Aside from all the awesomeness of this new album, I will have to say this is my favorite album of JBL performance.
While he is immensely good on this album, nothing can top his performance on IAW and Awake, or even if you wanna go real far back, Winter Rose.
James Labrie's vocals on ADToE are nothing short of awesome.I have been stunned by his performance on this album..in particular the three ballards.His breathy vocals set him aside from so so many other rock/metal vocalists and feel this is his best contribution for years.DT wouldnt be DT without James. ;)
DT wouldnt be DT without James. ;)
Abso-freakin'-lutely. James KILLS on this CD. :hefdaddy
JLB's best vocals on a DT album, ever.
I am truly floored by his performance, and hope that it carries into the live show.
All I can say is ..."The price I pay to live this WAAAAYYYYYY"
The album needs more high register vocals from James... :-[ I love it when he goes into the stratosphere, and this album he primarily stays pretty low register. Plus it's amazing to listen to him hit those notes live.
highlight of James in this album:
-The heavy verse of Breaking All Illusions
-The chorus of Bridges In The Sky
Quote from: Samara on September 13, 2011, 04:49:45 PM
-The chorus of Bridges In The Sky
Agreed. One of the best choruses JLB has ever recorded :tup
Both the writing and performance on it are just brilliant. Definitely my favorite JLB moment on the album...and tied for favorite overall with JP's guitar solo(when it gets heavy) on BAI.
Quote from: Samara on September 13, 2011, 04:49:45 PM
The album needs more high register vocals from James... :-[ I love it when he goes into the stratosphere, and this album he primarily stays pretty low register. Plus it's amazing to listen to him hit those notes live.
I kind of agree. I don't know where it would be good for him to use those vocals but I kept hoping for 1 or 2. I guess this has prevented me from ranking the album any higher than the 9.99994921 I gave it out of 10 :-\
I prefer his vocals from the earlier albums without auto tune. It was definitely used in BC&SL and is used even more so in ADTOE (more evident in the ballads). James' voice is certainly good enough to avoid using that aid all together. It's a shame. That's probably the only thing I don't like about the new album.
James...you are amazing...well and truly world class. He is easily up there with Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant etc
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 04:01:47 PM
JLB's best vocals on a DT album, ever.
This is probably one of his better performances but I've gotta respectfully say no way. Wait until the shiny coat on this album dies down, it's not THAT amazing.
It's clear James is passionately expressive on this album. His performance on this album is nothing short of awesome. Personally, the vocal melodies feel more like something from one of his solo albums, and it seems to feel more natural. I would say the differences between the vocal passages from albums like Images and Words as well as Awake are too different to compare his vocals on A Dramatic Turn of Events. Definitely a fresh [obligatory usage of:] turn of events for vocals as compared to other recent albums, I feel.
Quote from: InertSolo on September 13, 2011, 05:56:06 PM
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 04:01:47 PM
JLB's best vocals on a DT album, ever.
This is probably one of his better performances but I've gotta respectfully say no way. Wait until the shiny coat on this album dies down, it's not THAT amazing.
I respectfully disagree. His vocal performance on this album IS that amazing.
I got chills on the ending of Beneath The Surface, and still do!
One of JLB's best vocal performances. He sounds absolutely fantastic throughout the entire album.
Quote from: InertSolo on September 13, 2011, 05:56:06 PM
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 04:01:47 PM
JLB's best vocals on a DT album, ever.
This is probably one of his better performances but I've gotta respectfully say no way. Wait until the shiny coat on this album dies down, it's not THAT amazing.
I appreciate your courtesy, and I'll explain where I'm coming from... I'm not always a fan of huge metal voices, unless I'm in that particular mood. So I'm already biased towards JLB's slightly softer vocal side. On ADTOE, he runs the gamut from soft to loud + up and down more comfortably and consistently and beautifully than on any other DT album.
I'll go further and say that JLB's performance is my favorite of any prog album I've heard in 30+ years, except for maybe Gary Brooker.
