DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)

[gzarruk]

Usually my favorite DT albums are the ones with a lot of keyboard presence (SFAM, SDOIT, IAW, etc), so this sounds great

[Max Kuehnau]

Jordan mentioned in his stream yesterday, "We definitely upped it a notch sonically" in regards to the keyboards on the upcoming album, he hasn't told his tech what's coming yet.  It's going to be a lot of work getting it tour ready.  He also worked with JP and Jimmy T on a new lead sound using the Kronos and Neural DSP for a 'smoother and more focused' tone.

Good. Good.

[darkshade]

Usually my favorite DT albums are the ones with a lot of keyboard presence (SFAM, SDOIT, IAW, etc), so this sounds great

Agreed, and throw Awake and Octavarium in there, as well as the 2nd half of BC&SL. ToT is not keyboard heavy but that one is one of my faves and is the exception.
ADTOE is also the strongest Mangini-era album imo as well, and no surprise, is the most keyboard dominated of the last 4 albums.

[kirksnosehair]

They make ADTOE Part 2 I'll be one happy camper.  That album slays 

[evilasiojr]

They make ADTOE Part 2 I'll be one happy camper.  That album slays 

Don't know exactly what you meant by Part 2 here, but I completely love ADToE and would love an album on that vein again!!

[MirrorMask]

Of that album I crave most the diversity.

DT12 was about short songs, with the single epic thrown in.

The Astonishing was one of a kind and a rock opera.

Distance Over Time was about being "back to normal" and so it was heavier and shorter stuff with the mandatory ballad.

This time give me once again an "anything goes" album, three epics, three ballads, three whatever they feel like doing!

[Max Kuehnau]

They make ADTOE Part 2 I'll be one happy camper.  That album slays 

I hope so, but 10x more difficult.

[Peter Mc]

I get what you're all saying, but it's not like Jordan always hypes every DT album as "the best we've ever done", I think his excitement is genuine here.

It's quite the opposite with MP, who has arguably released the best album of his career about 4-5 times in the last decade (according to him, of course)

Be fair: in a couple cases, he's been right.

Just out of curiosity, what albums released in the last decade do you consider to be the best two albums in his entire career?  Not asking to be a dick or to argue, we're all entitled to our opinion.  Genuinely interested in what you think are MP's best two albums.

[illusionist]

Oh wow...JR actually spent the time to work on his sounds and create new ones.

This album is not going to sound like anything we've heard from JR before in Dream Theater. Now that has me excited to hear his new tones and sounds and how those will change the way the music of Dream Theater sounds.

Even before Jordan's info about his keys sounds,i was excited about the new album.
The lack of info about it (and i don't mean MM quote about relentless energy and JR info about his different sounds) has me thinking about SFAM.
We had so little information about it prior to its release,that when it finally came out it caught us all off guard.
Plus,the fact that JP and JR reunited with MM for LTE sessions must have inspired them a lot and brought some fresh air into their writing process.
Also,it is their first album written and recorded in their new HQ,JP used an 8 string guitar for the first time and they had all the time they needed
to work with patience and make the best album possible.
Not to mention that the whole pandemic thing must have been a huge inspiration for them.
And we don't even talk about LTE3,that is about to be released (and which is most likely to be a masterpiece,as their 2 previous albums)
Seems that some fresh air blew in DT's camp!

[Dedalus]

The post-Portnoy track record doesn't leave me with high expectations.

I'm shocked.

[krands85]

Usually my favorite DT albums are the ones with a lot of keyboard presence (SFAM, SDOIT, IAW, etc), so this sounds great

This, except sub ADTOE for SDOIT.

ToT is not keyboard heavy but that one is one of my faves and is the exception.
ADTOE is also the strongest Mangini-era album imo as well, and no surprise, is the most keyboard dominated of the last 4 albums.

They make ADTOE Part 2 I'll be one happy camper.  That album slays 

Yup 

[Learning2Live]

I get what you're all saying, but it's not like Jordan always hypes every DT album as "the best we've ever done", I think his excitement is genuine here.

It's quite the opposite with MP, who has arguably released the best album of his career about 4-5 times in the last decade (according to him, of course)

Be fair: in a couple cases, he's been right.

Just out of curiosity, what albums released in the last decade do you consider to be the best two albums in his entire career?  Not asking to be a dick or to argue, we're all entitled to our opinion.  Genuinely interested in what you think are MP's best two albums.

At least for me, if we're limiting to just the last decade or so, I'd say The Whirlwind and Similitude would be the 2.

[gzarruk]

Usually my favorite DT albums are the ones with a lot of keyboard presence (SFAM, SDOIT, IAW, etc), so this sounds great

This, except sub ADTOE for SDOIT.

I forgot ADTOE on my list, but it definitely fits in there

They make ADTOE Part 2 I'll be one happy camper.  That album slays 

I hope so, but 10x more difficult.

Well, MM did say there were some insane polyrhythms in DT15

I get what you're all saying, but it's not like Jordan always hypes every DT album as "the best we've ever done", I think his excitement is genuine here.

It's quite the opposite with MP, who has arguably released the best album of his career about 4-5 times in the last decade (according to him, of course)

Be fair: in a couple cases, he's been right.

Just out of curiosity, what albums released in the last decade do you consider to be the best two albums in his entire career?  Not asking to be a dick or to argue, we're all entitled to our opinion.  Genuinely interested in what you think are MP's best two albums.

