Self Titled Album Discussion thread [Expect Spoilers]

[ResultsMayVary]

no one warned me of the RIFFERY in IT. this is the sickest thing ive heard DT play in a long time

riffs for days.

almost a lot like pure riffery.

[Dark Castle]

no one warned me of the RIFFERY in IT. this is the sickest thing ive heard DT play in a long time

riffs for days.

almost a lot like pure riffery.

I had a co-worker that would say For Days after random things. Thank you for reminding me about that guy

[chrisbDTM]

no one warned me of the RIFFERY in IT. this is the sickest thing ive heard DT play in a long time

riffs for days.

almost a lot like pure riffery.

exactly

[PaulS]

I was a bit disappointed to hear DT shamelessly stealing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto for the basic theme of Illumination Theory. Stealing classical music is a pretty cheap way to add some prestige (and nice melodies) to your music without many people noticing  (since classical is not very popular kind of music anymore - unless you steal Beethoven's Fifth of the Swan Lake or something ) Anyway, I'm sure DT have "borrowed" riffs and hooks over the years as every other band on the planet but that one really bugged me. And the fact that Jordan seems to be behind the IT opening and the string section where the melody is repeated, makes it more obvious - as a pianist he must have known what he was stealing.
Other than that, I'm still a bit sceptical about the album. It's solid and I like the sound but I think they have written better melodies in the past - even in ADTOE (LNF, BAI, BITS). And Octavarium is way better than IT. IT is not very cohesive in my opinion. Anyway, I'll reserve judgement until I've listened to the whole album a few times. It's DT after all - I just started liking This Dying Soul few months ago, almost 10 years after I listened to it for the first time SFAM was the only DT album I instantly liked so I'll just wait to see if this one will grow on me. 

[Warhorse000]

Also:  Enigma Machine = Final Fantasy boss music 

OOooooooh, I should play FFX tonight while listening to this.

Yea I really had FFX in mind when I was listening to Enigma Machine lol. 

When the hell is the release of the HD remake btw?

[PixelDream]

This is one entertaining record that's for sure.

[mabowe]

After listening for the first time, I'm really glad DT has a bass player again.  I think that back in the 90's, this is exactly how I would have thought they would sound today,  if that makes any sense.

[DreamerTV]

Waiting for this day since last monday when i heard the album at a RR listening party.
I have to say, i'm preatty happy for how well has been received this album so far.
To me, it does scream DREAM THEATER out and loud from start to finish, and while being a clear summary of what they've been in these wonderful 28 (28 right?) years, it's infused with so much energy and joy it makes you smile, and also with a couple of new really interesting things (e.g. IT orchestra section).
I don't want to repeat things that have been wrote a certain amount of time, but kudos to John Petrucci, a truly great person, a personality which is well reflected in his joy and excitement in playing after all these years...
Thanks DT for having made it again.
And thanks DTF for the ride, it has been a nice one once again!

[AngelBack]

The easter egg is beautiful and bittersweet.  Just magical.  It almost scares me how it makes me feel.  I may rethink my decision to stop therapy.

[Kotowboy]

I still think that DT13 will be a concept album. maybe even a double.

Something in DT12 sounds like it's leading towards something massive.

Plus if they keep to their schedule - DT13 will be out in 2015 - which is their 30th anniversary.

So what better way to mark their 30th than with a double concept album and just go all out ?

[hefdaddy42]

OK, so I've listened up through The Bigger Picture.

I'm floored.  Exactly what I was hoping for thus far.  Ambitious, epic, heavy, proggy, yet concise and effective as well.  Simply fantastic.

Hope the rest of the album holds up.  I've got to run some errands.

[CrimsonSunrise]

I was a bit disappointed to hear DT shamelessly stealing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto for the basic theme of Illumination Theory. Stealing classical music is a pretty cheap way to add some prestige (and nice melodies) to your music without many people noticing  (since classical is not very popular kind of music anymore - unless you steal Beethoven's Fifth of the Swan Lake or something ) Anyway, I'm sure DT have "borrowed" riffs and hooks over the years as every other band on the planet but that one really bugged me. And the fact that Jordan seems to be behind the IT opening and the string section where the melody is repeated, makes it more obvious - as a pianist he must have known what he was stealing.
Other than that, I'm still a bit sceptical about the album. It's solid and I like the sound but I think they have written better melodies in the past - even in ADTOE (LNF, BAI, BITS). And Octavarium is way better than IT. IT is not very cohesive in my opinion. Anyway, I'll reserve judgement until I've listened to the whole album a few times. It's DT after all - I just started liking This Dying Soul few months ago, almost 10 years after I listened to it for the first time SFAM was the only DT album I instantly liked so I'll just wait to see if this one will grow on me.

