POLL: This Dying Soul vs. Panic Attack?

[WildRanger]

Which song do you like better and why?

[ReaperKK]

Panic Attack, it feels like a more concise song.

[Trav]

Panic Attack

[Volante99]

Tough call. I think they are both amongst the band's best "heavy" songs. They both are crushing. I think Id have to go with Dying Soul, mainly because of some pummeling drum work by Portnoy. Gotta say they are both about a minute too long, though.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Panic Attack is one of Dream Theater's very best mid length heavy songs. This Dying Soul is the worst of the five songs from the Twelve Step Suite.

[TAC]

This Dying Soul is the worst of the five songs from the Twelve Step Suite.

This Dying Soul is easily the best song of the Twelve Step Suite.

[gzarruk]

This Dying Soul is the worst of the five songs from the Twelve Step Suite.

This Dying Soul is easily the best song of the Twelve Step Suite.

The Glass Prison is probably the best of the bunch. TDS is good, but definitely longer than it should. Repentance is probably the worst

Voted Panic Attack, btw.

[Volante99]

Everything on ToT is a bit too long. But This Dying Soul is one of the most underrated songs in the DT discography. It's a top 20 DT song for me, easily.

[TAC]

The Glass Prison is probably the best of the bunch.

The Glass Prison has not aged well for me, comparing how I felt about it when it came out, to how I feel about it now.

But This Dying Soul is one of the most underrated songs in the DT discography. It's a top 20 DT song for me, easily.

[wolfking]

TDS.  Still my fav DT song.

[TAC]

TDS.  Still my fav DT song.

[TheCountOfNYC]

This Dying Soul is the worst of the five songs from the Twelve Step Suite.

This Dying Soul is easily the best song of the Twelve Step Suite.

For me it goes:

The Shattered Fortress
The Root of All Evil
Repentance
The Glass Prison
This Dying Soul

[TAC]

I mentioned that TGP has not aged very well for me, but TROAE has definitely aged well. I actually like the song now, and I never really cared for it.

[wolfking]

I mentioned that TGP has not aged very well for me, but TROAE has definitely aged well. I actually like the song now, and I never really cared for it.

I relate to this.  I was lukewarm on it initially but really enjoy it and see its purpose in the suite.

[Volante99]

The Root of All Evil is in their top 5 heavy hitters, maybe even tied with As I Am as their BEST straight forward heavy "metal" track.

I REALLY don't want to turn this into a Mike vs Mike thread but I feel like the band has a hard time pulling off convincing "metal" head banger songs since Portnoy left. Which is odd because I feel like this type of song is exactly where Mangini shines.

[pg1067]

You may as well have asked about Learning to Live against Repentance.

While Panic Attack isn't quite on the same level as LTL, there aren't many DT songs that I don't like better than TDS.  When I listen to TDS (which is pretty rarely), it gets about a minute from the end, and I get actively annoyed that the song isn't over yet.

[pg1067]

This Dying Soul is the worst of the five songs from the Twelve Step Suite.

This Dying Soul is easily the best song of the Twelve Step Suite.

For me it goes:

The Shattered Fortress
The Root of All Evil
Repentance
The Glass Prison
This Dying Soul

For me:

TROAE > TGP >>>>>>>>>> TSF >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> TDS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
about 50 more lines of this....
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Repentance

Repentance beat out New Millennium and The Great Debate as the worst DT album track, which is a heck of an accomplishment (not sure where I come out with respect to NM and TGD relative to each other).

[wolfking]

While I don't agree with you on TDS, I can agree with Repentance.  Never liked that one at all.

[Trav]

Repentance is easily they're worst song, to me.  I used to put TDS in the small group of their songs I don't like, however lately it's grown on me. Only took 18 years.

[TAC]

Even though Repentance is on my bottom third of DT songs, I don't not like it. I totally respect the song and what they were going for. It's actually really cool. The voiceovers were a great idea, and JP has an awesome solo in it.

