Author Topic: Self Titled Album Discussion thread [Expect Spoilers]  (Read 223464 times)

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Offline j

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1015 on: September 16, 2013, 08:15:46 PM »
Just finished listening, and I enjoyed it.  One one hand it feels like they largely played it safe again, but just did their usual thing *better* in a lot of ways.  On the other hand, some things do stand out as attempts at mixing up the formula ever so slightly.  Obviously quality musicianship throughout and seems like there is a lot to digest, but I'm still irrationally hopeful that DT will put out something radically different before they retire.

Couple of first impressions:
-On first listen, I think you guys really undersold Behind the Veil and over-hyped The Bigger Picture.
-There was nothing I disliked outright.
-Bass is more audible than ever and there were some cool rhythm section only moments.
-Illumination Theory as a whole did not floor me like I expected, but may have just been too much to take in.  Also I was interrupted multiple times while listening to it.  Additionally, the final drum fill is straight from at least 2 other Portnoy-era DT songs, and (as mentioned previously) the similarity of the main theme to the beginning of Tchaikovsky's piano concerto is...uncanny.
-The "easter egg" is incredible and the best piece of music on the entire album.

-J

Offline Tis BOOLsheet

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1016 on: September 16, 2013, 08:16:11 PM »
The middle string part and the end of Illumination Theory are some of the most beautiful and touching moments in DT history. I nearly got choked up blasting this thing on my stereo. Everything including the lyrics brought this piece to what I believe is an unprecedented moment in DT's career.

Offline LieLowTheWantedMan

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1017 on: September 16, 2013, 08:17:35 PM »
This triggered snare is awful. At least it's not I&W bad, but it's really bad sounding.


I defy anyone to come up with ONE quote that proves that the snare is triggered. It's not.
Okay, even if it isn't it sounds terrible IMO.

Offline Rhayader

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1018 on: September 16, 2013, 08:18:06 PM »
Okay, guys. I've listened it a couple of times and so far I think it is the worst DT album by far. Uninspiring, without salt, goes nowhere, unmemorable.

Offline Outcrier

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1019 on: September 16, 2013, 08:18:57 PM »
-The "easter egg" is incredible and the best piece of music on the entire album.

So disappointed that they will not develop it into a song  :'(

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Offline LieLowTheWantedMan

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1020 on: September 16, 2013, 08:19:23 PM »
My overall opinion: the only "great" tracks are Surrender to Reason and Illumination Theory. Still, they're pretty high highs. But overall I'm sorta disappointed. :-\

Offline PROGdrummer

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1021 on: September 16, 2013, 08:21:17 PM »
Okay so.... since The Count of Tuscany is technically actually longer than Illumination Theory, can we all please start officially referring to it as an epic?

Offline chrisbDTM

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1022 on: September 16, 2013, 08:21:36 PM »
opinion: IT is on a whole other level than the rest of the album. the other songs are still pretty good but don't reach the highs that IT has

Offline LieLowTheWantedMan

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1023 on: September 16, 2013, 08:23:12 PM »
Actually, Enigma Machine is pretty good too, forgot that.

Overall, this reminds me of Octavarium. A couple really amazing tracks, with a bunch of tracks I'm going to end up forgetting even exist.

Offline Rhayader

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1024 on: September 16, 2013, 08:23:25 PM »
I will use the album today as a soundtrack to sleep.

Offline Lucidity

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1025 on: September 16, 2013, 08:24:29 PM »
I'm glad I'm not the only one a bit let down. It's not bad by any means, but it feels like they didn't even try anything new (sans the strings in IT, which are probably the highlight of the album) and it's all been done before (and done better...). That being said, there are some great melodies.

Offline Dark Castle

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1026 on: September 16, 2013, 08:25:44 PM »
I will use the album today as a soundtrack to sleep.
That's pretty neat, and not really necessary to post you think? You already posted what you thought above, now you're just kind of insulting the band's work :/

At least the others are just being critical in a good manner.

