DT11: Which of these options do you think is most likely?

[Mladen]

I think the vocal melodies will be an improvement over what we've heard on Black clouds. James did a good job on the album, but nothing really stood out. The vocal melodies are much better on Systematic chaos.

[Jirpo]

They said that JMX wrote some new lyrics. That means the lyrics will improve.

[ScioPath]

They said that JMX wrote some new lyrics. That means the lyrics will improve.

[Major Thirteenth]

Lyrics. Myung writing lyrics will be an improvement. Even if they're not his best work.

I believe that JM will only write the lyrics for one song. I also believe that any and all screaming type lyrics are vastly reduced to almost nothing.

[Aniland]

Rudess used a plural when he described Myung writing songs.

[Major Thirteenth]

Rudess used a plural when he described Myung writing songs.

Possibly he meant writing the music for several songs in the plural. But as far as lyrics, it is only one song. IMO.

[inoku]

They said that JMX wrote some new lyrics. That means the lyrics will improve.

idk, as much as i love JMX's lyrics. the things that made them amazing were alsothe music and vocal melodies.
i prefer better vocal melodies than better lyrics. a good example is TCOT of course.

[Dream Team]

Lyrics. Myung writing lyrics will be an improvement. Even if they're not his best work.

I believe that JM will only write the lyrics for one song. I also believe that any and all screaming type lyrics are vastly reduced to almost nothing.

Awesome! Based on this I think I'm going to start giving more cred to your "inside info". 

[LTE3]

My main concern is that the album will sound too much like Raw Dog.

[orcus116]

I'm pretty sure that was a one and done thing.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

My main concern is that the album will sound too much like Raw Dog.

Why?

First off, there will be VOCALS. (I know this is obvious, and don't mean to sound belittling, but what I mean is that the vocals make the entire writing process of a song so much different that it can't really have that sort of "aimless wandering" that bad instrumentals do).

Second, the band dynamic has obviously changed.

Third, Raw Dog was a bunch of leftover riffs. As in, riffs that weren't good enough (or didn't fit well enough) for BCSL. It's B-grade material that they hastily threw together into a song because they were asked to write a song.

Whatever your opinion of the song is (I actually like it), there's no way that the process/dynamic used to come up with it was anything like what went on with DT11.

[Zook]

What's everyone's deal with lyrics and being too literal? So what? Remember that thread where that guy posted new lyrics for The Count of Tuscany as an ''improvement''? They were horrible. Not everything has to be so cryptic like Voices. I'm not downing Voices, but I like lyrics that make just a little bit of sense. TCoT's lyrics are written like a fairy tale or something which was JP's intent, so why does everyone shit on them all the time?

[Adami]

What's everyone's deal with lyrics and being too literal? So what? Remember that thread where that guy posted new lyrics for The Count of Tuscany as an ''improvement''? They were horrible. Not everything has to be so cryptic like Voices. I'm not downing Voices, but I like lyrics that make just a little bit of sense. TCoT's lyrics are written like a fairy tale or something which was JP's intent, so why does everyone shit on them all the time?

Being literal isn't bad. Being overly vague isn't good. But being bad is bad.

[hefdaddy42]

What's everyone's deal with lyrics and being too literal? So what? Remember that thread where that guy posted new lyrics for The Count of Tuscany as an ''improvement''? They were horrible. Not everything has to be so cryptic like Voices. I'm not downing Voices, but I like lyrics that make just a little bit of sense. TCoT's lyrics are written like a fairy tale or something which was JP's intent, so why does everyone shit on them all the time?

Being literal isn't bad. Being overly vague isn't good. But being bad is bad.

This.

[JasonScandopolous]

What's everyone's deal with lyrics and being too literal? So what? Remember that thread where that guy posted new lyrics for The Count of Tuscany as an ''improvement''? They were horrible. Not everything has to be so cryptic like Voices. I'm not downing Voices, but I like lyrics that make just a little bit of sense. TCoT's lyrics are written like a fairy tale or something which was JP's intent, so why does everyone shit on them all the time?

