Dream Theater's 11th Album v. Play Nice

[KevShmev]

While he might not be someone who writes a lot of the melodies and riffs, Portnoy is obviously someone who has a major hand in the direction they go in on each album, and let us remember that he did two Transatlantic records after Scenes from a Memory and before the next DT record, which happened to be Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, so maybe he will come in with a mindset similar to the one that probably had a big influence on how 6DOIT went and sounded.  I am just saying...

Transatlantic + Avenged Sevenfold?

The Avenged Sevenfold thing is a bit worrisome, yes, but I am still hopeful that the experience of recording another album and touring with Transatlantic will bring out the good influences in Portnoy, which will be reflected in the next record.

I see that some of you would rather prefer a different band with the name Dream Theater rather than the actually existing band...

Link?

Another double album would suit me just fine. 

I would like that, too, so long as they don't make the songs too long, figuring they have potentially 160 minutes to work with instead of 80.

[Darkes7]

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

[KevShmev]

Because DT is never influenced by anyone outside of their band, right?

I'll put it this way: Hopefully, having worked with TA again will bring out more of Portnoy's prog influence, which will spread to the rest of the band as well as to the next record.

[contest_sanity]

Or maybe the prog from TA and the metal from A7X will cancel each other out; then we'll get something entirely out of left field, like a polka record or something.  I would love to see Dream Theater collaborate with "Weird Al" Yankovic in this regard.

[robwebster]

They could write an album with a general musical theme that would go throughout the entire album, in the vein of Neal Morse's One.

That'd be very cool.

Yeah, they could call it Octavarium.

In Octavarium there are no similar melodies throughout the album.

The medicate me melody appears at least in one other song. But there's a theme.

Yeah. The medicate melody appears in The Root of All Evil and The Answer Lies Within.

[Seventh Son]

What I would like to see:

Less keyboard solos
LaBrie/Myung more focused on songwriting
Songs that are heavy but aren't trying to make themselves so heavy. Granted, I listen to death/black metal, so I don't mind super heaviness, but DT does not work when they are trying to emulate pseudo-thrash riffs (The Glass Prison is probably the only exception to this) and work odd time signatures into them.
Focus on a heaviness similar to Pull Me Under. Metallic, meaty but at the same time its very good and catchy. And it doesn't try too hard, which can't be said for a lot of later day DT
More democratic songwriting, Petrucci and Portnoy are great songwriters, but when the writing is spread around and not left solely to them. When they have to write everything, the ideas go nowhere.
Less Muse influence, for fucks sake.

[Adami]

Muse left the building some time ago.

[Seventh Son]

Muse left the building some time ago.

It was present on SC, so I wouldn't say that its gone forever.

[Adami]

Muse left the building some time ago.

It was present on SC, so I wouldn't say that its gone forever.

Eh, it was major on one song, minor on another two, that's it. I'd be more worried more modern metal influence.

[Seventh Son]

Muse left the building some time ago.

It was present on SC, so I wouldn't say that its gone forever.

Eh, it was major on one song, minor on another two, that's it. I'd be more worried more modern metal influence.

Just cause it was minor in SC, doesn't mean it won't erupt in another album. As for modern metal influences, I don't mind them if its used tastefully. Unfortunately, DT has yet to use that tastefully since Six Degrees. But I absolutely detest Muse, so I want to make sure that influence dies in a fire.

[KevShmev]

Muse is great (even if their last album was a bit underwhelming); they could do a lot worse when it comes letting a band's influence seep into their music.

[Seventh Son]

Muse is great (even if their last album was a bit underwhelming); they could do a lot worse when it comes letting a band's influence seep into their music.

Its all opinions, I get that. But for me, Muse is on the same level as metalcore/deathcore junk that I can't stand for the life of me.

[hefdaddy42]

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

Darkes7, please, man.

[Adami]

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

Darke7, please, man.

