Do you still LOVE Dream Theater??

[chrisbDTM]

Astonishing knocked me off fanboy status but I'll support everything they release

[Architeuthis]

The Astonishing increased my fanboy status, lol!

[Lax]

I've been loving DT for 17 years and it won't stop, because on each release I smile, cry a little, visit new galaxies...
Those guys proved me that music is the most beautiful thing on earth and it feeds the soul.

I prefer a surprising album with mixed reviews and impacting 2 years before the next, rather than a godlike metal band that after 8 years hiatus is only able to copy what they recorded through the 90's

[SwedishGoose]

The Astonishing increased my fanboy status, lol!

Mine too... their best album and tour in my opinion

My lowest fanboy status were with the last few MP albums. They never lost me but I did not enjoy them as much.

[hefdaddy42]

I'm not a huge complainer about production unless it's really bad (I would put LaLP in this catagory, but not really any of DT's albums), but TA, to me, sounds the best of any DT album in awhile.

I agree with this as well.

I concur.

+1 ^

*endorses*

[Lethean]

Total fanboy.  100% of the posts have been praising Dream Theater.   

Welcome to DTF.

  Thanks for the welcome.   

[DT rules - may as well keep my percentage for a few more posts, eh?]

[IDontNotDoThings]

I don't know how much point there is to align bands along a love/hate axis.
I am old enough now that i just see bands phase in, and phase out. DT phased in in the 90s where they almost couldn't do wrong. Even their "duds" ( e.g. FII) later ended up in their top 10. But, just like every band in existence, there is a time when they are hot, and a time when they are not. Rush's heyday was in the late 70s and early 80s. DT's heyday was in the 90s. To me Steven Wilson is hot right now, and I'm sure in 10 years I will look at today and say "the good old days when Steven was on. Too bad his new stuff doesn't do it for me".

I don't know. DT try for sure, and I applaud them for that absolutely. But to me they simply joined the long list of bands that I regard highly as a band of great past, but whose late output is lacking. These guys are in their 50s, and as somebody said earlier, DT are in the "home stretch". Nothing wrong with that, but I also don't really expect magical things anymore. Only precious few artists managed to stay relevant over decades, and they did so by entirely reinventing themselves. DT, for better or for worse, stuck to what they do with reasonably little variation, and there's only so many times you can tread the same ground before you are repeating yourself.

Another aspect of this, somewhat related to this "reinvention" thing is, I remember reading an interview with Mikael Akerfeldt around the time Opeth massively switched style. One of his comments was "you know, I'm 40 now, and I don't want to continue doing death metal. Because you know, it's just not believable at this point."
In the same vein, when I see the clearly dyed hair and the "grimy biker" look DT has these days, I secretly wish they moved on from that and reinvented themselves into something ... for lack of a better term, "age appropriate". James can't sing these crazy-high notes anymore, and yes, JP's playing isn't as fluid as it used to be either.  They're already overdubbing a lot of stuff these days, and the number of backing tracks keeps increasing, and I really wouldn't want to see them drift into ever more and more constructed, sterile versions of themselves to keep up the façade. To say it succinctly, it would be a shame if DT becomes a Joan Rivers of prog metal. Especially when there's so many interesting musical directions they could take that would allow a more "honest" approach.

Sig'd

[Lethean]

I don't know how much point there is to align bands along a love/hate axis.
I am old enough now that i just see bands phase in, and phase out. DT phased in in the 90s where they almost couldn't do wrong. Even their "duds" ( e.g. FII) later ended up in their top 10. But, just like every band in existence, there is a time when they are hot, and a time when they are not. Rush's heyday was in the late 70s and early 80s. DT's heyday was in the 90s. To me Steven Wilson is hot right now, and I'm sure in 10 years I will look at today and say "the good old days when Steven was on. Too bad his new stuff doesn't do it for me".

I don't know. DT try for sure, and I applaud them for that absolutely. But to me they simply joined the long list of bands that I regard highly as a band of great past, but whose late output is lacking. These guys are in their 50s, and as somebody said earlier, DT are in the "home stretch". Nothing wrong with that, but I also don't really expect magical things anymore. Only precious few artists managed to stay relevant over decades, and they did so by entirely reinventing themselves. DT, for better or for worse, stuck to what they do with reasonably little variation, and there's only so many times you can tread the same ground before you are repeating yourself.

