New Dream Theater Album - In The Studio Next Year

[TheCountOfNYC]

But JLB's strengths are soft ballads now, listen to live performances

Honestly though. Wait For Sleep made me legit cry this tour and I don't cry easily

That's not to say I don't want a heavy album. I do love TOT and would be interested in a "sequel"

But even on Train of Thought, James' best performance was on Vacant.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

But JLB's strengths are soft ballads now, listen to live performances

Honestly though. Wait For Sleep made me legit cry this tour and I don't cry easily

That's not to say I don't want a heavy album. I do love TOT and would be interested in a "sequel"

But even on Train of Thought, James' best performance was on Vacant.

I actually think TOT is his worst studio vocal performance. But by SC I think he had figured out how to sing that sort of material. Not that I expect such a thing, but it would be awesome to hear an album with a lot of vocals like those on the BCSL Stargazer cover. I think he's got some of that left in him.

[BanksD]

Jeez, I really hope they don't try to do another ToT.    DT probably isn't going back to being super experimental (ala the days of SFAM and 6DOIT) but it would be nice to see them try some new things. I feel like the last handful of albums haven't really pushed any boundaries musically.

[Prog Snob]

You mean something like Awake? 

Yep... but just not re-making it 

I concur.

Heavy is fine, but I hope this is a friendlier album for JLB.

I concur. They can't keep accelerating his waning vocal strength. This I & W tour is probably exceedingly stressful (vocal-wise) for him.

Adapting the songs to his darker voice at the second leg of the tour helped a lot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaw_9rel1nA

If they write melody lines that really fit his voice for the next album there won't be problems with JLBs vocal strength imo.

I'm watching that now. I like the adjustments he made on the song. Instead of trying to go higher, and have it sound dreadfully flat, he lowered those parts. If he could get the melody more in key for that, it would sound great.

I'm hoping for something with the heaviness and darkness of Awake. The mood on that album makes it something unique from anything else they've ever done except maybe Train of Thought.

The mood on Awake makes it unique and still sounds amazing! I think one of the main reasons was Kevin's more atmospheric/dark approach to keyboards on that album.

I don't think they could ever duplicate that.

[rumborak]

I know it's ludicrous and heresy, but I would love a one-song collaboration with KM.

[gzarruk]

I know it's ludicrous and heresy, but I would love a one-song collaboration with KM.

I would love to see that too! Maybe not a full song co-writing, but at least he could write lyrics for a song, like he did for the previous Fates Warning album. Any kind of KM collab. would be fine 

[Evai]

Maybe Space-Dye-Jeans. Then socks. A KM EP dedicated to all parts of the wardrobe

[ariich]

I know it's ludicrous and heresy, but I would love a one-song collaboration with KM.

KILL THE HERETIC

Nah it would be cool to see something like that. I actually love the idea of having a handful of collaborations with ex-members like Portnoy, Sherinian. Probably mainly just those three actually...

[mikeyd23]

That would be cool, there is just probably no chance it happens.

[Kotowboy]

I know i'm not alone in not wanting MP anywhere near DT for the remainder of their career.

[V_R11]

I know i'm not alone in not wanting MP anywhere near DT for the remainder of their career.

Definitely not. I am so tired of the MM vs MP conversation. Like it's been seven years. Let it go

[Kotowboy]

Not even with comparing the two..

Just - if MP was "allowed" to collaborate with DT again - even if it was just a song - you know he'd be all over social media like " back where I belong ! " and all this...

And his fanboys being all " welcome back MP ! ".

[SeRoX]

I feel deep down inside of you, you know KM is the best lyricist of DT and want him back somehow (maybe not a player but like a composer) 

I like the idea. He is my favourite DT musician along with LaBrie. Having his lyrics or touch on upcoming DT would be great.

[bosk1]

I feel deep down inside of you, you know KM is the best lyricist of DT and want him back somehow (maybe not a player but like a composer) 

I can respect that opinion.  But as for me, no, I would not by any stretch agree that he was the best lyricist.  Not at all.

[BlobVanDam]

I feel deep down inside of you, you know KM is the best lyricist of DT and want him back somehow (maybe not a player but like a composer) 

I can respect that opinion.  But as for me, no, I would not by any stretch agree that he was the best lyricist.  Not at all.

Neither would I. I actually found him very hit and miss, and the hits don't make up for the misses.

[bosk1]

I feel deep down inside of you, you know KM is the best lyricist of DT and want him back somehow (maybe not a player but like a composer) 

I can respect that opinion.  But as for me, no, I would not by any stretch agree that he was the best lyricist.  Not at all.

Neither would I. I actually found him very hit and miss, and the hits don't make up for the misses.

That's a good way of putting it in terms of being consistent with how I view things as well.

[Kotowboy]

I don't listen to DT for the lyrics.

[gzarruk]

I know i'm not alone in not wanting MP anywhere near DT for the remainder of their career.

