Hypothetically, who could replace James Labrie if he ever left?

[Konrad]

IF you could replace James Labrie for any other singer, who would it be and why?
Not that i don't like him on Dream Theater, just that i wanna know which voices would fit in the band style





I like Jorn Lande a LOT, but i don't think he would fit in the band... Fabio Lione would be great, i think. The guy is great 
         

[Prog Snob]

Here we go....

[TAC]

 

[puppyonacid]

Mike Portnoy

[Kotowboy]

No other singer would sound right in DT. Labrie is the sound of Dream theater. I fuckin hate when people just automatically go

" DT are awesome but shit singer " . *cough* Mustaine *cough*

I don't know who else would be able to fill James' shoes. Most of those operatic metal singers really aren't my cup of tea at all.

[Siddhartha]

Michael Kiske

[Konrad]

Michael Kiske

That would be cool, for sure!

No other singer would sound right in DT. Labrie is the sound of Dream theater. I fuckin hate when people just automatically go

" DT are awesome but shit singer " . *cough* Mustaine *cough*

I don't know who else would be able to fill James' shoes. Most of those operatic metal singers really aren't my cup of tea at all.

I would'nt call him "shit singer"... But definitely not great, although he exceeded my expectations in live performance in 2012.
About Mustaine, yeah, he shouldn't sing 
About 'operatic metal singers', yeah... It's your opinion! I really like them, but they don't fit everything. I only quoted Fabio Lione because he's versatile and have a nice voice

[Perpetual Change]

Why do people get so upset when this is brought up?

I love James, and agree that his voice is synonymous with DT, but it's still fun to imagine how the band would sound with other singers - especially really good ones that are currently at the top of their game.

Dan Heiman is a great "high note" tenor who'd be a natural fit in DT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TjlbT4ttc0

Another suggestion off the top would be Adam Lambart - though I'm not sure I'd want all the theatrics that he could bring, which would always make him an less than perfect fit.

[genome]

Russell Allen

[Zydar]

Nicky Spanjaards

[Mladen]

Had you asked me this five years ago, I would have probably listed a whole bunch of singers along with reasons why they might fit. Now, I'm having a hard time imagining ANYONE replacing James LaBrie. It's just such an impossible scenario in my mind...

[Prog Snob]

Okay, fuck it. I'll feed the troll.

James Labrie '92

[Juular]

Russell Allen

This. I hope James stays with DT, though.

[Konrad]

Russell Allen

This. I hope James stays with DT, though.

This.

Okay, fuck it. I'll feed the troll.

James Labrie '92

Troll? Hahahaha

[Prog Snob]

Okay, fuck it. I'll feed the troll.

James Labrie '92

Troll? Hahahaha

I mean that in the most congenial and facetious way possible.   

[ErHaO]

First of all, I like Labrie. And I actually like his more recent vocal melodies than during the early 90's (not live, offcourse). I am not one for the frequent high pitched stuff.

But if this would happen in a fantasy world:

Russel Allen, if he is still capable of exiting his metal mode (I love his raw voice, but for Dream Theater I definately don't want him sounding like Paradise Lost, Iconoclast or that Mob project).

Tommy Karevik. Totally different singer, but he has a fantastic voice. I love his work with Seventh Wonder, Ayreon and saw him live with Kamelot recently and he was phenominal.

Fabio Lione has a fantastic voice, but I think his accent might be a bit too present. But still, I think he will manage most DT songs quite well.

[RoeDent]

He's irreplacable. His voice IS Dream Theater. Instruments sound pretty similar, generally speaking, so they can be easily replaced and carry on as normal, but when you replace the singer, you definitely notice the difference. Each human voice is unique. James LaBrie's voice is unique, and it has carried the DT sound for over 20 years now.

[PROGdrummer]

Damien Wilson

[therev]

He is THe Man
His name is Davide James!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnrrT1HIYeI

[snapple]

" DT are awesome but shit singer " . *cough* Mustaine *cough*

[emtee]

WTF I'll play along.

Nils Rue from Pagans Mind.

[Perpetual Change]

He is THe Man
His name is Davide James!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnrrT1HIYeI

Wow, this guys upper range has a lot of the same tone / timbre as LaBrie. And, he even sings the words wrong! Perfect choice! 

[therev]

He is THe Man
His name is Davide James!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnrrT1HIYeI

Wow, this guys upper range has a lot of the same tone / timbre as LaBrie. And, he even sings the words wrong! Perfect choice! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqMDJUwne0c
Bridges in the sky is very impressive! check it out!

[Gonza_1928DT]

Magnus Ekwall i think.. Idk i love his voice. It's a hard question..

[jakepriest]

  thread

[Kotowboy]

Myles Kennedy ?

[Nekov]

He is THe Man
His name is Davide James!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnrrT1HIYeI

Wow, this guys upper range has a lot of the same tone / timbre as LaBrie. And, he even sings the words wrong! Perfect choice! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqMDJUwne0c
Bridges in the sky is very impressive! check it out!

That's horrible, he misses so many notes it actually hurts

[Kotowboy]

thread

I dunno - think about it. Would there be such a reaction if it was " Who could hypothetically replace John Myung ? "

Obviously nobody would suggest that Myung cannot play - just hypothetically - who could fill those shoes ?

Thread = " Who else could sound cool singing for DT ? "

People's reactions = " Labrie sucks - who should replace him ASAP ? "

[Setlist Scotty]

Damien Wilson

Please no. Damien is OK but I've never understood all the praise for his vocals. He's my least favorite vocalist from Threshold. Now if we were talking about Glynn Morgan, that'd be a different story.

[Perpetual Change]

I love LaBrie, I realize that he's the voice of DT, and if he left DT I'd feel like something was missing and the band really wouldn't be the same.

That said, James has had bad luck with his voice leading to live inconsistency and, while he's improved a lot (which is a testament to his dedication to healing), his range and the duration for which he can hold a note still have been affected.

Is it so bad to imagine what DT would sound like with a singer who's voice matches the consistent high level playing of Rudess, Mangini, and Petrucci?

I wouldn't want DT to replace James, but if they did, I wouldn't want them to go with another "rock" or "metal" vocalist with a voice that probably suffers from the same wea-and-tear issues as JLB. I'd want them to select a powerhouse vocalist who was just as technically gifted and consistent as Rudess, Mangini, and Petrucci.

[Jaq]

First of all, I like Labrie. And I actually like his more recent vocal melodies than during the early 90's (not live, offcourse). I am not one for the frequent high pitched stuff.

But if this would happen in a fantasy world:

Russel Allen, if he is still capable of exiting his metal mode (I love his raw voice, but for Dream Theater I definately don't want him sounding like Paradise Lost, Iconoclast or that Mob project).

Go find some videos of Russell Allen on the TSO tour. He hasn't lost a lick.

I love how people think because he's largely using his metal voice that means Russell Allen can't sing anymore. 

Honestly, I can't think of a singer that would fit right now. JLB is basically a fifth instrument in the band to me.

[Gonza_1928DT]

Myles Kennedy ?

Not a bad idea at all..

[Accelerando]

Myles Kennedy ?

He's a very soulful singer, but definitely has the pipes to do it

[Gonza_1928DT]

Him?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVLE_jzKZqc

[Dark Castle]

Magnus Pelander