What are your thoughts on DT12?

[evz]

Can't say 'Instant Classic'. I've only listened to it a few times!

Does anyone on this board even know what "instant" means?

Hang on, I'll get back to you on that...     

[j]

Can't say 'Instant Classic'. I've only listened to it a few times!

Does anyone on this board even know what "instant" means?

Apparently not.  But to be fair, "instant classic" is sort of an oxymoron, or at least a pretty inane descriptor.

I've listened to the album 5 times now and it's grown on me each time.  But I'm still not yet sure how to form a coherent opinion about it.

-J

[cookienut]

Well I get goose bumps listening to Illumination Theory. That's only happened a few times in DT songs. OCtavarium being one of them. Plus the album just has really well written songs. I don't find the album too loud at all either.

It may well end up a classic. Im willing to accept others opinions on it being that for them.

[Nearmyth]

Album has grown on me after 4 or 5 listens, I actually just love how different it is... It's nothing like anything they've made before. But it's still Dream Theater. That's one of the things I love most.

[gibbs1245]

I honestly have no idea how people are disappointed. I absolutely loved every second of this album on the first play through. Start to finish, I was loving it all.

-Fastened my seatbelt at FAS, getting ready for my epic ride.
-Slammed through TEI and TLG, great jams with excellent melody.
-Head banged  like a motherfucker at EM; also laughed out loud at Mike's unreal solo spot near the end.
-Loved the piano driven TBP, JLB was shining all the way through.
-Got MAJOR goosebumps at the BTV intro, that seaboard just made my whole body freeze. brilliant. Also loved the thrashy guitars.
-Reminisced classic 80s Rush with STR.
-Had a nice breather at AFTR, perfectly placed right before the epic.
-Jammed out and got even more goosebumps at the string section in IT. I couldn't even believe what I was hearing. Simply beautiful, one of the best pieces JR has ever arranged. JLB was lighting it up and had so many great moments. The easter egg was a great touch, like it was playing over the theater PA as everybody was exiting, exhausted from the epicness of the concert.

I can definitely see some bothersome things about the album (like the awkward ending to TLG), but there is no way in hell these minuscule things detracted from my amazing journey I took. Maybe I'm just a really easily satisfied DT fan? Very low maintenance? Whatever. This album is great from start to finish. Cannot wait to experience these songs in a live setting. 

[Dr. DTVT]

Very strong for me.  I like most of it, but Illumination Theory just doesn't sound like one cohesive piece of music, it feels like 5 songs ran together.  6DoIT felt cohesive despite the different sounding parts (reprises helped) and maybe the lyrics in the liner notes will bridge them together for me.  It has some nice pieces, but right now in terms of DT epics it is near the bottom of the pile. 

James hasn't sounded this good on a DT record in a while, which is nice because his work the past 7 or 8 years everywhere else has been better than his DT album performance.

[IslandInTheMaking]

Ok, first of all hi! First post. Been reading these forums for years, and finally decidet that it was time to register... don't know why it took so long 

But anyways.. just thought i'd give the heads up that the new album is available in spotify. At least for finnish users. Sounds a lot "airier".. and i can hear symbals! 

Maybe i'll write a longer review later, but for now i'll just say that it's a lot different than what i expected. Very solid, no filler tracks for the moment. Sonicly not the best, but still a really fun mix to listen to.

[Polarbear]

I have listened the new self titled 7 times back to back, so i think its time to give my final short verdict.

First of all, i am happy that so many people are satisfied with the album but for me its the complete opposite. 

 I lost my interest to this new album faster than ever before when it comes to new DT releases. ADTOE two years ago held my interest many months after the albums release, and after seeing them in Helsinki in January my interest with the album resurfaced again.

With this album it barely held my interest for one week, because i think it has zero staying power. I pretty much heard everything there was to hear after the first 3 listens. The albums lack of diversity does not help that at all.

The only track i could honestly say i liked after the first listen was the bigger picture, but even that has begun to sound forgettable. Illumination theory has grown on me a little but it could have been 6 minutes shorter and i wouldn't have cared. At least they could have gotten rid of the orchestral section which just undermines the song as a whole. They have had great orchestral sections over the years but this is definitely not on of them.

