Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[Ben_Jamin]

Oh, I get it. This is the same tired old argument that any use of technology, however minimal, is somehow less "real". I'll pass on engaging in this one as we already disagree.

Even on the Systematic Chaos Behind The Scenes documentary, JLB was vocal about being a dry vocals with no reverb... He even called Portnoy "Dry Man" because Portnoy dialed the reverb down too much. 


Here's the clip...
https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxQeP4XXdgrT3Q8awRk__NwCszLH4OadkZ?si=eb5ylzleVcs_ptXX

[Trav]

If I have a controversial opinion about the album, it's that I have somewhat mixed feelings on At Wit's End. I feel like the intro and outro are two of the best things the band have ever done, but everything in-between I kind of have to grind through. It's ultimately more than worth it because the outro is God Tier but there's something about the vocal melodies in the middle that I'm not a huge fan of.

I agree with this. That ending is amazing, and I think James did a great job with the lyrics. He seems to always touch on things that are very different than the other lyricists. But yeah, I feel like I'm usually just listening and waiting for the ending section to come.

[Pettor]

This is the best MM era album for me. There's a couple of weak moments (UA, Room 137) but overall the album feels really special. The mix and reverby sound just does something. Filled with great gratifying songs and melodies. AWE till the end of PBD is just an amazing stretch of music.

One remark about this album. How come they didn't use BW as a single? It's such a great song and obviously it's one of their most played songs from the MM era. It just feels like a song they should have highlighted. The singles will always have more plays and be shared compared to the other songs on the albums.

I understand letting the fans hear on the actual album was a nice surprise but damn, they had everything in this one. If this was the first single I would have jumped around like a small child on Christmas. UA was such a "meh".

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

It's a beautiful album. Concise and straight to the point. Not every song is a home run but there are no duds.

I'll write my ode to it on its anniversary, when we can have a proper moment of remembrance. I don't suppose DT social media will acknowledge it but I will here.

[DTiwbwMP]

After TA, ANYTHING would've sounded good, but as far as a catalogue album, it's VERY MEDIOCRE!

[macneil]

I like DOT as it feels like it wasn't overthought,they just got in there and put together a solid collection of good to great songs. Nothing overly long that outstays it's welcome either. I suspect both of these approaches were in response to the reaction to the previous album. I got back into the band fairly strongly when this album came out as I had sort of faded away from them for a time.

For me ADTOE I think ultimately is still the strongest of the MM-era, but DOT is a close second.

[Max Kuehnau]

It's a beautiful album. Concise and straight to the point. Not every song is a home run but there are no duds.

I'll write my ode to it on its anniversary, when we can have a proper moment of remembrance. I don't suppose DT social media will acknowledge it but I will here.

John described it to be a good album to work out to at the time it came out. Made me laugh for some reasons.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I like DOT as it feels like it wasn't overthought,they just got in there and put together a solid collection of good to great songs. Nothing overly long that outstays it's welcome either. I suspect both of these approaches were in response to the reaction to the previous album. I got back into the band fairly strongly when this album came out as I had sort of faded away from them for a time.

For me ADTOE I think ultimately is still the strongest of the MM-era, but DOT is a close second.

This is pretty much how I feel about it. ADTOE is top and DOT is not far behind.

[Wim Kruithof]

I'll write my ode to it on its anniversary, when we can have a proper moment of remembrance. I don't suppose DT social media will acknowledge it but I will here.

Really looking forward to your ode BarstoolWarrior.

After TA, ANYTHING would've sounded good, but as far as a catalogue album, it's VERY MEDIOCRE!

Even in bold and capital letters I can't figure out what 'very mediocre!' means to you.

Because middle-tier Dream Theater records to me, still are astonishing and beautiful. I even consider the least of their studioalbums to be very good. They're all in the range of very good to wonderful.

[Northern Lion]

I'm glad this thread was bumped.  As time has gone by, D/T has become more and more enjoyable to me.  Upon release, I liked it a lot, but I felt like it was a step down from TA (and I know plenty disagree). But now, it has become one of my favorites to listen to in the MM era.

