Dream Theater entered the studio in February v. No News is Good News

[RaiseTheKnife]

SH: Can we expect that with the other album anniversaries, that we’ll be seeing similar performances of those albums?

MP: No – I mean every year we could say it’s the anniversary of something. This year is the tenth anniversary of Awake, and we already celebrated the tenth anniversary of Images and Words. That’s not to say that special things like this won’t pop up from time to time, because anything is possible. But When Dream and Day Unite was a special anniversary, because that was something that everyone had always wanted to see performed with the current line-up. So it made sense to celebrate that.

SH: What about the Majesty demos in that case?

MP: <laughs> When I ran this idea by the band, and said “we’ll do Dream and Day complete,” it was delivered with the promise “Don’t worry, we’re not gonna do the Majesty demos in 2006!”

 

But they DID play Another Won in 2005 and 2006, so anything is possible.  Plus, I recall JP commenting that now having performed the song that it still sounded like DT and fit fine in a live show.   Meaning, after hearing it with the current lineup, it wasn't so bad after all.  So I'm just hoping another Majesty track makes an appearance (even if a limited number of shows) for the 30th anniversary.   

[Lucien]

Well to be blunt, because the Haken demos kinda.... don't suck.

I haven't heard them, but I am skeptical of this statement.  ...unless of course they are written and performed by some band other than Haken.

[Setlist Scotty]

I guess I think more of Haken's demos than you do.

I think it was a neat idea for a relatively young band to do.  I think it would be a little...I don't know, "pathetic" isn't the right word, but it isn't 100% wrong, either...for a band like DT.

I get that it would be pathetic if DT redid the songs just as their next album. But as tracks on a bonus CD for a deluxe package, how does that come across as pathetic or anything related? I fail to see your logic.

And let's consider that some of the songs were never recorded completely - especially the 1987 demos. I think Cry For Freedom could be cool given a major update, as could The School Song, which never was even completed instrumentally, let alone lyrically.

[KevShmev]

I think most of the time, demos that stayed just demos, stayed that way for a reason; they weren't that good in the first place.  Another Won was okay and had some nice moments, but everything on WDADU is better, and I'm not sure I'd want to see them waste time on demos from when they were 18 or 19, when they could likely write tons of better songs nowadays that they could play.  I get that some fans want to see every note they ever played end up on a live DVD somewhere, but most fans don't.  Like others have said, the number of fans who give two shits about the majesty demos is probably like 0.0001% of the fan base.

[BlackInk]

Nothing from any of the DT demos or tracks that got cut from some of the albums comes close to any of the three tracks on Haken's 'Restoration'. I would say leave the DT demos to oblivion and work out some new stuff instead.

[CharlesPL]

Majesty Demos are better than a few DT albums IMO :, i love old stuff <3.

[jammindude]

Nothing from any of the DT demos or tracks that got cut from some of the albums comes close to any of the three tracks on Haken's 'Restoration'. I would say leave the DT demos to oblivion and work out some new stuff instead.

Now THAT is apples and oranges....completely.   What do you think of the Majesty Demos compared to "Enter the 5th Dimension"?

[erwinrafael]

Nothing from any of the DT demos or tracks that got cut from some of the albums comes close to any of the three tracks on Haken's 'Restoration'. I would say leave the DT demos to oblivion and work out some new stuff instead.

Now THAT is apples and oranges....completely.   What do you think of the Majesty Demos compared to "Enter the 5th Dimension"?

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good. The Majesty demos are pretty dated to be resurrected at this time.

[Rodni Demental]

I think there are *A LOT* of DT fans who think that there are some great ideas in the Majesty Demos, but the quality of the recordings make them a little difficult to listen to.   A Vision in particular is fairly widely praised as being a pretty cool song.

Plus (as Haken did), you don't have to take every single idea.    Again....we're not talking about a straight up re-record.   Haken's idea was better.   Take the ideas and completely re-write them from the ground up with new member input.      I think Haken's demos were just like the Majesty demos.   Good ideas, but poor sound quality and a relatively "unfinished" feel to them.    Restoration really breathed new life into the old ideas and I think the Majesty demos would benefit from the same treatment.

As far as demos go, I couldn't really expect the band to prioritize something like this. But I do believe a decent chunk of DTs fan base would completely dig that kind of thing. So if they ever did something like re-record some of the old majesty demos (or even WDADU) I hope I speak for large enough chunk of the fans to say that would be pretty damn cool. (I guess so long as it doesn't interfere with touring or current album studio time).

Maybe the reason this continually interests some people is because those majesty demos actually sound like they've got a lot of potential, and I don't think they're necessarily inferior to anything on say; WDADU. But their presentation is abysmal to the point that it brings the general quality and overall impression down. At least WDADU still has replay value as the quality is listenable despite being otherwise unimpressive sonically. Unlike Majesty demos which while interesting, aren't particularly pleasing to listen to it. As far as the compositions go, it might not be as 'mature' from a songwriting perspective but I would suggest that people would connect with the melodies and progressions a lot more over time (in the way that many DT songs tend to be 'growers') before dismissing them - if these tracks were properly produced. As they are, they're not very accessible to most listeners and require effort to appreciate. But relevant or not, either way these songs could definitely benefit from some remakes. 

