My Mike Portnoy Conundrum

[Metabog]

I too wonder what 'blast beat' means...I guess it's hitting the tomtoms twice during the ending of that song? Which he does a few times there...but really, to call it annoying???

You can find verbal and visual definitions of blast beats in 2 seconds on Wikipedia or YouTube.

"the blast-beat generally comprises a repeated, sixteenth-note figure played at a very fast tempo, and divided uniformly among the kick drum, snare and ride, crash, or hi-hat cymbal"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpVRJyicnjo

Lang never manages to disappoint me. Glad I heard about him on this forum during the auditions.

[ZKX-2099]

He has kinda simplified his style in recent years. But it's still great work.

And he did a flawless job on Nightmare with keeping to The Revs demos and adding his own touches.

[clinks63]

this is the reason why i really hate that MP leaved DT..it's the music..things will very different now and i will miss it..

for those who don't like latter albums - "Never Enough"..i love each every album and i appreciate that they give their best every time they release them..

but still i'm quite happy that MM was not involve in the writing process..

however, things will be never be the same again..many many many things will change..unless MP will come back..

[Perpetual Change]

this is the reason why i really hate that MP leaved DT..it's the music..things will very different now and i will miss it..

for those who don't like latter albums - "Never Enough"..i love each every album and i appreciate that they give their best every time they release them..

but still i'm quite happy that MM was not involve in the writing process..

however, things will be never be the same again..many many many things will change..unless MP will come back..

Well, according to alot of people, "too much of the same thing" is why each Dream Theater record has seemed somewhat less exciting than the last in recent years.

[The Curious Orange]

It's on Score where Portnoy's habit of constantly hitting that f*cking cymbal really first grated on me, and he's done it ever since. It's like he's taken one hand out of the equation and is drumming one-handed (which is why his drumming has simplified) and then just plays the cymbal with the other. It's just Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh constantly all the way through every song.

I'll miss Mike as the leader, as the visionary, as the communicator, as the guy that went above and beyond to give the fans what they want. There's so many ways in which he's irreplaceable. But as a drummer? All Mangini has to do it keep off that f*cking cymbal for more than 2 bars and he's a better drummer than Portnoy's been for the last few years.

[Raoul Sanchez]

this is the reason why i really hate that MP leaved DT..it's the music..things will very different now and i will miss it..

for those who don't like latter albums - "Never Enough"..i love each every album and i appreciate that they give their best every time they release them..

but still i'm quite happy that MM was not involve in the writing process..

however, things will be never be the same again..many many many things will change..unless MP will come back..

"Never enough"? Really?

[Orion1967]

It's on Score where Portnoy's habit of constantly hitting that f*cking cymbal really first grated on me, and he's done it ever since. It's like he's taken one hand out of the equation and is drumming one-handed (which is why his drumming has simplified) and then just plays the cymbal with the other. It's just Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh-Tsh constantly all the way through every song.

I'll miss Mike as the leader, as the visionary, as the communicator, as the guy that went above and beyond to give the fans what they want. There's so many ways in which he's irreplaceable. But as a drummer? All Mangini has to do it keep off that f*cking cymbal for more than 2 bars and he's a better drummer than Portnoy's been for the last few years.

OMG!  Someone else that hates the amount of cymbals!  I was secretly thinking I was the only one that those cymbols drove absolutely bugfuck crazy!   

Cymbals (IMHO) should be played sparingly to accentuate a rythm....  not BE the entire rythm.   Give me some really clever tom work over loud crashy cymbals any day!

[SystematicThought]

for those who don't like latter albums - "Never Enough"..i love each every album and i appreciate that they give their best every time they release them..

Please do not use the Never Enough thing, it bugs me to no end 

[Blackfield]

for those who don't like latter albums - "Never Enough"..i love each every album and i appreciate that they give their best every time they release them..

Yeah quantity wise they've put out alot of material, but quality wise.. not so much. You can't really say that we owe Dream Theater to praise each and every release. If you just swallow everything that they put out without even thinking about if it's good or not, then I feel sorry for you.
I have bought every release from Dream Theater up until Systematic Chaos. After that one I got really tired of what they where putting out so I waited until BC&SL showed up on Spotify to listen to it as a whole. Did not really do it for me so I have yet to buy that one, don't think I ever will though.

