Parasomnia Timeline Thread

[TAC]

Ok, Is it safe to say this is their most anticipated album in their career aside from Awake?

Not for me. I was way more anticipating the unknown of ADTOE than I am for this. I expect this to be good but certainly not unfamiliar.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Ok, Is it safe to say this is their most anticipated album in their career aside from Awake?

I'd imagine the level of sheer anticipation is about as high as it's ever been. I have only been a fan since 2005 but in that time, only ADTOE compares.

[Glasser]

Not for me. I was way more anticipating the unknown of ADTOE than I am for this. I expect this to be good but certainly not unfamiliar.

I'm curious to see if the chemistry is still there. I think if Moore returned it would change the game for sure! But that's probably just me.

[Jamesman42]

Not for me. I was way more anticipating the unknown of ADTOE than I am for this. I expect this to be good but certainly not unfamiliar.

Same for me. We even got a new LTE album so we know the chemistry can still be there.

[gzarruk]

Imagine having all this excitement build up and then they end up releasing SC/BC&SL pt. 2


(I'm joking, but there's always the chance...)

[Jamesman42]

Both of those albums have excellent songs but were disappoints on the whole after that wonderful string of albums from SDOIT through 8VM, so I hope not but that wouldn't be the worst, either.

[Glasser]

SC has some absolutely incredible moments but some dead weight as well.. I'm not a fan of Portnoy singing at all. I'm begging them to let James handle all of the vocals on the new one.

[hefdaddy42]

Imagine having all this excitement build up and then they end up releasing SC/BC&SL pt. 2

Please no

[Kocak]

I'm hoping for more of a JM-MP cooperation when it comes to the rhythm section this time.

[TAC]

Imagine having all this excitement build up and then they end up releasing SC/BC&SL pt. 2

Oddly two albums that JP featured quite regularly in post MP setlists.

[cramx3]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised, it's a style that I feel like DT with MP might really aim after. 

I quite like BC&SL though.  Not saying I want an album like that again, I would rather not, but there are worse options for me. 

[Glasser]

At this point we can't expect them to break any new ground but I'm confident it will be as good or even better than View, which I completely enjoy, every song. Is it weird to say I'll miss Mangini? I'm glad MP is back where he always belonged but there's a part of me that enjoyed Mangini's low key persona.

[Glasser]

I honestly wouldn't be surprised, it's a style that I feel like DT with MP might really aim after. 

I quite like BC&SL though.  Not saying I want an album like that again, I would rather not, but there are worse options for me.

Like what? TA?

[cramx3]

Like what? TA?

Nah, that's a good album too

FII would be an album I'd rather DT not try to re-create.  Or doing another Metropolis.

[Glasser]

Nah, that's a good album too

FII would be an album I'd rather DT not try to re-create.  Or doing another Metropolis.

FII has some excellent tunes just one too many ballads.

[cramx3]

FII has some excellent tunes just one too many ballads.

I like a bunch of the songs, including some of the ballads.  I think it's a stylistic direction I'd rather not see DT attempt again, even if I enjoy some of it quite a bit though.  I'd rather DT not do BC&SL again either, but I actually can totally see them basically continuing from where they left off.  And like TAC mentioned, those songs got a lot of live play during the MM era.  It's possible that JP also wants to do something more like that style.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

At this point we can't expect them to break any new ground but I'm confident it will be as good or even better than View, which I completely enjoy, every song. Is it weird to say I'll miss Mangini? I'm glad MP is back where he always belonged but there's a part of me that enjoyed Mangini's low key persona.

What's interesting is that in terms of DT stuff, MP seems to have been relatively low key thus far. Not as low key as Mangini, but a far cry from the days of yore. However, in non-DT stuff such as the Drumeo series, his more extraverted personality still shines through. I'm interested to see if that creeps back more and more into DT as time goes.

[Stadler]

I'm curious to see if the chemistry is still there. I think if Moore returned it would change the game for sure! But that's probably just me.

After seeing what I saw on the Petrooch solo tour, I don't think the "chemistry" is even top 10 on my list of concerns.  I don't mean that to be dismissive, just my perspective.

[Glasser]

After seeing what I saw on the Petrooch solo tour, I don't think the "chemistry" is even top 10 on my list of concerns.  I don't mean that to be dismissive, just my perspective.

Its all good Schumer!

[Dream Team]

I would imagine there must have been a lot of anticipation of the follow-up to SFAM.

[ReaperKK]

Well, MP gave you an update. JP let you know that he was done. JR told you that he was doing his parts. JM isn't likely going to update you, never has, but I think it was either JP or MP that gave out the info that the bass was being done before the keys.
And I think in the past James has updated us when he's done, and that hasn't happened.

So I think we're par for the course, really. Plus, MP has been giving out other random info on the podcasts he's been on. One bit of which was that they were still "on schedule".