[BlackInk]

Nothing from any of the DT demos or tracks that got cut from some of the albums comes close to any of the three tracks on Haken's 'Restoration'. I would say leave the DT demos to oblivion and work out some new stuff instead.

Now THAT is apples and oranges....completely.   What do you think of the Majesty Demos compared to "Enter the 5th Dimension"?

I blame my drunkness.

Et5D is miles and miles better. If 'Cleaning Out the Closet' was included, then Speak to Me or Raise the Knife would perhaps get closer and maybe beat Manifest. But overall, Et5D is much better than any of DT's demos or cut songs.

[me7]

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good.

I disagree. The lack of harsh vocals is one of the issues I have with Restoration.

[erwinrafael]

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good.

I disagree. The lack of harsh vocals is one of the issues I have with Restoration.

Really? You like the growling Ross Jennings? It's one element that I am happy they removed, which made me enjoy the Haken records after Aquarius.

[me7]

I'm all for diversity. Adding harsh vocals into the mix to make heavy passages even heavier is a nice.

[hefdaddy42]

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good.

I disagree. The lack of harsh vocals is one of the issues I have with Restoration.

Really? You like the growling Ross Jennings? It's one element that I am happy they removed, which made me enjoy the Haken records after Aquarius.

Me too.

A key point in the discussion of the Majesty Demos is the fact that no one in the band has ever given a wet fart about them except MP, and he is gone.  Given how many times JP has mentioned wanting to move forward, it would seem to be a moot point.

[Madman Shepherd]

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good.

I disagree. The lack of harsh vocals is one of the issues I have with Restoration.

Really? You like the growling Ross Jennings? It's one element that I am happy they removed, which made me enjoy the Haken records after Aquarius.

Me too.

A key point in the discussion of the Majesty Demos is the fact that no one in the band has ever given a wet fart about them except MP, and he is gone.  Given how many times JP has mentioned wanting to move forward, it would seem to be a moot point.

I think the fact that the band played nothing off the demos except for a few times for nostalgic purposes (a few one off times and the 20th anniversary tour) proves that they don't think much of them. 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good.

I disagree. The lack of harsh vocals is one of the issues I have with Restoration.

Really? You like the growling Ross Jennings? It's one element that I am happy they removed, which made me enjoy the Haken records after Aquarius.

Me too.

A key point in the discussion of the Majesty Demos is the fact that no one in the band has ever given a wet fart about them except MP, and he is gone.  Given how many times JP has mentioned wanting to move forward, it would seem to be a moot point.

Yeah. Including Another Won in Score was a great decision, but that's as far as it should get.

[DP_Gumby]

Do you guys think that they will ever produce a new album on a level equal to Awake or SFAM?

[SuperTaco]

Do you guys think that they will ever produce a new album on a level equal to Awake or SFAM?

Being on the same level as those two would imply that those two are my favorite, which they aren't It's subjective, but from my POV, absolutely. They're still more than capable of producing something that transcends their previous work, it's just about being in the right creative frame of mind.

Generally speaking, I don't think they'll ever make something as widely well-received as SFAM.

[hefdaddy42]

Do you guys think that they will ever produce a new album on a level equal to Awake or SFAM?

Anything is possible, but I don't expect it.

[DP_Gumby]

Indeed, I think it's best to keep it to a "let's hope so"-level.

[RaiseTheKnife]

If you remove the growling in Enter the 5th Dimension, the songs are actually pretty good.

I disagree. The lack of harsh vocals is one of the issues I have with Restoration.

Really? You like the growling Ross Jennings? It's one element that I am happy they removed, which made me enjoy the Haken records after Aquarius.

Me too.

A key point in the discussion of the Majesty Demos is the fact that no one in the band has ever given a wet fart about them except MP, and he is gone.  Given how many times JP has mentioned wanting to move forward, it would seem to be a moot point.

Yeah. Including Another Won in Score was a great decision, but that's as far as it should get.

Because you heard Another Won in that lineup and it sounded pretty darn cool?  Why not March of the Tyrant? or Too Far?  I bet those songs would work out better than people expect, or even kinda awesome.  Plus its a treat to the hardcore fans.  Plus its a humbling way of appreciating their own career.  30 years is a long time for a band to endure.  Whether we embrace it or not, those demos are a part of the fabric of the band.

[ResultsMayVary]

Based on the last few pages in this thread, we REALLY need DT to say something or show us something about the new album.

[mike099]

Based on the last few pages in this thread, we REALLY need DT to say something or show us something about the new album.