Another aspect of this, somewhat related to this "reinvention" thing is, I remember reading an interview with Mikael Akerfeldt around the time Opeth massively switched style. One of his comments was "you know, I'm 40 now, and I don't want to continue doing death metal. Because you know, it's just not believable at this point."
In the same vein, when I see the clearly dyed hair and the "grimy biker" look DT has these days, I secretly wish they moved on from that and reinvented themselves into something ... for lack of a better term, "age appropriate". James can't sing these crazy-high notes anymore, and yes, JP's playing isn't as fluid as it used to be either.  They're already overdubbing a lot of stuff these days, and the number of backing tracks keeps increasing, and I really wouldn't want to see them drift into ever more and more constructed, sterile versions of themselves to keep up the façade. To say it succinctly, it would be a shame if DT becomes a Joan Rivers of prog metal. Especially when there's so many interesting musical directions they could take that would allow a more "honest" approach.

Sig'd

Ya know... I don't see it that way at all.  I think with The Astonishing they did tread new ground.  DT12 a bit too - not in a dramatic way, but it just *felt* different from what they'd been doing.  What I want from them is music that they are passionate about, and that's what I believe we're getting.  As long as that happens, I'll be around checking out their new material and hope it continues to move me.  As for their current abilities - no issues there for me.  This album was written more to James' current strengths as a singer, and I suspect they'll continue to do that (and have no problem with it).  He threw himself into performing it live too (and did an incredible job).  JP was amazing too.  I don't care about their look or what clothes they choose to wear; I'm sure I'd be a little taken aback if they showed up in clown suits, but otherwise it doesn't matter to me.  They seem happy with what they are doing and proud of it, and they should be.

[Bertielee]

Can't say I still love them, but I like them very much. The feeling has been renewed with ADToE.

B.Lee

[Siddhartha]

I like them way less since Portnoy left.

But I still will buy any music they release and look forward to the tours to see them live. There is enough old DT in the current line for me to keep loving the band.

[Zook]

I still love them, but after Octavarium they lost their way a bit. They still produce great music, but their albums as a whole aren't 100% great.

[Evai]

I actually absolutely LOVE Dream Theater as they are and as they were, they're my favourite band 

Wait... that means I probably shouldn't be here...

[Adami]

I still love them, but after Octavarium they lost their way a bit. They still produce great music, but their albums as a whole aren't 100% great.

As long as I get a few good tunes I'll be happy. Even DT12 had some good stuff on it, and TA was 95% great!

[King Postwhore]

I still get excited the day of new releases.

[Zook]

I still love them, but after Octavarium they lost their way a bit. They still produce great music, but their albums as a whole aren't 100% great.

As long as I get a few good tunes I'll be happy. Even DT12 had some good stuff on it, and TA was 95% great!

GUFFAH!

I'd mimic you, but it wouldn't be true.

[Phoenix87x]

Not like I did back in the day, where DT was all I listened too and I listened on a daily basis and was obsessed beyond words.

But I still like them. I honestly just branched out to other bands and genres.

[Polarbear]

I don't know how much point there is to align bands along a love/hate axis.
I am old enough now that i just see bands phase in, and phase out. DT phased in in the 90s where they almost couldn't do wrong. Even their "duds" ( e.g. FII) later ended up in their top 10. But, just like every band in existence, there is a time when they are hot, and a time when they are not. Rush's heyday was in the late 70s and early 80s. DT's heyday was in the 90s. To me Steven Wilson is hot right now, and I'm sure in 10 years I will look at today and say "the good old days when Steven was on. Too bad his new stuff doesn't do it for me".

I don't know. DT try for sure, and I applaud them for that absolutely. But to me they simply joined the long list of bands that I regard highly as a band of great past, but whose late output is lacking. These guys are in their 50s, and as somebody said earlier, DT are in the "home stretch". Nothing wrong with that, but I also don't really expect magical things anymore. Only precious few artists managed to stay relevant over decades, and they did so by entirely reinventing themselves. DT, for better or for worse, stuck to what they do with reasonably little variation, and there's only so many times you can tread the same ground before you are repeating yourself.

