Dream Theater self titled album discussion - [SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION ONLY]

[bosk1]

Posts about Dream Theater's upcoming self-titled album go here.  Feel free to discuss news, interviews, etc. about DT 12. 

Please note that the other thread has been locked for excessive spam:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=35260.0  Feel free to discuss and to speculate to your heart's content, but keep it reasonable so that we do not have to issue warnings (or worse) or lock and delete another thread.

ALSO OF NOTE:  All official information about the album is listed here:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=36530.0

That thread is updated every time we get something new.  If you don't want to have to read through 100+ pages of discussion and are just looking for the facts, that thread is the place to go.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

I'll start it out by saying, I'm excited to receive any news that the band decides they want to give us, and I'm SUPER excited to hear this damn album. :

[Ben_Jamin]

I wouldn't mind if that purple on black is a slipcase cover.

[jonnybaxy]

4th!

Cant wait for the news tomorrow, was it announced by RRUSA or other?

[The Letter M]

Well with regards to the tracks, we know that there will be 9 songs on the album, including 2 instrumentals, one of which is billed as an Opening track, working title "YARGGG".

Other working titles so far include "Vinegar Seed", "The Clover" (instrumental), "Epic", "Smoothen", "Along For The Ride", "Dolphin Safe", "Bad Larry", and "Reap The Harvest". In addition to these 9 songs, there will be an "Easter Egg" track which features nothing but Keyboards and Guitar lead possibly an improvised collaboration between JP and JR, or something they just wrote and couldn't include in any of the songs.

Of course, the real fun will be figuring out which working titles go with which final track titles once we get the track listing (and hopefully times!). Of course, "YARGGG" will likely be the first track as it is listed as "Opening" on their progress board, and oddly enough the LAST song they wrote and recorded in their sessions from January-to-April.

With that in mind, I speculate that the Opening track will be a sort of overture which sets up the rest of the album. Why else write it at the end after 8 other songs? To me, it might be a "Six Degrees" style overture, or something more like "Overture 1928", an instrumental that sets up the tone for the album, either stylistically or musically. I'd like it to be both, and of course, a sort of concept album, but only time will tell.

-Marc.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I cannot wait to see the track listing and album cover. Gonna be great!

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

I wouldn't mind if that purple on black is a slipcase cover.

I think it would be cool as the disk art.

[chknptpie]

The last thread said something about an announcement tomorrow. My guess is it will be something minor - but I could be wrong!

[Mosh]

Hopefully we'll get artwork and song titles! 

[theseoafs]

I'm calling it:  artwork and tracklist tomorrow.

[YtseJamittaja]

WHO SAID TOMORROW??

[OsMosis2259]

I wouldn't mind if that purple on black is a slipcase cover.

I think it would be cool as the disk art.

I think so too. It makes a lot of sense for a self titled album

[fadetoblackdude7]

WHO SAID TOMORROW??

RR did on their twitter.

[Naikon]

WHO SAID TOMORROW??

Roadrunner Records on Twitter

[Edergilmour]

Can't remember last time I've been this anxious to hear an album. I'm even thinking of organizing a listening party around here. haha
About the song titles, I would like a lot if "Reap the Harvest" is the real title (Pink Floyd - Dogs FTW). I think we have proof enough to believe that tomorrow at this time we'll have track list and cover! 

[nicmos]

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

[Jaffa]

At some point in the last thread, somebody posted a quote from Mike Mangini about the new album.  Something about it being at least seven times better than anything else he had ever recorded.  Was that a legitimate quote, or a joke?  And if it was legitimate, could somebody link me?

I wanted to ask in the last thread, but it was moving faster than I could keep up with. 

[Perpetual Change]

"Easter Egg" track which features nothing but Keyboards and Guitar lead possibly an improvised collaboration between JP and JR, or something they just wrote and couldn't include in any of the songs.

Wait, what?

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

Well, someone just said they said that. I'm not doubting it, but it's definitely nothing concrete. I didn't see the tweet and I do follow RR and DT on twitter.

[Marion Crane]

Yeah I bet we get a tracklist, album cover and single announcement.  Not the actual single itself, but something like "Tuesday July 16th" or something

[robwebster]

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

Well, someone just said they said that. I'm not doubting it, but it's definitely nothing concrete. I didn't see the tweet and I do follow RR and DT on twitter.

That's cos it's an @-response. Enjoy!

