Dream Theater entered the studio in February v. No News is Good News

[Dani Helios]

"Vibing in the studio on a beautiful Steinway grand."

https://www.facebook.com/jordanrudessofficial/videos/10152922658377989/?_rdr

Love how the top rated facebook comment is "How did you learn to play like that?" half expecting a response from Jordan of "you can never be like me! Don't even attempt it"

[Bertielee]

Tbh, I could listen to hours of that.

B.Lee

[BlackInk]

Something like this in a DT song would be great. Let the guy play, it seems like his potential is being restricted for the albums.

[erwinrafael]

Who's restricting him?

[Sycsa]

I just miss the days where there was no metal pretense, no neck beards; no click tracks, no taped backing vocals. They were the Beastie Boys of metal, the guys who wore sneakers, who played just plain good music because the world needed to have that music in existence.

Nicely put, I feel your sentiments. I could do without the metull, the beards, the dyed hair (ew!), the click tracks and the backing vocals as well, I'd certainly prefer the alternative in all these cases. I remember watching the Live in Tokyo commentary and JP mentioned how he looked like Jerry Seinfeld with the clean shave and the white sneakers, and - as an avid Seinfeld fan, among other things - I was like "yeah, these guys were way cooler back in those days."

However, especially with regards to the clicks and backing vocals, I can definitely understand them wanting to change things up a bit musically. I play drums in a couple of bands and I recently started playing everything to a click and it's such a refreshing experience. I can also easily see JP enjoying the heck out of his record long beard. Not sure about MM and his hairdo, though. I guess he feels that his long awaited and overdue "superstar" status comes with such spoils. Maybe the metal pretense is the only case where the "cuz that's what sells and that's what fans expect" angle is at play.

The bottom line for me (and probably where our conclusions differ) is that none of the above really matters as long as the music itself is good. I view the MM-era as a musically pivotal period in DT's career and I find it amazing that, after all these years and all these albums of complex and sophisticated music, they still have so much steam left in them.

[TAC]

Who's restricting him?

[KevShmev]

"BC&SL has songs like Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison and Octavarium all on it!"

Now, that is not a criticism of Portnoy because, hey, sometimes you have to talk your own band up, since, if you don't, no none else will sometimes , but if silence means more focus and a better result, I am fine with it.

Granted, those updates he gave were usually cool and did generate a bit of excitement during the album-making process, but I thought we all knew by now that that kind of thing is not really the forte of anyone still in the band.

Ultimately, little updates and nuggets from the band along the way have nothing to do with how good the album will end up being, and to me, the end result, the music, is what matters the most.  I don't remember them giving us much during the makings of ADTOE and DT12, and both of those albums turned out pretty great and really good, respectively, IMO.

[Sycsa]

"BC&SL has songs like Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison and Octavarium all on it!"

CAN U HANDLE IT??!?!?

[SuperTaco]

I've been enjoying the lack of updates, to be honest. The album is still months away, and the less I know about it, the more excited I'll be when I finally spin the album for the first time.

[Sycsa]

"BC&SL has songs like Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison and Octavarium all on it!"

BTW, is there a consensus regarding which song was supposed to be which? I guess:

The Best of Times=ACOS
The Count of Tuscany=Octavarium
it gets trickier from here
The Glass Prison could be both TSF and ANTR.
LTL=AROP? Wither?
PMU=?

Damn, this is way harder than finding the links between I&W and ADTOE.

[KevShmev]

Not even sure anymore, but I just know that that quote became kind of a running joke, because the new songs did not match up to their supposed past counterparts, when Portnoy probably meant they were similar in style, but when you compare new songs to old classics, comparing the quality will happen, which is why I think that is one case where the pre-album hype came back to bite them a little bit (since the album isn't that popular now anyway, and when comparing the songs off it to Octavarium, Learning to Live, etc., it falls even shorter).

[Scorpion]

I would take every song on Black Clouds except for A Rite of Passage over the snoozefest that is Octavarium.

/controversialopinion

[Dani Helios]

I would take every song on Black Clouds except for A Rite of Passage over the snoozefest that is Octavarium.

#controversialopinion

I love both...

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Even more controversial opinion: I really like all the songs on BC&SL and think it's a pretty great album overall.

[Sacul]

I guess I'm alone on this, but I actually prefer FII a bit more than I&W.

[Scorpion]

I guess I'm alone on this, but I actually prefer FII a bit more than I&W.

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

[TheCountOfNYC]

I would take every song on Black Clouds except for A Rite of Passage over the snoozefest that is Octavarium.

/controversialopinion

I love Black Clouds, but the only song on that album that comes remotely close to the greatness of Octavarium is TCoT.

