Mike Portnoy's "Prog Metal" supergroup: Sons of Apollo

[Adami]

I'm actually glad they went with someone like JSS rather than a more traditional, upper range, prog singer.

Mostly because....that stuff is out there by the truckloads. There's dozens of DT wannabes that can offer you exactly that. From the guy who helped change the face of prog? I want some of that innovation and artistry. Not just more of the same.


Now, it all comes down to the song-writing. It was okay, but not really impressive on the single, but I'm hoping it gets better.

[Art]

I'm actually glad they went with someone like JSS rather than a more traditional, upper range, prog singer.

Mostly because....that stuff is out there by the truckloads. There's dozens of DT wannabes that can offer you exactly that. From the guy who helped change the face of prog? I want some of that innovation and artistry. Not just more of the same.

Agreed. A guy like JSS in a band like this is a nice variation for me.

[Sycsa]

Wait...

Is that the video where he's spraying Fast Fret on JP's guitar during the recording of Space Dye?

Yes, I think it's in the 5 Years in a Livetime video, Kevin Moore is spraying that stuff on Petrucci's hand.  Petrucci screws up at the end and they all bust up laughing. 

I think its funny my dumb former friend insisted to me that Petrucci hired somebody to spray his hands to cool them down while he's soloing because they get too warm.  This was also before the "pycho excercises."

Out of curiosity, how old is your friend (or how old was he back then)? Sounds like he's about 16.

This would have been early 2000s so I think he was early to mid 20s.  He was influenced by his older brothers though and they were late 20s early 30s.  They were of the breed that listened to Dream Theater because it was intellectual music and then moved to only listen to jazz because Dream Theater music was too dumb while simultaneously talking about how arrogant DT was.  I wish I was joking. 

I mentioned in another post that he couldn't admit he had just grown out of DT and basically said I&W and Awake were the only two good albums. I did finally get him to admit he had just grown out of the music and it wasn't DT's fault.  It happens.  There are bands I still have tremendous respect for that I don't listen to anymore.  I don't trash them.  I just don't listen to them anymore.

Ugh. I guessed 16 because I often find that to be an ideal period for that typical teen insufferable and immature pretentiousness. You're turning from kid to adult, suddenly you feel like you know everything, you tackle new subjects, such as music, movies, politics, religion, relationships, and become quite the insufferable little prick in the process. Ideally, one would grow out of that by their mid-20s though. 

[Zook]

I listened a second time, and it got a little better, but i can't help but think this band would sound better with Russell Allen, which then makes me sad that this band wasn't created first before Adrenaline Knob. I hear the Symphony X comparisons, and definitely the Falling Into Infinity ones as well.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Wait...

Is that the video where he's spraying Fast Fret on JP's guitar during the recording of Space Dye?

Yes, I think it's in the 5 Years in a Livetime video, Kevin Moore is spraying that stuff on Petrucci's hand.  Petrucci screws up at the end and they all bust up laughing. 

I think its funny my dumb former friend insisted to me that Petrucci hired somebody to spray his hands to cool them down while he's soloing because they get too warm.  This was also before the "pycho excercises."

Out of curiosity, how old is your friend (or how old was he back then)? Sounds like he's about 16.

This would have been early 2000s so I think he was early to mid 20s.  He was influenced by his older brothers though and they were late 20s early 30s.  They were of the breed that listened to Dream Theater because it was intellectual music and then moved to only listen to jazz because Dream Theater music was too dumb while simultaneously talking about how arrogant DT was.  I wish I was joking. 

I mentioned in another post that he couldn't admit he had just grown out of DT and basically said I&W and Awake were the only two good albums. I did finally get him to admit he had just grown out of the music and it wasn't DT's fault.  It happens.  There are bands I still have tremendous respect for that I don't listen to anymore.  I don't trash them.  I just don't listen to them anymore.

Ugh. I guessed 16 because I often find that to be an ideal period for that typical teen insufferable and immature pretentiousness.