Offline jsbru

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1027 on: September 16, 2013, 08:26:01 PM »
-The "easter egg" is incredible and the best piece of music on the entire album.

So disappointed that they will not develop it into a song  :'(

Agreed.  Now I hope the "begin the next album where the last one left off" theme starts up again.  That really needs to be its own song with like three different parts.
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Offline Ħ

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1028 on: September 16, 2013, 08:27:45 PM »
Bleh, my ears hurt.







Not because the album was bad, per se, but because I've been blasting it in my earphones all day. 10/10 album.
"All great works are prepared in the desert, including the redemption of the world. The precursors, the followers, the Master Himself, all obeyed or have to obey one and the same law. Prophets, apostles, preachers, martyrs, pioneers of knowledge, inspired artists in every art, ordinary men and the Man-God, all pay tribute to loneliness, to the life of silence, to the night." - A. G. Sertillanges

Offline Dark Castle

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1029 on: September 16, 2013, 08:28:59 PM »
I'm wrapping up Steven Wilson's The Raven... and I'm so tempted to pop it on for like the 4th or 5th time

Offline AngelBack

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1030 on: September 16, 2013, 08:30:04 PM »
The middle string part and the end of Illumination Theory are some of the most beautiful and touching moments in DT history. I nearly got choked up blasting this thing on my stereo. Everything including the lyrics brought this piece to what I believe is an unprecedented moment in DT's career.

You may be right and considering all the epic, emotional, climactic moments in the DT catalog, that is a saying a LOT.
But the arc of your life will still be profound

Offline Lucidity

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1031 on: September 16, 2013, 08:30:14 PM »
I honestly wish they took the string part of IT and made it its own track. It might very well be DT's best song. But it completely doesn't fit with all the rest of IT and I feel they just anted to squeeze it in to make it more of of an epic. It really does make me sad that they didn't go a different direction with that theme, it had sooo much potential.

Offline Orthogonal

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1032 on: September 16, 2013, 08:30:50 PM »
Maybe it's just the vocal minority, but there are a lot more folks bagging on the album then I would expect, but I guess I should have seen that coming. Funny, on Prog Archives the album is split with tons of 5 star and 1 star ratings and few in between. Every release starts with the hardliners before folks settle down and digest it.

Offline Outcrier

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1033 on: September 16, 2013, 08:31:15 PM »
-The "easter egg" is incredible and the best piece of music on the entire album.

So disappointed that they will not develop it into a song  :'(

Agreed.  Now I hope the "begin the next album where the last one left off" theme starts up again.  That really needs to be its own song with like three different parts.

Finally, i was feeling like "I am the only one seeing the greatness of this?"
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Offline Rhayader

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1034 on: September 16, 2013, 08:35:56 PM »
I will use the album today as a soundtrack to sleep.
That's pretty neat, and not really necessary to post you think? You already posted what you thought above, now you're just kind of insulting the band's work :/

At least the others are just being critical in a good manner.
Why neat? It can be interpreted as good or bad. I don't think saying that insults the band's work. And why should you or anyone be offended by it? It is my opinion. Does me saying it makes you enjoy the album less? No. So what's the problem? Criticizing should be as normal as doing compliments. When someone says the album is good, nobody says anything.. because it is "normal". I know that all the people who liked the album want to read that the others did too, so they can share their feeling, but.. I am sorry, I didn't like the album, so I am criticizing. I totally respect everyone who liked it.

Offline FracturedMirror

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1035 on: September 16, 2013, 08:40:29 PM »
My quick impressions:

- Fantastic playing by Petrucci as always.  He remains one of the most tasteful of the "shredders".
- The drum sound/tone (?) is kinda weird.  I'm no drummer, so I'm not really able to address what sounds off.
- The drumming itself is great.
- Overall production is alright, but not great. 
- Hidden track at the end is great.  I wish it had been given it's own place as the basis for a longer instrumental instead of just an easter egg.
- Enigma Machine made me think of Mission Impossible.  I saw someone else mention that as well.

I think that overall I will end up liking this one better than ADTOE, but the high point of that album for me (BITS) is not matched by any one song on this one.