I wish i could like this album more but i just cant, and thats why its the worst DT album ever for me. Like i said, this is just me and its great that the community is enjoying it

[Aquila Chrysaetos]

My thoughts are that the physical copy arrived early. Got mine today.
Isn't it supposed to be released 24th?

[Kotowboy]

I only ever pre ordered stuff when I lived in a small village in the country where there was no local music emporium.

Now that I live in a city with an HMV nearby - I always pick stuff up on release day because I don't want to wait.

Recently - I ordered a Star Trek DVD online and it took 10 days to arrive.

I'm not doing that again.

[jayvee3]

The only track i could honestly say i liked after the first listen was the bigger picture, but even that has begun to sound forgettable. Illumination theory has grown on me a little but it could have been 6 minutes shorter and wouldn't have cared. At least they could have gotten rid of the orchestral section which just undermines the song as a whole. They have had great orchestral sections over the years but this is definitely not on of them.

Wow. If you don't like THAT orchestral section, i'm not sure what orchestral section you do like - that piece of music is simply stellar, and in my mind, one of the most moving musical sections they have ever written...

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

This album grows for me very nicely and it's a lovely feeling. The snare sound has a personality to it which i've become to like very much.

[YtseBitsySpider]

Guess my tastes have changed. I honestly can't say there's anything wrong with it.
I just hear the "same old"

oh well.

[Ruba]

Naturally I won't vote yet, just after one listen, but my reaction is between meh and disappointed. So I wasn't really impressed.

I'll start with the pros. Sonically the album is very good, a giant leap from ADTOE. Drums are bombastic, and Mike really shows what he's capable of. And... is that you, John Myung? I thought you had left the band after Six Degrees, because I hadn't heard any bass since then.

Illumination Theory is fucking amazing. Period. Full stop. Definately top 50 material. I didn't really get The Embracing Circle, at least yet, but there's still some 19 minutes of fucking amazing. And the song has the best JLB vocals since SDOIT (excluding his solo material). False Awakening Suite is a cool opener, very Nightwish-y. Enigma Machine is cool instrumental, which is technical, but doesn't slip into unnecessary wankery. Along for the Ride is really beautiful.

The Enemy Inside and Surrender to Reason are good, but not spectacular. TEI is very powerful, with many great guitar riffs, but I think it goes on a bit too long, which eats up its punch. Surrender to Reason has the best lyrics on the album, and lots of beautiful melodies, but seems a bit messy and directionless. However, I feel it will grow.

Then there are three songs remaining, which all are weak. They all had some good bits and pieces, but they just didn't work. The Looking Glass has an alright chorus, but I really don't remember anything else about it. The intro for Behind the Veil promised something cool to happen. Not much did.

And they real dud is The Bigger Picture. Seldom have I been so underwhelmed by a song. At 45 seconds I was ready to skip the track, but I contained myself. There were an OK chorus, and a nice guitar solo, but otherwise it felt just loooooooong. It's better than As I Am, CM or BMUBMD, but it definately is among the worst DT songs ever.

Where would I rank it? It is slightly better than Train of Thought, so it's not their worst album ever. But I'm not sure whether it is better than BC&SL or not. I'll say they are even for now. It might still grow, but I don't believe it will leave the cellar. The weakest mid-tier album 8VM is too big a challenge for it.

[jammindude]

 

Your three duds are my top 3 from the entire album.

[Ruba]

Your three duds are my top 3 from the entire album.

 

Just my opinions. If you like those songs, I'm completely OK with it.

[Dream Team]

Caved and listened to the stream - once on low volume at work, then on the computer at home. Don't want to listen anymore until I get the CD. Anyway . . . James Labrie, WOW. Some killer stuff from him, much more passionate than ADTOE which I hold in very high regard. Very balanced contributions from all members, and of course JP always brings his A game.

