DT's Grand (Nummeric) Design

[ElliottTamer]

Most DT fans are probably aware that from their fifth album (Metropolis Pt.2) until their eighth (Octavarium) DT created a sort of inter-album continuity, where one album would start the same way the previous one ended, until Octavarium ends the way it begins (and ToT ends).
It is also quite easy to notice that their sixth album (Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence) has six songs, their seventh 7 and their eighth 8. Now, most people would be realistic and stop seeing patterns right there. Those who are a little less sane, however (who, me?), might go further:

This is the number of DT songs in each album = 8  8  11  11  12  6  7  8  8  6  9
Looking at it that way, no pattern emerges. But notice how Six Degrees doesn't actually have only 6 tracks. It has six songs, even though the last one is divided in various tracks. So we should correct our mistake and also count In the Presence of Enemies Pt.1 and Pt.2 as one:
8  8  11  11  12  6  7  8  7  6  9
Notice how Octavarium seems to mirror the albums around it: 6  7  8  7  6

"But (the sane would say) Metropolis Pt. 2 has 12 songs, whereas A Dramatic Turn of Events is supposed to have only 9, so you're really just crazy..."
And to those disbelievers I would proclaim: "That's because A Dramatic Turn of Events is really just a misdirection so that DT fans' have their curiosity satisfied and stop snooping around! The eleventh album is actually Metropolis Pt. 3 and also has twelve songs! Mwahahahahaha!"

Ok, but there's no proof that A Dramatic Turn of Events is really just a decoy... What if it's not? Not to worry: Just as we comprised tracks into songs in Six Degrees and Systematic Chaos, so too can we see Metropolis Pt.2 not as twelve songs, but really as 9 scenes!
So, we then have: 8  8  11  11  (9  6  7  8  7  6  9)
Which leads us to the conclusion that DT's twelfth and thirteenth album will have 11 tracks, while their fourteenth and fifteenth album will have only 8.

Now, one might ask "Even if that does prove to be correct, what about the sixteenth album? When they release that we'll finally be allowed to lock you into an asylum cell..."
And I might answer: "Exactly! There is no sixteenth album! DT's fifteenth album shall be their last!"

So in the end, it's a win-win situation: if I'm right, I have mathematically predicted the future! If I'm wrong, we have more DT albums! And I'll have plenty of time to listen to them!

[SystematicThought]

 

[Zook]

[Jamesman42]

Hey guys look at me I can manipulate numbers to say things that aren't there olol! Math owns your face n00bs

FTFY

[rumborak]

Holy shit, the Earth *is* 6,000 years old!

rumborak

[WildeSilas]

HAY GUYS I HEAR ALL RUSH SONGS ARE ACTUALLY ABOUT SMOKING POT CONFIRM/DENY

[chaotic_ripper]

wow

[Jamesman42]

Holy shit, the Earth *is* 6,000 years old!

rumborak

See!...

Hey, wait a minute!

[The Letter M]

Now, one might ask "Even if that does prove to be correct, what about the sixteenth album? When they release that we'll finally be allowed to lock you into an asylum cell..."
And I might answer: "Exactly! There is no sixteenth album! DT's fifteenth album shall be their last!

Nah, the 16th album will be short and have 6 songs on it, and will feature a "new" member!

Also, Scenes (with it's 9 "scenes") and ADTOE with it's 9 songs each feature a new member on that album! Does this mean DT's 12th album will feature a new member like FII did? And then their 14th album will also feature a new member? Will their last 2 albums feature different line-ups?

-Marc

[Jaffa]

I think it's funny that you went through all this effort only to misspell 'numeric' in the title.

[rumborak]

I thought that made it even more in-character.

rumborak

[sneakyblueberry]

I weep for this thread.

[tri.ad]

Seriously? This again? I'm really getting tired of all those nugget-maniacs.

[darkshot]

This pattern has been noted many times before, in fewer words.  Its fun to think about but its a hell of a stretch...  I mean you can only go so far with nuggets. 

[LCArenas]

This was done before on the ADTOE thread, weeks ago... But hey, it's good to find some self-proclaimed nuggetz. The prediction part is the only one I wouldn't agree on.