Another aspect of this, somewhat related to this "reinvention" thing is, I remember reading an interview with Mikael Akerfeldt around the time Opeth massively switched style. One of his comments was "you know, I'm 40 now, and I don't want to continue doing death metal. Because you know, it's just not believable at this point."
In the same vein, when I see the clearly dyed hair and the "grimy biker" look DT has these days, I secretly wish they moved on from that and reinvented themselves into something ... for lack of a better term, "age appropriate". James can't sing these crazy-high notes anymore, and yes, JP's playing isn't as fluid as it used to be either.  They're already overdubbing a lot of stuff these days, and the number of backing tracks keeps increasing, and I really wouldn't want to see them drift into ever more and more constructed, sterile versions of themselves to keep up the façade. To say it succinctly, it would be a shame if DT becomes a Joan Rivers of prog metal. Especially when there's so many interesting musical directions they could take that would allow a more "honest" approach.

I was about to write something here, but then realised i could not have said it better myself!

[chaotic_ripper]

The Astonishing increased my fanboy status, lol!

+1

[Dublagent66]

I'm astonished that the OP actually had the time to go dig up all those negative things.  Kind of seems like a negative to do.

[Jester]

The circle is complete.   

[Rattlehead]

I don't love them any more, but I still enjoy their music and will continue to buy their albums... they're still in my top 10.

[Stewie]

They're still my favorite band, after 20 years, however my level of interest and enthusiasm started to decline around SC. By the time MP left, I was pretty burnt out, and had pretty much stopped listening to them on a regular basis. I've always listened to a wide array of music, but DT had always been a staple up until that point. When I heard about MP's departure, it sparked my interest again, and ADToE actually really got me back into the band. The self-titled was a major disappointment for me, but then TA came out - and I absolutely love it. My only complaints are the nomac tracks (which interrupt the flow of the songs, imo) and some of the sound effects are somewhat cheesy, and don't necessarily sound convincing or real. Having said that, I love the compositions and think it's one of their best albums. Overall, I'd say it's been up and down for me ever since they joined RR, but I'm very pleased with their current state, and am looking forward to their next album for sure.

[Tony From Long Island]

It's so interesting to see the different opinions on here.     I loved the self-titled and loathe The Astonishing.   

I feel similar to Stewie except for our differences on those two albums.

[Fluffy Lothario]

To be honest, I rarely even think about them anymore, let alone listen to them, let alone love them.

At one point, I enjoyed almost everything they'd done to some degree. That was before Systematic Chaos and Black Clouds. My taste in music altered a fair bit around that time, and I found myself only caring for select albums of theirs - some stuff on IAW, some stuff on FII, SFAM, SDOIT, and the LTE albums.

I also really liked ADTOE when it came out. The two albums since then didn't interest me at all.

They've become one of countless bands I was really into years ago by whom I'll put on an album once every few years and enjoy it and forget about them for another few years.

[rumborak]

People always give me endless flak for this, but when they switched to RoadRunner they also switched their whole image. I fell in love with DT as a pure geek band. JP played in sneakers on stage, MP wore silly jerseys, and the metal part, at least to me, was always a bit tongue in cheek. After the switch to RR I felt they were consciously targeting a different audience.

[SeRoX]

And when I voiced my opinion about that RR, imo, definetely effects their musical style I was in the minority. And many answered me back like "No they are Dream Theater and they do whatever they want to do..."

I still advocate that thought and yes, I know Dream Theater still do what they please but it doesn't mean their record company doesn't effect their creative and presentative directions.

[TAC]

People always give me endless flak for this, but when they switched to RoadRunner they also switched their whole image. I fell in love with DT as a pure geek band. JP played in sneakers on stage, MP wore silly jerseys, and the metal part, at least to me, was always a bit tongue in cheek. After the switch to RR I felt they were consciously targeting a different audience.

I must've missed this criticism of yours, Rumbo, but I actually think you are onto something here.

[gzarruk]

Well, the label provides all the money for the creation of new albums, and DT does spend a LOT of money when they make a new album (remember they like to move for a few months to the studio, so they can write most of the music there and also record simultaneously), so I think RR would definitely want to get some say on where their money is going to.
Having said that, I don't think an album like TA, for example, had too much input from RR, to be honest.

