Like/Dislike for the past 3 albums

[Dream Team]

I have a theory about those who do not like TA, but I could be mistaken. This simple poll will help determine if I'm right. Please answer honestly. I selected the first option btw.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I like love all 3 of the most recent albums

[BlobVanDam]

Like is such a strong word. I'm not sure how to answer this.

[Lycanthrope]

None of the above...

I adore ADToE, I place it up there with Awake and SFAM

DT12 is a bit hit-and-miss, but Enigma Machine and Illumination Theory are amazing

TA is a real mixed-bag, but I really appreciate they did something different and there's some great stuff on it, just the lyrics that kill me...

[Train of Naught]

I miss the days where polls were just "pick your favorite". Really can't answer this without having my opinion taken out of context.

[RoeDent]

I went for the first option.

- ADTOE is No. 1 for me, an incredible album.

- DT12 is really solid, and I enjoy it when I listen, but it has considerably fewer of those goosebumps moments that make albums special. Middle of the pack.

- Initial impressions of The Astonishing are great. I've put it at No. 3 currently, behind ADTOE and I&W. Many goosebumps moments. Only thing stopping it ranking higher is the time and mental effort required to get the full experience. But when the time is put in, it's a truly rewarding experience.

[wolven74]

I like all 3 releases with MM... ADTOE is the weakest of them for me, but it's still a good album.

[ariich]

Like is such a strong word. I'm not sure how to answer this.

Is it? I would say the opposite, that this kind of binary yes/no question is actually quite soft. Do I like them all? Yeah I do. I definitely don't dislike any of them. ADTOE is a clear winner for me, and TA is also very strong. DT12 is a fair bit weaker but still has lots of great stuff. The softness of "like"/"dislike" means I had to go for the first option.

[Adami]

I like TA and to a lesser extent I like ADTOE

I really don't like DT12.

[bosk1]

First option, easily.  ADTOE and DT12 are both in my top 4.  I am still a bit befuddled by TA and do not know where to rank it, but I can definitely say I like it a lot.

[BlobVanDam]

Like is such a strong word. I'm not sure how to answer this.

Is it? I would say the opposite, that this kind of binary yes/no question is actually quite soft. Do I like them all? Yeah I do. I definitely don't dislike any of them. ADTOE is a clear winner for me, and TA is also very strong. DT12 is a fair bit weaker but still has lots of great stuff. The softness of "like"/"dislike" means I had to go for the first option.

In general terms you're absolutely right, but I have some trouble answering it for ADTOE and TA, whereas DT12 is an easy dislike for me.
I can tolerate most of ADTOE, but if someone just asked me if I like ADTOE, I'd be like "ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ummmmmmm" complete with appropriate hand action. TA is kind of love/hate at this point. I love 1/3 of it, but quite dislike most of the rest. Would I say I like the album? I like parts of it, but as an album, I guess I just answered my own question.

So in short it's "eh", "no", and "eh no". Thanks ariich.

[ariich]

*confusing explanations*

Thanks ariich.

You're welcome... I think...

[Dreamer]

The last 3 albums are my faves so....

[hefdaddy42]

I like all 3 quite a bit.

[Zook]

I'm not that fond of ADTOE, but it is better than the 2 albums before it. DT12 is great, as is The Astonishing.

[MirrorMask]

Last time I heard the first two Mangini albums I was amazed to realize how my perception of them was different than what I believed: I truly enjoyed going again through A Dramatic Turn of Events, even liking my least favorite songs off it (I thought I considered it boring), and I was a bit surprised to realize that DT12, which I felt strongly about, kinda aged a bit bad, I still love The Bigger Picture and Behind the Veil but the rest, while being great, I can survive without, not feeling the need to go back to it often.

And The Astonishing is absolutely amazing and wonderful and its little not-so-good points are well compensated by the very great ans awesome points.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I answered that I like all three but that's not entirely true. I like DT. I love ADToE and TA.

[Disciple_Kickstand]

Voted for the first option. I've enjoyed the last three releases. I immediately fell in love with adtoe, I kinds missed the boat on DT12, I just didn't buy or invest much time in music at all that year so I'm just coming back to it now.  Good album, uncoiled have really done without enemy inside but there are some stellar moments on it, just not the moments that make the hair on my arms stand up. And TA, just wow.... It isn't very hard album to immediately get invested in.  It's almost like a really nice whisky that needs to sit in the glass for a little bit to open up and reveal all its intricacies and hidden flavors.  At first tj was just OK, some cool parts here and there but I felt like I was missing something. Once I did it open up it has been a joy to sit through and a very addictive record. I've pretty much listened to at least one disc a day since I got it, excited for the next hidden brilliant moment reveal itself to me.

