The Enemy Inside Discussion Thread

[Scorpion]

What is definitely the high point of this song for me is the instrumental section, I love everything about it: JP's shorter intro solo, Jordan's key solo is all kinds of awesome, Petrucci does some AWESOME wah-work under Jordan's solo and the guitar solo is nothing short of amazing. I didn't think that it was too similar to OTBOA, this is way more fast-paced and intense than the OTBOA solo ever was - not that the OTBOA solo is bad, but in my opinion, both solos are vastly different in the mood.

Love the rest of the song as well, I love what James does. Unlike other people, I really like the chorus. Sooo catchy - I was singing along the second time the chorus hit, and the melody is pretty strong.

Though all of this might just be my typical "first-impression-love" and is therefore subject to future change.

EDIT: Also, is that a unison to kick off the instrumental section?! Has DT ever done that before? IIRC, the unisons are usually at the end of the instrumental sections.

[rush-signals]

This song is great! Love the chocolate guitar sound, nice and heavy with nice layers and some chunky bits! Personally I love the guitar heavy mix. Mangini shreds it up on this, the guy is a master beater.

[Voices]

I can't stop listening...I'm really, really amazed by this song.
I believe the stream really mess a little with the compression and a bit with the dynamics...looking forward to hear a HD version.
And something to really point out...Mangini kick asses. I admit that I miss his old snaredrum...but I liked his new tone a lot!

[RodrigoAltaf]

Try this: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F103119258%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-S9l3K

Thanks, didn't work though. 

How weird, i'm listening and i'm not from the US. 

I´m in Rio and have access to the Soundcloud thing as well.

[Laich21DT]

Um, no. Listen to WDADU-FII, or ToT.

I was just kidding! I didn't mean that in literally every song DT have done you can't hear Myung, just meant that nowadays he's generally pretty damn low in the mix.

Ohh ok. Yeah, I can agree with that. He was pretty buried on SC and BC&SL. However, I think he was more audible on ADTOE, and while it was tough to hear him in the single, I'll hold out judgment until I hear the actual album.

Try this: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F103119258%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-S9l3K

Thanks, didn't work though. 

How weird, i'm listening and i'm not from the US. 

It's cool, when I open a new tab and copy and paste the link, it works, for some reason.

[kirksnosehair]

Still haven't listened to the song, and I won't listen to it until the album comes out.....but I think it's pretty amazing how similar the comments on this song are to what they were when "On The Backs of Angels" was released.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Try this: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F103119258%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-S9l3K

Thanks, didn't work though. 

How weird, i'm listening and i'm not from the US. 

I'm using mediahint which makes me appear in the US and it's not letting me. Strange.

[Scorpion]

Still haven't listened to the song, and I won't listen to it until the album comes out.....but I think it's pretty amazing how similar the comments on this song are to what they were when "On The Backs of Angels" was released.

I think that's bound to happen, tbh. At least for me, I pretty much love everything that DT does at first listen and only repeated listens tell me how much I actually like it, so my initial reaction is always pretty similar, and I could imagine it being similar for other people as well.

[rush-signals]

Still haven't listened to the song, and I won't listen to it until the album comes out.....but I think it's pretty amazing how similar the comments on this song are to what they were when "On The Backs of Angels" was released.

Exactly, for being fans of DT there sure is a lot of bitching. I'm just happy to hear something new. There's nothing wrong with this song at all. I love when the vocals kick in and I really like the chorus. If you don't have something positive to say keep it to yourself I say!

[BlackInk]

Finally got home and heard the track. Unfortunately I'm not too impressed. I mean it's a fun track and it's cool because it's Dream Theater but not really my thing. I'm not a huge fan of songs that just blast sounds at you at 200mph for six minutes and that's the feeling I got here. I would say that both On the Backs of Angels and Build Me Up, Break Me Down are better singles.

Not saying it's bad, not at all, like I said it's a fun track and has some cool ideas in there. But I'm just not impressed and I feel about the same way I thought I'd feel about it, an average single. James is also way to low like someone pointed out, but sounded better when I listened to it on my phone.

One thing though, the intro surprised me. I didn't expect the intro to be so head on, so when the riff started I was like "holy shit guitars".

[JRuless]

Still haven't listened to the song, and I won't listen to it until the album comes out.....but I think it's pretty amazing how similar the comments on this song are to what they were when "On The Backs of Angels" was released.