Your first post on the forum and you call them plagiarists.....  nice. 

[PixelDream]

Finally a DT album that touches upon many styles, without falling flat on a few occasions. They sound like they've got it all covered this time.

[snapple]

OK, so I've listened up through The Bigger Picture.

I'm floored.  Exactly what I was hoping for thus far.  Ambitious, epic, heavy, proggy, yet concise and effective as well.  Simply fantastic.

Hope the rest of the album holds up.  I've got to run some errands.

J-just wait. You're not even done yet.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

I was a bit disappointed to hear DT shamelessly stealing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto for the basic theme of Illumination Theory. Stealing classical music is a pretty cheap way to add some prestige (and nice melodies) to your music without many people noticing  (since classical is not very popular kind of music anymore - unless you steal Beethoven's Fifth of the Swan Lake or something ) Anyway, I'm sure DT have "borrowed" riffs and hooks over the years as every other band on the planet but that one really bugged me. And the fact that Jordan seems to be behind the IT opening and the string section where the melody is repeated, makes it more obvious - as a pianist he must have known what he was stealing.
Other than that, I'm still a bit sceptical about the album. It's solid and I like the sound but I think they have written better melodies in the past - even in ADTOE (LNF, BAI, BITS). And Octavarium is way better than IT. IT is not very cohesive in my opinion. Anyway, I'll reserve judgement until I've listened to the whole album a few times. It's DT after all - I just started liking This Dying Soul few months ago, almost 10 years after I listened to it for the first time SFAM was the only DT album I instantly liked so I'll just wait to see if this one will grow on me.

Never heard of "Beethoven's fifth of the swan lake"! 

[jonnybaxy]

On my first listen... I can seriously say, I'm not that impressed... The only exceptions are TEI, 90% of IT, some of BTV and some of STR...

I really hope this grows on me 

[EstyMaJ]

I was a bit disappointed to hear DT shamelessly stealing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto for the basic theme of Illumination Theory. Stealing classical music is a pretty cheap way to add some prestige (and nice melodies) to your music without many people noticing  (since classical is not very popular kind of music anymore - unless you steal Beethoven's Fifth of the Swan Lake or something ) Anyway, I'm sure DT have "borrowed" riffs and hooks over the years as every other band on the planet but that one really bugged me. And the fact that Jordan seems to be behind the IT opening and the string section where the melody is repeated, makes it more obvious - as a pianist he must have known what he was stealing.
Other than that, I'm still a bit sceptical about the album. It's solid and I like the sound but I think they have written better melodies in the past - even in ADTOE (LNF, BAI, BITS). And Octavarium is way better than IT. IT is not very cohesive in my opinion. Anyway, I'll reserve judgement until I've listened to the whole album a few times. It's DT after all - I just started liking This Dying Soul few months ago, almost 10 years after I listened to it for the first time SFAM was the only DT album I instantly liked so I'll just wait to see if this one will grow on me.

Your first post on the forum and you call them plagiarists.....  nice. 

I mean I can hear similarities in the structure of the string parts but to call it stealing , Hardly.

[PixelDream]

JP's guitar solo in Behind The Veil, it's so ridiculously over the top and amazing 

[PaulS]

Your first post on the forum and you call them plagiarists.....  nice. 
[/quote]

Haha, true, that was not very nice of me but I love them that's why I expected better.
Maybe it's not that big of a deal. DT never rely on a single melody for a song anyway, so even if they borrow some stuff they can get away with it.

[illusionist]

Dissapointed,big time.Very loud mix and sound,had a headache listening to it with my earphones.Nothing new on the table.They have the ability,potential and experience to write something magnificent,yet they are lacking ispiration these days.I hope they could write melodies like the octavarium flute ones at the beggining or the guitar solo at the end or a ballad like Through her eyes.But maybe we have to compromise with what they present us in this album.And BAI is FAR more interesting,adventurous,inspired,melodic and emotional than anything from this.Sadly..

