Dream Theater self titled album discussion - [SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION ONLY]

[kirksnosehair]

When I first signed up here it was my understanding - or maybe hope, I should say...  that this place would be where Dream Theater got a lot of love and praise. I quickly came to understand that I was wrong 

I mean, come on guys.... the album is not even out....  feels a lot of nitpicking to me...   

and we know DT has a good track record of releasing "complete experiences" ... we could maybe wait for the album to come out and see how the artwork relates to the concept...

OMG.. did I just say concept? 


inb4 I get told off by Blob 

Agreeeeed 

[atmyne]

The music will be the paint. your ears and mind will be the canvas. ergo who gives a shit about the cover? 
I'm guessing one of the sections in the suite will be instrumental noodliness ala itpoe pt2/8vm/overture 1928. same with one of the sections in the illumination theory. With the exception of the track that is entirely instrumental, the rest will be just beautiful songwriting.

[Dream Team]

I guess I'm one of the few who didn't mind the purple motif, but I'm not one to get too worked up about it either way. They could put a close-up of an elephant's anus on the cover and I wouldn't care as long as the music was good. Speaking of which, I'm REALLY looking forward to hearing this. I hope they gave James some great vocal melodies to work with.

[DreamerTV]

Really digging the tracklist. As for the artwork, it fits the idea of a self-named album: here we are, telling who we are to the world (i'd like to remind them that if you want the world to recognise who you are, to tell your name could be an help). Anyway, excited as before.

[sueño]

^^^Yes, already!!! 

[Zydar]

I guess I'm one of the few who didn't mind the purple motif, but I'm not one to get too worked up about it either way. They could put a close-up of an elephant's anus on the cover and I wouldn't care as long as the music was good. Speaking of which, I'm REALLY looking forward to hearing this. I hope they gave James some great vocal melodies to work with.

Maybe that's what we're staring at and not the Earth 

[robwebster]

Right, let's place bets - who's gonna be the first to propose a really fucking hokey theory that this is all an autobiographical concept album covering the first twenty years of Dream Theater's career?

Time's up, it's me!! The Enemy Inside is about David Prater cursing Images and Words with its triggered snares, the Looking Glass is Awake, and how could Illumination Theory be about anything other than the Octavarium subforum?

The music will be the paint. your ears and mind will be the canvas. ergo who gives a shit about the cover?

Me, I increasingly think it's lovely.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Right, let's place bets - who's gonna be the first to propose a really fucking hokey theory that this is all an autobiographical concept album covering the first twenty years of Dream Theater's career?

Time's up, it's me!! The Enemy Inside is about David Prater cursing Images and Words with its triggered snares, the Looking Glass is Awake, and how could Illumination Theory be about anything other than the Octavarium subforum?

It's a concept about Kevin Moore. He secretly re-joined the band and wrote the entire album.

[Lucidity]

I love this album cover. It's exactly what I was hoping it would be, and it's the first nice, simple cover since Six Degrees. And the titles seem slightly out of character, but in a good way... It'll be interesting to see how the multi-part songs end up.

[?]

The idea of KevMo writing songs with titles like Illumination Theory and Enigma Machine at this point in his career makes me chuckle

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

He did it so no one would know.

[MoraWintersoul]

The idea of KevMo writing songs with titles like Illumination Theory and Enigma Machine at this point in his career makes me chuckle

Ditto

[Podaar]

It seems possible to me that there is a theme of 'Theater of the Mind/Dream' with these titles but I wouldn't be at all surprised if that doesn't pan out.

I think the cover is fine and I note that there is enough room at the bottom to add the band name at printing time or emboss the band's logo, which I think would be very cool.

I prefer the new logo over the old and agree with MoraWintersoul and Sir Webster that the band has every right (if not obligation) to change the logo over time.

I'm really looking forward to hearing the album and hope to get snippets during the next two months!

[bosk1]

So...maybe we won't have a "light" forum theme this album cycle. 

[?]

The idea of KevMo writing songs with titles like Illumination Theory and Enigma Machine at this point in his career makes me chuckle

Ditto

Actually the thought of him writing songs like those at any point is funny

[Mister Gold]

So...maybe we won't have a "light" forum theme this album cycle. 

Well, there could certainly be a light theme in regards to the titles of the subforums and other details!

It would appear that Black is the new Black.

[Lolzeez]

1.I don't like the cover. Just putting that out there.
2.The song titles sound pretty fake. But they are not. It really sounds more badass this way though.
3.Illumination Theory is gonna be fucking awesome with JMX lyrics.

Overall:Even though the cover looks lame to me,I feel like this is gonna be a *sigh* top 3 DT release. I voted Top 5 in the poll but then I remembered that ADTOE IS in my top 5. So,now that Mangini is in full force,they can do something Top 3 worthy. And even ALBUM OF DA YEAR!

[wasteland]

The idea of KevMo writing songs with titles like Illumination Theory and Enigma Machine at this point in his career makes me chuckle

Ditto

Actually the thought of him writing songs like those at any point is funny

Live, Die, Kill (Now Watch What Happens)

[Whatsername]

Hey guys! First time actually posting, but I've been lurking since the Roadrunner incident last thread! Glad to be aboard now! 

Regarding the album cover, I personally think it fucking rocks. I think it's sharp and visually striking. It also looks extremely different from their other covers, which kind of ties back to the whole "we're reinventing ourselves" theme that seems to be recurring here.

