New Album “Distance Over Time’, First Set of 2019 Tour Dates announced!

[Cool Chris]

similar to Stevie Nicks' voice never being the same after she abused it on a solo tour in the early 80's doing a mountain worth of coke in her life).

[Mebert78]

I would say that of the two released songs James is easily the least impressive/most forgettable. I'm okay with considering he really slayed The Astonishing and that was so melodic. Not knocking his performance, just accepting that his presence so far has not been so upfront.

I'm liking "Fall Into the Light" a lot right now, but I feel similarly so far about JLB.

[erwinrafael]

He recorded the vocals in the same studio.

[As I Am]

I would say that of the two released songs James is easily the least impressive/most forgettable.

I would definitely agree with this, but this has been an issue for a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time!

[erwinrafael]

With the 1st and 3rd songs now out, what would the 4-minute 2nd song Paralyzed sound like?

Having too much time in my hands, I tried to play some short DT songs in between UA and FITL to hear what would fit in best. And so far, Heaven's Cove sounded killer! So I hope Paralyzed would sound something like HC. ;-)

On another note, on the quick snare drum rolls during the transitions in FITL, how does MM do those cymbal accents given the high placement of his cymbals in the kit? Is it too much to expect that he is doing a one handed snare roll? :LOL

[Peter Mc]

I would say that of the two released songs James is easily the least impressive/most forgettable.

I would definitely agree with this, but this has been an issue for a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time!

Really? Because I thought the general consensus was that he was outstanding on the previous album.

[Lonk]

On another note, on the quick snare drum rolls during the transitions in FITL, how does MM do those cymbal accents given the high placement of his cymbals in the kit? Is it too much to expect that he is doing a one handed snare roll? :LOL

I've seen him in shows doing a one-hand fast snare roll so I wouldn't be surprised.

[jayvee3]

I would say that of the two released songs James is easily the least impressive/most forgettable.

I would definitely agree with this, but this has been an issue for a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time!

It really hasn't.

[Dream Team]

I would say that of the two released songs James is easily the least impressive/most forgettable.

I would definitely agree with this, but this has been an issue for a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time!

Really? Because I thought the general consensus was that he was outstanding on the previous album.

True, he was. TA seems to be the exception among the post-Octavarium albums. In general of course - there are certainly a few vocal gems sprinkled amongst those albums.

[Another_Won]

Having D/T sitting next to TA in my discography makes it look like the NOMACS definatley won! 

[Anguyen92]

Yea I think there's lots of people who would love a video of a tour when they can't make it for whatever reason.  What is interesting though, for me in NJ I see tickets for the show at $25.  I think that's the cheapest I've seen DT tickets for a theater.  Might be different for other areas (I know NYC prices are not near that low for example) but at least I was able to find a very affordable ticket to see DT.

Just to quote a Cramx post in another thread.  All right, you were correct.  Ticketmaster just launched a "Holiday Hangover" promotion where they are selling tickets for $25.00 for certain shows.  One of them includes Dream Theater at the Thursday show at the Wiltern Theater in LA.  It was only limited to the last row of the Floor 4 section, which is far back in the GA area, and the Mezzanine area.  I liked the Mezzanine area when I saw Alter Bridge, the only downside is I couldn't see the entire GA crowd from that view, so I opted to buy the Floor 4 Row T, Seat 417 ticket.  So, it's official.  I'm going to see DT.  I knew waiting would pay off.  This is how ridiculous the pricing in that section is.  There are still tickets for two rows in front of me.  The difference between that row and my ticket is over $60.00.  Holy frik.  I can't pass that up.

[fadetoblackdude7]

With the 1st and 3rd songs now out, what would the 4-minute 2nd song Paralyzed sound like?

Having too much time in my hands, I tried to play some short DT songs in between UA and FITL to hear what would fit in best. And so far, Heaven's Cove sounded killer! So I hope Paralyzed would sound something like HC. ;-)

On another note, on the quick snare drum rolls during the transitions in FITL, how does MM do those cymbal accents given the high placement of his cymbals in the kit? Is it too much to expect that he is doing a one handed snare roll? :LOL

I imagine Paralyzed would probably be the heaviest and/or fastest song on the album.

[devieira73]

Listening a lot the 320kbps version of the 2 songs released so far and I must say I'm 100% happy with the production this time! I really wish that ADToE and DT12 could sound like these songs.

[SuperTaco]

Wild speculation: JR will play guitar live during that multilayered guitar section.

Then there was the intro to TCoT that would've been the perfect opportunity for JR to accompany JP on second guitar, and instead JP played along to a tape.

I know that now that everything is played to click this is the easiest solution to it, but I really hope they're not going that way.  I've already been semi-miffed when JP has played some of his guitar lines to a backing track to get the harmonies, but this tune would take it to another level.

