Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[Madman Shepherd]

I remember that interview! It was brutally honest both with the questions asked, and the answers given.

That Metal Sludge site had an habit of doing interviews like that - I still remember one with Ripper Owens and one of the questions was "How long do you think you have before they boot you out and bring back Rob Halford?"  (His reply was "Longer than you'll be around", adding that it was a joke, he took all the interview in good spirits)

Didn't Mike also rip on Neil Peart for (surprise, surprise) taking something Neil said out of context?  Then he showed some real class and said something like, "I feel bad because of the personal stuff he is going through (this was around the time Neil lost his wife AND daughter) but I lost all respect for him."

[KevShmev]

On the bright side, once this band falls apart, Portnoy and Sherinian can tour together again and display their rock pedigree in 2024 when Twisted Sister and Billy Idol co-headline a tour at casinos all over America!

[SystematicThought]

That... would... actually be kind of a cool tour. Billy's last album was actually quite good.

When I saw Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton out at a casino conference room ballroom in the middle of Nowhere, Minnesota, it was actually a really cool and intimate show.

[PetFish]

It's hard to drown out the noise of all this back and forth jabs and frankly I'm trying not to care.

Except that there's NO back, or there's no forth, whatever, it's ONE SIDE relentlessly taking stupid shots at the other.

If it really was a back-and-forth where it's a bunch of chums trash talking each other, then it actually would be kind of fun, but we all know it's not like that at all which makes the one side that's doing all the mouthing-off that much more shameful.

[faizoff]

I meant the back and forth between members here in this thread.

[DragonAttack]

Jeff Scott Soto at a UK Queen convention in 2003

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yob0Wpgcxns

Met him at the North American convention around that time.  Had the 'star' attitude, along with being down to earth.  Spoke a few times, and his Queen IQ and love of the band was way up there.  'Stone Cold Crazy' and the redo before 'Dear Friends' are worth checking out.  As well as 'Somebody To Love' and a pretty good accounting on 'The Show Must Go On'.

I've been following this thread from the outset.  I was hoping SoA would get a good roll going, so that next year they'd be playing to decent to larger sized crowds.  Would like to see JSS as THE front man of a band of this type.  MP is what really drew me into a band back in 2003 when I went to see Queensryche, knowing nothing of DT.  Bought just about everything under the sun that was offered afterwards.  Followed him on his forum occasionally, which is where I learned of his departure.  I have the two Flying Colors' releases, but nothing else.  AMob and MA songs weren't worth more than a ten second check in per track (just not my style of music). Sheehan and Bumblefoot are more than talented, down to earth, clever and fun guys to be around from viewing the interviews.  And they have a talented and known keyboardist in these circles.

The often negative comments directed towards a majority of what should be their fan base, seems to be a wash/rinse/repeat as far as shooting themselves in the foot.  You can't afford to alienate a single fan, because the numbers grow.  If it's only a hundred or so, that's a significant portion of your fan base.  I really enjoy Mike's enthusiasm and passion during his interviews.  It's missed in Dream Theater.  The stress and drama are not.  That was apparent during the 'Tour of Events' concert I attended. 

I've gone from all out enthusiasm to varying degrees on a daily basis of 'will I buy this or not?'  Which is a shame.  I can only assume that there are others who feel the same way.

[KevShmev]

The only reason I am still paying attention to this thread is for the silliness of their comments and the entertainment that results in this thread as a result.

I have already tuned out the band as being one I will check out.  The first two songs sounded rather blah.  Not interested.  Too music good music out there already to waste my time on what sounds like A-Mob plus keys, with a singer who doesn't appeal to me at all.

[gzarruk]

On the bright side, once this band falls apart, Portnoy and Sherinian can tour together again and display their rock pedigree in 2024 when Twisted Sister and Billy Idol co-headline a tour at casinos all over America!

 

[pcs90]

The only reason I am still paying attention to this thread is for the silliness of their comments and the entertainment that results in this thread as a result.

Same here!