Don't know the whole story behind behind "Never Enough", but if it's about fans critizising their releases then I don't really see what right Portnoy thought he had expressing that.

[Perpetual Change]

For the most part, DT fans seem to view Never Enough as Portnoy's lowest and most embarrassing lyrical low-point. So citing it in an argument where people are just criticizing something the band's done really don't hold a lot of water around here

[IronEarthTheater]

What's funny is that I was listening to a bunch of different era DT stuff this weekend, and I really don't hear this big decline in complexity.  I think it's because I am not a music theory guy nor a musician, but for my untrained ears, it all sounds really awesome and complicated.  Sure, there are songs that I like more than others and albums that I like more than others, but for me its more the overall songwriting or sound.  For example, I'm not a huge fan of TDEN, but not because its too simplisitic or metal or the drums don't work or too many cymbals, I just don't like it that much.  Same with Contsant Motion.  But I LOVE ITPOE, Prophets of War, and Forsaken.  I dunno, just like them a lot - cool sound, etc.  Do I like them as much as Learning to Live?  No.  But I like Count of Tuscany almost as much.

I am in no way devaluing the opinion of those musicians or music theory types on here - frankly I'm sure you are correct about your specific criticisms.  I would just hazard a guess that most fans (read: not the truly hard-core) probably don't think that there has been a decline in the drums.  They either wouldn't think there's been a decline at all, or its specific songs/albums. 

[Stoneyman]

The music will change some, but not that much.  Remember JP is the main dude when it comes to riffage and overall direction.  I do think that the new drums will change the vibe a little, but maybe in a good way.  Another guys take on where to play things in time and space will be cool IMO.

Over the course of the last few records I think DT started reading their own press a bit.  Sticking in a 2 minute heavy instrumental part in the middle or at the end of songs felt forced to me.  It was like "okay here come the heavy part....now the crazy unison part...!!!"  The show-off-ness in some of the stuff really made me hit the forward button on the ipod a little more often.  Once the heavy part or unsion part started I was kinda over it.

Hopefully the new stuff will breathe a little bit more.

Maybe a Trial of Tears Part 2!!!!  That would be balls marie.

[Bertielee]

IronEarth, I agree with you thet there hasn't been a decline specifically in the drum department. For me, there's been a decline in the music overall. And for me, it has begun with Octavarium : there has been a mechanical side that's developed leading to really predictable parts / tracks. Frankly, if not for the change of drummer, I don't think I would have listened to DT again. But, hey, I've been a fan since 1993, so maybe I'm a little bored.

B.Lee

[Ben_Jamin]

IronTheater has a point. I love Never Enough and Stockholm Syndrome, its cool how he takes a stab to all the haters, people who don't appreciate and will just talk about what's wrong. Not nesscarily about the fans.

Prophets of War has cool drums and cymbal work. Honestly, isn't it funny how MP wanted to record with being able to do everything live yet he did the harmonies for this and can't really do it live, just sayin'.

[IronEarthTheater]

IronEarth, I agree with you thet there hasn't been a decline specifically in the drum department. For me, there's been a decline in the music overall. And for me, it has begun with Octavarium : there has been a mechanical side that's developed leading to really predictable parts / tracks. Frankly, if not for the change of drummer, I don't think I would have listened to DT again. But, hey, I've been a fan since 1993, so maybe I'm a little bored.

B.Lee

I hear you.  There definitely is a different sound/vibe to the last couple of albums that is different from earlier albums.  Kinda like (and I hate to keep using Maiden references but I know them the best) the reunion Maiden albums have a similar feel that is different than earlier Maiden, even with Bruce.  I personally love them, but other longtime fans don't.  I totally get that if you've been a fan since '93 ('94 for me!), you like them less now, because they are different.  I happen to like all their albums for different reasons, but BC & SL doesn't sound like I & W.