Your Controversial Opinions on DT

[Outcrier]

I thought Metallica wrote better songs when they didn't know how to write songs (Kill em All through The Black Album) 

[BlobVanDam]

Last time I checked, "DT" didn't stand for Metallica of Iron Maiden.

[Train of Naught]

My controversial opinion on DT is that The Outlaw Torn is the most underrated Metallica song.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Here's something that may or may not be controversial.

Despite being the most successful and important progressive metal band, I feel that Dream Theater's heavier songs usually aren't anywhere near as good as their more prog rock songs.

[PixelDream]

Awake is the most creative album they ever made. I don't know if that's controversial, but I feel it's by far their best effort. A big improvement over Images & Words.

[Rodni Demental]

I personally rated Enigma way higher than Erotomania, while Enigma has in my opinion some nice catchy riffs, the Erotomania main riff just plain annoyed me from the beginning up until now.

Erotomania intro feels unsettling. It may well be the intention but for me those dissonant chords seem to give an uneasy feeling. Or maybe it's because it reminds me of the battle music from Grandia. XD

[SeRoX]

Speaking of Enigma (the band), the song called "Why" sounds like James singing it. I think he would fit perfectly well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8Re8jzTpOM

[King Postwhore]

Here's something that may or may not be controversial.

Despite being the most successful and important progressive metal band, I feel that Dream Theater's heavier songs usually aren't anywhere near as good as their more prog rock songs.

I agree with this 100%.

[MirrorMask]

Not really controversial, but a very minor criticism... I think the original plan on how to name the first album with Mike Mangini was better, the album should have been called Bridges in the Sky and the song that now has that name should have been called The Shaman's Trance.

Pro's of this choice:
- The cover fits the title (IIRC that was the original plan, the cover is that way because the name was meant to be Bridges in the Sky)
- The band wouldn't have had to explain in every interview that the title was not slang for "Dammit Portnoy's gone"
- You'd have a badass song with a badass title, I love "The Shaman's Trance" as a title, I don't find it cheesy at all and the song is serious
- When you reach the climax of the song, that beautiful musical passage, you'd hear "Crossing bridges in the sky" and the mentioning of the actual album title in that moment would have been so powerful. It's still the title of the song, but if it was the title of the album, it would have been even better, the symbolic pinnacle of the album.

[Train of Naught]

You forgot the biggest pro, DT would finally have a studio album containing the word 'the'.

[pcs90]

Not really controversial, but a very minor criticism... I think the original plan on how to name the first album with Mike Mangini was better, the album should have been called Bridges in the Sky and the song that now has that name should have been called The Shaman's Trance.

I really like your reasoning behind this. I just wish it was some other title besides "The Shaman's Trance." Just not a fan of that title.

[SoundscapeMN]

The A Change of Seasoms "Please Don't Go" demo is a fair amount better than any other version.

[Kotowboy]

The A Change of Seasons.

I prefer the title they went with.

And it made them realise never to put the word " the " in an album title from then on.

[425]

Not really controversial, but a very minor criticism... I think the original plan on how to name the first album with Mike Mangini was better, the album should have been called Bridges in the Sky and the song that now has that name should have been called The Shaman's Trance.

Pro's of this choice:
- The cover fits the title (IIRC that was the original plan, the cover is that way because the name was meant to be Bridges in the Sky)
- The band wouldn't have had to explain in every interview that the title was not slang for "Dammit Portnoy's gone"
- You'd have a badass song with a badass title, I love "The Shaman's Trance" as a title, I don't find it cheesy at all and the song is serious
- When you reach the climax of the song, that beautiful musical passage, you'd hear "Crossing bridges in the sky" and the mentioning of the actual album title in that moment would have been so powerful. It's still the title of the song, but if it was the title of the album, it would have been even better, the symbolic pinnacle of the album.

I understand the reasoning here, but I love the title A Dramatic Turn of Events (and whether it refers to Portnoy leaving or not, I always think of it that way), so I'm happy with things the way they turned out with that album.

[V_R11]

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

[Train of Naught]

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

We will get along just fine.

[Kotowboy]

Awake is really not that great of an album

ADTOE is underrated.

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other.

All of this but

 Personality wise I prefer Mangini. Playing wise I preferred Portnoy.

[abydos]

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

I'm curious, what makes you like SC more than Images, FII, SFAM, SDOIT, ToT?

[Bertielee]

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

I'm curious, what makes you like SC more than Images, FII, SFAM, SDOIT, ToT?

Totally seconded on this one. I would like to know as well.

[425]

Awake is really not that great of an album

It's pretty good, but not as great as a lot of people think.

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated.

Yep! Maybe we're a match?

It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

Nope.

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

Nope. Not a match.

Welcome, by the way!

[Invisible]

Not sure how contorversial is this, but I'm just going to dump it here:

One of the reasons I tend to like the I&W-FII run over any other is the jazzy-improv elements of the band that were progresivelly being less and less prominent in further albums. I also think the compositions up until Six Degrees(including this album) were more "flexible", as it gave room for little jams or even slight variations in a live setting, while from there onwards, DT's composition started to be more rigid, as in having to be played exactly note for note for the whole thing to work, and more "classical", expecially since Rudess came on board but I don't think it's because of him(Beyond This Life is a great example of a non rigid song, especially the Budokan version, so is Solitary Shell with the improvs in the middle). I sort of feel the band became more and more about tight performances and reproducing the album and less "free" so to speak.

