While I get why they have to do it from a business standpoint, the fact that they are already announcing tour dates for this summer, without having any of the new album written yet, is not something I am a fan of. What if they get in the studio and struggle to find their way? Will they feel rushed to release whatever they come up with, because they know they have to have to finished by [insert date]? You can't exactly put creativity and inspiration on a time clock; it should come naturally.
Sounds like a lot to worry about. 
I agree that it should come naturally, but honestly if this is what works for them then that is what comes naturally to them. I think the fact of the matter is that DT members obviously feel comfortable and confident enough that they can keep on track. They don't expect to encounter any issues while recording, and why should they? Sure it's good to be prepared for anything, but worrying about an imaginary scenario where something causes them to not finish on time is a helpful attitude in some circumstances, such as foresight to predict potential hurdles, but a hindering attitude to have if you actually just want to get on with it and make progress. I get what you mean how it could make you feel uneasy that they impose these sort of expectations on themselves, but if they're confident in their ability to stick to their schedules then that should be good enough for us.
I agree with this. We know a few things about the task in front of DT:
1) They'll likely write an album between 65 (or at least 60, anyway) and 80 minutes.
2) They're masters of their instruments and can learn parts very quickly.
3) At least on the last album, they were always mic'd so basically anything they did could be used as a final take, so recording doesn't even necessarily have to be an extra step/extra time beyond writing (except vox, which I assume are laid down in blocks once everything else is in).
Now, we've seen how these guys can jam, the random improvs Jordan has done, etc. I find it hard to believe that in five months, they can't come up with 60-80 minutes of great musical ideas and get them tracked (the mixing/mastering don't happen while they're in studio, right? That's later?). I know that's oversimplifying a bit, but they've done this...seven? times already, and while they maybe aren't 7-for-7 on satisfying some of us (myself included), they're 7-for-7 in satisfying themselves.
We've also seen Petrucci-led DT show a willingness to push back releases of things (the drummer doc and LALP) rather than rushing something out the door, so I imagine that if there were significant issues in the allotted time, they'd make allowances. But still, I find it hard to imagine that these guys could spend five months on an album and be dry of good ideas, when ToT took three weeks; didn't Flying Colors do their first one in just a few days? These things happen. Maybe it has some negative side effects, but there shouldn't be any more concern this cycle than any other.
Even though there are of course fans of every album, I feel like DT has disappointed the general fan base for the last four albums. I'm not speaking for myself here though, since I love both Systematic Chaos and A Dramatic Turn of Events. But I feel like the majority of comments of the past 6 years has been a bit negative. It seems like the fans are longing for the old DT, which will simply never return. Something I have accepted will never really return. And again, I really like both SC and ADToE, so not really speaking for myself here.
Maybe some older fans feel this way, the ones that put all their earlier work on a pedestal for varying reasons. But really, any complaints about the recent half of their career have been from fans that have certain expectations that were not met by the band in the way they'd prefer. I think the 'core' DT fanbase will be pretty accepting of most of what they come out with, and the persistent 'negative' responses are a natural side effect (and in contrast) to a generally well received album as far as the band is concerned. Despite the huge variation in opinions on the albums, I don't think there's any one album that we can collectively agree was an actual flop or failure for the band. They're still always charging forward seemingly still getting bigger and receiving more recognition. Even SC which gets a lot of flak for whatever reasons, still correlates with an expansion of the fanbase and generally high acclamation. Each album has still been a success in it's own right, and the fanbase is still growing.
Also great points here. I wonder how much of an effect the time someone becomes a DT fan has on their perception of the second half (say, post-ToT) portion of the discography. Obviously, here on DTF, many who followed the band in the '90s saw the second half of the discography as a consistent slide down, maybe bouncing back up with ADTOE a bit. I became a fan about a year before SC came out, and when it did come out, I played it to death. BCSL then got quite a bit of play, ADTOE much less, and it stayed about the same with DT. I feel like we process albums a bit differently when we first come across a band and drift through the back catalog (we see them as comprising the band's identity) vs. when they come out (when we see them as possibly just treading over the same ground, or deviating from the expected identity).
I can't speak for others, of course, but I'd guess that this is what causes the effects above. Those who have followed the band for a long time may perceive them either as getting complacent/stale or mired in a sound that's just a touch too far removed from their peak (which some may feel is I&W, some may say Awake, SFAM...even perhaps ToT). Critics, however, may note that they're still world-class musicians who still retain an ear for melody, and new fans process the discography holistically (noting the overall consistency/quality/musicianship, etc.) rather than focusing on the subtle evolution (or lack of evolution) at certain points. Not that that focus is bad or misplaced--these sorts of delvings are what make DTF great--but it does explain how the band could be very (rightfully) confident in their current direction despite a majority of the users on this forum wishing for various sorts of shakeups.
They seem to all be fans of 'heavy' music, so that seems to be more or less guaranteed.
JR isn't really, is he? Clearly the rest are (or at least I'd think JM is, right?), so it's guaranteed anyway.
I love all songs of the 12 step suite except The Shattered Fortress, because it in total had one original idea in 13 minutes.
Though I have the same issue with TSF, the main riff, both (extended) solos, and the final vocal section are all original ideas. (sorry for the nitpicks)
Topic: Dream Theater entered the studio in February v. No News is Good News (Read 484758 times)