[RodrigoAltaf]

I´m not a musician, but listening to Signs of the Time just now, it struck me how some of the verses and chorus have a similar structure to The Glass Prison. Could anyone who understands composition ellaborate on that?

[noxon]

If you start going down that rabbithole, you can get almost any song to sound like its based on the songstructure of another song. it just depends on which areas you decide to focus on, and which to ignore. Which is why that analysis for "adtoe" just being "iaw" is so flawed - he's focusing only on the things he arbitrarily set up as similarities and ignoring everything thats not similar.

I can get God of the sun to sound like it really is just a remake of Nightmare to remember...

[MirrorMask]

I´m not a musician, but listening to Signs of the Time just now, it struck me how some of the verses and chorus have a similar structure to The Glass Prison. Could anyone who understands composition ellaborate on that?

I'm not a musician either so that disqualifies me from a professional opinion, but the last thing I think about when I hear Signs of the Time is The Glass Prison. I actually like the song a lot, the chorus is very good.

[Fritzinger]

I´m not a musician, but listening to Signs of the Time just now, it struck me how some of the verses and chorus have a similar structure to The Glass Prison. Could anyone who understands composition ellaborate on that?

I haven't heard Sign Of The Times, but I get that that can happen sometimes. I sometimes tend to compare songs to each other in terms of structure, used harmonies or intervals in riffs or just their feeling or atmosphere. I guess to a certain point this is also a subjective thing, especially in terms of the last factor. Also I think that it's neither a bad thing to do this, nor is it a bad thing if a song resembles another (only if it's shamelessly copied).

[Stadler]

That... would... actually be kind of a cool tour. Billy's last album was actually quite good.

When I saw Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton out at a casino conference room ballroom in the middle of Nowhere, Minnesota, it was actually a really cool and intimate show.

I saw Asia - all original members - for free at Mohegan Sun, in what equates to a small(er) club setting.  Can't beat that. 

[King Postwhore]

That... would... actually be kind of a cool tour. Billy's last album was actually quite good.

When I saw Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton out at a casino conference room ballroom in the middle of Nowhere, Minnesota, it was actually a really cool and intimate show.

I saw Asia - all original members - for free at Mohegan Sun, in what equates to a small(er) club setting.  Can't beat that.

I saw Toto and Nelson there as well.

[The Walrus]

I saw Toto in a casino once, cheap fold-out chairs and all. I'm almost positive I was the youngest person there.

[bill1971]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQd9H-qdUR8

Jeff is such a difference in personality from the Del Fuvio bros

I had never heard the guy before, and out of that interview only I can say I really like the guy. As you say, miles away from what MP and DS are doing right now, he should probably call them and ask them to tone it down a little bit.

Jeff is really awesome. I interviewed him seven years ago as we were approaching Christmas 2010 -- https://breakdownroom.net/jss-110.html. Talk about down to earth. What's not in that article (and should have been, looking it back over), was the story of Jeff as a person. He called me after getting back from Christmas shopping on a day off from TSO, exhausted, talking about life, etc. Totally down-to-earth, and as non-egotistical as they come. Sure, he was talking to the media, but if you do enough of these interviews, you can tell who is legit, and who isn't. JSS is.

I called him one other time in prep for a bigger story I ended up ultimately not doing, to see if he was up for an interview (he was), and he completely remembered the piece I did earlier. Nice guy, and here's hoping Sons of Apollo does well for him.

That's very cool to hear. I do get a good vibe from interviews I've seen with him. Maybe I'll check out his solo album instead of Sons of Apollo.

[bosk1]

On the bright side, once this band falls apart, Portnoy and Sherinian can tour together again and display their rock pedigree in 2024 when Twisted Sister and Billy Idol co-headline a tour at casinos all over America!

That... would... actually be kind of a cool tour.

  I was actually thinking the exact same thing.

[bill1971]

The only reason I am still paying attention to this thread is for the silliness of their comments and the entertainment that results in this thread as a result.