I also love Rudess soloing when it's on the piano, as oposed when he goes "hi-tech" with weird sounds at crazy speeds.

Oh, and Cleaning Out The Closet is a great album, despite the production.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

I'm curious, what makes you like SC more than Images, FII, SFAM, SDOIT, ToT?

Totally seconded on this one. I would like to know as well.

Maybe I can help a bit. You see, SC is a very good album and very underrated. Shouldn't deserve hate just because most of the songs are "fiction." SC is not heavy like ToT and offers more variety. Images is all soft and you can't consider any song there to be dark. It's not badass. Don't get me started on FII. Attempt to be mainstream, I can understand why SC would be better than FII. Now SDOIT and SFAM, they are really good, but I'd have to say that it's more fun to listen to. Hell, it houses 3 epics, TMOL, ITPOE, and Repetance. Repetance is the MOST unique of all the suite and the other 2 epics are just mindblowing. Forsaken and Night are 2 fun albums to listen to as CM is badass.

[Train of Naught]

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

I don't really prefer either Mike over the other

I'm curious, what makes you like SC more than Images, FII, SFAM, SDOIT, ToT?

Totally seconded on this one. I would like to know as well.

Maybe I can help a bit. You see, SC is a very good album and very underrated. Shouldn't deserve hate just because most of the songs are "fiction." SC is not heavy like ToT and offers more variety. Images is all soft and you can't consider any song there to be dark. It's not badass. Don't get me started on FII. Attempt to be mainstream, I can understand why SC would be better than FII. Now SDOIT and SFAM, they are really good, but I'd have to say that it's more fun to listen to. Hell, it houses 3 epics, TMOL, ITPOE, and Repetance. Repetance is the MOST unique of all the suite and the other 2 epics are just mindblowing. Forsaken and Night are 2 fun albums to listen to as CM is badass.

SC is one of my favorite albums too, so I'll +1 most of your write-up, although I really dislike Repentance, it's just too stretched out to me. Focussing on the rest of the songs, this album has the most badass riff (TDEN outro), most badass JR solo (CM), and one of the most unique instrumentations overall. Now whether that's a positive thing or not is completely subjective, for me, hell yeezers.

[Outcrier]

Maybe I can help a bit. You see, SC is a very good album and very underrated. Shouldn't deserve hate just because most of the songs are "fiction."

That isn't the reason people hate it, they just think isn't too much good of an album, which i agree.

Awake is really not that great of an album

On the contrary, ADTOE is underrated. It's my favorite album along with Systematic Chaos

Awake isn't even my favorite album but it certainly wipes the floor with ADTOE or SC. The songwriting is simply miles better.

[Crow]

repentance is the best song on SC tbh 

[pcs90]

One of the reasons I tend to like the I&W-FII run over any other is the jazzy-improv elements of the band that were progresivelly being less and less prominent in further albums. I also think the compositions up until Six Degrees(including this album) were more "flexible", as it gave room for little jams or even slight variations in a live setting, while from there onwards, DT's composition started to be more rigid, as in having to be played exactly note for note for the whole thing to work, and more "classical", expecially since Rudess came on board but I don't think it's because of him(Beyond This Life is a great example of a non rigid song, especially the Budokan version, so is Solitary Shell with the improvs in the middle). I sort of feel the band became more and more about tight performances and reproducing the album and less "free" so to speak.

I don't believe it's because of JR. He's improvised some absolutely amazing stuff over the years in various contexts. I would say he may have brought some more classical influences to the band, but I wouldn't say he's the reason for less improvisational sections. But I do agree that there needs to be more of them. I always enjoyed the jazzier elements. And I wouldn't say the newer songs couldn't be extended either, it's just that they aren't adding anything in.

[Kotowboy]

repentance is the best song on SC tbh 

This is Controversial opinions - not blatantly wrong opinions !

[Darkstarshades]

I wish they'd just play Repentance at 2016 tours to add mood.
It's such an euphoric and beautiful moment. If played live, it would be a beautiful moment while the whole audiente takes each other's hands and looks at the sky, while the "Aaaaaaaaaah" and the piano and the narrations take place, such an emotive and unique moment...

[Tomislav95]

Repentance is one of the best songs on SC.

[Ruba]

My controversial opinion on DT is that The Outlaw Torn is the most underrated Metallica song.

!!!! 

But about Dream Theater...

Never Enough is the best song on Octavarium... does that count? 

Repentance is one of the best songs on SC.

Agreeing also with this one.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

To all who think Repetance is weak. Compared to Mikes other songs on the suite, Repetance is the MOST unique. All the others are heavy, but repetance takes it to a new level.
Also do any of you think that the glass prison is the weakest? Then it's TSF.

[Ruba]

Also do any of you think that the glass prison is the weakest? Then it's TSF.

Yupp. It´s just borrowing parts of other 12-step-suit-songs.


The Glass Prison kicks major ass.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I agree with TSF, but I think Glass prison is the weakest and messiest. The Portnoy vocals at the beginning just irk me as labrie is all over the place. Riff gets annoying also, and the main reason is portnoy and his dang vocals. The, "HEY! HEY! HEY!" part also gets under my skin. The ending is the only reason I like it while the other suites are more appealing in many different ways.

[Ruba]

Maybe my love for TGP is mostly about nostalgia, but it was one of the first DT songs I fell in love with.

There are not so many songs that kick ass like The Glass Prison does.

[OnTheBacksofAngela]

I understand and respect your opinion.
But doesn't This dying soul, ITNOG, kick @$$ also?