At least for me, if we're limiting to just the last decade or so, I'd say The Whirlwind and Similitude would be the 2.

The Whirlwind was released in 2009.

[bosk1]

^Probably the only year where, interestingly enough, I can say that MP put out a better album outside of DT than he did with DT (although I ranked BCSL my #1 and TW #2 at the time). 

[Peter Mc]

I get what you're all saying, but it's not like Jordan always hypes every DT album as "the best we've ever done", I think his excitement is genuine here.

It's quite the opposite with MP, who has arguably released the best album of his career about 4-5 times in the last decade (according to him, of course)

Be fair: in a couple cases, he's been right.

Just out of curiosity, what albums released in the last decade do you consider to be the best two albums in his entire career?  Not asking to be a dick or to argue, we're all entitled to our opinion.  Genuinely interested in what you think are MP's best two albums.

At least for me, if we're limiting to just the last decade or so, I'd say The Whirlwind and Similitude would be the 2.

I would also guess that TSOAD would be one (not for me personally but I know some consider it to be up there).  The Whirlwind though is more than a decade ago.  I think the comment was more to do with Mike's post DT releases during the last decade, not earlier stuff whilst he was still in DT.  I may be mistaken but I think Stads is a big fan of Flying Colors so perhaps this would be in there.  I don't recall MP declaring either of those FC albums as the best of his career though.

It's cool though that, all these years in, Mike is still releasing stuff that people rate as career high points  for him.  Not for me but it's great that others enjoy his stuff on that level.  My MP highlights would probably be I&W and SFAM with an outside shout for BAF so nothing too recent.  He's still put out some great stuff since then with DT, TA and NMB but nothing to quite hit those heights for me.

[TheRich13]

Is it confirmed that the album title will be DT15 ? , or just for discussion purposes till title info is released?
Thanks !

[Max Kuehnau]

Just for our personal reference. I'll update the thread with the actual album title once it will be known.

[darkshade]

What if the new album is self-titled again??

[MirrorMask]

What if the new album is self-titled again??

What even would be the sense of it and how would we distinguish them?

[Kotowboy]

DT12 DT15

[Max Kuehnau]

What if the new album is self-titled again??

What even would be the sense of it and how would we distinguish them?

well, Weather Report had two self titled studio albums in their discography (their first and their tenth, in 1971 and 1982 respectively). I refer to DT's self titled album as DT12. (and I'm sure most here do as well). Why did WR do it? I don't know.

[hefdaddy42]

Is it confirmed that the album title will be DT15 ? , or just for discussion purposes till title info is released?
Thanks !

Hmmmmm...

[Max Kuehnau]

Is it confirmed that the album title will be DT15 ? , or just for discussion purposes till title info is released?
Thanks !

Hmmmmm...

it seems I preempted you there, very sorry. I always refer to DT albums in the making like that. (always did too)

[hefdaddy42]

Is it confirmed that the album title will be DT15 ? , or just for discussion purposes till title info is released?
Thanks !

Hmmmmm...

it seems I preempted you there, very sorry. I always refer to DT albums in the making like that. (always did too)

No reason to be sorry.  Just seems like a strange question.

[Kotowboy]

  I'd love if they revealed the Official title as " DT 15 ".

[darkshade]

The album could be called "Fifteen", so wouldn't be self-titled, but may still be referred to as "DT15".

[Dedalus]

What if the new album is self-titled again??

What even would be the sense of it and how would we distinguish them?

Self-title and Self-title part II. 

[geeeemo]

DT:B

[CDrice]

With JP using an 8 string guitar on the new album, everyone is expecting some mean and heavy 8string riffage. But I had this random thought that what if he decides to troll us hard and the track where he uses it is a soft mellow song where he uses rich extended chord voicings with a clean sound. It's probably not going to be the case, but I thought it would be funny 

[Skeever]

With JP using an 8 string guitar on the new album, everyone is expecting some mean and heavy 8string riffage. But I had this random thought that what if he decides to troll us hard and the track where he uses it is a soft mellow song where he uses rich extended chord voicings with a clean sound. It's probably not going to be the case, but I thought it would be funny 

I was hoping it was a sign he was moving into some more contemporary techniques like the Tosin Abaai stuff. We've never heard much of that from him and I would rather hear them go there than to go into Meshuggah territory.

[IDontNotDoThings]

inb4 he uses an 8 string guitar without ever playing the lowest string

[Ben_Jamin]

With JP using an 8 string guitar on the new album, everyone is expecting some mean and heavy 8string riffage. But I had this random thought that what if he decides to troll us hard and the track where he uses it is a soft mellow song where he uses rich extended chord voicings with a clean sound. It's probably not going to be the case, but I thought it would be funny 

Like using it as a texture, for the Rhythm that you can't tell is there because it's layered with the Keys. 

[Kotowboy]

inb4 he uses an 8 string guitar without ever playing the lowest string

So the opposite of why most people use them !

[kirksnosehair]

As long as he doesn't go off the deep end with an album full of 8-string djent-styled riffing.  I can take a song or two in that style, but an entire album?  ugh

[JediKnight1969]

Mangini interview

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/mike-mangini-says-he-was-way-more-involved-in-making-of-dream-theaters-upcoming-album/

"the songs are lengthy."

THANK YOU.