The only songs on this album that I don't care for all that much are:
Untethered Angel
Room 137
Viper King

Paralyzed I think is good but not great, however I rarely skip it.  The rest are awesome.  And, in my view Fall Into the Light and At Wit's End are modern classics.

I also really love the album cover.

[Max Kuehnau]

I'm glad this thread was bumped.  As time has gone by, D/T has become more and more enjoyable to me.  Upon release, I liked it a lot, but I felt like it was a step down from TA (and I know plenty disagree). But now, it has become one of my favorites to listen to in the MM era.

The only songs on this album that I don't care for all that much are:
Untethered Angel
Room 137
Viper King

Paralyzed I think is good but not great, however I rarely skip it.  The rest are awesome.  And, in my view Fall Into the Light and At Wit's End are modern classics.

I also really love the album cover.

yeah. Shakespearean. "Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well, Horatio"
Your post also will show (anyone who might be in doubt that is) how consistent MM era DT is

[Max Kuehnau]

Really looking forward to your ode BarstoolWarrior.

Even in bold and capital letters I can't figure out what 'very mediocre!' means to you.

Because middle-tier Dream Theater records to me, still are astonishing and beautiful. I even consider the least of their studioalbums to be very good. They're all in the range of very good to wonderful.

I could see if he meant the album to be a mediocre MM era album (which it is, as compared to the other four, to me anyway, that lineup's FII as it were. I rarely ever come back to it.). The difference is (IMHO) that FII is just horrible and D/T is still quite listenable despite all its aspects that don't go over well with me. I guess that's not what he meant to say though, to be honest 

[Dream Team]

I'm glad this thread was bumped.  As time has gone by, D/T has become more and more enjoyable to me.  Upon release, I liked it a lot, but I felt like it was a step down from TA (and I know plenty disagree). But now, it has become one of my favorites to listen to in the MM era.

The only songs on this album that I don't care for all that much are:
Untethered Angel
Room 137
Viper King

Paralyzed I think is good but not great, however I rarely skip it.  The rest are awesome.  And, in my view Fall Into the Light and At Wit's End are modern classics.

I also really love the album cover.

I totally agree Untethered Angel, Paralyzed, and Room 137 are the only weak songs and the rest is really good. VK is a bonus track. Too bad 2 of those tracks open the album.

[jayvee3]

I think this is a brilliant and underrated album, which has also aged particularly well. Other than a couple of mid songs (UA, 137), I think it is full of terrific tunes, with FITL, BW, S2N, AWE, OOR and PBD being bloody fantastic. One of my very favourite albums that I think some brushed over a bit as it was the follow up to the divisive The Astonishing....

[BeatriceNB]

At the time it came out, I probably listened +30 times, maybe more, I can't remember. My last.fm (ew, why did I use that?) account had like 30 plays for my least played song, I think.
Never listened to it again. I will echo Max in it being MM-era's Falling Into Infinity, and like that one, I tend to forget it exists.

The non-layered, jam-y vibe of the album contrasts a lot with the overproduced mix, which I think does a disservice to the music; but I get why it was done like that.

If there was an isolated drums version of the album, I would listen to it instead, because the drums are amazing throughout the record.

[gzarruk]

If there was an isolated drums version of the album, I would listen to it instead, because the drums are amazing throughout the record.

This is the only one available, I think

[Schurftkut]

you can just use AI for whatever version of a track you want. I use Stem Splitter in Logic Pro, love the new tech making things like this easy as hell, with good quality.

[evilasiojr]

Just gave this album a spin after quite some time, very solid album! The mix was a pleasant "old surprise"

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Dear forum members,

It was on this day 6 years ago when band of the theater of dreams released an album containing the three most beautiful words in the dictionary: Distance Over Time

A pirate, a wizard, a ninja, and a muscle man rented a cabin in the woods where they summoned a Genie to enchant them with wondrous sounds. After eighteen days and nights of labor, they birthed this progressive metal masterpiece: the return after the detour that was the Astonishing, the first album to incorporate the songwriting prowess of a rhythmic genius (who also identifies as an octopus genie), the escalator to the view from the top of the world. 