[Madman Shepherd]

I'm surprised image matters so much to some people.  I also can't blame them for dressing in a way that might appeal to younger crowds.  For some of these old timer bands, it probably would have benefited them if they cared a little more about their image.  Every once in a while I will see a band from the 70s or 80s still touring yet they put zero effort into their appearance.  Basically, there is nothing to distinguish them from an average bar band so certainly people aren't going to be paying 20 bucks to see a band that looks like they might just play covers of other peoples music. 

Of course, you could come back and say there isn't much to distinguish them from a run of the mill metal band with their current image but there is something to be said for at least trying to look the part.  People respond more when they feel like a band is actually making an effort rather than just grabbing some high tops and their nicest neon colored guitar. 

[Stewie]

People always give me endless flak for this, but when they switched to RoadRunner they also switched their whole image. I fell in love with DT as a pure geek band. JP played in sneakers on stage, MP wore silly jerseys, and the metal part, at least to me, was always a bit tongue in cheek. After the switch to RR I felt they were consciously targeting a different audience.

I can't tell you how many times I have thought this, too. Remember back in the FII days when they finally said "enough is enough" to the label? They were sick of being forced into doing music videos, being expected to come up with hit radio singles, etc. After that they put out some of their best work, four albums in a row, all without the pressure from the label, and being able to work and operate under their own terms. But, as soon as they joined RR and put out SC, what do you know - not one, but TWO music videos!? I remember at the time thinking, "what changed?" As in, you weren't okay with it back in the FII era, but now you are?

[erwinrafael]

Album sales were better then. Now, because of massive online piracy of music, bands are reliant on touring and alternative revenue streams like advertising money from official sites (thus the release of all new songs and music videos on Youtube).

[rumborak]

I'm surprised image matters so much to some people.  I also can't blame them for dressing in a way that might appeal to younger crowds.  For some of these old timer bands, it probably would have benefited them if they cared a little more about their image.  Every once in a while I will see a band from the 70s or 80s still touring yet they put zero effort into their appearance. 

I would argue that one of Rush's appeals was their every-day-guy behavior and attire. That gave them a feeling of approachability. DT had that at the beginning, but with their RR image, and other stuff like the VP packages, I feel they removed themselves from the average fan.

[Jester]

I would argue that one of Rush's appeals was their every-day-guy behavior and attire. That gave them a feeling of approachability. DT had that at the beginning, but with their RR image, and other stuff like the VP packages, I feel they removed themselves from the average fan.

Unless you had a few bucks to take a very expensive picture.

Nah.  Image doesn't bother me.  Pirate shirt.  T-shirt/vest.  Hair product.  ZZ top beard.  Have fun trying out new things.

Personally, it boils down to two things for my DT perception.
1.  Frequent lineup changes
2.  Expiration date theory

The lineup changes aren't necessarily bad.  But when you sideline the *new guy* (Sherinian/Mangini) a bit too much as opposed letting them loose (Rudess), it could hurt the song chemisty that you latched on to in another version of the band.

There is nothing wrong with having expiration dates on bands/artists.  The first time you clicked, it was like discovering a new wonder of the world.  Something felt right and new at the same time.

Eventually, you learn their style and it is harder to surprise you.

That doesn't have to be the band's fault.  It's not you.  It's me.  (I found a new love).

[TAC]

I would argue that one of Rush's appeals was their every-day-guy behavior and attire. That gave them a feeling of approachability. 

Obviously!




Seriously, Rush was notorious for being unapproachable. That has all changed since they came back from Neil's tragedies. It seems they feel they are playing with house money since, and it shows.

[Lethean]

Has DT ever really been a jeans and t-shirt band? Since I've been seeing them, which was before Roadrunner, JP and JM have been wearing all black, as  I recall. Jordan sometimes black, sometimes jeans. James sometimes jeans or brown pants but in those cases usually a nicer shirt. Footage from the really old days shows unbuttoned shirts and JLB and JP flipping their hair around.  Apparently trying what was more common back then.  JLB may look a little darker now, but the rest of them not so different. And what does it really matter? I don't think them playing with their look means they're letting the label call the shots.