First off, Peter, I wouldn't say this unless I believed it (otherwise I'd just say nothing), but you were honestly my second favorite of the drummers. I felt even more than Marco that you really got the music and the vibe. And I liked how you handled the audition riff they showed. While I'm happy it's Mangini, I was really impressed by what you did, so congrats and I hope this video helps you get more work.
Priester - He just wasn't on DT's level, it's really that simple, which is what a lot of people have been saying. That said though personality-wise I appreciated him. He clearly gave a crap and put a lot of work into it and tried to roll with the audition.
As for the process of picking the guys, it seemed like they did it the right way. I appreciated that JM had a lot to say. I think, though I wasn't there, that while Minnemann impressed them in the moment that as someone to carry on the DT/MP legacy he just wasn't the guy.
And so they picked Mangini. And, just so it's out there, I absolutely 100% support the decision. Out of the seven he was clearly the right guy for the job. I really like his drumming and think DT will take him to the next level. And as a fan I'm really happy they picked someone who was this committed to doing it and for the right reasons.
Because here's the thing. Out of the other six drummers, who else would be that happy to get the gig? Maybe Peter (I can't speak for you on this), but otherwise it just seemed like Mangini wanted it truly deeply. And I want him to have wanted it that much.
And everything he said was just perfect and I believe he'll act on it. While like I've said there are definitely parts of DT's music I wish that were different, I don't want a new drummer to come in and blow it up. I want someone who will respect what MP's done. And yet, Mangini has the maturity and awareness to know he still has to be his own guy in the band and not try to just replace him. And, purely from the video in the documentary, I liked his playing the best.
Maybe it feels more clear to me because I wasn't a fan of Minnemann's audition in terms of how he handled DT's material, but I can't stress enough that I feel zero conflict over this.
So thank you Dream Theater for putting this out there, and I personally thank you for making the choice I loved the most. And congratulations to Mike Mangini, you've earned it in so many ways.
As for the rest of the doc, bummer to see they clearly weren't writing with Mangini, but that's the breaks of having to keep him a secret. Ah well. Two notes both related to Myung:
- On the phone, he said "Hi, this is JM." HE KNOWS OUR LANGUAGE!!!
- When talking about writing the album, he mentioned that he enjoyed the feeling of what it was like to just be with Petrucci as a kid and jam on ideas. That was a place he said he wished he was at on the WDADRU documentary. It's really cool to me that the writing process for this album has created a place where Myung feels comfortable again.
And thus, the doc has accomplished what it's supposed to. I'm glad for the Portnoy years of DT, but a new chapter of DT history is here. I feel like it's DT again, and I really want to see what this version of the band accomplishes.
Just have to quote this post because it's brilliant and absolutely spot on. Mangini was probably my third favourite of the lot, but my top 3 were so close and, frankly, he is easily the best fit for the band.
It was also so lovely seeing his reactions, and you just know how much dedication he will put in. Regarding the videos of them receiving the calls, remember that those were self-filmed. They all will have been phoned, but there won't be footage of them receiving the call unless they filmed themselves at the time.
Also, one thing that springs to mind is how great a time it is for us fans. Mangini is clearly a great fit and especially after the band's comments on the writing of the new album, it sounds very exciting. Minnemann (my personal favourite of the 7) had great chemistry with them and will hopefully work on some projects. And Wildoer (my second favourite) will, hopefully, get to work with LaBrie again!
And on that final note, Peter - I said this on facebook but want to say it here as well: your audition was actually amazing!! You might be younger than the others, but there is no doubt that you were in the top 3 for the job. Shame you didn't get it, but well done anyway and hopefully your career will still continue to get better and better from here!
EDIT: Oh yeah, and I actually really liked Priester, but I'm so glad he didn't get it as I don't have to eat my own face. That would have been painful.
Topic: An Exclusive Look into The Band’s Search for a New Drummer (Read 645498 times)