  Yesterday I was going to post 52 pages of nothing, but did not want to come across as being negative.

[wasteland]

Based on the last few pages in this thread, we REALLY need DT to say something or show us something about the new album.

  Yesterday I was going to post 52 pages of nothing, but did not want to come across as being negative.

How is that negative? I think we are really quite mild, actually. On the westeros.org forum they have spend so far 142 THREADS (30 pages each) on the discussion of one single theory/rumor (to the book/show fans, you know which one). Now, that's impressive bordering on concerning 

[rumborak]

I must assume that DT are following some grand master plan with this, since I really don't see this working on their favor.

[Bertielee]

I must assume that DT are following some grand master plan with this, since I really don't see this working on their favor.

Hope so, too. On the other hand, it brings us back to a time when we didn't have any news and that the joy when having a new cd was all the more important. Hope the JR's comment "something we haven't done before" is true nonetheless.

B.Lee

[Kotowboy]

Triple album

[me7]

I'm still hoping for a BluRay akin to Metallica's "St. Anger Rehearsals".

[Sycsa]

Do you guys think that they will ever produce a new album on a level equal to Awake or SFAM?

Being on the same level as those two would imply that those two are my favorite, which they aren't It's subjective, but from my POV, absolutely. They're still more than capable of producing something that transcends their previous work, it's just about being in the right creative frame of mind.

Generally speaking, I don't think they'll ever make something as widely well-received as SFAM.

Indeed. Reaching the universal acclaim of Scenes again seems impossible, but I'll take DT12 over Awake any day.

[Kotowboy]

I'm still hoping for a BluRay akin to Metallica's "St. Anger Rehearsals".

Yes. i can't imagine it being very costly to film edit . Just the mass production of it. But it's Roadrunner. I'm sure they can afford it.

I want another Documentary like Chaos In Progress or something. ADTOE had the drummer doc but DT12 had nothing.

[ReaPsTA]

I think it's funny when people post some version of "I don't know why fans would want DT to rerecord X, it just isn't very good."

If there's enough people talking about it for you to make that post, then obviously people think it's good.  They want it re-recorded because the quality of the Majesty Demos and WDADU is pretty lackluster.  And they want to hear JLB sing the songs.  I know I'm explaining the obvious, but it seems like it's not understood.  I&W is over 20 years old but no one wants it re-recorded because the quality of the record is great.

Just speaking for myself, Another Won is one of the only things I really listen to off of Score, because it's a great recording of a cool song.  If they released a live version of, say, Two Far, I'd be all over that.  That song is great.

Also, people bring up WDADRU a lot.  It's not that great a product.  If the record's supposed to be the "definitive" re-recording, then why do I enjoy AFIL and TKH from LATM more?  Why do I enjoy Afterlife from Score more?  On WDADRU, JLB is very off (his throat injury isn't his fault, just stating my opinion) and the performances feel very loose.  I always want more when I hear it.  To its credit, OAMT is really good though.

This is all opinion and if you still disagree then whatever.  But I don't understand how people can be like "lol people who want DT to re-record their old material."  The desire comes from a genuine place.

[Implode]

Hey.... I made that gif... Where'd you find it?

And also, this thread is the DT hiatus thread. We're going crazy.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I'm pretty sure I just googled something like "john eyeroll," and grabbed it from the Google Image results. Gotta be pretty careful with HS-related searches these days.

[SuperTaco]

I think it's funny when people post some version of "I don't know why fans would want DT to rerecord X, it just isn't very good."

If there's enough people talking about it for you to make that post, then obviously people think it's good.  They want it re-recorded because the quality of the Majesty Demos and WDADU is pretty lackluster.  And they want to hear JLB sing the songs.  I know I'm explaining the obvious, but it seems like it's not understood.  I&W is over 20 years old but no one wants it re-recorded because the quality of the record is great.

Just speaking for myself, Another Won is one of the only things I really listen to off of Score, because it's a great recording of a cool song.  If they released a live version of, say, Two Far, I'd be all over that.  That song is great.

Also, people bring up WDADRU a lot.  It's not that great a product.  If the record's supposed to be the "definitive" re-recording, then why do I enjoy AFIL and TKH from LATM more?  Why do I enjoy Afterlife from Score more?  On WDADRU, JLB is very off (his throat injury isn't his fault, just stating my opinion) and the performances feel very loose.  I always want more when I hear it.  To its credit, OAMT is really good though.

This is all opinion and if you still disagree then whatever.  But I don't understand how people can be like "lol people who want DT to re-record their old material."  The desire comes from a genuine place.

Thank you It's nice reading that after having my desire squashed by the all-knowing DTF veterans Speaking of desires...

Triple album

OHGODYES

[Kotowboy]

HEY EVERYONE !! IT'S TIME FOR :

" What Would Dream Theater name their 13th album if it was a triple concept album ? "

Metropolis Part III : Scenes From A Trilogy