My thoughts on MM have not changed much; I hear a lot of speed and technicality but not near the creativity and catchiness that MP brought to the table. MP has single songs where he has more great drum parts than the entire 18 songs of the MM era so far. Granted this is after only 2 listens, I may change my mind later as I become more familiar.

This is premature, but I'll take a stab now and see how much my opinion changes after a few months. Ranking the MM-era songs:

1. Breaking All Illusions
2. Illumination Theory
3. This is the Life
4. Lost Not Forgotten
5. The Bigger Picture
6. Outcry
7. The Looking Glass
8. On the Backs of Angels
9. Surrender to Reason
10. Bridges in the Sky
11. Behind the Veil
12. Beneath the Surface
13. Along for the Ride
14. Enigma Machine
15. The Enemy Inside
16. False Awakening Suite
17. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
18. Far From Heaven

[jammindude]

Caved and listened to the stream - once on low volume at work, then on the computer at home. Don't want to listen anymore until I get the CD. Anyway . . . James Labrie, WOW. Some killer stuff from him, much more passionate than ADTOE which I hold in very high regard. Very balanced contributions from all members, and of course JP always brings his A game.

My thoughts on MM have not changed much; I hear a lot of speed and technicality but not near the creativity and catchiness that MP brought to the table. MP has single songs where he has more great drum parts than the entire 18 songs of the MM era so far. Granted this is after only 2 listens, I may change my mind later as I become more familiar.

This is premature, but I'll take a stab now and see how much my opinion changes after a few months. Ranking the MM-era songs:

1. Breaking All Illusions
2. Illumination Theory
3. This is the Life
4. Lost Not Forgotten
5. The Bigger Picture
6. Outcry
7. The Looking Glass
8. On the Backs of Angels
9. Surrender to Reason
10. Bridges in the Sky
11. Behind the Veil
12. Beneath the Surface
13. Along for the Ride
14. Enigma Machine
15. The Enemy Inside
16. False Awakening Suite
17. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
18. Far From Heaven

 

Glad you love the album.   Just a really funny observation in general.    I havn't really "dialed into" the drums yet...because I'm not a drum guy...so other than a few fills I can't judge one way or another.

But I just think it's hilarious that some people are turned off by how technical MM is on this album, and other people are like, "You've got someone as talented as MM behind the kit and he isn't doing anything technical."     Just a lqtm observation.

[AngelBack]

After about 10 listens I can say I think there is much that will stand the test of time.  Songs that you know you will not tire of like much of I&W, Awake, SFAM and SDOIT.  IT still has not totally clicked yet because I am not sure how it all works together but the individual parts are quite good to amazing.  There is still so much to take in but I feel this record will end up somewhere in my top 4 and that is really more than I had hoped for or expected.

Thanks to the guys for the hard work and effort to continue to put out music that will add to their legacy of amazing music rather than just sustain it.

[Viking of the Sagas]

The drumming solid and I really do like it, though I do miss Portnoy's groovy drumwork. He was getting a bit lazy with them towards the end, though.

[Dream Team]

The drumming solid and I really do like it, though I do miss Portnoy's groovy drumwork. He was getting a bit lazy with them towards the end, though.

I agree, I feel MP's untouchable peak was the first 6 albums plus some good stuff on ToT. After that he starting getting lazy, with the odd brilliance here and there (OV the song).

[Podaar]

I feel "lazy" is a bit rough! I think it's true that MP was comfortable with his talent, style and level of skill. Which, quite frankly, is a at level so far above the level obtainable by the vast majority of drummers that it seems incredibly crass for us mere forum posters to question his work ethic.

I'm sure there are only a handful of professional drummers that could claim to be more skilled and harder working than MP, but I'll bet they have the class not to.

[dongringo]

I absolutely love Mangini's work on this album and am so glad they picked him. His drumming is what I would call tasteful and mature. He's listening to what everyone else is doing and doing what is called for within the songs while not trying to overpower the others. He clearly respects every player in the band and strives to do what is most important for the song at hand. Not taking anything away from portnoy as a player, but I for one got really tired of him overpowering the music in the studio and on stage. Things are much, much better now with Mangini behind the kit. Just my 3 cents.