All that said, of course these things are very subjective, and while I'm experienced, I'm no expert! :biggrin:
Quote from: jonny108 on September 13, 2011, 05:50:02 PM
James...you are amazing...well and truly world class. He is easily up there with Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant etc
Let's not go too far, brother. ;)
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 09:49:01 PM
Quote from: jonny108 on September 13, 2011, 05:50:02 PM
James...you are amazing...well and truly world class. He is easily up there with Freddie Mercury, Robert Plant etc
Let's not got too far, brother. ;)
;D I enjoy his vocals even more than those guys. I realize I'm in the extreme minoirity though and thus pretty much wrong according to most people :lol
I'll happily listen to JLB over FM and RP and be wrong, though :tup It's not my fault the rest of the world can't realize the brilliance of the pirate :laugh:
Want to say hats off to JLB once again...as BTS has just become one of my favorite tracks on the album :hefdaddy Took a while but it happened. Even that weird moog solo by JR in the middle is starting to make sense to me now :lol
James is getting better and better with the time! Can't wait to see him perform these songs live!
His voice is really great on ADTOE, and he wrote melodies themself, that makes me think he is very talented guy, because melodies are great too. :tup
Quote from: The Silent Cody on September 13, 2011, 10:06:23 PM
His voice is really great on ADTOE, and he wrote melodies themself, that makes me think he is very talented guy, because melodies are great too. :tup
You might know this, but just for clarity's sake...JLB and JP worked on vocal melodies together.
Can't remember if they've ever specified who had a bigger role in this department.
Quote from: gm5k on September 13, 2011, 10:09:15 PM
Quote from: The Silent Cody on September 13, 2011, 10:06:23 PM
His voice is really great on ADTOE, and he wrote melodies themself, that makes me think he is very talented guy, because melodies are great too. :tup
You might know this, but just for clarity's sake...JLB and JP worked on vocal melodies together.
Can't remember if they've ever specified who had a bigger role in this department.
I believe it was JLB because, like band said in one of the interviews he was recording in Canada alone and They let him do what He wants with vocals, as I remember. I think that was said somewhere, I don't remember where ;)
Quote from: The Silent Cody on September 13, 2011, 10:17:46 PM
I believe it was JLB because, like band said in one of the interviews he was recording in Canada alone and They let him do what He wants with vocals, as I remember. I think that was said somewhere, I don't remember where ;)
Cool :coolio you can definitely hear that huge JLB influence on the vocal melodies throughout the album if you've listened to Elements of Persuasion and Static Impulse :metal
I think the vocals may be the best part of this album (and thats saying a lot since everyone is really amazing). For me, some of his melodies on the choruses are killing me with amazingness. I cant get some parts out of my head. Outcry, This is the Life, and Bridges in the Sky are driving me crazy with how good he is.
Quote from: gm5k on September 13, 2011, 10:19:59 PM
Quote from: The Silent Cody on September 13, 2011, 10:17:46 PM
I believe it was JLB because, like band said in one of the interviews he was recording in Canada alone and They let him do what He wants with vocals, as I remember. I think that was said somewhere, I don't remember where ;)
Cool :coolio you can definitely hear that huge JLB influence on the vocal melodies throughout the album if you've listened to Elements of Persuasion and Static Impulse :metal
Yeah, like hell I agree :) just wanted to wrote that ;)
JLB slays on this album, love the vocal melodies. Sounds like he tailored it to what he can realistically pull off live. Yeah sure LATM/IAW/Awake is awesome vocally and all but Mr LaBrie is being very sensible and mature about selecting melodies for the new album. He can save the insanely higher stuff for the older stuff and focus on his current strengths in the newer albums to save his voice.
Saying that he is still my fav vocalist ever.
3:03-3:39 in BAI. :tup
The biggest difference with this album is that there's more variety for JLB to show his full emotional range. There's nothing like FFH or TITL on BCASL and SC, so you really notice the difference there. But for heavier stuff, I think he sang equally good on BCASL and SC, at least when the melodies suited him, and not stuff like CM and TDEN where his voice wasn't utilized well at all (even though I love those songs).