Also, the layered part in TCoT is conveniently the opening section of the song, and the backing track is only needed up to a certain point.

It would be bothersome if they put in a rhythm guitar backing track just for one part in the middle of the song. It strikes me as being more unlike JP than letting his keyboardist play some live guitar, since he's historically been very adamant about being the only guitarist in DT.

Who knows, maybe they'll pull a Hell's Kitchen and have JR do the lead harmony while JP fills the rhythm. Personally I think that song outro shouldn't have been layered with 3 lead tracks + rhythm in the first place.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I would say that of the two released songs James is easily the least impressive/most forgettable.

I would definitely agree with this, but this has been an issue for a LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG time!

Really? Because I thought the general consensus was that he was outstanding on the previous album.

Yeah, but people seem to ignore TA for some reason. 

[Stewie]

I transcribed the guitar parts: https://youtu.be/yIWrgrE0FCM

Nice work.

I'm constantly baffled how you guys manage to do this in less than 24 hours... 

Yeah, but you have to keep in mind, it's probably full of mistakes.

[Ninjabait]

With the 1st and 3rd songs now out, what would the 4-minute 2nd song Paralyzed sound like?

Having too much time in my hands, I tried to play some short DT songs in between UA and FITL to hear what would fit in best. And so far, Heaven's Cove sounded killer! So I hope Paralyzed would sound something like HC. ;-)

On another note, on the quick snare drum rolls during the transitions in FITL, how does MM do those cymbal accents given the high placement of his cymbals in the kit? Is it too much to expect that he is doing a one handed snare roll? :LOL

I imagine Paralyzed would probably be the heaviest and/or fastest song on the album.

It's actually a cover of Finger Eleven's Paralyzer. They just decided to change the "r" to a "d" for some reason

On another note, on the quick snare drum rolls during the transitions in FITL, how does MM do those cymbal accents given the high placement of his cymbals in the kit? Is it too much to expect that he is doing a one handed snare roll? :LOL

Knowing him, he probably IS doing a one-handed snare roll. He's done a few on the live DVDs (case in point: Enigma Machine on Breaking the 4th Wall)

[Darkstarshades]

Just a funny tidbit of angry DT fan trivia:

I've seen some of my friends who are/were into DT take a dive against this tune (and UA), saying they hate that it's a "more of the same they've been doing for years"; while praising with no end Neal Morse's most recent output.

I mean, nothing against good ole Neal. I've travelled internationally just to see the guy, but as much as I love him I kinda recognize (in the humblest of opinions) that he has been putting out the same album out for the past couple of years. Nothing has changed: the band, the studio, the composer, the music, the mix, the engineers etc. remain the same, as is the incredibly recognizable but kinda overdone Neal Morse musical stamp. Lots can be said against this opinion, like: "hey, but if I love A and B is very similar to A then that means that I'll love A and B equally!" but then again I think it's kinda unfair to say DT has fallen into that when clearly an album like The Astonishing marked a *clear* different path from what you've come to expect from the band.

I hope these thoughts didn't come out as confusing, but I felt like saying something about it.

I agree on this with you completely.

It's what I've been complaining about Mike Portnoy lately, I'm yet to hear a truly memorable drum part from him since he left DT, everything he's done since has been just the same style over and over again, the same can be said about NM, unfortunately.

[gzarruk]

On another note, on the quick snare drum rolls during the transitions in FITL, how does MM do those cymbal accents given the high placement of his cymbals in the kit? Is it too much to expect that he is doing a one handed snare roll? :LOL

The only "out of reach" cymbals (pun obviously intended) are the high-hats, chrashes and rides, his stacks are in the regular position, and that's what he's playing during that section. Don't think he did a one handed roll there (even though he definitely could if he wanted to).

Just a funny tidbit of angry DT fan trivia:

I've seen some of my friends who are/were into DT take a dive against this tune (and UA), saying they hate that it's a "more of the same they've been doing for years"; while praising with no end Neal Morse's most recent output.

I mean, nothing against good ole Neal. I've travelled internationally just to see the guy, but as much as I love him I kinda recognize (in the humblest of opinions) that he has been putting out the same album out for the past couple of years. Nothing has changed: the band, the studio, the composer, the music, the mix, the engineers etc. remain the same, as is the incredibly recognizable but kinda overdone Neal Morse musical stamp. Lots can be said against this opinion, like: "hey, but if I love A and B is very similar to A then that means that I'll love A and B equally!" but then again I think it's kinda unfair to say DT has fallen into that when clearly an album like The Astonishing marked a *clear* different path from what you've come to expect from the band.

