Least Favorite 3 Album Stretch?

[ThatOneGuy2112]

Interested to know what your least favorite 3 album streak is.

Personally, I'd have to go with SC -> BC&SL -> ADTOE

I do like ADTOE, but the former two are among the weakest albums in their discography. I had considered ADTOE -> DT12 -> TA as well (TA is my least favorite DT album), but I think the former two are a lot more consistent than the two that came before them.

[Samsara]

Octavarium - SC - BC&SL

[Cool Chris]

Octavarium - SC - BC&SL

Probably mine too. Definitely my least listened to three album stretch.

[LKap13]

BC&SL, ADTOE, DT12

[SuperTaco]

SC, BC&SL, ADTOE.

[Lonk]

We are really going to milk this "3 straight" topic ah.

[Cool Chris]

Favorite stretch of DT keyboardists.

Favorite stretch of Spinal Tap drummers.

[Bertielee]

Octavarium - SC - BC&SL

Probably mine too. Definitely my least listened to three album stretch.

The same for me.

B.Lee

[ThatOneGuy2112]

We are really going to milk this "3 straight" topic ah.

Favorite stretch of prog metal concept albums where the protagonist is in a coma and travels through worlds representing different parts of his mind

[lovethedrake]

SC, BC&SL, ADTOE

[KevShmev]

Octavarium - SC - BC&SL

Yep, this.

[Phoenix87x]

Octavarium - SC - BC&SL

Mine too.

[MirrorMask]

I'll join too, but Octavarium is dragged down by the other two, I like the album. Maybe I should pair those two with Dramatic but it's a good album as well.

[LKap13]

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people listing octavarium here

[SuperTaco]

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people listing octavarium here

Me too. It contains the best song they've ever made. I think that part of this may be because some people simply enjoy ADTOE more than 8VM. SC and BC&SL are consistently among these lists though.

[jayvee3]

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people listing octavarium here

Me too. It contains the best song they've ever made. I think that part of this may be because some people simply enjoy ADTOE more than 8VM. SC and BC&SL are consistently among these lists though.

Easy. 8V, SC, BCASL.

Giving some insight on 8V: to be honest, I actually prefer SC to 8V. I can't speak for others, but where I struggle with 8V, is that it has a good title track, but it's not my favourite as much as other songs in the catalogue, or ranked as highly as many others. Then that leaves me with the rest of the album that has a few nice points, but nothing particularly brilliant. SS is cool enough, PA would be great if a little more concise. But some other tracks are fairly 'meh' for me and I rarely find myself revisiting it much as a whole.

[Dedalus]

ToT-8V-SC-BC&SL 

[SuperTaco]

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people listing octavarium here

Me too. It contains the best song they've ever made. I think that part of this may be because some people simply enjoy ADTOE more than 8VM. SC and BC&SL are consistently among these lists though.

Easy. 8V, SC, BCASL.

Giving some insight on 8V: to be honest, I actually prefer SC to 8V. I can't speak for others, but where I struggle with 8V, is that it has a good title track, but it's not my favourite as much as other songs in the catalogue, or ranked as highly as many others. Then that leaves me with the rest of the album that has a few nice points, but nothing particularly brilliant. SS is cool enough, PA would be great if a little more concise. But some other tracks are fairly 'meh' for me and I rarely find myself revisiting it much as a whole.

I completely understand that. From my perspective, 8VM has a general "sound" throughout the whole album that I will always love and appreciate. The vocal effects, softer production, and the styles they adapted... It created an atmosphere that I will never tire of. To me it has a very "timeless" sound. There's no way I could leave it out of my top 3, much less put it in the bottom 3.

[Dream Team]

TOT-OV-SC

The 3 albums combined have about 2-3 total songs that I ever listen to.

[jayvee3]

I'm honestly surprised to see so many people listing octavarium here

Me too. It contains the best song they've ever made. I think that part of this may be because some people simply enjoy ADTOE more than 8VM. SC and BC&SL are consistently among these lists though.

Easy. 8V, SC, BCASL.

Giving some insight on 8V: to be honest, I actually prefer SC to 8V. I can't speak for others, but where I struggle with 8V, is that it has a good title track, but it's not my favourite as much as other songs in the catalogue, or ranked as highly as many others. Then that leaves me with the rest of the album that has a few nice points, but nothing particularly brilliant. SS is cool enough, PA would be great if a little more concise. But some other tracks are fairly 'meh' for me and I rarely find myself revisiting it much as a whole.

I completely understand that. From my perspective, 8VM has a general "sound" throughout the whole album that I will always love and appreciate. The vocal effects, softer production, and the styles they adapted... It created an atmosphere that I will never tire of. To me it has a very "timeless" sound. There's no way I could leave it out of my top 3, much less put it in the bottom 3.