As for the titles, I think they're fantastic! I've been crossing my fingers for a concept/theme album for a while now. SDOIT is the first DT album I listened to so I have a soft spot for those kinds of albums. Can't wait to hear what these will sound like. SEPTEMBER, Y U NO HERE?

[Frank]

They could put a close-up of an elephant's anus on the cover

Could somebody please do this?

[wasteland]

Hey guys! First time actually posting, but I've been lurking since the Roadrunner incident last thread! Glad to be aboard now! 

Regarding the album cover, I personally think it fucking rocks. I think it's sharp and visually striking. It also looks extremely different from their other covers, which kind of ties back to the whole "we're reinventing ourselves" theme that seems to be recurring here.

As for the titles, I think they're fantastic! I've been crossing my fingers for a concept/theme album for a while now. SDOIT is the first DT album I listened to so I have a soft spot for those kinds of albums. Can't wait to hear what these will sound like. SEPTEMBER, Y U NO HERE?

I agree with all you just said and welcome to the forums! 

[TheGreatPretender]

I prefer the new logo over the old and agree with MoraWintersoul and Sir Webster that the band has every right (if not obligation) to change the logo over time.

And it's not like it changed, really. It's just been redesigned. I mean, it's not like the logo itself is different. It's just designed in a different style. People aren't going to look at it and go, "That's not the DT logo. Must be some other band."[/quote]

[lithium112]

Is anyone else a bit put off by this phrase?

We've fully explored all of the elements that make us unique

It seems odd for a musician to claim that they've "fully" explored something. Where is there to go from there?

[MoraWintersoul]

Hey guys! First time actually posting, but I've been lurking since the Roadrunner incident last thread! Glad to be aboard now! 

Regarding the album cover, I personally think it fucking rocks. I think it's sharp and visually striking. It also looks extremely different from their other covers, which kind of ties back to the whole "we're reinventing ourselves" theme that seems to be recurring here.

As for the titles, I think they're fantastic! I've been crossing my fingers for a concept/theme album for a while now. SDOIT is the first DT album I listened to so I have a soft spot for those kinds of albums. Can't wait to hear what these will sound like. SEPTEMBER, Y U NO HERE?

[KevShmev]

I am still wondering if this could end up being a double album...  Given that the first and last songs could both end up being pretty long, you never know.

...or the songs between the epics could be short If it was a double album, I bet it would've been mentioned in the press release, or at least there would've been tracklists for two discs.

You never know.  When we got the tracklisting for Scenes, there was nothing said about it being a concept album or Metropolis Part II, so the band is no stranger to keeping some things secret until the last minute.  I think it would be neat if it was a double album, but no one knew it until the album dropped.

I actually have a feeling this album might even end up being under an hour long.

That wouldn't bother me at all.  I&W is under an hour and every minute of it is amazing.

[senecadawg2]

Hey guys! First time actually posting, but I've been lurking since the Roadrunner incident last thread! Glad to be aboard now!

Welcome! This certainly is a good time to be a board

[TheGreatPretender]

Is anyone else a bit put off by this phrase?

We've fully explored all of the elements that make us unique

It seems odd for a musician to claim that they've "fully" explored something. Where is there to go from there?

Well, maybe they mean as of right now. Bands obviously grow and evolve over time. In two years, they might think there's more to explore.

[Whatsername]

Is anyone else a bit put off by this phrase?

We've fully explored all of the elements that make us unique

It seems odd for a musician to claim that they've "fully" explored something. Where is there to go from there?

Hmm. I'm a bit too, but I'm going to reserve judgement.

Mora, that's equal parts terrifying and adorable.

[?]

I am still wondering if this could end up being a double album...  Given that the first and last songs could both end up being pretty long, you never know.

...or the songs between the epics could be short If it was a double album, I bet it would've been mentioned in the press release, or at least there would've been tracklists for two discs.

You never know.  When we got the tracklisting for Scenes, there was nothing said about it being a concept album or Metropolis Part II, so the band is no stranger to keeping some things secret until the last minute.  I think it would be neat if it was a double album, but no one knew it until the album dropped.

Yeah, but Scenes isn't a double album. I didn't become a DT fan until 2009, so I need to ask whoever was a fan in 2001/2002: when the tracklist for Six Degrees was announced, was it revealed that it would be a double album? I mean, were there tracklists for disc 1 and disc 2?

[emtee]

Love the cover. Song titles seem majestic.

Bring it on!

[KevShmev]

Yeah, but Scenes isn't a double album. I didn't become a DT fan until 2009, so I need to ask whoever was a fan in 2001/2002: when the tracklist for Six Degrees was announced, was it revealed that it would be a double album? I mean, were there tracklists for disc 1 and disc 2?

I was around for that, but I honestly cannot remember the way the track listing was announced. 

[aprilethereal]

13 pages? Seriously?

I'm so incredibly excited right now

[Fiery Winds]

Wish the background of the artwork was a bit more crisp, but either way, it makes me want to refer to DT12 as Majesty. 

[toro]

I was hoping for a more laid-back proggy album.
Although it seems like it's gonna be really heavy, like, fucking heavy as shit. I'm hyped.

[Podaar]

This is what I meant earlier when I said the actual cover could be embossed with the band name. Or some thing like it.