[The Silent Cody]

I didn'nt know that Bumblefoot is such a shredder, I haven't heard too much of his playing somewhere else, only on Chinese Democracy. Don't heard any of his solo albums, and there's a lot of them I can see now.

[nobloodyname]

Wait...

Is that the video where he's spraying Fast Fret on JP's guitar during the recording of Space Dye?

Yes, I think it's in the 5 Years in a Livetime video, Kevin Moore is spraying that stuff on Petrucci's hand.  Petrucci screws up at the end and they all bust up laughing. 

I think its funny my dumb former friend insisted to me that Petrucci hired somebody to spray his hands to cool them down while he's soloing because they get too warm.  This was also before the "pycho excercises."

Out of curiosity, how old is your friend (or how old was he back then)? Sounds like he's about 16.

This would have been early 2000s so I think he was early to mid 20s.  He was influenced by his older brothers though and they were late 20s early 30s.  They were of the breed that listened to Dream Theater because it was intellectual music and then moved to only listen to jazz because Dream Theater music was too dumb while simultaneously talking about how arrogant DT was.  I wish I was joking. 

I mentioned in another post that he couldn't admit he had just grown out of DT and basically said I&W and Awake were the only two good albums. I did finally get him to admit he had just grown out of the music and it wasn't DT's fault.  It happens.  There are bands I still have tremendous respect for that I don't listen to anymore.  I don't trash them.  I just don't listen to them anymore.

Ugh. I guessed 16 because I often find that to be an ideal period for that typical teen insufferable and immature pretentiousness.

Relax. You'll be 17 within a year

[KevShmev]

I'm actually glad they went with someone like JSS rather than a more traditional, upper range, prog singer.

Mostly because....that stuff is out there by the truckloads. There's dozens of DT wannabes that can offer you exactly that. From the guy who helped change the face of prog? I want some of that innovation and artistry. Not just more of the same.


Now, it all comes down to the song-writing. It was okay, but not really impressive on the single, but I'm hoping it gets better.

These are kind of my thoughts as well.

I like that they didn't go for the cliched prog metal singer, but it remains to be seen if I will take a liking to the singer they did get at all. I've listened to the song twice and had that "I wish they had a better singer" thought both times.

I am chuckling at some of the YT comments about the drums being too loud in the mix (I know, I know, why even read YT comments ).  Have they never heard a Portnoy record? The drums are always high in the mix!!

[TAC]

It just seems that there wasn't much room for JSS to show off any talent.

[Metro]

It just seems that there wasn't much room for JSS to show off any talent.

I would say the same for Billy. I don't think anyone's even mentioned him since this song was released. I myself forgot he was even in the band because this song doesn't have his usual flashy bass playing.

[KevShmev]

It just seems that there wasn't much room for JSS to show off any talent.

I would say the same for Billy. I don't think anyone's even mentioned him since this song was released. I myself forgot he was even in the band because this song doesn't have his usual flashy bass playing.

Some would say that he is filling the role of John Myung.

[Madman Shepherd]

It just seems that there wasn't much room for JSS to show off any talent.

I would say the same for Billy. I don't think anyone's even mentioned him since this song was released. I myself forgot he was even in the band because this song doesn't have his usual flashy bass playing.

Which is one of the reasons I don't have a problem with the bass playing. 

[ErHaO]

I like JSS's performance and I think his voice suits the music.

[gzarruk]

It just seems that there wasn't much room for JSS to show off any talent.

I would say the same for Billy. I don't think anyone's even mentioned him since this song was released. I myself forgot he was even in the band because this song doesn't have his usual flashy bass playing.

To me, this is great news 

[Schurftkut]

sherinian is really going for the US vs Them (DT) with his retweets. I guess they know where their market lies....

[gmillerdrake]

sherinian is really going for the US vs Them (DT) with his retweets. I guess they know where their market lies....

Pretty "dangerous"' if he truly desires a comparison. It's gonna take an incredible album to be mentioned in the same breath as them.

[Madman Shepherd]

sherinian is really going for the US vs Them (DT) with his retweets. I guess they know where their market lies....

