DT12 v. WDAWAIISOIT8V&CSTOE pt. XII

[BlackInk]

I love these threads, speculating about new stuff is like the best about a pre-album period. Especially when some info starts to roll in.

I just want something special again. A concept album or a double album or something like that. We haven't had anything like that since Six Degrees so I'd really like to see that.

[Sketchy]

I'd personally like it if the album was slightly shorter but slightly more experimental, but then I just like the 45-55 minute range for album lengths, I don't know why.

Oh, and free jazz oddessey.

[ResultsMayVary]

I think it would be awesome to see another grand concept along the lines of Octavarium.

[snapple]

I want Falling Into Infinity Pt.2

[mike099]

No FII2 or Octavarium

[cramx3]

Excited. 

[PROGdrummer]

I just want Mangini to go as crazy as possible on his drums and for James to start using that high register again. Also Jordan should keep up the good work from the last 2 albums.

that is all.

[Another_Won]

One word - instrumental.

[Zydar]

No words - instrumental.

Fix'd

[Another_Won]

No words - instrumental.

Fix'd

Ha ha

Anyone else think it's time?

[cyberdrummer]

My reading of the interview is no doubt affected by my hope for another concept album, but 'definite direction' and 'the vision for the type of album' just suggests it to me. And I'm sure JLB has said relatively recently that he'd be open to the idea.

Didn't he say exactly the same type of stuff about ADTOE though? And he said he usually does this, yet only one of their albums has been a full blown concept album.

I'm sure he did. Like I say, I'm probably reading too much into it because I want a concept album!

[KevShmev]

I'd love to see a thematic album, in the sense of it not telling a specific story (which is a concept album), but one that touches on similar lyrical themes and has recurring musical themes as well.  In other words, kind of like 6DOIT Disc 2, only more cohesive and better flowing.

[wasteland]

I'd love to see a thematic album, in the sense of it not telling a specific story (which is a concept album), but one that touches on similar lyrical themes and has recurring musical themes as well.  In other words, kind of like 6DOIT Disc 2, only more cohesive and better flowing.

Yes, that's a good compromise. Stronger connections than those going on in ADTOE and BCSL, but not a story-based concept. That's what I would appreciate 

[KevShmev]

Yep, yep.

Ultimately, great songs are what matter the most, but while I would be totally happy with an album similar to ADTOE (great songs, but not different at all for them), I'd love to see them get a little experimental and try some new things. 

[nikatapi]

I'm sure we'll get more crazy sections like the one in Outcry and LNF "tickle" section. Mangini is incredibly knowledgeable and talented, and this time he'll have more input since many ideas came at soundcheck during the tour. I just hope he has better sound this time, and better hihats, on ADTOE most hihat sounds are in between open and closed, i missed the tight hihat work of MP, but other than that, holy shit i'm expecting so much greatness from him.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

better hihats, on ADTOE most hihat sounds are in between open and closed

[SuperTaco]

This needs to be said at least once during every pre-album hype rush.





Chapman Stick! PLXZPLZPLZPLZPLZPZLPLZ

[gibbs1245]

So excited! For the next album, I would love to hear more PUNCH from the drums. More "beefy" sounding drums. One of the biggest turn offs from ADTOE was the incredibly flat production on the drums. MORE POWAH

[ResultsMayVary]

I think they should do a double album this time around, 100+ minutes.

[RoeDent]

The ball is rolling for DT12! A new album cycle starts HERE!

[Scorpion]

Being the massive fanboy I am, I will probably hail everything they release as the best thing ever, but I would really like to hear something with a little more experimentation. That, and some more lyrical JLB contributions.

[PROGdrummer]

an instrumental definitely.... and also.....


Lyrics written by Jordan Rudess 

[snapple]

I'm sure we'll get more crazy sections like the one in Outcry and LNF "tickle" section. Mangini is incredibly knowledgeable and talented, and this time he'll have more input since many ideas came at soundcheck during the tour. I just hope he has better sound this time, and better hihats, on ADTOE most hihat sounds are in between open and closed, i missed the tight hihat work of MP, but other than that, holy shit i'm expecting so much greatness from him.

sometimes the sound of a partially open hihat works.

[DeanTheater]

This album HAS got to be a double album ala SDOIT!!   Concept on 1 disc and then a mixed bag on the other disc.  PLEASE!!  I think an experimental concept piece with long instrumentals would be ffing awesome.  Also, I want to hear James belt out a few higher range notes (that he can handle) and more melodic chorus structure like in ADTOE, which I enjoyed the most since probably Octavarium.

[GasparXR]

This needs to be said at least once during every pre-album hype rush.





Chapman Stick! PLXZPLZPLZPLZPLZPZLPLZ

That would be amazing.

[jonnybaxy]

It's been long enough!     

Myung HAS to be re-introduced into the band.

[nikatapi]

sometimes the sound of a partially open hihat works.

I don't disagree, but in terms of hihat work ADTOE was a bit underwhelming, although some other cymbal work was incredible (LNF, OTBOA etc) but i think it lacked compared to previous records, both from a sound perspective and a creative one.

[Ħ]

Here's my wishlist:

-Great music.
-Great lyrics.
-Great performance from JP.
-Great performance from JMX.
-Great performance from MM.
-Great performance from JR.
-Great performance from JLB.
-Great mix.
-Great production.
-Great album artwork.