[Polarbear]

The only track i could honestly say i liked after the first listen was the bigger picture, but even that has begun to sound forgettable. Illumination theory has grown on me a little but it could have been 6 minutes shorter and wouldn't have cared. At least they could have gotten rid of the orchestral section which just undermines the song as a whole. They have had great orchestral sections over the years but this is definitely not on of them.

Wow. If you don't like THAT orchestral section, i'm not sure what orchestral section you do like - that piece of music is simply stellar, and in my mind, one of the most moving musical sections they have ever written...

Orchestral stuff in Sdoit and Octavarium (songs) is well thought out and works well within the songs. In the Illumination theory the orchestra just kills the flow of the song in the moment it kicks in.

Its like they said to the guy writing the orchestra- piece that we need an orchestral section and we slap it in the middle of this song, just do something.

The piece itself isn't bad!

[ariich]

JR wrote the orchestral stuff (and Eren Basburg) orchestrated it.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The only track i could honestly say i liked after the first listen was the bigger picture, but even that has begun to sound forgettable. Illumination theory has grown on me a little but it could have been 6 minutes shorter and wouldn't have cared. At least they could have gotten rid of the orchestral section which just undermines the song as a whole. They have had great orchestral sections over the years but this is definitely not on of them.

Wow. If you don't like THAT orchestral section, i'm not sure what orchestral section you do like - that piece of music is simply stellar, and in my mind, one of the most moving musical sections they have ever written...

Orchestral stuff in Sdoit and Octavarium (songs) is well thought out and works well within the songs. In the Illumination theory the orchestra just kills the flow of the song in the moment it kicks in.

Its like they said to the guy writing the orchestra- piece that we need an orchestral section and we slap it in the middle of this song, just do something.

The piece itself isn't bad!

I woudn't say the flow is ruin by any means because the ambient section before works great in bring it all down so for me it works very well. The string section contains melodies from the song itself so it all makes sense to me. It's just a nice little section that works like a hymn in a way and makes me wanna sit back and relax with a glass of wine or a bottle and just appreciate stuff, love it! 

[Ruba]

By the way, I feel like one stanza in The Bigger Picture alludes to Red Sector A by Rush.

TBP:
Wounds that never heal
A heart that cannot feel
A dream that’s all too real
A stare as cold as steel

RSA:
I clutch the wire fence until my fingers bleed
A wound that will not heal
A heart that cannot feel

[hefdaddy42]

Can't say 'Instant Classic'. I've only listened to it a few times!

Does anyone on this board even know what "instant" means?

[MacClaus]

It's a decent recording. A few good tunes, but after a few listenings I can't remember me what i heard. DT should hire a good producer for the next album, and maybe a new keyboard player.

[Onno]

After 5-6 listens, I must say I'm disappointed. I quite like FAS and TEI, but I don't like TLG, which is pretty much a Rush song. Enigma Machine is a great instrumental. TPB is decent but it can't really grab my attention. BTV is really pretty good and has some nice riffs. STR starts out really cool but I don't like the chorus. AFTR is a decent ballad, I like Jordan's solo and the buildup. IT is... good, but for some reason I don't find it nearly as interesting as pretty much any other DT epic.

These thoughts might change though, I need some more listens to see if the album might grow on me.

[?]

At this point all I can say is my reaction is a mixture of the last three options...

[ariich]

DT should hire a good producer for the next album, and maybe a new keyboard player.

Why should they do either?

[wasteland]

At this point all I can say is my reaction is a mixture of the last three options...

Well, that's another confirmation. I was completely sure about you not liking it.

[tjanuranus]

I think it's their 4th best album after scenes from a memory. Every single song is either really good or great. And I was disappointed when I first heard it but after listening many times I see the brilliance lol

[?]

At this point all I can say is my reaction is a mixture of the last three options...

Well, that's another confirmation. I was completely sure about you not liking it.

I'm so predictable... I'll post some kind of little review after I've listened to the album (even) more, but right now I can't see it becoming a favorite of mine.