This. Kev would be great as a great lyricist or co-writer for a song or two, but MP? Hell no.

Not even with comparing the two..

Just - if MP was "allowed" to collaborate with DT again - even if it was just a song - you know he'd be all over social media like " back where I belong ! " and all this...

And his fanboys being all " welcome back MP ! ".

Completely agree.

[rumborak]

I wasn't even so much referring to KM's lyrics. He developed a really unique musical style over the years, I feel it would be an interesting collaboration musically.

[Prog Snob]

I feel deep down inside of you, you know KM is the best lyricist of DT and want him back somehow (maybe not a player but like a composer) 

I can respect that opinion.  But as for me, no, I would not by any stretch agree that he was the best lyricist.  Not at all.

Neither would I. I actually found him very hit and miss, and the hits don't make up for the misses.

I like JR's lyrics best.

Besides, "best" lyricist is such a vague laurel.

[Skeever]

I would rank them something like

1. Earlier Petrucci
2. Kevin Moore
3. Portnoy
4. Myung
5. Later Petrucci
6. LaBrie

[gzarruk]

I like JR's lyrics best.

They're very diverse 

[Prog Snob]

He is an eccentric individual. I can imagine his lyrics being exceedingly obscure. I wonder if he actually does write at all or journal or something.

[gzarruk]

He is an eccentric individual. I can imagine his lyrics being exceedingly obscure. I wonder if he actually does write at all or journal or something.

I remember a few different interviews where he was asked about writing lyrics/singing backing vocals for DT and for both cases he said something like that's not something the bad expects him to do, so he just never did it. Would be really cool if he started writing lyrics for DT.

[Prog Snob]

I'd love to hear what rattles around his head.

[Adami]

The dude has written lyrics. At least on Rhythm of Time, there's two songs that have his lyrics.

They're okay. Not bad. Not really memorable, but fine.

[Progmetty]

I liked The Astonishing but I'm so fuckin ready for JP to stop producing and I so fuckin ready for him to ask the others to contribute more to the arrangements of songs and the construct of the album instead of just getting musical bits and pieces of ideas from them in jam sessions.
I think JP's creative vision needs a long recharging break, an album cycle would probably do just fine.

[Prog Snob]

I still wish on all the unicorns and four-leaf clovers in the world that Steven Wilson produces one of their albums.

[DoctorAction]

... I'm so fuckin ready for JP to stop producing and I so fuckin ready for him to ask the others to contribute more to the arrangements of songs and the construct of the album instead of just getting musical bits and pieces of ideas from them in jam sessions.
I think JP's creative vision needs a long recharging break, an album cycle would probably do just fine.

So much this.

[Pragmaticcircus]

I still wish on all the unicorns and four-leaf clovers in the world that Steven Wilson produces one of their albums.

I'm just hoping that Petrucci accidentally trips over Steven and gets into an argument about the drum sound on ADTOE 

[gzarruk]

I just don't see the SW thing happening at all, for what I know, they guy isn't that easy to work with, and he doesn't even like DT. Sounds impossible to me.

[Pragmaticcircus]

I just don't see the SW thing happening at all, for what I know, they guy isn't that easy to work with, and he doesn't even like DT. Sounds impossible to me.

Maybe, maybe not...






Steven might force Petrucci to write a sequel to the Astonishing where Nafaryus laments the death of Faythe, in a real world alternate universe where magic doesn't exist, meaning that Gabriel wasn't capable of saving her. Gabriel is revealed to be a replicant of sorts and goes through an existential of what it means to be human and Arabelle breaks up with Nafaryus, causing further depression. Also the Nomacs kill everyone at the end... 

[TheCountOfNYC]

I just don't see the SW thing happening at all, for what I know, they guy isn't that easy to work with, and he doesn't even like DT. Sounds impossible to me.

Maybe, maybe not...






Steven might force Petrucci to write a sequel to the Astonishing where Nafaryus laments the death of Faythe, in a real world alternate universe where magic doesn't exist, meaning that Gabriel wasn't capable of saving her. Gabriel is revealed to be a replicant of sorts and goes through an existential of what it means to be human and Arabelle breaks up with Nafaryus, causing further depression. Also the Nomacs kill everyone at the end... 

So that picture is pretty fantastic.

[Prog Snob]

I just don't see the SW thing happening at all, for what I know, they guy isn't that easy to work with, and he doesn't even like DT. Sounds impossible to me.

Maybe, maybe not...






Steven might force Petrucci to write a sequel to the Astonishing where Nafaryus laments the death of Faythe, in a real world alternate universe where magic doesn't exist, meaning that Gabriel wasn't capable of saving her. Gabriel is revealed to be a replicant of sorts and goes through an existential of what it means to be human and Arabelle breaks up with Nafaryus, causing further depression. Also the Nomacs kill everyone at the end... 

That's an awesome photo!!

[gzarruk]

I like the "Progue One" pic much more