Distance Over Time proudly showcases all of the different sides of Dream Theater. It is dark and heavy (R137, P, AWE, FITL) but it's also melodious and progressive (OOR, BSW). It is direct and even playful (S2N, VK). And despite the songs' short length it's also a seminar in technicality (UA, PBD). It still boggles my mind that in their 50s, these beautiful bastards upped their game another 5% from the previous album. Enjoy all!

[Wim Kruithof]

Dear forum members,

It was on this day 6 years ago when band of the theater of dreams released an album containing the three most beautiful words in the dictionary: Distance Over Time

A pirate, a wizard, a ninja, and a muscle man rented a cabin in the woods where they summoned a Genie to enchant them with wondrous sounds. After eighteen days and nights of labor, they birthed this progressive metal masterpiece: the return after the detour that was the Astonishing, the first album to incorporate the songwriting prowess of a rhythmic genius (who also identifies as an octopus genie), the escalator to the view from the top of the world. 

Distance Over Time proudly showcases all of the different sides of Dream Theater. It is dark and heavy (R137, P, AWE, FITL) but it's also melodious and progressive (OOR, BSW). It is direct and even playful (S2N, VK). And despite the songs' short length it's also a seminar in technicality (UA, PBD). It still boggles my mind that in their 50s, these beautiful bastards upped their game another 5% from the previous album. Enjoy all!

Very nice ode Barstool, with only one critical touch; I wish it was a little longer. Distance Over Time I re-visit not that often and sometimes it's very helpful to read other ones thoughts on it.

I became a Dream Theater fan only not that long before the Distance Over Time release... and since then they're going uphil.

- Distance Over Time, great
- A View from the Top, very great
- Parasomnia, wonderful

But I'll never forget my first Distance Over Time spin... because it was the first time a new album came out. All others I was digesting when it already was released.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Very nice ode Barstool, with only one critical touch; I wish it was a little longer. Distance Over Time I re-visit not that often and sometimes it's very helpful to read other ones thoughts on it.

I became a Dream Theater fan only not that long before the Distance Over Time release... and since then they're going uphil.

- Distance Over Time, great
- A View from the Top, very great
- Parasomnia, wonderful

But I'll never forget my first Distance Over Time spin... because it was the first time a new album came out. All others I was digesting when it already was released.

What an interesting time to become a DT fan! Lots of musical changes happening at the time.

[Wim Kruithof]

What an interesting time to become a DT fan! Lots of musical changes happening at the time.

It really was... and for months I took a very deep dive into all these studio albums. I feel blessed that I live in a prog-nation where Dream Theater tours a lot. I've seen them already 7 times since I became a fan.

What's interesting to me is that I've discovered all those old classics and can appreciate them without the bias of 'good old times, where all these memories are intertwined'. And although I listen to Images & Words and Awake the same as all these new albums, they still are amongst my most beloved ones.

But the funny thing is, each album I haven't visit a while and then re-visit, immediately grows huge on me. Then I'm like, 'gosh, I've given the selftitled way too little time, I need to dive into that one much more'. And then a few weeks later the same thing will happen with Octavarium or Systematic Chaos. There is just so much to discover in all these pearls, I keep on coming back.

In the other thread I red KevSchmev wrote he doesn't listen to Dream Theater that much anymore. To me the exact opposite happened. About 99,5% of my music is Dream Theater only.

[Northern Lion]

Very nice ode Barstool, with only one critical touch; I wish it was a little longer. Distance Over Time I re-visit not that often and sometimes it's very helpful to read other ones thoughts on it.

I became a Dream Theater fan only not that long before the Distance Over Time release... and since then they're going uphil.

- Distance Over Time, great
- A View from the Top, very great
- Parasomnia, wonderful

But I'll never forget my first Distance Over Time spin... because it was the first time a new album came out. All others I was digesting when it already was released.