I hope these thoughts didn't come out as confusing, but I felt like saying something about it.

I agree on this with you completely.

It's what I've been complaining about Mike Portnoy lately, I'm yet to hear a truly memorable drum part from him since he left DT, everything he's done since has been just the same style over and over again, the same can be said about NM, unfortunately.

Completely agree. Every time I hear something new with MP drumming on it, I can predict almost all the fills and drum parts he's playing. And don't forget the mandatory splash cymbal hits every 2 seconds

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Yeah, MP became a quantity drummer instead of an innovative/quality one. He's putting out all of these albums, doing all of these collabs and just keeping himself as busy as he possibly can has had a direct influence over his playing. It doesn't get me as excited as it once did; because everytime I hear him I go like: "oh, it's Mike again being the Mike he's always been, doing all these fills and tricks I know by heart."

His drumming is fine in all of these releases, of course, but it's more of the same everytime around. Its still enjoyable, but I really cannot remember when was the last time I was impressed or just had to pay close attention to MP's drum parts because of their genius. It's been quite some years, actually. It's as if you found a way to go through college obtaining solid and constant B grades knowing you don't need more than that without having to study or work hard to do things better. I miss the incredibly exquisite Portnoy that wrote the drums for 6DOIT but oh well, his fans love that and will keep giving him money that will in exchange make him do even more collabs and whatnot.

[pcs90]

Yeah, MP became a quantity drummer instead of an innovative/quality one. He's putting out all of these albums, doing all of these collabs and just keeping himself as busy as he possibly can has had a direct influence over his playing. It doesn't get me as excited as it once did; because everytime I hear him I go like: "oh, it's Mike again being as Mike as he's always been, doing all these fills and tricks I know by heart."

His drumming is fine in all of these releases, or course, but it's more of the same everytime around. Its still enjoyable, but I really cannot remember when was the last time I was impressed or just had to pay close attention to MP's drum parts because of their genius. It's been quite some years, actually. It's as if you found a way to go through college obtaining solid and constant B grades knowing you don't need more than that without having to study or work hard to do things better. I miss the incredibly exquisite Portnoy that wrote the drums for 6DOIT but oh well, his fans love that and will keep giving him money that will in exchange make him do even more collabs and whatnot.

This is spot-on. On their own, the parts are fine, but his drumming always sounds the same now regardless of the project he's playing in at the time. His drumming doesn't excite me or capture my attention at all...that stops after SDOIT.

[DoctorAction]

Any ideas where I'll be able to legally but the new album digitally in WAV or FLAC in thry UK? The only disc player i have now is on a laptop and all "serious" listening happens off SD card in my car. I can buy the disc and rip of course.

[jsbru]

The opening guitar pattern reminds me of Street Spirit (Fade Out) by Radiohead.

The first riff is exactly the melody of Street Spirit (Fade Out), with just a few of the fill notes different.

I'm sure there was no intentional copying, but it being so close is one of the only things that bothers me about this song.

Luckily, I'm a huge fan of FITL and Street Spirit.  In fact, I don't recall ever being so excited about a DT single since the early days.

[bill1971]

Yeah, MP became a quantity drummer instead of an innovative/quality one. He's putting out all of these albums, doing all of these collabs and just keeping himself as busy as he possibly can has had a direct influence over his playing. It doesn't get me as excited as it once did; because everytime I hear him I go like: "oh, it's Mike again being as Mike as he's always been, doing all these fills and tricks I know by heart."

His drumming is fine in all of these releases, or course, but it's more of the same everytime around. Its still enjoyable, but I really cannot remember when was the last time I was impressed or just had to pay close attention to MP's drum parts because of their genius. It's been quite some years, actually. It's as if you found a way to go through college obtaining solid and constant B grades knowing you don't need more than that without having to study or work hard to do things better. I miss the incredibly exquisite Portnoy that wrote the drums for 6DOIT but oh well, his fans love that and will keep giving him money that will in exchange make him do even more collabs and whatnot.

This is spot-on. On their own, the parts are fine, but his drumming always sounds the same now regardless of the project he's playing in at the time. His drumming doesn't excite me or capture my attention at all...that stops after SDOIT.

I agree as well. You're never going to get a bad MP part but it's always the same. Good point with quantity over quality. He seems very proud of how many bands he is in and how quickly each album is done. I'm sure it's a win win for him and the band he's drumming in. For one, his name sells albums, he's a great promoter and like I said he won't give you a bad performance, just redundant. It's a win for him because he can say all the different people he played with and how many bands. Plus him and Neal Morse are a good fit. Neal really seems very humble and MP looks up to and respects him.