[Trav]

Even though Repentance is on my bottom third of DT songs, I don't not like it. I totally respect the song and what they were going for. It's actually really cool. The voiceovers were a great idea, and JP has an awesome solo in it.

Yeah, I think of it the same way I do about The Best of Times. I respect them because of the personal meaning. There are a lot of good ideas that aren't executed well. They both have awesome guitar solos.

[Peter Mc]

Not much going for Repentance for me other than the guitar solo.  I get they needed to have a bit of a break though if they were going to play all the songs as one piece live.  As for the poll, it's TDS for me, Panic Attack is just too reminiscent of Muse, a band that I don't like at all.

[TAC]

Even though Repentance is on my bottom third of DT songs, I don't not like it. I totally respect the song and what they were going for. It's actually really cool. The voiceovers were a great idea, and JP has an awesome solo in it.

Yeah, I think of it the same way I do about The Best of Times. I respect them because of the personal meaning. There are a lot of good ideas that aren't executed well. They both have awesome guitar solos.

TBOT is actually one of my favorite DT tracks. Top 20.

[Madman Shepherd]

I liked Panic Attack immediately. It took a looooong time to like This Dying Soul. While I'm not one of those that constantly harps on the idea that DT sometimes has songs inspired by other bands, I have a tough time listening to Panic Attack now without thinking, "Yup, trying too hard to sound like Muse." I don't feel their other Muse-like song, Prophets of War, sounds that much like Muse either, or many of their other "inspired" songs.

So I prefer This Dying Soul.

[Trav]

I liked Panic Attack immediately. It took a looooong time to like This Dying Soul. While I'm not one of those that constantly harps on the idea that DT sometimes has songs inspired by other bands, I have a tough time listening to Panic Attack now without thinking, "Yup, trying too hard to sound like Muse." I don't feel their other Muse-like song, Prophets of War, sounds that much like Muse either, or many of their other "inspired" songs.

So I prefer This Dying Soul.

Do you have the same problem with Never Enough? Because that's the one that is just too much for me.

[TAC]

I love both Panic Attack and Never Enough.

[Trav]

I love both Panic Attack and Never Enough.

Nobody's perfect. 

[Madman Shepherd]

I liked Panic Attack immediately. It took a looooong time to like This Dying Soul. While I'm not one of those that constantly harps on the idea that DT sometimes has songs inspired by other bands, I have a tough time listening to Panic Attack now without thinking, "Yup, trying too hard to sound like Muse." I don't feel their other Muse-like song, Prophets of War, sounds that much like Muse either, or many of their other "inspired" songs.

So I prefer This Dying Soul.

Do you have the same problem with Never Enough? Because that's the one that is just too much for me.

Holy shit. I must be out of it because even though Panic Attack does have some Muse inspired parts, I was thinking of Never Enough. And yes, I do have a problem with that one (and most of 8V).

I still choose TDS.

[hefdaddy42]

This Dying Soul, because I don't like Panic Attack.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I love both Panic Attack and Never Enough.

Panic Attack is one of my very favorite Dream Theater songs, and you know what, I never had the same problem with Never Enough as everyone else. Sure musically it's a ripoff of Stockholm Syndrome, but it's a good ripoff. And I never had a problem with the lyrics either. They may come off a bit winey, but it's an interesting subject matter that most musicians would be afraid to address, and for what it's worth, Mike wasn't wrong about what he was writing.

[Dublagent66]

First you have a panic attack and then your fucking soul dies.  I like em in that order.  Doesn't really work the other way around.

[GasparXR]

Much prefer Panic Attack to This Dying Soul. TDS is probably one of my lesser favourite songs, mostly because I think it has a bit too much 'extra' at the end. Most of the song is fine, but I feel like JLB doesn't sound the best on it, except maybe for the "Now that you can see all you have done" part, especially on the Live at Budokan version. Meanwhile, Panic Attack is as concise as it needs to be without going overboard, and I just much prefer JLB's voice here, and the melodies are more memorable. It also happens to be the first DT song I ever heard. (At least I think... it was either that or Constant Motion. CM is also one of my least favourites though lol)