Just remember Richard Chycki saying: DT to the max and remember the last few seconds from UAGM from Score? 

[The Boomr]

Am I the only one who really enjoyed James's high note? I thought it sounded great, and it made my fan-girl heart beat quickly.

I did like it actually! It honestly took me by surprise, I wasn't expecting any thrills with the vox at all. I still don't like his tone as much as I did on BC&SL (or say, I&W, but duh, lol), but he does still have some relatively high notes, even if they're becoming fewer and farther between, these days.

[The Boomr]

Still haven't listened to the song, and I won't listen to it until the album comes out.....but I think it's pretty amazing how similar the comments on this song are to what they were when "On The Backs of Angels" was released.

Exactly, for being fans of DT there sure is a lot of bitching. I'm just happy to hear something new. There's nothing wrong with this song at all. I love when the vocals kick in and I really like the chorus. If you don't have something positive to say keep it to yourself I say!

So would you like the forum to be filled completely with only the most radiant glowing reviews of all DT music there is?

I'm sure there's music from DT that you dislike, as well, even if only a very small portion of it. It's our opinion, we can talk about it.

EDIT: After all, this is a discussion thread, not an appreciation thread.

[Whatsername]

I love the unison bits and JP's wah-wah under the keys. Ahhhh so cool!

And I agree I thought the chorus was catchy. I think it has enough of a hook to be catchy, but not so much that it feels out of place in a library that, let's be honest, doesn't have a ton of really "mainstream" catchy songs.

[Blackfield]

3:35 and forward sound like a song on Octavarium (I think). Every section in this song reminds me of something else, if not DT it's Megadeth or Trivium or whatever. The uniqueness and creativity we could at least trance in OTBOA is completely blown away here. I'm really disappointed by this one.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Still haven't listened to the song, and I won't listen to it until the album comes out.....but I think it's pretty amazing how similar the comments on this song are to what they were when "On The Backs of Angels" was released.

Exactly, for being fans of DT there sure is a lot of bitching. I'm just happy to hear something new. There's nothing wrong with this song at all. I love when the vocals kick in and I really like the chorus. If you don't have something positive to say keep it to yourself I say!

So would you like the forum to be filled completely with only the most radiant glowing reviews of all DT music there is?

I'm sure there's music from DT that you dislike, as well, even if only a very small portion of it. It's our opinion, we can talk about it.

EDIT: After all, this is a discussion thread, not an appreciation thread.

This. I loved the track, but there's nothing wrong with disliking it. I also think the lovers of the track are blowing those who dislike out of proportion. Some people are acting like they're the only ones who like it, when the majority of the forum seems to.

[TL]

I can't stop listening...I'm really, really amazed by this song.
I believe the stream really mess a little with the compression and a bit with the dynamics...looking forward to hear a HD version.

Mastering compression and the compression you get with low-fi tracks (like 96-128kbps MP3) are very different things. A low quality file or stream doesn't really cut off range. It makes things sound a bit washed out, and if you go low-fi enough you get digital 'artifacting'. So a higher quality version will sounds clearer and crisper than a low-fi one, but it won't really restore a lot of range, and definitely won't change the mix. If the mix sounds 'loud' on a low fi stream, it will probably still sound loud in full studio quality.

Some people are acting like they're the only ones who like it, when the majority of the forum seems to.

That does seem to happen around here quite a bit, and it's always a bit annoying.
A bunch of people will say that they like something, one person will say they don't, and then another person will say something along the lines of "I don't know why you all hate this and think it's the worst thing ever".

[Outcrier]

3:35 and forward sound like a song on Octavarium (I think). Every section in this song reminds me of something else, if not DT it's Megadeth or Trivium or whatever. The uniqueness and creativity we could at least trance in OTBOA is completely blown away here. I'm really disappointed by this one.

Wait, there's something unique and creative in OTBOA? 

[Marion Crane]

I will say this....I just listened to it on a pair of really nice studio monitors and holy shit.  Sounds MUCH better than my headphones.  What a really strong mix.  Still not perfect, but man does it sound good

[Progmetty]

I heard the first minute or so before I had to get back to work but I like what I heard, purty heavy.
itunes and amazon are selling it tomorrow, right?

[The Boomr]

3:35 and forward sound like a song on Octavarium (I think). Every section in this song reminds me of something else, if not DT it's Megadeth or Trivium or whatever. The uniqueness and creativity we could at least trance in OTBOA is completely blown away here. I'm really disappointed by this one.