Jesus christ hefdaddy, I know you're a mod, but that doesn't make you invincible, how about you show the man some god damn respect?


It's Darkes7. You forgot the s. Carry on.

[hefdaddy42]

Crap, you're right.  I fixed it.

Sorry bout that, Darkes7.

[Plasmastrike]

Heh.

But seriously.

Please, man.

[Seventh Son]

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

Darke7, please, man.

Jesus christ hefdaddy, I know you're a mod, but that doesn't make you invincible, how about you show the man some god damn respect?


It's Darkes7. You forgot the s. Carry on.

[Darkes7]

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

Darkes7, please, man.

Tell me I don't have a good reason to get that impression when someone regularily says MP should get some Transatlantic influence into DT.

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

Darke7, please, man.

Jesus christ hefdaddy, I know you're a mod, but that doesn't make you invincible, how about you show the man some god damn respect?


It's Darkes7. You forgot the s. Carry on.

OLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL OMG MAN THAT WAS AWESOME

[hefdaddy42]

Meaning that you're happy with anything DT members do except for DT and any influence is good as long as it's not from the inside of the band.

Darkes7, please, man.

Tell me I don't have a good reason to get that impression when someone regularily says MP should get some Transatlantic influence into DT.

OK.

You don't have a good reason to get that impression when someone regularily says MP should get some Transatlantic influence into DT.

[SystematicThought]

I can only imagine what kinds of sounds JR is going to use on the next album though. I can already see him using his iPad to use some unique app and possibly use one of his own apps....

[Adami]

I can only imagine what kinds of sounds JR is going to use on the next album though. I can already see him using his iPad to use some unique app and possibly use one of his own apps....

What's sad is that no matter what new ap, or instrument he uses, he will most likely just distort it with tons of delay and bend it like crazy. If it's an Ipad thing, he'll just move his fingers around in a lot up and down between bends. He had such potential with that Bebot thing and look what he did with that.

[orcus116]

It doesn't even sound unique either. I mean as much as he overuses the Continuum nowadays you can tell when he plays it. With the Bebot it just sounds like another annoying keyboard patch so the iPad will most likely be the same exact thing.

[SystematicThought]

It doesn't even sound unique either. I mean as much as he overuses the Continuum nowadays you can tell when he plays it. With the Bebot it just sounds like another annoying keyboard patch so the iPad will most likely be the same exact thing.

MorphWhiz doesn't sound so bad, less childish than other apps he's played. If you check out his youtube channel, he's played The Spirit Carries On using Morphwhiz as well as a duet with JP playing Hourglass

I noted at the end of the Hourglass video JP's reaction. I laughed and kind of thought JP said "Yeah, nice.... you better not bring that into studio next year..

[ariich]

Less keyboard solos

BCSL only had 3 keyboard solos. That's probably fewer than almost every other DT album.

LaBrie/Myung more focused on songwriting

This would be nice, particularly from Myung. And he said he wanted to get more involved again, so hopefully he will

Focus on a heaviness similar to Pull Me Under.

Can't say I've ever thought of PMU as heavy. Or very interesting for that matter.

Less Muse influence, for fucks sake.

As has been said, they've had two songs that were arguably Muse-influenced, neither of which was on the latest album. Whereas the Rush and Metallica influences are definitely starting to get old.

It doesn't even sound unique either. I mean as much as he overuses the Continuum nowadays you can tell when he plays it. With the Bebot it just sounds like another annoying keyboard patch so the iPad will most likely be the same exact thing.

I'm in the minority that thought the Bebot worked pretty well. It wasn't great (the lack of any actual melody was a major down point) but it was a funky idea, and for short segments like that I love when musicians try something new. However, it's been done now, so I hope if he does do anything iPod/iPad related it's in a completely different way (like some of those soft atmospheric patches he used live).

[BRGM]

Less keyboard solos

BCSL only had 3 keyboard solos. That's probably fewer than almost every other DT album.