[jonnybaxy]

Dissapointed,big time.Very loud mix and sound,had a headache listening to it with my earphones.Nothing new on the table.They have the ability,potential and experience to write something magnificent,yet they are lacking ispiration these days.I hope they could write melodies like the octavarium flute ones at the beggining or the guitar solo at the end or a ballad like Through her eyes.But maybe we have to compromise with what they present us in this album.And BAI is FAR more interesting,adventurous,inspired,melodic and emotional than anything from this.Sadly..

This, i think they need to whip out more creativity and experimental stuff

[Super Dude]

Your first post on the forum and you call them plagiarists.....  nice. 

Haha, true, that was not very nice of me but I love them that's why I expected better.
Maybe it's not that big of a deal. DT never rely on a single melody for a song anyway, so even if they borrow some stuff they can get away with it.
[/quote]

Clearly you're not familiar with the controversy between ItPoE and Priest.

[ddtonfire]

Well I can't stop listening to the break in Illumination Theory right now...

[PaulS]

I was a bit disappointed to hear DT shamelessly stealing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto for the basic theme of Illumination Theory. Stealing classical music is a pretty cheap way to add some prestige (and nice melodies) to your music without many people noticing  (since classical is not very popular kind of music anymore - unless you steal Beethoven's Fifth of the Swan Lake or something ) Anyway, I'm sure DT have "borrowed" riffs and hooks over the years as every other band on the planet but that one really bugged me. And the fact that Jordan seems to be behind the IT opening and the string section where the melody is repeated, makes it more obvious - as a pianist he must have known what he was stealing.
Other than that, I'm still a bit sceptical about the album. It's solid and I like the sound but I think they have written better melodies in the past - even in ADTOE (LNF, BAI, BITS). And Octavarium is way better than IT. IT is not very cohesive in my opinion. Anyway, I'll reserve judgement until I've listened to the whole album a few times. It's DT after all - I just started liking This Dying Soul few months ago, almost 10 years after I listened to it for the first time SFAM was the only DT album I instantly liked so I'll just wait to see if this one will grow on me.

Your first post on the forum and you call them plagiarists.....  nice. 

I mean I can hear similarities in the structure of the string parts but to call it stealing , Hardly.

I'm not talking about structure. I'm talking about the melody itself. The opening melody of IT is the same (or *very similar") to the one when the piano enters for the first time in the Tchaikovsky concerto. Anyway, as I wrote above, maybe it's not that big a deal but it was the first thing it came to my mind when I listened to IT.

[PixelDream]

TEI is the only time I'm really having trouble with the mastering. I forgive them, when the music is this good.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Without reading 20 pages, do we know how long the stream is gonna be running?  I'm at work and wouldn't be able to listen for about 5-6 hours

[Liampie]

FAS and IT are cool. EM and StR might end up being okay. Everything is ridiculously boring or bad or both at the same time. Very underwhelming and probably one of the worst DT records, in my opinion. Damn shame.

[Kotowboy]

I asked on twitter and the answer was " A Week ".

[evz]

This, i think they need to whip out more creativity and experimental stuff

Just curious, I hear this "experimental" thing mentioned a lot.  What songs in their past do you consider experimental?  I am not being antagonistic here, really an honest question as it's something I don't get.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The riffs in the begining of Behind the Veil!!! 

[CrimsonSunrise]

I asked on twitter and the answer was " A Week ".

Gracias Senor 

[snapple]

This, i think they need to whip out more creativity and experimental stuff

I think they did that on these last two albums.

[fllnsprrw]

Behind the Veil is the only stand out song  for me right now. That chorus - so catchy...
IT on the other hand, does nothing for me. ACOS, 8V is safe. Surrender to Reason of FAS might be my least favorites

[Super Dude]

This, i think they need to whip out more creativity and experimental stuff

Just curious, I hear this "experimental" thing mentioned a lot.  What songs in their past do you consider experimental?  I am not being antagonistic here, really an honest question as it's something I don't get.

I mean they bill themselves as a progressive rock/metal band...it's kinda supposed to be their MO. And comparing, say, SFAM to the last three albums, the one difference I notice is they really play it safe or just don't try many new things like they used to. Lots of power chords and arpeggios, the chorus melody of TEI sounds like literally all of BCSL and ADTOE, and I haven't heard a truly soft song since TALW.

[faizoff]

Sometimes these streams will play even during the week of album release, not sure if DT or RR would extend it but I have in the past been able to listen to them longer than a week.

Also anyone else reminded of Porcupine Tree's Futile (~3:55 - 4:20) when listening to Illumination Theory (~4:40-4:58)