Your Controversial Opinions on DT

[Zook]

i wouldn't even call Train of Thought nu metal. Angsty lyrics and a couple sort of rap sections do not equal nu metal.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

TOT is probably the most similar to nu metal, mostly because of HTF, but I still wouldn't ever try to actually call it a nu metal album.

I suppose TOT is nu metal in the same way that SFAM is Arabic.

[TheGreatPretender]

TOT is Nu Metal in the same way that Awake is Grunge. 

[King Postwhore]

Over analysis is over analysis.

[BlobVanDam]

Systematic Chaos nu metal? 

I wouldn't have thought so.  If anything, TOT could be seen as nu metal, but even that is tenuous at best.

As is virtually always the case, the hefmeister is correct. Detuned metal with occasional spoken/harsh vocals =/= nu metal.

[hefdaddy42]

 

[tiagodon]

What is Nu Metal anyway?

[King Postwhore]

It's metal that is Nu.  But that's not what's important right now.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

What is Nu Metal anyway?

Not TOT.

Actually, "Nu metal (also known as new metal, neo-metal, nü-metal, or aggro-metal ) is a subgenre of heavy metal that combines metal music with hip hop, hardcore punk and grunge. It is classified as part of alternative metal." is the definition.

[NotePad]

I read an interview with Petrucci from around when ToT came out and he said what bands he was listening to inspire the guitar sound on the album. I remember Chevelle was one of the bands. I like Chevelle, but I don't know if they are considered nu-metal. Just sayin'

[tiagodon]

What is Nu Metal anyway?

Not TOT.

Actually, "Nu metal (also known as new metal, neo-metal, nü-metal, or aggro-metal ) is a subgenre of heavy metal that combines metal music with hip hop, hardcore punk and grunge. It is classified as part of alternative metal." is the definition.

Then TOT is not Nu Metal and nothing that DT has put out is Nu Metal.

[hefdaddy42]

No, it's not, strictly speaking.  But where the original criticism like that came from is that some of the tones and tunings that JP used on that album are apparently reminiscent of those used by numetal artists.

In other words, it's not a numetal album, but it contains some numetal influences.

[bosk1]

That's a more fair (and accurate) way of putting it.

[TheGreatPretender]

No, it's not, strictly speaking.  But where the original criticism like that came from is that some of the tones and tunings that JP used on that album are apparently reminiscent of those used by numetal artists.

In other words, it's not a numetal album, but it contains some numetal influences.

Not tones an tunings! 

Lol, what a thing to be picky about. 

[hefdaddy42]

Not being picky.  I liked the stuff he used on that album.  Just trying to be as informative and precise as possible.

[TheGreatPretender]

Not being picky.  I liked the stuff he used on that album.  Just trying to be as informative and precise as possible.

I wasn't referring to you. I mean people who take elements like tones and tuning and use them to lump DT in the same category as Nu Metal, and then claim that they don't like the album because it's too "Nu Metal" for them.

[Rodni Demental]

James was experimenting with nu-metaly / alt rock/metal elements with 'Elements of Persuasion' citing influences such as; Mudvayne, Meshuggah, Linkin Park and Sevendust. But that's about as close as DT get to this fandangled nu-metal scene. And technically speaking isn't even DT but it had 2 of their current members playing on that album. Haha.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Meshuggah... nu metal?

[Rodni Demental]

Yeah, hardly lol. That's why I said 'elements of' and included / alt metal as an alternative style among the influences JLB stated. I hesitated including Meshuggah for this very reason.    But I figured it was still relevant as the album seems to be a hybrid of styles from all of the aforementioned bands but I think the others are probably more representative of the nu-metal influences.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Ah, ok, that makes sense.

[rumborak]

Ok, here's a totally different topic: How come that in the 20+ years of their existence, DT has never done anything socially conscious? I was just checking on how Rush goes about their Meet & Greet tickets, and the first headline that popped up was "Rush auctions off their front row + M&G tickets for girl with leukemia".
Now, they obviously don't need to be a Bono, but given their substantial impact and visibility, you'd think they would use that, at least occasionally, for a good purpose.