+ a continuum solo on ANTR! (It was really awesome!, almost got chills first time I heard it)
ad a Bebot solo on AROP....wic is really awesome aswell! one of his coolest solos ever along with Blind faith.

[j]

Focus on a heaviness similar to Pull Me Under.

Can't say I've ever thought of PMU as heavy. Or very interesting for that matter.

Actually me either.  I like it okay, but it's my least favorite song from I&W (my favorite DT album).

It doesn't even sound unique either. I mean as much as he overuses the Continuum nowadays you can tell when he plays it. With the Bebot it just sounds like another annoying keyboard patch so the iPad will most likely be the same exact thing.

I'm in the minority that thought the Bebot worked pretty well. It wasn't great (the lack of any actual melody was a major down point) but it was a funky idea, and for short segments like that I love when musicians try something new. However, it's been done now, so I hope if he does do anything iPod/iPad related it's in a completely different way (like some of those soft atmospheric patches he used live).

Absolutely.  I thought the bebot thing was pretty cool and creative...that type of experimental stuff I like to see, even if it falls flat once in awhile.  To me, that's one of the highlights of the song.

The keyboard solo(s) in ANTR (actually the entire extended solo section) were pretty weak though, I think.  I'm not a big fan of keyboard solos in general, although each DT keyboardist has done a few great ones.  And Rudess had some sweet solos in LTE as well.

-J

[Adami]

The thing that pissed me off about the Bebot is that I saw how Jordan used it outside of DT. It's like finding out that outside of DT myung has a band with AMAZING bass riffs and always writes the lyrics, and then in DT he just doubles JP and JR. I was awed by what I saw JR do on the Bebot in his demo videos, then on AROP it's just noise.

[ariich]

The keyboard solo(s) in ANTR (actually the entire extended solo section) were pretty weak though, I think.

Definitely. I like pretty much all the rest of the solos on the album (both of JR's other ones - AROP and TSF - are great, and all the rest of JP's solos are gold) but both JP and JR's solos in ANTR are very weak. Which is a shame as the rest of the song I really love, but the solo section is just not that great.

[Adami]

The keyboard solo in TSF seriously makes me want to skip the song. I blank out completely when it comes on and find myself coming back about 10 minutes later when it's over.

[ariich]

Fair enough, I love it. Only issue is that it's a bit quiet in the mix, but otherwise it's great.

[Adami]

Fair enough, I love it. Only issue is that it's a bit quiet in the mix, but otherwise it's great.

I dunno, there's nothing inherently bad about it, but it just seemed pointless and went on wayyyyyy too long. When a solo (or any other part of a song) makes you space out every time you hear it, that's a very bad sign. If it were REALLY bad, then I'd remember how bad it was and it would make me cringe, TSF one just makes me wanna do something else than listen to the song.

[AcidLameLTE]

Focus on a heaviness similar to Pull Me Under.

Can't say I've ever thought of PMU as heavy. Or very interesting for that matter.

I don't know. It's got some pretty heavy bits in it.

[Seventh Son]

Focus on a heaviness similar to Pull Me Under.

Can't say I've ever thought of PMU as heavy. Or very interesting for that matter.

I don't know. It's got some pretty heavy bits in it.

Pull Me Under's main riff is pretty metal.

That being said, I wouldn't mind more Rush-influenced songs, its definitely a lot better than Muse/Metallica influenced junk.

[Adami]

Focus on a heaviness similar to Pull Me Under.

Can't say I've ever thought of PMU as heavy. Or very interesting for that matter.

I don't know. It's got some pretty heavy bits in it.

Pull Me Under's main riff is pretty metal.

That being said, I wouldn't mind more Rush-influenced songs, its definitely a lot better than Muse/Metallica influenced junk.

Yea man, remember when DT had a major Rush influence? Oh those sure were the best of times back then.

[AcidLameLTE]