[erwinrafael]

Looks like MM's UK gig is finished.

"It was a huge honor for me to play with U.K. for their very last shows. Not only was the music really fun to play, but both the band and crew were great to work with. I have so much gratitude flowing in me as I keep ending up playing with responsible, talented, very respectful and nice people to be on and off stage with."

[BlobVanDam]

I guess I'm alone on this, but I actually prefer FII a bit more than I&W.

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

I'd rank FII just a smidge behind IaW, but it's close enough that I would like to join your club so we can listen to FII.

[PetFish]

Hello, update, anyone?    They're in the studio since february. Portnoy would have kept the interest in the band going.

So why is my interest in the band even STRONGER right now WITHOUT daily social spam and minutiae?

[BlobVanDam]

Hello, update, anyone?    They're in the studio since february. Portnoy would have kept the interest in the band going.

So why is my interest in the band even STRONGER right now WITHOUT daily social spam and minutiae?

Because you're doing it wrong?

I might actually have some interest if DT-side wasn't thoroughly dead due to lack of news.

[Kotowboy]

I guess I'm alone on this, but I actually prefer FII a bit more than I&W.

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

I'd rank FII just a smidge behind IaW, but it's close enough that I would like to join your club so we can listen to FII.

I rank Falling Into Infinity above Awake.

[BlobVanDam]

I guess I'm alone on this, but I actually prefer FII a bit more than I&W.

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

I'd rank FII just a smidge behind IaW, but it's close enough that I would like to join your club so we can listen to FII.

I rank Falling Into Infinity above Awake.

In my case, I think that's a given. FII is my 4th, Awake is in the bottom 1/3.

[JediKnight1969]

If you look for the word "grower" in the dictionary, you will find "FII". 

[Bertielee]

If you look for the word "grower" in the dictionary, you will find "FII". 

True. On first listen, I hated it. Now, it's one of my favourites.

B.Lee

[Prog Snob]

If you look for the word "grower" in the dictionary, you will find "FII". 

Actually I find Systematic Chaos in my dictionary.   

[JediKnight1969]

If you look for the word "grower" in the dictionary, you will find "FII". 

Actually I find Systematic Chaos in my dictionary.   

TRUE. Right beside 

[TheCountOfNYC]

If you look for the word "grower" in the dictionary, you will find "FII". 

Actually I find Systematic Chaos in my dictionary.   

TRUE. Right beside 

Train of Thought falls under that category for me.

[JediKnight1969]

If you look for the word "grower" in the dictionary, you will find "FII". 

Actually I find Systematic Chaos in my dictionary.   

TRUE. Right beside 

Train of Thought falls under that category for me.

I could easily agree with you soon. And that's it. Sadly, I don't see 8V, BC&SL & DT12 on that category.

[Setlist Scotty]

"BC&SL has songs like Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison and Octavarium all on it!"

BTW, is there a consensus regarding which song was supposed to be which? I guess:

The Best of Times=ACOS
The Count of Tuscany=Octavarium
it gets trickier from here
The Glass Prison could be both TSF and ANTR.
LTL=AROP? Wither?
PMU=?

Pretty sure it was:
ANtR = ACoS
ARoP = PMU
Wither = none
TSF = TGP
TBoT = LtL
TCoT = 8v

[fadetoblackdude7]

"BC&SL has songs like Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison and Octavarium all on it!"

BTW, is there a consensus regarding which song was supposed to be which? I guess:

The Best of Times=ACOS
The Count of Tuscany=Octavarium
it gets trickier from here
The Glass Prison could be both TSF and ANTR.
LTL=AROP? Wither?
PMU=?

Pretty sure it was:
ANtR = ACoS
ARoP = PMU
Wither = none
TSF = TGP
TBoT = LtL
TCoT = 8v

If you ask me, none of those compare well at all.

[Kotowboy]

"BC&SL has songs like Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Pull Me Under, The Glass Prison and Octavarium all on it!"

BTW, is there a consensus regarding which song was supposed to be which? I guess:

The Best of Times=ACOS
The Count of Tuscany=Octavarium
it gets trickier from here
The Glass Prison could be both TSF and ANTR.
LTL=AROP? Wither?
PMU=?

Pretty sure it was:
ANtR = ACoS
ARoP = PMU
Wither = none
TSF = TGP
TBoT = LtL
TCoT = 8v

If you ask me, none of those compare well at all.

Yes. If anything - the BC&SL counterparts are all worse.

[Scorpion]

The Count of Tuscany > Octavarium

COME AT ME

[Kotowboy]

The Count of Tuscany > Octavarium

COME AT ME

[SuperTaco]

The Count of Tuscany > Octavarium

COME AT ME

WHY I NEVER