Quote from: Vajra on September 13, 2011, 04:49:45 PM
-The chorus of Bridges In The Sky
This. I cant help but get goosebumps and smile like a little kid when I hear this chorus. Its so damn good. :tup
I think ADTOE is easily his third best DT album behind Awake and I&W. He crushes every moment of this album so undeniably. The only bad JLB moments are because of bad auto-tune, which aren't really his fault.
EDIT: Seriously, okay, I need to gush about JLB some more:
- Right from the OTBOA single it was obvious something was different. He was elevating the quality of the vocal lines like I haven't heard in a long time. And the music felt more like it was built around his singing. The music in Dream Theater took care of James LaBrie very well.
- He totally nails the emotional torture of BMUBMD without breaking the semi-pop vibe of the song.
- He makes LNF come ALIVE! Seriously, he makes me feel like I'm watching a movie about Persian armies.
- I shouldn't need to describe why TITL is so good.
- I think BITS might be one of JLB's best songs ever. I thought his singing on ANTR wasn't bad, but he sounded like someone was choking him. On this album, that is not the case. He absolutely roars under the seve-string chaos of JP's riffing to give one of his best metal performances on anything he's done. And then the chorus and bridge, good god. I get emotional when listening to it. The use of harmony and the feeling infused into the words are so powerful.
- I want to overthrow African warlords when listening to Outcry.
- Lots of feeling and subtlety going on in FFH. Very nice performance.
- JLB does so many things in BAI it's insane. FXy vocals in the first verse, an epic and melodic first chorus, distortion in the second verse, one of his best vocal harmonies ever in the "searching out" part, and then makes the philosophical lyrics of the very end communicate the heart that was intended.
- The lyrics and vocal melodies in BTS are great to begin with, but there's a certain kind of sadness and longing that needed to be captured for that song to really work, and JLB did it. "And then one day I stopped caring." Crap, I'm thinking about it and getting sad again.
Quote from: ReaPsTA on September 13, 2011, 11:50:02 PM
I think ADTOE is easily his third best DT album behind Awake and I&W. He crushes every moment of this album so undeniably. The only bad JLB moments are because of bad auto-tune, which aren't really his fault.
EDIT: Seriously, okay, I need to gush about JLB some more:
- Right from the OTBOA single it was obvious something was different. He was elevating the quality of the vocal lines like I haven't heard in a long time. And the music felt more like it was built around his singing. The music in Dream Theater took care of James LaBrie very well.
- He totally nails the emotional torture of BMUBMD without breaking the semi-pop vibe of the song.
- He makes LNF come ALIVE! Seriously, he makes me feel like I'm watching a movie about Persian armies.
- I shouldn't need to describe why TITL is so good.
- I think BITS might be one of JLB's best songs ever. I thought his singing on ANTR wasn't bad, but he sounded like someone was choking him. On this album, that is not the case. He absolutely roars under the seve-string chaos of JP's riffing to give one of his best metal performances on anything he's done. And then the chorus and bridge, good god. I get emotional when listening to it. The use of harmony and the feeling infused into the words are so powerful.
- I want to overthrow African warlords when listening to Outcry.
- Lots of feeling and subtlety going on in FFH. Very nice performance.
- JLB does so many things in BAI it's insane. FXy vocals in the first verse, an epic and melodic first chorus, distortion in the second verse, one of his best vocal harmonies ever in the "searching out" part, and then makes the philosophical lyrics of the very end communicate the heart that was intended.
- The lyrics and vocal melodies in BTS are great to begin with, but there's a certain kind of sadness and longing that needed to be captured for that song to really work, and JLB did it. "And then one day I stopped caring." Crap, I'm thinking about it and getting sad again.
This! JLB's vocals hasn't given me this much goosebumps since I&W and Awake.. :hefdaddy
It's good, I just wish he dared to do a bit more, he often sounds secondary to the music on this album with few operatic standout parts.
Quote from: shredding on September 13, 2011, 02:37:55 PM
Aside from all the awesomeness of this new album, I will have to say this is my favorite album of JBL performance.
