Favorite 5-album run by DT?

[bosk1]

Simple question:  What is your favorite 5-album run by DT?

I got thinking about this in connection with the thread about the "Mangini era" albums, and I was thinking that the 5-album run during that era is my favorite from DT and probably my favorite from any band.  But then I actually took a look at how the albums lay out over their history, and I realized that, for me, #2 (I&W, Awake, FII, SFAM, SDOIT) is the clear winner, as it has my #1 and #2 of all time (Six Degrees and SFAM), but also my #5 and #6 in I&W and Awake. 

I'm curious to see how this shakes out.  I predict that #2 will probably win.  But given that I am expecting that, I deliberately chose to allow 3 votes per person so we can see what other runs people like rather than just a landslide for #2.

[Schurftkut]

option 2 for sure, it also includes their best epic, and before the metal formula set in that was introduced in the glass prison

[macneil]

D'oh - I should have read the last sentence before voting as I only cast one vote for #2, which yeah would very likely win.

Interesting topic! #3 will probably do well, but interested to see how it shakes out for the mid-era Portnoy/Rudess albums.

[emtee]

#2 without hesitation.

[Mladen]

Since Falling into infinity is my least favorite Dream Theater album, it kind of disqualifies the first four options, as much as I love some of those albums. I therefore went with the option five. Three excellent albums and two really good ones.

[Dedalus]

Number 2 or 11.

Number 2 is definitely when they were speeding down victory lane. Sure, there's FII, which is when the car flipped 5 times in a row, but other than that it's really impressive.

Number 11 doesn't have any album that is as important or impactful in their history, although I consider ADToE to be an excellent album (and probably the last great DT album, I think). Then there's the extremely divisive TA. However, I think it was a time when, for my taste, they managed to string together some really good songwriting, some interesting moments of daring and generally escaped the established 2000s pattern of "I'm fucking metal!".

[Xaves]

I did 2,3, and 4 as 2 is a no-brainer, Tot Is a good album, and 8VM is a great album, and all the albums before it are very very good.

[Dream Team]

1, 2, 11

[Tyrannosaurus Chicken]

#2 without hesitation.

Absolutely, no question.

[Revenge319]

5, 6, and 7.

2 and 10 are also pretty strong picks.

[Jamesman42]

6. SDOIT, TOT, 8VM, SC, BCSL

It's mostly for the first 3 albums, though SC and BCSL have great stuff as well. Just not a huge fan of SFAM.

[voncorn]

I'm torn between #2 and #5. The Images to Scenes run is undeniably classic and the most *essential*, but I'm very partial to the Jordan Rudess era,  not only the studio albums, but the live shows/DVDs too. Guess it depends on how I'm feeling that day. Today it's #5.

[pg1067]

Easy choice.  I&W through SDOIT includes my top 4 DT albums.  Although FII is #12, it's not without merit.  FII through 8VM would be my next choice, and anything after that would include one or both of SC or TA, which are their bottom 2 albums for me.

[SeRoX]

2 without even thinking.

Nothing beats I&W - Awake combination. SFAM and SDOIT are just cherry on the amazing cake.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Voted 2 and 11

I&W goat plus solid output in SFAM, SDOIT, Awake. One big disappointment in the middle of the release history.

Group 11 has a close to GOAT in ADTOE plus some of their best output ever in DT12, View and DOT; all extremely consistent records. Interestingly you have one big disappointment in the same place as you do in group 2.

[Max Kuehnau]

11 for me too, easily (although the one that is a step down to me is D/T for some reasons, not The Astonishing), their most consistent run in their history IMHO, can't be topped

[lovethedrake]

#2 in a GIGANTIC landslide for me. 

There was a certain magic in that period that they've never quite gotten back after they went to the dark side (TOT).

I still love just about every one of their albums but the pure magic started with I&W and ended with SDOIT IMHO.

[three__days]

#2, even with a dud in the middle!

[durga2112]

I keep wondering why people are mentioning a "dud" and a "disappointment" in #2, and then I remember that most people don't like FII nearly as much as I do.  It is legitimately my second favourite DT album, I think in large part because it was the first one I got when it was brand new (well, technically that was ACOS, but that isn't a studio album). I know it isn't their "best" work, but it has always had a certain appeal to me that only Awake can ever top.

[wolfking]

Option 3, but it was hard not to vote option 2.  Leaving one of TOT or I&W out is tough.

[Tyrannosaurus Chicken]

Option 2 is pretty much what I refer to as the "golden era" for DT. The 90s and early 2000s. Also, I'm in the minority in that I love Falling Into Infinity (every single song). To me, that album is just as awesome as Images, and Awake. I know there was a lot of label interference and what not, but in the end, I love the final "product" (although I prefer to think of it as an art piece).

I'm also in the minority, in that I love The Astonishing (minus the nomac tracks, and cheesy story). Compositionally, I think it's brilliant (as I've said elsewhere, it reminds me of Queen, which is one of my favorite bands), however, I do think it could've probably been condensed down to one album (there are some tracks on there that I consider filler, and I've got my own custom playlist for that album). All that to say, even though I voted for option 2, I still think the 5 album run with Mangini was pretty damn solid overall. I much prefer any of the 5 albums with Mangini, over Systematic Chaos and Black Clouds (neither of those albums have aged well for me, even though there are a few songs on each that I still enjoy).

[KevShmev]

Option 2 has what I feel are five of their six best albums, so pretty easy choice.

[TAC]

I voted #1, and despite FII, it's not even close for me.

[Cool Chris]

I can honestly only pick #2 and #5. #2 was easy, you could take FII and repleace it with literally any other album by anyone and I'd stick pick that run. #5 is just peak sustained DT, even without their best two albums.

[Priest of Syrinx]

2, 3, 4 for me. 

I&W, SFAM, 6DOIT, 8VM are my top tier of DT albums.

[HOF]

The correct answer is actually I&W, Awake, *ACOS*,  FII, SFAM, but I voted for the one ending with SDOIT as the next best option.

[HOF]

I also only voted for one option before seeing the others, but I don't know that I would have bothered with the others besides maybe 1 I guess.

[Ben_Jamin]

11, 6, 2 in that order.

I'm just laughing at my selections since it's basically all albums besides WDADU. 

[NoFred]

2: easy, first five I experienced in real time, all including FII were unbelievable experiences
7: the next five, loved all of them at release
11: most recent five, only misstep was dt12 but last three have been on repeat since day one (TA abridged)

[Zydar]

Option #2, without a doubt. 3 of those albums are in my DT Top 5 (I&W, SFAM and SDOIT - in that order). 

[nobloodyname]

Option four for me. But I didn't realise I could vote three times. Oops. I'd probably have gone for two and three.

[krands85]

#2 has to be in there, mainly on the strength of I&W and SFAM. FII is near the bottom of my rankings, as is 6DOIT, which has never clicked with me as much as with most others, but Images, Scenes and Awake make up for that. #1 also has I&W and SFAM of course, but WDADU drags that group down a bit more.

I would probably go with #5 and #7 as my other picks. They both have two of my top 4 and only one of my bottom 5. #11 is the only other grouping with only one of my bottom 5, but ADTOE is the only elite album in that group for me.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

#2. Four of my top five DT albums and the other one has my favorite song.

[TAC]

My issue is that I'd don't have the affinity for 6 D's that most people have.

[Another_Won]

11, 6, 2 in that order.

I'm just laughing at my selections since it's basically all albums besides WDADU. 

I ended up doing the same thing.  "All of the above"