[robwebster]

So in the end, it's a win-win situation: if I'm right, I have mathematically predicted the future! If I'm wrong, we have more DT albums!

Or fewer.



Incidentally, on the subject of contorting numbers to fit an unintentional pattern, you can count so each album has one more composition than the previous, up to about Octavarium.

FII - Eleven tracks.
SFM - Twelve tracks.
SDT - Thirteen tracks, six songs.
TOT - Seven songs.
OVM - Eight songs.

You can extend this even longer if you count suites as their own individual pieces (which they are!), but it gets a little messier.

IAW - Eight songs.
AWK - Nine "pieces."
FII - Ten "pieces," eleven tracks.
SFM - Twelve tracks.
SDT - Thirteen tracks, six songs.
TOT - Seven songs.
OVM - Eight songs.

So you get 8 -> 9 -> (10) 11 -> 12 -> (13) 6 -> 7 -> 8.

[alirocker08]

Dream Theater also has only 5 members at any one time, obviously alluding to the 5th element, 'Quintessence', an element so illusive that it can only be created by the other four elements uniting. James=Air, Petrucci=Fire, Myung=Earth, Jordan=Water. Quintessence can be found in the drummer, previously Portnoy but now Mangini, hence why the new drummer can constantly seen with an expression of awe on his face. Whilst it is commonly assumed that Mangini is in the act of 'Mangining', it is actually the strain of the four base elements uniting and accepting his embodiment of Quintessence.

In all seriousness though, though I doubt that the track listings help us predict when DT will face the final curtain, I commend the effort that went into drawing conclusions from those numbers.

[ElliottTamer]

I think it's funny that you went through all this effort only to misspell 'numeric' in the title.

You misunderstand me: I actually went to all that work only so I could atone for my misspelling.

[ElliottTamer]

Seriously? This again? I'm really getting tired of all those nugget-maniacs.

Hmm, sorry about that, I'm new to the forum and really did not think I had enough time to read all the posts. I mean, there are close to 100000 posts...
I just thought this was interesting and got a little caught up in writing this in a maniac voice (mostly to show that I know this is far-fetched and pointless, partially because I thought it would make it more interesting).

[Jaffa]

I think it's funny that you went through all this effort only to misspell 'numeric' in the title.

You misunderstand me: I actually went to all that work only so I could atone for my misspelling.

My mistake.   

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

[Lynxo]

Dream Theater also has only 5 members at any one time, obviously alluding to the 5th element, 'Quintessence', an element so illusive that it can only be created by the other four elements uniting. James=Air, Petrucci=Fire, Myung=Earth, Jordan=Water. Quintessence can be found in the drummer, previously Portnoy but now Mangini, hence why the new drummer can constantly seen with an expression of awe on his face. Whilst it is commonly assumed that Mangini is in the act of 'Mangining', it is actually the strain of the four base elements uniting and accepting his embodiment of Quintessence.

In all seriousness though, though I doubt that the track listings help us predict when DT will face the final curtain, I commend the effort that went into drawing conclusions from those numbers.

Better than the OP.

[alirocker08]

Better than the OP.

It took me waaaay too long to come up with that reply though. Any wit in that post is nulled by the amount of time spent on it :')

[Lynxo]

Better than the OP.

It took me waaaay too long to come up with that reply though. Any wit in that post is nulled by the amount of time spent on it :')

Sssssh, you're not supposed to reveal that.

[Dr. DTVT]

Seriously? This again? I'm really getting tired of all those nugget-maniacs.

This is why I only lurk DT side about once a week.  DT is my favorite band and all, but the wackiness of some of the posters here just push me back to GD/GMD.

[tgstk2]

Devin Townsend.

[alirocker08]

Better than the OP.

It took me waaaay too long to come up with that reply though. Any wit in that post is nulled by the amount of time spent on it :')

Sssssh, you're not supposed to reveal that.

Buh-Buh-Buh...I can't keep secrets

[ariich]

Seriously? This again? I'm really getting tired of all those nugget-maniacs.

Well, if it was a new idea I wouldn't mind it, but Letter M has been touting this idea for months, maybe even years.

[EpicCookie]

15th last? HELL NO