I definitely agree that 8V has a great general sound and for so many different track styles, is cohesive and comes together nicely. The whole 5/8 thing was a nice touch, and almost felt like a "mini" concept album. Just too many flat spots for me, and I think it hasn't aged as well for me as others. But that's why I love this band so much - they have a range of styles and albums where there is something for everyone's tastes. And the funny thing is, I may not listen to it that much in relation to the rest of their catalogue. But I'd listen to it a million times before most other music. Just the magic that is Dream Theater

[adamack]

I really hate to say it, but mine is their 3 latest. I hate having to put ADToE in that category because I love it, but DT12 didn't age well for me, and I don't find myself revisiting TA much.

Though I must say something about TA. Somewhere in those 2 discs is a top 6-ish DT album for me. With most albums that have a lot of filler songs, I would promptly make my own mix of favorite songs from the album, and just listen to those. But TA being a concept album makes this really hard to do. It becomes very disjointed and the songs don't hold up as well on their own.

This is a topic for a past thread but in hindsight, I just wish they had made it one disc, cut down the ballads, and cut out some of the cheese. And it would be incredible! Rant over sorry

[adamack]

My favorite stretch of favorite stretch topic ideas goes to:

Favorite stretch of DT keyboardists
Favorite stretch of Spinal Tap drummers
Favorite stretch of prog metal concept albums where the protagonist is in a coma and travels through worlds representing different parts of his mind

[erciccio]

Octavarium - SC - BC&SL

Octavarium is almost a cover-band album...there is close to 0% "real" Dream Theater in there.
Even the title track IMHO is for the most part a tribute to other bands, and while there are certainly nice parts I think it's way too long.
Only "The Razor's Edge" section is really beautiful and touching.

[Addy]

8VM - SC - BCSL

Octavarium is a masterpiece of a song. I'd be fine with the rest of it not even existing though.

SC - it's funny. It's the first album that I waited for as a new fan, so I'm a bit sentimental. But same as 8VM, it has one song I really enjoy, and the rest doesn't really do much for me.

BCSL - well... ANTR is cool, but cookie monster and lyrics wreck it. TROP and Wither don't do much. TSF sounds good only in the context of the rest of the 12 Step Suite. The remaining songs are also ruined by the lyrics IMO.

[Zydar]

8VM - SC - BCSL

[dream75]

Octavarium - SC - BCSL

[Nekov]

TOT-OV-SC

I thought I was going to be alone with this one

[erciccio]

TOT-OV-SC

I thought I was going to be alone with this one

If I had to pick up f4 I would go for TOT-OV-SC-BCSL, but sticking to 3 for me ToT>BCSL just for In the Name of God, that I love.
But they are close.

[Art]

Not a dig at the band, but ADTOE/DT12/TA. (though i like ADTOE and DT12, TA is really not my thing).

I thing D/T will change this tide.

[kaos2900]

Interested to know what your least favorite 3 album streak is.

Personally, I'd have to go with SC -> BC&SL -> ADTOE

I do like ADTOE, but the former two are among the weakest albums in their discography. I had considered ADTOE -> DT12 -> TA as well (TA is my least favorite DT album), but I think the former two are a lot more consistent than the two that came before them.

This. SC and BC&SL are among the weakest DT albums. I enjoy ADTOE but the bad production definitely limits my enjoyment.

[mikeyd23]

8V - SC - BC&SL

Pains me to say, but those are mine, 8V has aged super well with me, but SC and BC&SL not so much.

[pg1067]

SC and BC&SL and either 8VA or ADTOE.  I quite like both 8VA and ADTOE, but SC/BC&SL is the only place in DT's history where they released what are, for me, consecutive bottom 5 albums.

[Freeze]

SC, BC&SL, ADTOE

This is mine as well.

[Lethean]

I guess I'll also have to go with Octavarium-Black Clouds, or maybe ToT-Sc. 

I like all four of those albums, but SC is my least favorite and least played (other than the debut).  Octavarium is great but I like ADTOE better.  So it's between Black Clouds and Train of Thought.  Hmm.  The Count of Tuscany might be enough to give that one the edge.  On the other hand The Best of Times is probably my least favorite song on the two albums.  I don't know.  It's one of those two stretches.  Maybe I'll say Octavarium-Black Clouds.

[jakepriest]

Either one of these two:
I&W - Awake - FII
ADToE - DT12 - TA

I love I&W but never listen to Awake or FII.
I love ADToE but never listen to DT12 or TA anymore.