ETA: "DEFINITELY."

[The Letter M]

"Easter Egg" track which features nothing but Keyboards and Guitar lead possibly an improvised collaboration between JP and JR, or something they just wrote and couldn't include in any of the songs.

Wait, what?

It was visible on the Song Progress Chart they showed in a video that someone screen capped somewhere. It was in the old thread, but the 10th track at the bottom of the chart was simply titled "Easter Egg" and only had spots open for Guitar and Keys, specifically Synth and Piano with Lead Guitar.

-Marc.

[fadetoblackdude7]

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

True, but last week they said we will get the cover/track listing THIS week.

[Edergilmour]

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

True, but last week they said we will get the cover/track listing THIS week.

...and based on that I said that we'll have tracklist and cover tomorrow. Guess I'm optimistic today haha. 

[Meatrose]

At some point in the last thread, somebody posted a quote from Mike Mangini about the new album.  Something about it being at least seven times better than anything else he had ever recorded.  Was that a legitimate quote, or a joke?  And if it was legitimate, could somebody link me?

I wanted to ask in the last thread, but it was moving faster than I could keep up with.

It was from his facebook, he commented on one of his own entries (in which he thanked everyone who voted him drummer of the year). I don't use facebook so I don't know if its possible to link directly to someones comment so I just took a screenshot for you.

[JRuivo]

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

Well, someone just said they said that. I'm not doubting it, but it's definitely nothing concrete. I didn't see the tweet and I do follow RR and DT on twitter.

That's cos it's an @-response. Enjoy!

ETA: "DEFINITELY."

Who the hell would, at this stage, ask for more studio pics?? 

[Kotowboy]

That was me being sarcastic !

[Scorpion]

I'm not super excited, I must confess, but maybe that's good, because it keeps my expectations in check. I'll still listen, but there's other stuff that I'm looking forward to WAY more than DT12.

[wolven74]

To be clear, they didn't say what was going to happen tomorrow.  They just said there would be some news.

Well, someone just said they said that. I'm not doubting it, but it's definitely nothing concrete. I didn't see the tweet and I do follow RR and DT on twitter.

That's cos it's an @-response. Enjoy!

ETA: "DEFINITELY."

Who the hell would, at this stage, ask for more studio pics?? 

I don't know about studio pics but I'd be stoked for another in the studio video.

[Jinx]

Bosk I'm not a fan of the looong topic name. Please can you rename to "Dream Theater" Speculation and Discussion? 

[ebbeberge]

Really hope it's a consept album like SFAM and SDOIT, and that the opening tune is a overture that represent the mood and styles of the album.

[TheAtliator]

Really quick, could we just sum up just a few of the great things that happened in the old thread?

I think it is very worth noting that we now have a little sneak preview of some keyboard part on the new album that was put together (by Fatal Tragedy right?) due to only this snapshot from the In Studio video #1


You can hear it here:
https://www.blobvandam.com/link/dt12_new_song.mid

[Perpetual Change]

Really hope it's a consept album like SFAM and SDOIT, and that the opening tune is a overture that represent the mood and styles of the album.

I think that's unlikely, given that the album is self-titled.

However, if DT were to ever have a "theme song" named after the band, I'd imagine it WOULD be instrumental.

[Tomislav95]

I hope there will be announcement (or at least announcemen of announcement ). Can't wait to hear new album, to me everything looks like it's going to be a concept album.

[MoraWintersoul]

summing up the old thread?

I've been doing that for the past two hours
A summary of notable* updates, somewhat chronologically:

-Jordan's video intie with Noisecreep: https://noisecreep.com/dream-theater-new-album/

-The first look upon the chocolate cake Mt. Boogie came on January 17th:


-We figured the new album will have the same drum kit, Harpejji, Continuum, Moog Taurus bass pedals, the new mighty JP13 with DiMarzio pickups, a 12-string acoustic guitar, this: https://www.studiologic-music.com/sledge.html, the Seaboard, mellotron(s?),  A FUCKING ORCHESTRA arranged by Eren Başbuğ

- The album was engineered by Rich Chycki: https://twitter.com/chycki/status/287378658845417473

- A cool intie with John and Jordan (the "MM is an animal"-intie): https://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/dream-theater-john-jordan-20130129/?cmpid=20130129/dream-theater/facebook/news-link/john-jordan&utm_source=roadrunner&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=dream-theater-john-jordan-01292013