That's it, really.

[philmcson]

Maybe we should do a poll with several possible editions:

- heavy metal album
- concept album
- prog-as-hell effort
- back-to-the-roots aka I&W
...etc.

and ask the band to record it as we decide.... 

[Sketchy]

JLB immitating various arctic mammals throughout.

[GasparXR]

JLB immitating various arctic mammals throughout.

It will be in the form of an instrumental except with those lyricless imitations throughout, and will be called The Polar Express.

[Sketchy]

JLB immitating various arctic mammals throughout.

It will be in the form of an instrumental except with those lyricless imitations throughout, and will be called The Polar Express.

YES! That would rock so hard.

[robwebster]

Ooh, are we doing wish lists? Let's do a wish list.

• No epics. They've done that. A Change of Seasons was a very significant song, all the moreso because it was unique. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence doesn't fit the epic mould so much, but it was different, and new, and special in a completely different way. Octavarium was significant because it was the first long track in a long, long while - but now with In the Presence of Enemies and The Count of Tuscany, it's... overdone. It becomes mundane. It's not, "This is the long one, it's lightning in a bottle." It's "This is the long one, it doesn't fit well on mix CDs." If they've got something to say that needs thirty minutes, great, but I think it's gone the other way round, a bit, lately. Good things, when short, are twice as good. I'd love to hear the ten minute cut of In the Presence of Enemies. Heck, I think the ten minute cut of In the Presence of Enemies might be called "In the Presence of Enemies: Pt. 1."

• No concepts. It's almost a cliche. Again, if they've got a brilliant concept that they really want to commit to the annals of rock history - great. But most rock concepts aren't nearly interesting enough that I'd want thirteen separate tracks dedicated to them, and they always have to jump through all these hoops like the obligatory rock ballad where the hero seeks his soul, and there's all these crap expository lyrics like "I went down to Jonah's farm / I smashed apart the fire alarm" which you can't sing without feeling a little stupid because who the hell is Jonah, and it's like - yes! We get it, The Wall was great! As was Operation: Mindcrime, and Scenes from a Memory. But instead of copying the format of those albums, why not use that time to tell us twelve stories?

Don't get me wrong, a concept's good when done well, when the music really whisks you away on a journey, when it's almost more of a soundtrack than an album, when the music is as much a part of the story as the lyrics if not moreso... but that's so rare, and they've already sort of done it once. Most of the time it's just some cool words set to some cool music, with a few recurring motifs to remind you that it's all basically connected. It's usually a gimmick.

• Diversity. Lots of it. ADToE was very cool, but a lot of songs had similar vibes to them. Bridges in the Sky was perfect, and while Outcry and Lost Not Forgotten are pretty good too, I find BitS slightly overshadows them. I like the links, and I like the consistency, but come on. We've warmed up, now let's see what this new band's capable of. Beneath the Surface was good - very new, very original. Let's hear more of that. And a bit more of Jordan Rudess's electronic stuff would be good. Not loads, just a taste. I don't mean they have to exaggerate - make the heavy song ultra-heavy, and the electronic song ultra-electric, just get lots of distinct characters in there. Not just as simple "heavy," "light," "sombre," "rocky," "electronic." How about something a bit baroque, medieval? Or a spot of wild-west? Maybe something that - god forbid, saying this to a prog rock band - grooves? They kind of did this on Systematic Chaos, it's got that wonderful schlocky horror kind of feel. More of that.

And this is a very silly, very particular one, but...

• Harmony and counterpoint. Two vocal lines going at once - Don't Look Past Me, Supermassive Black Hole type thing. Let's get some really cool backing vocals on the go. They do the trade-off thing often enough, and they're such talented songwriters. Jordan Rudess could write Supermassive in his sleep. Well, okay, he probably couldn't, but he's certainly capable.

Also, while I'm being inspired by Muse, might as well enjoy myself...

• Choir and orchestra. Proper choir, not just patches - you can break them out live. I watched the making of Survival, and the making of Unsustainable, goosebumps throughout, and thought, "Why haven't Dream Theater done that?" They have a bit with Octavarium, but it's decoration on there, and it's synthetic on the Six Degrees Overture. Sacrificed Sons is the closest it's come to being essential. Embrace the choir. I'm sure they've got some dramatic pomp in them.

And, yes. I'd like that instrumental, too.

Jesus. Don't ask much, do I? That was shorter in my head. And twice as good. You can revoke my prog card, now! And you can scrap everything I wrote up there while you're at it, cos all I want, really, is to be surprised. If it was a choice between their dream album and my dream album, I'd rather they defy all these requests and write the big, concept album full of epic rock songs they want to write and stun me. I like the band because they're Dream Theater, I listen to them because they make the choices they make - sod the choices I'd make. This is just what I might suggest if they hired me as a producer. And if they disagreed with any of it, I'd tell them to completely disregard my suggestion and do what they want. Not even in a stroppy way, either.

[Kotowboy]

I'm calling it right now.


" Dodecavarium ".

  I'm tellin ya.

[jonnybaxy]

I'm calling it right now.


" Dodecavarium ".

  I'm tellin ya.

Gotta be pentavarium, with 5 and 8 and all that.