The MM era is doing just fine.   

[kaos2900]

I love ADTOE and TA. I like DT 12.

[Dream Team]

Well, looks like my theory was incorrect. I thought TA-dislikers represented a group that was generally disillusioned with ALL recent DT and nothing they put out would please them, but that is clearly not the case.

[SolidSnake]

ADTOE & DT12 are fantastic, couldn't say which one I like more, depends on my mood of the day.
The Astonishing also great, but lags behind the two, because it has more songs that aren't among their best. Still a superb storytelling effort.

[Phoenix87x]

I have been very pleased with the last 3 albums.

[Prog Snob]

I like all three, and ADTOE is in my Top 5 Dream Theater albums.

[Kotowboy]

A Dramatic Turn Of Events

Really like it. Felt more like "classic" Dream Theater after the bombastic Black Clouds & Silver Linings. I don't mind the production. I like that it doesn't have a massive epic at the end.

Dream Theater

I loved it instantly. I thought the production was great on first listen but it got tiresome after a while and the snare sound got boring towards the end of the album. Don't like Illumination Theory.

I don't listen to it much anymore.

The Astonishing

Love it. Think it will have longevity. Great production.

[Dublagent66]

2nd to last option.

I only partially like ADTOE.  BAI being sandwiched between 2 clunkers at the end of the album was just flat out wrong.  DT12 only has 3 tracks that I can stomach and the so-called epic closer isn't epic at all.  TA has some good moments but are few and far between.  Overall it just doesn't work.  In summary, the last 5 years of DT has been mostly a disappointment with the exception of BAI.  Best thing I've heard from DT since SDOIT.

[Clancy Wiggum]

Like them all, though the weak drum sound in ADToE means it's not quite up there with the other two for me. Still, 3 good albums out of their last 3 means they're still a modern, relevant band and not by any means just living off past glories.

[Outcrier]

ADTOE was fine, the other two were mediocre.

[Tomislav95]

I like all three. Not sure about ranking between them though, I like them all equally.

[54_diplomats]

I mean I like all three but they're all towards the bottom of my rankings. The Astonishing is probably my favorite of the three though. I like every Dream Theater album though, just some a lot more than others.

[red barchetta]

I really like ADTOE, to me it's a total metal prog album with much more harmonies than DT12.  Breaking all illusions is the last great song they have written. DT12 is fine but I don't get any goosebumps listening to it. The last song of the record which I don't recall it's name is way overated. The Astonishing......I'm still trying hard but there are a lot of empty moments. It is very cheezy. Rush are 15 years older than DT but makes heavier stuff than TA.

[Enigmachine]

Rush are 15 years older than DT but makes heavier stuff than TA.

No. The heaviest stuff on TA (3D after intro, ATO, MoB, HC after intro, TPTD, TWS, MLF after intro) is heavier than 99% of what Rush have ever done (maybe Caravan or BU2B is heavier than one or two of those). Even the mid-tier heaviness on TA (DO, TGoM, ABL, LN, ANB, 2285EA) is heavier than the majority of Rush's material.

[Prog Snob]

Rush are 15 years older than DT but makes heavier stuff than TA.

Does that really have relevance? You don't have to like the new CD or the heaviness and lack thereof but I'm not sure what being "less heavy" than Rush has to do with anything.

[Tick]

I never met a DT album I didn't like.
My least favorite would be the first album because of its production. Still decent though.

[red barchetta]

Rush are 15 years older than DT but makes heavier stuff than TA.

No. The heaviest stuff on TA (3D after intro, ATO, MoB, HC after intro, TPTD, TWS, MLF after intro) is heavier than 99% of what Rush have ever done (maybe Caravan or BU2B is heavier than one or two of those). Even the mid-tier heaviness on TA (DO, TGoM, ABL, LN, ANB, 2285EA) is heavier than the majority of Rush's material.

What I mean is that if you look not only for one song but for a whole album, Clockwork Angels, the last Rush album is heavier than TA.  That's astonishing.  And you forgot to mention Headlong flight as a heavy song.  That song is great and heavier than any of the heavy song of TA. I'm just disappointed about the softness of TA.

[red barchetta]

Rush are 15 years older than DT but makes heavier stuff than TA.

No. The heaviest stuff on TA (3D after intro, ATO, MoB, HC after intro, TPTD, TWS, MLF after intro) is heavier than 99% of what Rush have ever done (maybe Caravan or BU2B is heavier than one or two of those). Even the mid-tier heaviness on TA (DO, TGoM, ABL, LN, ANB, 2285EA) is heavier than the majority of Rush's material.

And really when you talk about Rush materiel or what Rush has ever done, you are probably only talking about Clockwork Angels or you have no idea of what they have written in their career.