I'm lost for words.... to explain his effect on me.... Listening to ADTOE, I am corporeally in pain now....
Quote from: obscure on September 10, 2011, 06:07:02 AM
"Without music, life would be a mistake." -Friedrich Nietzsche. "......
.... and without James, music would be a mistake....
i'd just like to say that james is rocking this album!! and i think what some may be mistaking for autotune is actually a touch of digital chorus just to widen it a bit just saying :angel:
I honestly can't see what so much better with his vocals than normal. I wish he put some more aggression in parts, and especially went for a couple of high notes. I love the BMU, BMD chorus, I was hoping for more of that sort of stuff through the album.
I guess the album really isn't clicking for me, I feel a lot of the melodies aren't as strong as previous albums.
Quote from: tartarus250 on September 14, 2011, 04:28:52 AM
i'd just like to say that james is rocking this album!! and i think what some may be mistaking for autotune is actually a touch of digital chorus just to widen it a bit just saying :angel:
There's definitely some auto-tune going on, but it doesn't bother me. One thing I'm not sure if people realize is that everyone uses it these days. The drawback is that sometimes the vocals sound a bit too perfect (like the harmonies in BAI). But again, doesn't bother me. I love his voice on this album!
Quote from: tartarus250 on September 14, 2011, 04:28:52 AM
i'd just like to say that james is rocking this album!! and i think what some may be mistaking for autotune is actually a touch of digital chorus just to widen it a bit just saying :angel:
Ok, can someone please point out specifics. I've tried to listen for it and really can't find any. Theres a few moments where I thought he may have used it...I know some people said he did in BTS, but after listening to it over and over they either did a great and unobvious job or he was really able to nail the notes and people are mistaking it for autotune.
Either way, I'm glad the majority agrees this is one of his best performances EVER!
Quote from: Madman Shepherd on September 14, 2011, 05:29:50 AM
Quote from: tartarus250 on September 14, 2011, 04:28:52 AM
i'd just like to say that james is rocking this album!! and i think what some may be mistaking for autotune is actually a touch of digital chorus just to widen it a bit just saying :angel:
Ok, can someone please point out specifics. I've tried to listen for it and really can't find any. Theres a few moments where I thought he may have used it...I know some people said he did in BTS, but after listening to it over and over they either did a great and unobvious job or he was really able to nail the notes and people are mistaking it for autotune.
Either way, I'm glad the majority agrees this is one of his best performances EVER!
It's very noticably autotune to me on BTS.
There's a difference between singing well and autotune. It's not about the great pitch of the notes, which we know JLB can do in the studio no problem, it's more about the way pitch correction slides between notes. It sounds different to a real human voice. It sounds synthetic. I don't have a problem with them using it at all, because it's a standard thing. I just think this was one of those few times when it was too much and detracts slightly from the vocal performance, rather than just polishing it up like intended.
It's the only song on the album where it's noticable to me though. On the rest of the album he sounds great.
IMO, I don't care if he's using autotune or not. As long as he's not overusing it I'm fine with it.. :tup
I really enjoy his vocal performance and I can narrow it down to the fact that his voice sounds so natural whilst previous albums make it sound like he's straining his voice way too much.
I really love his vocals on the whole album. Especially BMUBMD, LNF, and FFH
Quote from: ReaPsTA on September 13, 2011, 11:50:02 PM
I think ADTOE is easily his third best DT album behind Awake and I&W. He crushes every moment of this album so undeniably. The only bad JLB moments are because of bad auto-tune, which aren't really his fault.
EDIT: Seriously, okay, I need to gush about JLB some more:
- Right from the OTBOA single it was obvious something was different. He was elevating the quality of the vocal lines like I haven't heard in a long time. And the music felt more like it was built around his singing. The music in Dream Theater took care of James LaBrie very well.
- He totally nails the emotional torture of BMUBMD without breaking the semi-pop vibe of the song.
- He makes LNF come ALIVE! Seriously, he makes me feel like I'm watching a movie about Persian armies.
- I shouldn't need to describe why TITL is so good.