Being literal isn't bad. Being overly vague isn't good. But being bad is bad.

I honestly think that if JP wrote a song about him waking up, taking a dump, buying some bread and milk at the store, and then eating it, that some of you would say "I dont know what people are so upset about with these lyrics; it's something that all of us do every day, and it's what he wanted to write about, so I don't see any problem with it".  Some of you can probably admit that to yourself, that you would find excuses for the lyrics, especially if the song was good otherwise.  But, for me, petrucci's lyrics have been terrible on at least the past 3 albums, including the lyrics that he may or may not have thought of himself.... if DT11 involves petrucci putting in a much better effort, that'll go a long way towards fixing the worst part of an otherwise great band.

[JasonScandopolous]

oops meant to edit the above post to add this:

FYI:  I've been listening to a lot of different bands lately, and you don't really find many guitarists who can top petrucci.  I love his guitar playing, my complaint is solely confined to his lyric-writing.

[Tomislav95]

Instrumental song

[TL]

Prediction (from an unnamed forum administrator): Myung will write a song about Starbucks. srsly.

But he already wrote LSoaD.

[Zydar]

Prediction (from an unnamed forum administrator): Myung will write a song about Starbucks. srsly.

But he already wrote LSoaD.

Lifting Starbucks off a Dream?

[LTE3]

First off, there will be VOCALS. (I know this is obvious, and don't mean to sound belittling, but what I mean is that the vocals make the entire writing process of a song so much different that it can't really have that sort of "aimless wandering" that bad instrumentals do).

Second, the band dynamic has obviously changed.

Third, Raw Dog was a bunch of leftover riffs. As in, riffs that weren't good enough (or didn't fit well enough) for BCSL. It's B-grade material that they hastily threw together into a song because they were asked to write a song.

Whatever your opinion of the song is (I actually like it), there's no way that the process/dynamic used to come up with it was anything like what went on with DT11.
[/quote]
Valid points and I hope you are correct. I just am concerned about the newer metal sound of Johns guitar, and I didn't like the song at all.

[The Silent Cody]

I actually would like to hear some frames of ideas from Raw Dog on DT11... It has great middle section. About JP guitar sound....hm, I have various feelings about it. Personally I like it, but I wouldn't want to hear that sound through whole album.

[Aniland]

^No

[Metabog]

Lol, so we can all agree there will be out of place soloing? 

I think lyrics improvement will occur. I think vocal improvement will also occur, but it will be a result of better mixing/post production. I love James, but I don't think there's really any going back to I&W times beyond carefully EQ-ing out his newfound nasal tone and adding proper reverb/delay to his vox (the way they used to properly do back in the days).

[Aniland]

It's probably inevitable; have we had an album since Awake where there wasn't?

[Adami]

It's probably inevitable; have we had an album since Awake where there wasn't?

Yes, the album right after it.

[LTE3]

Lol, so we can all agree there will be out of place soloing? 

I think lyrics improvement will occur. I think vocal improvement will also occur, but it will be a result of better mixing/post production. I love James, but I don't think there's really any going back to I&W times beyond carefully EQ-ing out his newfound nasal tone and adding proper reverb/delay to his vox (the way they used to properly do back in the days).

God I hope so, I hope they cut MM loose and told him to go nuts. On Jame's albums he plays is pretty straight forward without a lot of cool fills.

[Hal Incandenza]

1.) We know that LaBrie's non-DT work tends to utilize more of his range than his current DT work.

I agree with the premise, but I wonder how much this has to do his preferring to use more of his range and being held back by the direction in DT, and how much it has to do with JLB realizing he has to sing this stuff live a lot, and holding back to protect his voice.

He very rarely plays his non-DT stuff live, after all.  Studio projects for the most part.