A Dramatic Turn of Events sounds good except for the drums. Which I don't really blame on the mixing or mastering for. I mean, not that it's bad at all, the drums on ADToE are fine, it's just that from what I've heard so far I prefer Portnoy's more dynamic style of playing to Mangini's style.
Basically, this. I honestly don't know what people are complaining about with the ADTOE sound, I think it's one of their slickest sounding albums.
I also don't really remember much complaining about it when the album came out.
I find it odd that so many people have said that over time they've been more and more disappointed with ADTOE. For me it's the exact opposite. When I first heard it I was appreciative, but a little let down by how tinny the drums sounded, how simple. I was used to MP being right in my face, the drums being on top of the mix. I was used to really intricate symbol patterns and bass drum patterns that laid a foundation for a song, they didn't do what everyone else was doing. Overall first listen... meh
Then as I listened to it over time I began to hear the intricacies of Mangini's playing. How each hand was doing something completely independent of the other, and each foot had a really intricate pattern that sometimes was totally contradictory to what the hands were doing. It was amazing. And though I still thought the drums were farther in the mix than they should be, I could still hear them just fine. I think my prejudice was simply because for so many years MP was so far in front of the mix that I'd grown used to having everything else a little farther back.
And honestly, I think everybody shines on ADTOE. And each maestro has his place comfortably carved out for him. The keyboards sound brilliant, the guitars have a great clean, dreamy sound and a brutal crunch without being overpowering. The bass is loud enough to be heard, but just enough so to lay down a bed for JP and JR. The vocals are clear (almost too clear, actually--I think JLB took it kinda easy on this one)
Its not a perfect record, by any means, but for a band gaining a new, untested member it was really a great outing all the way around.
At least I thought so....after a few listens.
Now I can't fucking wait to hear what happens when they let the genie out of the bottle and let bears have their cake and eat it too.