- JLB was recording this and his solo record at the same time: https://twitter.com/Piratecjs/status/289784777979097089

- A series of Twitter Q&A's were released. Most important points: the album will have an instrumental, at least one set of lyrics penned by JMX

- JP's studio rig video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QQQZubv-lJw

- Over The Edge was filming them in the studio: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=502313596493940&set=a.135044486554188.21268.135021603223143&type=1&theater

- JP spoke with DTNorway: https://itunes.apple.com/no/podcast/dtnorway-echos-hill-podcast/id298946023?l=en&mt=2

- ArtisanNews'd JR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZKwtAXsdqo

- we figured out a part of the lyrics from a pic JP posted:
"(---)

every person is a story
begging to be told

hypnotized blameless
paralyzed life

(--) like a (---) to a flame

What if all that I believe

for a moment I lost (---)
(---)

empty (words?) fill up the spaces

(circled) carried upon our soul
cared to share

with every step I take

hesitate or falter

-------------------------------------------

an angel in disguise"

- A tour of JRland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-cTGbXf0w0&feature=youtu.be


Other things that happened in the thread:
Debbie told the story of the Loo Day: "Since Wey is who he is and works for who he works for, we had laminates for the shows we went to on the last ADTOE leg (San Antonio, Austin and Grand Prairie/Dallas).  So the Austin show was awesome, Images and Words 20th anniversary, etc.  After the show, we were backstage and all of the guys except James came out for after show.  After everything wound down and we were on our way out of the backstage area, I noticed an open bathroom and (thankfully) asked the security guard if I could go in real quick - he said that it was for the band and not the general public and that's when I noticed Wey and his daughter laughing their asses off because it was James's loo!

So, you better believe Wey told James ALL about it before the Grand Prairie show - James playfully acted all pissy, and I was SO embarrassed while claiming "It was an honest mistake!"

The way it all played out was just too hilarious.

Edit:  OH!  Almost forgot - after the Grand Prairie show James made a funny comment about meeting in the bathroom (he called it "the washroom") before we left to go back to Austin. "

- MP made that one awesome update: "  “@Bagas_Aji_: hi mike , are you still playing drum for dream theater ? Reply plese”
@MikePortnoy "Yes I am...And we're playing Indonesia all month long!!""

- Scorp and Blob killing it:



- this became a thing:






I'll do the rest tomorrow... only reached page 90 of the old thread

[matte.braso]

I wanna share my speculations on the working titles tracklist. I had fun trying to predict the lenght of every song or associating the title to  previous DT song.

regarding the lenght of time we'll see if I guessed some or I was completely wrong :

1. Opening 4 mins
2. Reap the Harvest 6
3. Bad Larry 8
4. Vinegar Seed 9
5. Dolphin Safe 6
6. The Clover 7
7. Along for the Ride 11
8. Epic 17
9. Smoothen 5
10. Easter Egg 1          TOTAL TIME around 74 mins

if this album were made of previous DT song for me it would be like this:

Opening-Overture (SDOIT): I realy wanna hear great orchestrations in it, just like this magnificent song

Reap the Harvest-About to Crash: This title intrigues me. It makes me think of a really proggish Rush-related song, like Innocence Faded or Strange Deja Vu. I'm really looking forward to it

Bad Larry-Constant Motion: really powerful, with lots of badass riffs inspired by Metallica. I'd associate it with Rite of Passage, too.

Vinegar Seed-This is the life: well, I might be completely wrong, but I think this may be a ballad with some great epic moments, just like TITL or One last time.

Dolphin Safe-Through her eyes: really smooth, delicate, like saying you: relax and prepare yourself for the second amazing part of the album

The Clover-The Dance of Eternity: I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope it will be on the level of TDOE, my favourite DT instrumental

Along for the Ride-A Nightmare to Remember: I expect all the elements of a great DT song: great riffs, beautiful acoustic middle section, amazing instrumental part and an epic final.

Epic-The Count of Tuscany: if they've given this title it sure will be one of the best compositions they ever made.

Smoothen-Beneath the Surface: like ADTOE, it seems that a ballad will close the album. I would like to hear something similar to BTS, with lots of acoustic guitars and mostly a Genesis vibe in it.
   
A compilation thus made would be around 77 mins long, containing some of the very best in DT discography, hoping that my expectations won't be disappointed