other bands like VH and Maiden altered their logo over the years, while still keeping the core of it the same?

Maiden hasn't. They did change artists with Fear Of The Dark, but the band name font has remained the same since its first album.






Whatever the heck they do, I am definitely confident that it will be the right desicion, and a very cool one at that.

[Birch Boy]

I vote Alex Grey does the artwork.

[darkshade]

DT have messed with their "Dream Theater" logo twice (I&W and FII), and know that the current/classic one will remain.

[Global Laziness]

DT have messed with their "Dream Theater" logo twice (I&W and FII), and know that the current/classic one will remain.

[Dublagent66]

I don't think cover art is needed this time.  They should just call it the blue album or something...   

[Valdor]

DT have messed with their "Dream Theater" logo twice (I&W and FII), and know that the current/classic one will remain.

Well, the cover of WDADU had a different logo/font, so at the time the I&W logo was a definite change of style.

[darkshade]

DT have messed with their "Dream Theater" logo twice (I&W and FII), and know that the current/classic one will remain.

they changed the logo for I&W after WDADU's more formal looking logo. Then they changed it to a very plain font for FII following Awake (which had the same logo as I&W) then after FII, the band went back to the classic logo for Scenes and every album since.

[TL]

The thing about using a black background and silver majesty symbol;
They've already used that.



Yes, technically it was just a limited edition thing, and it does look pretty cool, but it has already been used.