I'm curious how they came up with the schedule. Was it like "We have to get an album done by X month", or "We'll write/record Feb to August"

[brakkum]

I'm curious how they came up with the schedule. Was it like "We have to get an album done by X month", or "We'll write/record Feb to August"

I would assume it mostly has to do with the start of the tour

[HOF]

Speaking only for myself, while I am very excited for the new album, I don't have sky high expectations for it. How many bands do their best work after 40 years? While I do expect it to be good - very good even - it's completely unrealistic to expect anything on the level of Images and Words at this point. I'm more just looking forward to having the iconic lineup back together and then the tour. Honestly, my expectations for the tour are probably higher than for the album.

Might just be because it was the first new album I got to anticipate, but the anticipation surrounding SFAM was huge. It was Jordan's first with the band, I think we knew they were at Beartracks trying to rediscover some of the magic from I&W but we didn't know much about the album, and of course once the artwork was revealed and we knew it was Met pt. 2 that sent everyone into a tizzy.

[gborland]

Might just be because it was the first new album I got to anticipate, but the anticipation surrounding SFAM was huge. It was Jordan's first with the band, I think we knew they were at Beartracks trying to rediscover some of the magic from I&W but we didn't know much about the album, and of course once the artwork was revealed and we knew it was Met pt. 2 that sent everyone into a tizzy.

We knew it was going to be a concept album! Inspiration Corner. 

[TAC]

Might just be because it was the first new album I got to anticipate, but the anticipation surrounding SFAM was huge. It was Jordan's first with the band, I think we knew they were at Beartracks trying to rediscover some of the magic from I&W but we didn't know much about the album, and of course once the artwork was revealed and we knew it was Met pt. 2 that sent everyone into a tizzy.

I don't remember having any expectations for it. FII was sooo disappointing, and it felt like forever for the new album, but I remember being blown away when I heard it. My first thought was "They're back!"

[hefdaddy42]

I'm hoping for more of a JM-MP cooperation when it comes to the rhythm section this time.

Well, that's never happened, so don't hold your breath.

JM and MM worked together fairly well as a unit, but JM and MP really never have.  JM plays lead bass, and MP plays lead drums.

[Glasser]

Well, that's never happened, so don't hold your breath.

JM and MM worked together fairly well as a unit, but JM and MP really never have.  JM plays lead bass, and MP plays lead drums.

[pg1067]

I don't remember having any expectations for it. FII was sooo disappointing, and it felt like forever for the new album, but I remember being blown away when I heard it. My first thought was "They're back!"

This.  When FII came out, the wife and I had just moved into a new apartment.  I can remember having the stereo set up but still having a bunch of boxes stacked around the room.  I put on FII.  NM started out promising, but then it just plodded.  BORING.  I moved to the next track and the next track.  I liked Hollow Years from the start, but nothing else grabbed me.  I missed the tour.  Halfway through the two year period between FII and SFAM, I started law school.  I wasn't on any social media, and the band obviously got no radio play.  I can't even remember when or how I found out about SFAM, but I was definitely blown away by it, and it occupied a significant percentage of my commute to and from law school during my second year.

[HOF]

I guess it depended on how plugged in you were, but people on the DT forums back then were hyped. And a lot of it was because of JR replacing DS. There was an expectation after the LTE albums that the direction of the band would swing back towards the earlier albums I think, or at least that they would be able to really push the envelope musically.

At the time DS caught a lot of heat for the change in direction with FII, which we now know wasn't so much his fault. I initially thought that too, but eventually came to really like FII and these days I  feel that the band were making their best music before JR joined, but oh well.

[Mosh]

I think you can reasonably say they have had four high stakes albums:

I&W - Major label debut, could have easily been their last album if it flopped.

SFAM - Band took a gamble on self producing as well as going all in on a proggy concept album at a time when that wasn't really a guaranteed hit.

ADTOE - Band has to prove itself without Portnoy.

DT16 - Big reunion album, maybe impossibly high expectations, coming off the heels of what may be seen as a creative lull for the band and maybe a transition into becoming a "legacy" band.

[Dream Team]

Stone-cold spot-on.

[devieira73]

I guess it depended on how plugged in you were, but people on the DT forums back then were hyped. And a lot of it was because of JR replacing DS. There was an expectation after the LTE albums that the direction of the band would swing back towards the earlier albums I think, or at least that they would be able to really push the envelope musically.

From what I remember, the expectations were super high at the time. And guess what? The new album totally met them!

[gzarruk]

Well, that's never happened, so don't hold your breath.

JM and MM worked together fairly well as a unit, but JM and MP really never have.  JM plays lead bass, and MP plays lead drums.

This. Not sure I agree about JM playing "lead" bass anymore though, that was during the early days, but everything else here is spot on.

[brakkum]

This. Not sure I agree about JM playing "lead" bass anymore though, that was during the early days, but everything else here is spot on.

They even call it out in one of the commentary tracks for the Live in Japan DVD I believe, MP mentions how JM doesn't play lead bass nearly as much (and that was in 2004!), it's certainly much more true now I think

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Well, that's never happened, so don't hold your breath.

JM and MM worked together fairly well as a unit, but JM and MP really never have.  JM plays lead bass, and MP plays lead drums.

Yes! Even an understatement. It's partly because MM is great at orchestrating parts to go with the other instruments