- I think BITS might be one of JLB's best songs ever. I thought his singing on ANTR wasn't bad, but he sounded like someone was choking him. On this album, that is not the case. He absolutely roars under the seve-string chaos of JP's riffing to give one of his best metal performances on anything he's done. And then the chorus and bridge, good god. I get emotional when listening to it. The use of harmony and the feeling infused into the words are so powerful.
- I want to overthrow African warlords when listening to Outcry.
- Lots of feeling and subtlety going on in FFH. Very nice performance.
- JLB does so many things in BAI it's insane. FXy vocals in the first verse, an epic and melodic first chorus, distortion in the second verse, one of his best vocal harmonies ever in the "searching out" part, and then makes the philosophical lyrics of the very end communicate the heart that was intended.
- The lyrics and vocal melodies in BTS are great to begin with, but there's a certain kind of sadness and longing that needed to be captured for that song to really work, and JLB did it. "And then one day I stopped caring." Crap, I'm thinking about it and getting sad again.
Amazing post, ReaP.
He sounds much more relaxed on this album than on SC and BC&SL, which isn't a surprise. I hope he can also record the vocals for the next DT album on his own again!
"Shaman, take my haaaaaaaaaand!" :metal
Quote from: lonestar on September 13, 2011, 04:04:02 PM
I am truly floored by his performance, and hope that it carries into the live show.
This. Love JLB's vocals on this album! Wouldn't say it's my fav performance by him, that would go to
Images & Words or
Awake.
Something new that I've noticed a few times, is a little breathiness he uses just before he hits the note, for example at (2:52-2:53) of "This is the Life". It's quite intimate, and a style I don't remember hearing before. Don't have the time caps for any other moments, but I'm pretty sure he incorporates that style on "Far from Heaven" and "Beneath the Surface" as well.
Quote from: ReaPsTA on September 13, 2011, 11:50:02 PM
I think ADTOE is easily his third best DT album behind Awake and I&W. He crushes every moment of this album so undeniably. The only bad JLB moments are because of bad auto-tune, which aren't really his fault.
If I had to rank 'em:
ATDOE
I&W (which I'm listening to right now)
Awake
SFAM
Special mention - Octavarium, the song
Quote from: Thread TitleHats off to Mr James LaBrie
*takes off hat*
*also rips hats off other people's heads*
JLB nailed it.
Quote from: Jaffa on September 14, 2011, 12:07:05 PM
*takes off hat*
*also rips hats of other people's heads*
ah my wild imagination:
what I saw: *also rips off other people's heads*
what I understood: *also chops off other people's heads* (of those who don't appreciate James)
and I was ready to :metal.....
too much James love will kill me one day....
:lol
That confused the hell out of me for a moment. For a second, I honestly thought I'd really typed 'rips off other people's heads'. I even editted it.
lol :tup
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 04:01:47 PM
JLB's best vocals on a DT album, ever.
flawless. i'll add my face to the appreciation list. HUGE congratulations! :tup
Quote from: obscure on September 14, 2011, 12:37:19 PM
Quote from: Jaffa on September 14, 2011, 12:07:05 PM
*takes off hat*
*also rips hats of other people's heads*
ah my wild imagination:
what I saw: *also rips off other people's heads*
what I understood: *also chops off other people's heads* (of those who don't appreciate James)
and I was ready to :metal.....
too much James love will kill me one day....
I read it "Rips off other people's heads"
And OMG I can't believe I am meeting someone that loves James as much as I do :D
James delivered in spades. So many awesome vocal lines, and I can't get those choruses out of my head!
My hat is off.
He sounds great throughout the album, and spectacular in some sections (BITS chorus). Definitely a step up from the last couple albums.
Yet, there is no way I can say he sounds better than he did back on I&W and Awake.
Eh, Jame's vocals on this album are alright...
Sub-par when compared with his vocals on When Dream And Day Unite.
Quote from: Cranky on September 14, 2011, 01:22:47 PM
Eh, Jame's vocals on this album are alright...
Sub-par when compared with his vocals on When Dream And Day Unite.