Pretty "dangerous"' if he truly desires a comparison. It's gonna take an incredible album to be mentioned in the same breath as them.

*sigh*

I just checked this out.  This is really disappointing.  I let art speak for itself and don't let personal bullshit affect my view of art, but all of these little jabs do create an extra hurdle for me to enjoy it.  It's the type of thing that will really get my to resist buying it on the first day or going to see them in concert.  I want to like this group and actually had hopes that I would find something of MPs post-DT to enjoy (i did eventually kind of like PSMS) but I'm about done. 

[TAC]

What happened?

[Madman Shepherd]

What happened?

Just more twitter retweeting crap that trashes Dream Theater and Mangini among other stuff.

Funny thing is, it's Sherinian that's worse than Portnoy at this point. 

[TAC]

I don't twitter. What was said?

[King Postwhore]

Meh.  He's jacked about their band.  Nothing will come out of the retweets.

Fans saying they hope the new album is better than DT.  BIG whoop.

[Mosh]

People overreacting as usual.

[Schurftkut]

i'm not, but it seems like DS is really playing into that whole X vs DT camp kinda thing. So far they haven't surpassed anything DT's done. So it seems a bit childish to start your bands career to just be better than the band you were in before....

[King Postwhore]

Right!  It's the internet.  Where people go to extremes. No news here.  Who cares it DS is playing it up.  We all know he's trying to drum up hits to promote the new band.

[KevShmev]

And you now that Sherinian and Stadler, er, Portnoy will eat it up every time someone on social media praises them and trashes Dream Theater. It's like high school!

[Ben_Jamin]

i'm not, but it seems like DS is really playing into that whole X vs DT camp kinda thing. So far they haven't surpassed anything DT's done. So it seems a bit childish to start your bands career to just be better than the band you were in before....

Why not, if people talk about it then that's a reason to buy. Its more the MP fans that are playing into that roll, guaranteed some already had that thought when they heard DS and MP.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

Should have just gotten Russell Allen again.

[antigoon]

Honestly DT could use some of that competitive fire.

[nobloodyname]

People overreacting as usual.

Absolutely.

And it's some wonderful free publicity those over-reactors are creating, too

[Bertielee]

The song is meh, nothing to get me interested. The vocals are just average, the rest has a touch of "heard it all before". I wasn't expecting much, now I know I will not listen to the album. As for the us vs them, they play the card to attract attention. It's OK for me. Yet, what I find amusing is that MP was among the people who fired DS when in DT, so...

B.Lee

[Lynxo]

I found myself having the chorus stuck in my head this morning. I don't really get people saying they don't like the vocals, I think they're awesome! And Bumblefoot's guitar playing is out of this world!

[Peter Mc]

Fully take into account that this is the single and that doesn't always mean the best song but not a great first impression for me.  I am a fan of Soto in Yngwie and Axel Rudi Pell so no problem with him although, when you see him live, he does look like someone who went to rockstar school, all cock rock posing.

The song though in my opinion sounds horrible in terms of production, sludgy downtuned uninspired riffing, average chorus and solos are ok, nothing more.  Sounds like the worst bits of FII and all in all a very, very, very poor man's Dream Theater.  Unless I hear more interesting stuff this may be the first MP project that I don't at least buy the first album (even if I never made it to album two on any of those new bands!)

[Metro]

I understand that a first single isn't always representative of the sound of the entire album, rather it's meant to give you an idea of what to expect and to get you excited for the rest of the album. So far for me it hasn't done that. Another issue for me is that it doesn't even sound progressive. It sounds like a more refined Adrenaline Mob, but just as generic and uninspired. They're trying to sell this as a kind of rival band to DT, and I just don't see that.

[bosk1]

Another issue for me is that it doesn't even sound progressive. It sounds like a more refined Adrenaline Mob, but just as generic and uninspired. They're trying to sell this as a kind of rival band to DT, and I just don't see that.

But...it has keyboards.

[Metro]

Yes, and?