Wait, there's something unique and creative in OTBOA? 

Yes.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I liked the song, but it's definitely a member of the supporting cast as opposed to one of the leads, per se. It's probably going to be one I only listen to when I'm doing a full album run-through, as opposed to the real killers which will get a countless number of individual spins.

[BlackInk]

I liked the song, but it's definitely a member of the supporting cast as opposed to one of the leads, per se. It's probably going to be one I only listen to when I'm doing a full album run-through, as opposed to the real killers which will get a countless number of individual spins.

The thing I fear about this album is that most of the songs will be like that. I feel like there will be no song that I really really like, except from Illumination Theory.

[Outcrier]

3:35 and forward sound like a song on Octavarium (I think). Every section in this song reminds me of something else, if not DT it's Megadeth or Trivium or whatever. The uniqueness and creativity we could at least trance in OTBOA is completely blown away here. I'm really disappointed by this one.

Wait, there's something unique and creative in OTBOA? 

Yes.

Nah.

[The Boomr]

I liked the song, but it's definitely a member of the supporting cast as opposed to one of the leads, per se. It's probably going to be one I only listen to when I'm doing a full album run-through, as opposed to the real killers which will get a countless number of individual spins.

That is an extremely good way to describe how this song will most likely turn out. Fits very well into album context, but almost never a song you pull out for, say, a favorites playlist.

[Blackfield]

3:35 and forward sound like a song on Octavarium (I think). Every section in this song reminds me of something else, if not DT it's Megadeth or Trivium or whatever. The uniqueness and creativity we could at least trance in OTBOA is completely blown away here. I'm really disappointed by this one.

Wait, there's something unique and creative in OTBOA? 

More creative than this. Definitely.

[Scorpion]

I liked the song, but it's definitely a member of the supporting cast as opposed to one of the leads, per se. It's probably going to be one I only listen to when I'm doing a full album run-through, as opposed to the real killers which will get a countless number of individual spins.

The thing I fear about this album is that most of the songs will be like that. I feel like there will be no song that I really really like, except from Illumination Theory.

What are you basing that on? Just or hunch or something more concrete?

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

I have a good feeling the album will vary.

[rush-signals]

So would you like the forum to be filled completely with only the most radiant glowing reviews of all DT music there is?

Exactly! LOL Sure there are songs I don't like from DT but I just don't play them or care about them. Having been a fan since 1991 I just don't see anything wrong with this new track. I like a more mainstream DT, I'm one of those guys that love FII.

[Lucien]

4:03

Hello Prophets of War.

[Outcrier]

4:03

Hello Prophets of War.

Yeah.

[Implode]

I guess I'll type up my thoughts now.

Over all, it's about just what I expected. I was expecting something that sounded like a Dream Theater song, and that's what we got. What I really enjoy are how JLB sounds on this track, the conciseness of the song, and the chorus. Other than that, it's expected. Nothing groundbreaking, but that's not a bad thing. This a quality idea that has me really excited to hear more. The energy in this track is excellent.

[The Boomr]

So would you like the forum to be filled completely with only the most radiant glowing reviews of all DT music there is?

Exactly! LOL Sure there are songs I don't like from DT but I just don't play them or care about them. Having been a fan since 1991 I just don't see anything wrong with this new track. I like a more mainstream DT, I'm one of those guys that love FII.

Well that's fine. I am one of those guys who strongly dislikes FII. And that's fine too.
I personally don't care much if you think the new track is awesome and have no complaints, that's great for you, but I (and others) are still allowed to dislike it or critique it if we want to within this thread.

[rush-signals]

Well that's fine. I am one of those guys who strongly dislikes FII. And that's fine too.
I personally don't care much if you think the new track is awesome and have no complaints, that's great for you, but I (and others) are still allowed to dislike it or critique it if we want to within this thread.

No you're not! LOL Your opinion is fine. It just bugs me that DT fans are so critical at times. We should be grateful they even release new music for us. Sure it may not be what all of us want to hear, but it is DT, their music made to their tastes. Without DT life would be a bit boring so I'm grateful for whatever they have to offer us. It's not like they're playing rap or some gawd awefull music.

[mikemangioy]

LOOVE this song
it's really heavy
now, if you excuse me, I have to figure out Mangini's work, see ya