[hefdaddy42]

It's entirely possible that they do that, and just don't publicize it very often.

Wasn't there something on one of the DVDs about some kid with some disease spending time with MP before a show?  Maybe it was Chaos DVD.

[TAC]

Ok, here's a totally different topic: How come that in the 20+ years of their existence, DT has never done anything socially conscious? I was just checking on how Rush goes about their Meet & Greet tickets, and the first headline that popped up was "Rush auctions off their front row + M&G tickets for girl with leukemia".
Now, they obviously don't need to be a Bono, but given their substantial impact and visibility, you'd think they would use that, at least occasionally, for a good purpose.

Didn't they just do something a few years back? Why am I thinking that?

[rumborak]

It's entirely possible that they do that, and just don't publicize it very often.

That's of course possible, but it certainly could only be on a small scale then, i.e. not involving the fans. As an example, they could do a small club gig, auction of the tickets and then donate the proceedings to a charity. And maybe film it like @ Ronnie Scott's.
I dunno, I sometimes wish DT got a bit "smaller" at times again.

[TheGreatPretender]

Wasn't there something on one of the DVDs about some kid with some disease spending time with MP before a show?  Maybe it was Chaos DVD.

Yeah, on Chaos in Motion DVD, there was a kid from the Grant a Wish foundation who wanted to meet MP and stuff. That was cool of them, although they all seemed a bit uncomfortable... At least that's what it seemed like to me.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Ok, here's a totally different topic: How come that in the 20+ years of their existence, DT has never done anything socially conscious? I was just checking on how Rush goes about their Meet & Greet tickets, and the first headline that popped up was "Rush auctions off their front row + M&G tickets for girl with leukemia".
Now, they obviously don't need to be a Bono, but given their substantial impact and visibility, you'd think they would use that, at least occasionally, for a good purpose.

You mean something like this? https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dream-theater-photo-book-in-the-works/

[rumborak]

Oh, cool. Weird that it didn't get any coverage here.

[NotePad]

Even if a nu-metal sound can be heard in some of DTs music, who cares. I enjoy a lot of this socalled nu-metal. With DT, can't These Walls be called somewhat nu-metal? One of their best songs IMO.

Recently a friend gave me a CD by the band Bullet For My Valentine. Are they considered nu-metal? They have a mainstream sound but also very heavy with some clear speed metal influence in the music. Anyways, at a bunch of parts the guitar sound reminds me of how JPs guitar sounds on ToT.

But overall, ToT is waaaaay to complicated and long and complex to be considered nu-metal.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I can honestly say I've never thought of nu-metal while listening to These Walls.

And I'm not saying this as someone who dislikes nu-metal, because I love a lot of it. It's just that DT has almost never sounded remotely "nu-metal", in my view.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

I can honestly say I've never thought of nu-metal while listening to These Walls.

And I'm not saying this as someone who dislikes nu-metal, because I love a lot of it. It's just that DT has almost never sounded remotely "nu-metal", in my view.

[Lucien]

I don't hear nu-metal in These Walls. And I listen to it a lot.

[rumborak]

If i had to slap a label on TW, it would be Pop Metal.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

To be specific, it's post symphonic emotimetal alt-crunch epipop.

[Rodni Demental]

Even if a nu-metal sound can be heard in some of DTs music, who cares. I enjoy a lot of this socalled nu-metal. With DT, can't These Walls be called somewhat nu-metal? One of their best songs IMO.

I think it has qualities to be a nu-metal song with some of the techniques like the guitar style (minus the part that it's tuned to A), and even the synth sounds emulating the sort of electronic vibe that can be an aspect to that sort of of music, it's the kind of song I could imagine a band like Linkin Park writing but I guess that wouldn't necessarily make it strictly nu-metal by association. Also the vocal style probably helps the song shy away form these comparisons. Just wanted to comment on it again cause I can see where you're coming from I think. 

[BlobVanDam]

I think it has some influence from nu-metal bands, but I wouldn't call it a nu-metal song. It's a modern metal song with nu-metal influences and the usual DT touches. Whatever you want to call it, I love the song, so beyond that I don't care much for classification.