I have already tuned out the band as being one I will check out.  The first two songs sounded rather blah.  Not interested.  Too music good music out there already to waste my time on what sounds like A-Mob plus keys, with a singer who doesn't appeal to me at all.

That's why I keep coming back to this thread as well, to see the newest shoot themselves in the foot comment.

[Kwyjibo]

I've seen Derek with Billy Idol some years ago and if anyone had rock 'n' roll and swagger, it was Billy and Steve Stevens and not necessarily Derek.

And for something completely different: Maybe Derek still holds a grudge against DT from being fired, but I dare say, if he hadn't been in DT he wouldn't be known as much as he is, and he would still be only the sideman and touring musician for some of the big names. But maybe I'm wrong.

[ganpondorodf]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

[Evermind]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

Speaking not as a keyboard player and, I suppose, as a big fanboy too, I think Jon Lord was fairly cool. Depends on your definition of "cool", of course.

[bill1971]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

Speaking not as a keyboard player and, I suppose, as a big fanboy too, I think Jon Lord was fairly cool. Depends on your definition of "cool", of course.

What about Wakeman and his big flowing capes???

[TAC]

Heck, what about Orbert??

[Adami]

I just hope they release 10 more albums after this so they can call it “Sons of Apollo 11”

[cramx3]

Coen Janssen from Epica seems pretty cool especially with his keyboard stand that moves around the stage. 

[Orbert]

Heck, what about Orbert??

Thanks, but let's not get too crazy here.  Nihil-Morari is the epitome of cool keyboard players.  I've seen the pictures.

[RodrigoAltaf]

My interview with Derek was published here:

https://whiplash.net/materias/entrevistas/271468-sonsofapollo.html

[bill1971]

I just hope they release 10 more albums after this so they can call it “Sons of Apollo 11”

There is no doubt they will get there, didn't you read they can play technical parts AND have rock n roll swagger???

[The Walrus]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

I think it's definitely possible to be cool (as a keyboardist myself) but it's hard to overcome the stigma of 'cheesy keyboards.' It really is. Especially when, for most keyboardists, those sounds most people call 'cheesy' are actually really fucking cool. Jordan Rudess and Jens Johansson have the two best lead voices on the planet imo. Those are cool leads, and if you got the chops like they do, you can be cool af, as the kids say.

[mikeyd23]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

I think it's definitely possible to be cool (as a keyboardist myself) but it's hard to overcome the stigma of 'cheesy keyboards.' It really is. Especially when, for most keyboardists, those sounds most people call 'cheesy' are actually really fucking cool. Jordan Rudess and Jens Johansson have the two best lead voices on the planet imo. Those are cool leads, and if you got the chops like they do, you can be cool af, as the kids say.

I agree, keyboardists can certainly be cool.

[Stadler]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

I think it's definitely possible to be cool (as a keyboardist myself) but it's hard to overcome the stigma of 'cheesy keyboards.' It really is. Especially when, for most keyboardists, those sounds most people call 'cheesy' are actually really fucking cool. Jordan Rudess and Jens Johansson have the two best lead voices on the planet imo. Those are cool leads, and if you got the chops like they do, you can be cool af, as the kids say.

It's possible, just not a given. 

Cool:


Not cool:
 

[Stadler]

Still Cool:


As cool as keyboards get:

[bill1971]

Speaking as a keyboard player... You can't play keyboards and be cool. You just can't. Derek is coming across like a guy who wishes his parents had pushed him to be a guitarist

I think it's definitely possible to be cool (as a keyboardist myself) but it's hard to overcome the stigma of 'cheesy keyboards.' It really is. Especially when, for most keyboardists, those sounds most people call 'cheesy' are actually really fucking cool. Jordan Rudess and Jens Johansson have the two best lead voices on the planet imo. Those are cool leads, and if you got the chops like they do, you can be cool af, as the kids say.

I agree, keyboardists can certainly be cool.

I think so too but piano players are definitely cool. Look at Billy Joel

[The Walrus]

Now, see, I don't think James Hetfield is cool, *and* I think that pic of Geoff Downes rocks. So THERE.