DREAM THEATER ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF DRUMMER MIKE PORTNOY

[TAC]

To make this more relevant, there was a comment in the DT subreddit the other day where some guy claimed that not a single Mike Mangini album has a "unique theme". This is despite the band at large clearly talking about the themes of each of their albums for the past decade. But it's easier to just complain as a first instinct than Google a couple of interviews, or even just read album titles, so... 

So DT05 has resurfaced.

[MirrorMask]

"Not a single Mangini album has a unique theme", they did The Astonishing, a friggin' CONCEPT ALBUM, how more unique theme than that can you get? 

[pg1067]

there was a comment in the DT subreddit the other day where some guy claimed that not a single Mike Mangini album has a "unique theme".

Thankfully, I must have missed that one while sifting through the guy who's "posting a [stupid] meme every day until the new album is announced."

[Dream Team]

"Not a single Mangini album has a unique theme", they did The Astonishing, a friggin' CONCEPT ALBUM, how more unique theme than that can you get? 

Reminds me of the famous quote "Tis better to not open your mouth and let people think you are stupid . . . "

[CraftyCaleb2483]

So DT05 has resurfaced.

Aw man, not again!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

"Not a single Mangini album has a unique theme", they did The Astonishing, a friggin' CONCEPT ALBUM, how more unique theme than that can you get? 

Yup. It's highly frustrating that some people cannot understand that their enjoyment (or lack thereof) of an album doesn't necessarily mean that the music in question wasn't unique or 'inspired' or carefully crafted. That's coming from someone who cannot listen to the Astonishing. I will freely admit that I was/am horrified by the Astonishing but that does not mean it's bad music (it is not) or that they didn't put a ton of effort and care into making it (they did). Sometimes a band makes a big swing and it hits and sometimes it misses. It's always felt wrong to project these motives or emotions ('it sounds like they're not having fun on this!') onto the band unless there is specific reason to believe they just went through the motions.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Not to completely sidetrack this thread, but I think this is a very common thing on social media. Not knowing what you're talking about is fine, but what makes social media unique is that people often intentionally say the dumbest shit possible because it gets the conversation going. For example, if you want to check that Richie Blackmore is still in Deep Purple, you could just Google it and find the objectively correct answer immediately. Or... You could act surprised that he's not in the band and start complaining about it on Facebook, which makes for a much livelier time. Social media incentivizes people to intentionally act like morons.

To make this more relevant, there was a comment in the DT subreddit the other day where some guy claimed that not a single Mike Mangini album has a "unique theme". This is despite the band at large clearly talking about the themes of each of their albums for the past decade. But it's easier to just complain as a first instinct than Google a couple of interviews, or even just read album titles, so...

It's an unfortunate trend probably due to the fact that a quick and easy forum is at one's fingertips at all times. There is no need to stop and think about something or try to research it if you can blurt out whatever pops into your mind in 5 seconds. I've said this before and will again but the comments on social media are in many cases completely asinine and scream of lack of knowledge and worse yet a lack of effort to try to understand.

Maybe one doesn't know a whole lot about guitar playing, or studio production, or drumming. That's cool because you can learn a lot by doing research online or finding people you trust who know more. But it's all too common that people blurt out these absurd statements that reek of certitude - like example you provided - when it's very obvious they don't know what they're talking about and have done zero research on the subject.

[Bacong]

whoa, this site got an upgrade!

[Schurftkut]

yeah you left so the party started

[Stadler]

It's an unfortunate trend probably due to the fact that a quick and easy forum is at one's fingertips at all times. There is no need to stop and think about something or try to research it if you can blurt out whatever pops into your mind in 5 seconds. I've said this before and will again but the comments on social media are in many cases completely asinine and scream of lack of knowledge and worse yet a lack of effort to try to understand.

Maybe one doesn't know a whole lot about guitar playing, or studio production, or drumming. That's cool because you can learn a lot by doing research online or finding people you trust who know more. But it's all too common that people blurt out these absurd statements that reek of certitude - like example you provided - when it's very obvious they don't know what they're talking about and have done zero research on the subject.

I particularly hate when they purport to speak for others.  I get it, tastes, but don't try to substantiate it and affirm yourself by bringing others into it.

Two come to mind recently:
Someone posted a Dr. Pepper bottle and said something like "who the fuck is keeping this company in business?"  I don't drink a lot of soda, but when I do... it's Dr. Pepper; I love it. So fuck right off! 