[Dedalus]

Just a funny tidbit of angry DT fan trivia:

I've seen some of my friends who are/were into DT take a dive against this tune (and UA), saying they hate that it's a "more of the same they've been doing for years"; while praising with no end Neal Morse's most recent output.

I mean, nothing against good ole Neal. I've travelled internationally just to see the guy, but as much as I love him I kinda recognize (in the humblest of opinions) that he has been putting out the same album out for the past couple of years. Nothing has changed: the band, the studio, the composer, the music, the mix, the engineers etc. remain the same, as is the incredibly recognizable but kinda overdone Neal Morse musical stamp. Lots can be said against this opinion, like: "hey, but if I love A and B is very similar to A then that means that I'll love A and B equally!" but then again I think it's kinda unfair to say DT has fallen into that when clearly an album like The Astonishing marked a *clear* different path from what you've come to expect from the band.

I hope these thoughts didn't come out as confusing, but I felt like saying something about it.

Exactly. We have not yet heard the next Neal Morse Band album, but does anyone have any questions about how it will sound? I'm a big fan of Neal Morse, but it's been a while since he's in the automatic and can not get out of his comfort zone.
About Mike Portnoy, I agree too. His drumming is always fine, but not surprising anymore.

This issue of the fans being so hard / demanding with the DT, while praising MP / NM, indicate that the discussion is not as musical as they say, IMHO.

[Darkstarshades]

Yet I'm constantly amazed by many things MM does, which people don't seem to appreciate god knows why, like in Illumination Theory

[abydos]

Maybe doing a bunch of things is not always better than doing just a few things but doing them in a way to maximize their impact.

[lonestar]

Yet I'm constantly amazed by many things MM does, which people don't seem to appreciate god knows why, like in Illumination Theory

Right? He does do some mindblowing stuff. Guess some people's inability to let go of something old blind them from enjoying something new, shame for them, kind of feel bad tbh.

[jayvee3]

Yet I'm constantly amazed by many things MM does, which people don't seem to appreciate god knows why, like in Illumination Theory

Right? He does do some mindblowing stuff. Guess some people's inability to let go of something old blind them from enjoying something new, shame for them, kind of feel bad tbh.

Agreed. I'm no drumming connoisseur, but I love MM's style, rhythm and ability to compliment a song, or particular song section. While The Self Titled isn't a great mix, I was listening to some of his great drumming parts on The Looking Glass just the other day. Ripping stuff.

MP was great when he was with the band, but I really felt on his last few albums it was more about promoting other things, like all the 5/8 and Nugget business on 8V, and the special edition 3 cd's with all the cover songs on BCASL. The whole AA thing got to the point where I was kind of waiting for it to be over by the end too, but there were some great solos and sections amongst those 5 songs. Cool enough concepts and my hat off to putting things out there, but in my opinion just ended up as a bit of a mash and not as good as the albums that had real focus. I feel that with MM, they have been able to bring some nice focus back with each album.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Yet I'm constantly amazed by many things MM does, which people don't seem to appreciate god knows why, like in Illumination Theory

IT is his best work with DT  and my favorite song of this lineup.

[Adami]

Yet I'm constantly amazed by many things MM does, which people don't seem to appreciate god knows why, like in Illumination Theory

IT has some great drumming, no doubt. As do various sections of other songs.


For a lot of his fills that apparently make everyone in awe, all I hear is really fast rolls. And I say this as a drummer.

It's like Michael Romeo. His solos, for the most part, all sound the same to me. A guy going up down the neck really fast.

"Yea, but in THAT solo, he was doing Phrygian, and in THIS solo, he's doing half Lydian with the added 7th and then switching to Ionian!"

Don't care, sounds like runs up and down the neck.

[abydos]

Michael Romeo's solo on Dawn of a Million Souls, though... But yeah, I get it. I just happen to love the way his runs up and down the neck sound

[gmillerdrake]

Yet I'm constantly amazed by many things MM does, which people don't seem to appreciate god knows why, like in Illumination Theory

I know 'The Astonishing' is a very divided album....and, it's not one of my DT stalwarts.....BUT.....if you listen to that album with the sole purpose of just listening to MM it's utterly incredible what he does on that album. After I saw TA live and watched him play it....I went back and listened just to hear 'him' and it's pretty remarkable what he does on that album.

Actually, what he's done on all of them....but, TA really sticks out to me as a MM masterpiece.

[cramx3]

+1 on the MM love, he's really enjoyable to watch live and see how he does what he does, which I can only describe as incredible.  I love MP too, not a competition in my mind, both are awesome drummers.

[erwinrafael]

For a lot of his fills that apparently make everyone in awe, all I hear is really fast rolls. And I say this as a drummer.

I think most of us who like his drumming is in awe not of his fills. His strength is in orchestration. If one looks for fills, Mangini is not the man.