:facepalm:
Quote from: fadetoblackdude7 on September 14, 2011, 01:26:11 PM
Quote from: Cranky on September 14, 2011, 01:22:47 PM
Eh, Jame's vocals on this album are alright...
Sub-par when compared with his vocals on When Dream And Day Unite.
:facepalm:
Sarcasm?
(https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1008157/Wonders_of_the_Internet/Not%20Sure%20if%20serious.jpg)
Quote from: VioletS16 on September 14, 2011, 01:05:04 PM
Quote from: obscure on September 14, 2011, 12:37:19 PM
Quote from: Jaffa on September 14, 2011, 12:07:05 PM
*takes off hat*
*also rips hats of other people's heads*
ah my wild imagination:
what I saw: *also rips off other people's heads*
what I understood: *also chops off other people's heads* (of those who don't appreciate James)
and I was ready to :metal.....
too much James love will kill me one day....
I read it "Rips off other people's heads"
And OMG I can't believe I am meeting someone that loves James as much as I do :D
I'm with you babes.....
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 09:46:52 PM
Quote from: InertSolo on September 13, 2011, 05:56:06 PM
Quote from: Priest of Syrinx on September 13, 2011, 04:01:47 PM
JLB's best vocals on a DT album, ever.
This is probably one of his better performances but I've gotta respectfully say no way. Wait until the shiny coat on this album dies down, it's not THAT amazing.
I appreciate your courtesy, and I'll explain where I'm coming from... I'm not always a fan of huge metal voices, unless I'm in that particular mood. So I'm already biased towards JLB's slightly softer vocal side. On ADTOE, he runs the gamut from soft to loud + up and down more comfortably and consistently and beautifully than on any other DT album.
I'll go further and say that JLB's performance is my favorite of any prog album I've heard in 30+ years, except for maybe Gary Brooker.
All that said, of course these things are very subjective, and while I'm experienced, I'm no expert! :biggrin:
And that's a perfectly valid opinion so no worries dude ;)
I guess I'm just not as wow'ed over as to say it's better than his performance on Awake or I&W (especially since I grew up with these records, the former being the first album I got and my first taste of what would make me wanna be a musician) :lol
I feel like his performance on this album is on par with my big 4 of DT. (I&W, Awake, 6DOIT and SFAM) That gives me hope that I will consider this one a classic one day. The best performance I have ever heard from James is still Live At the Marquee though, god damn he was so amazing on that album.
It's the emotion in his voice on this album that stands above the rest to me. It's not about high notes or James Hetfield vocals anymore. He just sings these incredible melodies with such depth and emotion, it brings chills down my spine like no other DT album.
Quote from: Mebert78 on September 14, 2011, 08:53:39 AM
"Shaman, take my haaaaaaaaaand!" :metal
Ah, I
love that part! :D Perfect buildup to the instrumental breakdown. The other guys are riffing their asses off, and James is just soaring above them with long, held notes as a counterpoint.
Quote from: Dorkmaster Flek on September 15, 2011, 06:53:44 AM
Quote from: Mebert78 on September 14, 2011, 08:53:39 AM
"Shaman, take my haaaaaaaaaand!" :metal
Ah, I love that part! :D Perfect buildup to the instrumental breakdown. The other guys are riffing their asses off, and James is just soaring above them with long, held notes as a counterpoint.
Which has always been one of the things I love about DT (and my wife absolutely despises). James is "part of the music", what he is actually singing is often less important that how he sounds and how he sings it (at least for his contribution to the overall composition). I think that is one of the standout things on this album that gives it the feel of the older albums. James' voice is once again part of the music, his melodies and delivery compliment and contrast with the rest of the music beneath.
I feel that was really missing with the most recent albums (as much as I like SC & BCSL)...When it really hit me was as I found myself listening to the Instrumental BCSL disc more often than the full disc. I wasn't missing James' vocals, their absence was inconsequential, which meant they weren't making an impression in my mind as part of the musical composition.