That initial discovery period after becoming a new DT fan is wonderful.  I'll never forget mine.  And I wish I could go back and relive it.  For me, I became a fan just after ADToE came out.  Hearing On the Backs of Angels for the first time absolutely blew my mind.

[WardySI]

Cool read.  Does make me feel old when read people discovered bands such as DT with their more recent albums.  That said, it says an awful lot about the quality of their later-day albums for those to be pulling in new fans.

Never missed a release and Octavarium was cool but tbh I lost my way with a lot of Dream Theater's releases for a while during the 00's.  Didn't mind ADTOE (tbh only added the CD to my collection recently) but it was their Self-Titled that finally won me back in a big way, and while Astonishing wasn't quite so hot, have enjoyed everything since.

Distance Over Time however was on another level.  For me it had everything and it's lost absolutely nothing these past years.  Is probably my go-to of all their post 00 records, and yes expect that will remain regardless my love of their latest album

Lots of love for DOT, thanks for posting

[Northern Lion]

I was listening to this album, and I realized it has some of my favorite "shorter" DT songs on it.

Paralyzed
Fall Into the Light
Barstool Warrior
S2N
Out of Reach

I really love all these songs that fall under the shorter side of DT's catalog.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I was listening to this album, and I realized it has some of my favorite "shorter" DT songs on it.

Paralyzed
Fall Into the Light
Barstool Warrior
S2N
Out of Reach

I really love all these songs that fall under the shorter side of DT's catalog.

They really did some amazing short bangers during the Mangini-era. I feel that's an area that they really got better at during those years.

[emtee]

This version of DT...more concise, shorter songs, is a version I like VERY much.

[Mark Levinson Jr.]

I love the whole vibe of them living at the house for the summer and reuniting "as a band" after only JP and JR wrote TA. I thought that energy really shined through. That "bonus" of the original sessions at the end of Wit's End is so cool. I'd love to hear all the songwriting / jam sessions. Maybe a Lost Not Forgotten archive LP?

Plus I have fantasies of hanging out with the band and eating JP's BBQ chicken!

[Samsara]

This version of DT...more concise, shorter songs, is a version I like VERY much.

I love Distance Over Time. The album got me interested in DT again. The tour was great, as was the band and Labrie's respective performances of both SFAM and the regular set. If I am being honest, Distance Over Time is probably my favorite DT record after the 90s output.

Images
Awake
FII
SFAM
DoT

the rest

There's a vibe on Distance Over Time that just really connects with me.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

There are also some insanely good performances on that DVD. At wits end, Pale Blue Dot come to mind. I know there's always some editing but I love that show.

[Samsara]

There are also some insanely good performances on that DVD. At wits end, Pale Blue Dot come to mind. I know there's always some editing but I love that show.

Which DVD?

[TAC]

Which DVD?

I'm assuming he's thinking Distant Memories.

[Samsara]

I'm assuming he's thinking Distant Memories.

Oh, right. I have it and forgot all about it. I'll have to fire it up soon.

[wolfking]

I really loved this album from the get go. Really enjoyed the shorter songs on this one and it has some of JP's best guitar playing IMO.

[Grappler]

I love Distance Over Time. The album got me interested in DT again. The tour was great, as was the band and Labrie's respective performances of both SFAM and the regular set. If I am being honest, Distance Over Time is probably my favorite DT record after the 90s output.

Images
Awake
FII
SFAM
DoT

the rest

There's a vibe on Distance Over Time that just really connects with me.

I feel the same way about DOT.  I never got into the first two albums with Mangini, aside from a few songs on each.  The Astonishing was not my thing at all and I didn't even buy the album.  But DOT really sucked me back in, and I think it's because the band brought the heaviness back.

As for your list above, I'd probably rank them this way:

Images
Awake
Train of Thought
DOT
FII
SFAM
Disc 1 of Six Degrees

I think TOT and 6D belong in the list too, but DOT is certainly up there with the classic 90's output of the band.