Offline Dark Castle

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1036 on: September 16, 2013, 08:40:52 PM »
I will use the album today as a soundtrack to sleep.
That's pretty neat, and not really necessary to post you think? You already posted what you thought above, now you're just kind of insulting the band's work :/

At least the others are just being critical in a good manner.
Why neat? It can be interpreted as good or bad. I don't think saying that insults the band's work. And why should you or anyone be offended by it? It is my opinion. Does me saying it makes you enjoy the album less? No. So what's the problem? Criticizing should be as normal as doing compliments. When someone says the album is good, nobody says anything.. because it is "normal". I know that all the people who liked the album want to read that the others did too, so they can share their feeling, but.. I am sorry, I didn't like the album, so I am criticizing. I totally respect everyone who liked it.
That was me being sarcastic.
To summarize why I think it's insulting is, you already put your crits up of the album, but why do you need to start going to "Yeahhh, This will be the album to listen to to knock me out" kind of stuff? It just comes off as insulting, mainly to the band, who are obviously, and should be proud of the album. It's okay to post criticisms like you did with your earlier post, even as harsh it was, but you don't need to knock the album outright.

Your criticisms don't make me enjoy the album any less, as there's no reason it would, I just don't think your post there was really necessary at all.

Offline Lucidity

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1037 on: September 16, 2013, 08:43:22 PM »
-The "easter egg" is incredible and the best piece of music on the entire album.

So disappointed that they will not develop it into a song  :'(

Agreed.  Now I hope the "begin the next album where the last one left off" theme starts up again.  That really needs to be its own song with like three different parts.

Finally, i was feeling like "I am the only one seeing the greatness of this?"

Yes, yes, and yes. So sad.

Offline FiberglassMoon

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1038 on: September 16, 2013, 08:44:35 PM »
Hmm still digesting it, but so far I think it's a middle of the pack album (which means it's very good).

Couple of things though....

I'm no musician or audiophile, and I'm not sure if it's the songwriting or the production (or a bit of both), but I feel like I get a little audio fatigue listening to it all the way through.  To me it seems that the songs don't "breathe" as well as they do on other albums, such as SFAM or SDOIT (imo, of course.)

Also, this is the second straight album where I wish they would have been more ambitious with the vocal melodies.  A lot of the time the vocal melodies seem very safe or less than innovative, and I would have liked to see them kind go for it more....you're gonna strike out sometimes, but it's worth it if you hit a few home runs.. 

That being said, I don't feel there are any very weak songs or insta-skips, which is great.  So far my favorites are TEI, TBP, BTV, and IT (I only listened to TEI once before today).  Hopefully it's a real grower and I'll enjoy it more as I discover its nuances.  But, for now I see it projecting as a FII/ADTOE/8VM mid-tier album. 

Offline Outcrier

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1039 on: September 16, 2013, 08:47:29 PM »
I will use the album today as a soundtrack to sleep.

Alone, Rhayader?

Nuggetz
« Last Edit: September 16, 2013, 09:03:09 PM by Outcrier »
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1040 on: September 16, 2013, 08:50:20 PM »
The False Awakening Suite seems rather mundane and boring to me.  I cannot remember one melody from it.  I don't listen to Symphony X, so I can't comment on the similarities of that song to any of theirs, but the song seems like too much "dun dun dun" and far too little melody.  That is my early impression.

Offline Orthogonal

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1041 on: September 16, 2013, 08:51:19 PM »
After 3 listens today, here are my preliminary impressions.

Things I liked:
-Love the cinematic and "big" presence throughout the album. It could be described as a wall-of-sound, but not quite like a Devin Townsend album, more just in the presentation of the music.
-Myung can be heard, and not just heard, but he has some MONSTER moments. Lots of cool, but small, solo's and grooves. I wish the mix was a little more balanced on the whole instead of just pulling the bass up at times when the song suited it, but this is a huge step in the right direction.
-Despite it being so cinematic, the album manages to be fairly diverse and balanced. Lots of different threads from soft to heavy and everything in between. Influences from Rush to Megadeth and Steven Wilson are worn on their sleeves and there's nothing wrong with that.