This is not the case with ADTOE and albums like I&W and Awake....there James' melodies are as much a part of the music as he bass, guitar, drums, or keys.
James is so good on ADTOE it gives me a euphoric feeling, especially during those awesome choruses. Which got me to thinking, is this the best album ever for DT choruses? SFAM has some great ones, most of the albums do, but anyway:
OTBOA - pretty darn good
BMUBMD - excellent
LNF - good but derivative ;)
TITL - outstanding
BITS - the best them :metal
O - awesome
BAI - great
So not counting the 2 ballads which aren't really supposed to have huge choruses, this album has really delivered in this area and is one DT's best IMO. JLB deserves a lot of the credit for this, so much feeling and emotion in his voice.
While James is extremely good in the standard songs (especially Bridges, BMUBMD and BAI), I think the highlight of this album, when it comes to James, is the ballads:
This is the Life - sounds as awesome as their previous ballads, except the vocal melodies are even better. I mean really, he just nailed this song and you can really feel the lyrics and their meaning.
In Far From Heaven his singing makes you feel like a child tortured by his overly-aspiring parents. Brilliant work.
And Beneath the Surface...likely the best work I've heard by JLB, at least in a VERY long time. This is just too amazing, it's like these lyrics come to life.
After years of struggling he managed to fully regain his voice. Since Octavarium it just got better and better. Hats off indeed! His performance on the european tour this year was great and I'm happy to hear him sing the F# in LtL with so much power. Although it's obvious that in his age the higher notes are becoming more difficult to hit, he still sounds amazingly good. It's also a good decision to concentrate more on his comfortable mid range zone. There he definately never sounded better than now! The higher notes became somewhat rare, but when he sings them, they kick some serious...
The only thing that annoys me is the recent use of backing tracks on stage (Forsaken). I hope JP will not do the same because he needs more guitar tracks... I also have the impression - I don't know it!!! - that there's some harmonizer and pitch correction on the new album. I hope this is not true... I love a more "human" sound...
Quote from: jacksmash on September 14, 2011, 04:34:11 AM
There's definitely some auto-tune going on, but it doesn't bother me. One thing I'm not sure if people realize is that everyone uses it these days.
Like any fad tons of people jump on the bandwagon unfortunately. This tool should used by people that can't sing, not talented vocalists like Mr. LaBrie. Like Blob said, it sounds way too artificial and has really left a black eye on the entire music industry in my opinion.
Quote from: wolfking on September 14, 2011, 04:33:57 AM
I honestly can't see what so much better with his vocals than normal. I wish he put some more aggression in parts, and especially went for a couple of high notes. I love the BMU, BMD chorus, I was hoping for more of that sort of stuff through the album.
I guess the album really isn't clicking for me, I feel a lot of the melodies aren't as strong as previous albums.
I'm liking the new album so far but I agree with you about his vocals. I don't see (or hear) what stands out on this one more than the others. He does sound pretty good but I thought he's always sounded good in the studio. It's the live setting where he's struggled.
Well, it's like if Michael Jordan came back to the NBA again. He could easily play and dominate the court, but you know everyone would be like, "it ain't like 20 years ago". James LaBrie is dominating the court (album), and it's easily his best since Awake (and Octavarium for more recent comparison).
Dyslexia just kicked in for a second and I saw LaBrie James in all the basketball references...
This is the third Michael Jordan/ADTOE reference I've seen, all three by different posters. Either people are more stoked on this album than I realize or you all are deliberately conspiring over PM to mess with us. I'm going with the latter.
Quote from: ReaPsTA on September 15, 2011, 01:56:34 PM
This is the third Michael Jordan/ADTOE reference I've seen, all three by different posters. Either people are more stoked on this album than I realize or you all are deliberately conspiring over PM to mess with us. I'm going with the latter.
I was gonna say.
LaBrie sounds great as usual, but he just doesn't go into the higher register like he used to. I loved that about him. Sigh. Another Hand - The Killing Hand, Learning To Live, Voices, A Change of Seasons.. epic LaBrie. I'm always a little disappointed nowdays because he rarely belts out the high notes anymore.