Someone posted to Facebook I think it was yesterday:  "The reunion we wanted!" over a picture of the Images and Words-era band (so with Kevin Moore) and "The reunion we got!" and a current picture.  WTF is that? I don't "want" a Kevin Moore reunion; he's out of music and has no interest.  That's good enough for me. 

[pg1067]

I particularly hate when they purport to speak for others.  I get it, tastes, but don't try to substantiate it and affirm yourself by bringing others into it.

Two come to mind recently:
Someone posted a Dr. Pepper bottle and said something like "who the fuck is keeping this company in business?"  I don't drink a lot of soda, but when I do... it's Dr. Pepper; I love it. So fuck right off! 

The same sort of comments were made regularly when The Big Bang Theory was on the air.  "Who the fuck is watching this show?  Literally no one I know thinks it's funny."  Guess what, bud, the couple dozen people you know who don't like it are statistically insignificant.

Someone posted to Facebook I think it was yesterday:  "The reunion we wanted!" over a picture of the Images and Words-era band (so with Kevin Moore) and "The reunion we got!" and a current picture.  WTF is that? I don't "want" a Kevin Moore reunion; he's out of music and has no interest.  That's good enough for me. 

Fortunately, the ~50 comments on that post pretty much universally put the OP in his place, including, "No WE didn't want that reunion. I hate people that are so self absorbed that they think they speak for everyone," and "The fk is this garbage."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dreamtheaterforums.org/permalink/8022125307900268/

[Herrick]

Social media (as in non-forum places) is a fucking cesspool. I retired from it back in 2016 and don't miss it at all.

[ZirconBlue]

Someone posted to Facebook I think it was yesterday:  "The reunion we wanted!" over a picture of the Images and Words-era band (so with Kevin Moore) and "The reunion we got!" and a current picture.  WTF is that? I don't "want" a Kevin Moore reunion; he's out of music and has no interest.  That's good enough for me. 

I saw a similar post, but with a WDaDU-era pic!

[pg1067]

I saw a similar post, but with a WDaDU-era pic!

Yeah...it was WDADU, not James.  See the link in my post two above yours.

[HOF]

Sounds more like a joke than complaining to me.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I'm so glad MP is back home. I almost wept in utter excitement.

[Glasser]

Social media (as in non-forum places) is a fucking cesspool. I retired from it back in 2016 and don't miss it at all.

Never had it and you're 100% right!!!!

[ytserush]

It does get harder the more stuff you have to rank!

Tiered ranking is a good way to rank a whole bunch of stuff without getting hung up on the exact ordinal rank.

That's a bit easier, but not by much. It's usually a lot easier for me to mention what I'm not into as much because the pool is a lot smaller.

[ytserush]

I love the pictures that get posted:  "Gene Simmons with adoring fan!" and it's Cher, who is so famous she has one name, and whom Gene dated for a significant period of time in the late '70's.

Sounds very incentivized toward click bait.

[MinistroRaven]

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY since the reunion was announced.

Time flies.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY since the reunion was announced.

Time flies.

I remember the announcement like it was yesterday—the internet practically broke, and every fan was buzzing. It felt surreal, like a dream we never thought would come true. This past year has just been incredible. Between the release of Night Terror and the new album teasers, it's like DT has been on fire ever since Mike came back. The energy, the chemistry, the sheer joy that Mike brings—it's all so clear in every clip, interview, and especially in the new single they've released so far. You can feel the excitement from the band and fans alike; it's like this perfect reunion of everything we loved about DT over the years, blending with all the amazing stuff they've done recently. Incredible.

[CodyWanKenobi]

I remember thinking it was fake, especially because of that terrible photoshopped picture lol

[MoraWintersoul]

It felt like a bomb went off It's actually quite amazing, and I think I speak for other people who had criticized MP for some of his behavior and decisions in the interim years, how quickly the part of my heart that wasn't sure about it got on board. It must have just been a couple of days.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

It felt like a bomb went off It's actually quite amazing, and I think I speak for other people who had criticized MP for some of his behavior and decisions in the interim years, how quickly the part of my heart that wasn't sure about it got on board. It must have just been a couple of days.

Couldn't have said it better myself

[MirrorMask]

ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY since the reunion was announced.

Time flies.

You know who reminded me?

James LaBrie acknowledging this at the show in Milan yesterday