Things I didn't like:
-The album continues the trend of the banal and overly literal lyrical phrasing from the last decade plus. I should be accustomed to this by now, but it's still off-putting and the only thing that keeps this from being a true masterpiece.
-Too much compression, as much as I love the music, my ears are soooo tired after listening. I need time to rest instead of just jumping back in on repeat.

Still too early to do a full track ranking, need another 5-10 spins before doing that, but IT and STR are sticking out near the top of the pack.

Offline rumborak

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1042 on: September 16, 2013, 08:52:15 PM »
Maybe it's just the vocal minority, but there are a lot more folks bagging on the album then I would expect, but I guess I should have seen that coming. Funny, on Prog Archives the album is split with tons of 5 star and 1 star ratings and few in between. Every release starts with the hardliners before folks settle down and digest it.

Yeah, I've seen that trend over the years too. A lot of people will rate it incredibly high, but then end up revising it to a lower rating when they digested it more.
"I liked when Myung looked like a women's figure skating champion."

Offline skydivingninja

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1043 on: September 16, 2013, 08:54:05 PM »
Maybe it's just the vocal minority, but there are a lot more folks bagging on the album then I would expect, but I guess I should have seen that coming. Funny, on Prog Archives the album is split with tons of 5 star and 1 star ratings and few in between. Every release starts with the hardliners before folks settle down and digest it.

With every release you'll have a very large vocal fanbase proclaiming it to be the best DT album.  Lets face it, DT fans often have a very intense honeymoon period with any new music the band releases.  You'll also have a very large vocal fanbase that dislikes everything after 6DoiT, or a smaller vocal fanbase who are ravenous MP fanboys.  Then you'll have a small amount of people in the middle.  This is my fourth new DT release as a member of the boards and the exact same trend is taking place now.

Offline Outcrier

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1044 on: September 16, 2013, 08:55:20 PM »
Maybe it's just the vocal minority, but there are a lot more folks bagging on the album then I would expect, but I guess I should have seen that coming. Funny, on Prog Archives the album is split with tons of 5 star and 1 star ratings and few in between. Every release starts with the hardliners before folks settle down and digest it.

Yeah, I've seen that trend over the years too. A lot of people will rate it incredibly high, but then end up revising it to a lower rating when they digested it more.

Most current votes are from people that didn't even listened to the album yet.

i think
« Last Edit: September 16, 2013, 09:01:18 PM by Outcrier »
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Offline LieLowTheWantedMan

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1045 on: September 16, 2013, 09:01:06 PM »
Yeah. progarchives has a very large DT hating base that votes everything 1 star without hearing.

Offline Orthogonal

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1046 on: September 16, 2013, 09:09:36 PM »
That would be funny if it weren't so sad.

Offline Syzzle

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1047 on: September 16, 2013, 09:16:17 PM »
Thats because most people on progarchives are fans of Classic Prog Rock and they seem to love hating on every band that isn't Yes,Gensis,King Crimson,etc.

Offline Lark the Starless

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1048 on: September 16, 2013, 09:17:00 PM »
I've heard the album in its entirety once and I really enjoyed it.

Is it just me or is there somewhat of an Awake vibe in this album? 

Definitely a refreshing sound overall and I cannot wait to blast it in the car stereo.  :metal

Standout tracks SO FAR include TEI and IT. IT was not what I expected and that beautiful orchestral section in the middle was just...wow.

This album may make it into my top 3 but we'll have to wait until further listens.

Cannot WAIT to hear these songs live. North American tour dates, please!  :biggrin:

Offline XB0BX

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Re: Self Titled Stream Discussion thread [READ FIRST POST, SPOILERS THEREAFTER]
« Reply #1049 on: September 16, 2013, 09:17:35 PM »
Okay guys, I'm halfway through my first listen of the album, and I can now say that it is the worst DT album ever recorded, by far.