Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[MirrorMask]

If at all, this thread proves that we metalheads (or progheads) are not that much dissimilar from pop music fans, when it comes to discussing their heroes 

Pop music has almost zero substance, so all that you have is gossip, celebrities flirts and the occasional hit song. With "our" music there's more to the plate and actual dedication to the music itself to discuss, but when such online drama occours, we're just drawn to it like other people are interested in seeing how Lady Gaga and Madonna are at odds, or how Jennifer Aniston comments on Angelina Jolie.

Let's admit we like musical gossip too 

[SjundeInseglet]

Haken just finished a huge North American tour... Dream Theater is touring extensively their most famous/best album, and yet a lot of people here seem more compelled to discuss this band. And not necessarily the music aspects of it. Are you guys 100% sure this doesn't mean anything?

I've seen you say this before but fail to understand its reach. The Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour started back in January and it was widely and rountinely discussed in the following months. You can easily dig up a ton of threads about the tour if you care to do so. Considering the band is playing a fixed setlist, it's perfectably understandable that the tour itself is no longer a hot topic around these parts.

[devieira73]

Lost in Oblivion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyPQjVUVq4s
That rhythm part reminds of DT's Let Me Breathe.

[ariich]

If at all, this thread proves that we metalheads (or progheads) are not that much dissimilar from pop music fans, when it comes to discussing their heroes 

Pop music has almost zero substance, so all that you have is gossip, celebrities flirts and the occasional hit song. With "our" music there's more to the plate and actual dedication to the music itself to discuss, but when such online drama occours, we're just drawn to it like other people are interested in seeing how Lady Gaga and Madonna are at odds, or how Jennifer Aniston comments on Angelina Jolie.

Let's admit we like musical gossip too 

As a group of people, absolutely. I find it all a load of silly nonsense myself, but there's no denying that people are drawn to drama. The funny thing is that this particular drama is frankly so tame and unexciting.

[Peter Mc]

So you know people that while they listen to Dream Theater, they never bothered with Guns n' Roses, Malmsteen, Journey and Trans Siberian Orchestra?

At the very worst I knew them all by name already, even though I was not following closely those bands except for TSO.

Got to be honest, I don't follow TSO at all, couldn't tell you one band member other than JSS and that's only because of this thread.  Plenty of people who follow Guns N' Roses would generally think of Slash or maybe Izzy Stradlin when talking about guitar players.  Even on Chinese Democracy there was much more publicity around Buckethead and Robin Finck than Ron Thal.  I pretty much guarantee that most GNR fans wouldn't know him if they fell over him.  Same with Soto and Journey, he did one tour with them and does not appear on any album.  Again most Journey fans would not be taking any great interest in JSS, Malmsteen's band is a revolving door and no one really cares about anyone else in the band apart from the man himself.  That's not to say that I don't follow JSS, I thought he was Yngwie's best ever singer and was great with Axel Rudi Pell as well.  He surprised me with his more smooth AOR vocals in Journey but I've always seen him as a metal singer.

To the guy throwing in the likes of Kiss, Alice Cooper etc.  I bet pretty much no one could name the current keyboard player for Kiss or Alice Cooper so why would anyone know that Derek Sherinian was.  DT made him a bit of a name and he has done his best to run with it but that is it.  Portnoy is big in the drumming world undoubtedly but by no means a household name to anyone who is not a fan of DT.  He was drummer for a bit in Twisted Sister but I couldn't name any of their previous drummers or indeed any band member apart from Dee Snider.  A7X was his most high profile gig but again, only one album and tour and that was really all about the Rev more than MP.  Sheehan has played with Mr Big (not so big outside of the US) and DLR but he's a bass player, no one goes to a show to see a bass player do they?

Had I personally heard of all of them? Yes but I'm the type who still buys cd's and reads the booklets from cover to cover!

After saying all that, I'd put them on a bill above Haken who are undoubtedly well thought of but not a big band at all.

[noxon]

And to be fair, we're talking cruise to the edge and be prog my friend here. Not Graspop or Wacken or Download. Mike Portnoy in name alone is bigger than most everyone else on those types of festivals.

[Hourglass Prison]

I was always under the impression that Mr. Big was much more successful outside of the US. I know we have that one big radio hit that we know them by here, but aren’t they huge in Japan or something?

[RodrigoAltaf]

Yeah, Mr. Big are still huge in Japan.

[The Walrus]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

[Mindflux]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm.

[Madman Shepherd]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Translation: Even if we wanted to we do not have the type of popularity to warrant a novelization of our album.  #clubband   

[The Walrus]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm.

That's some convincing sarcasm 

[Mindflux]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

I'm pretty sure that was sarcasm.

That's some convincing sarcasm 

It's a shop, I can tell by the pixels.

[bosk1]

Well, in all fairness, it's hard to argue that you have metal pedigree and swagger if you don't have socks, so...

[rumborak]

Is that because ... they will rock our socks off?

[RodrigoAltaf]

Where are those socks being sold?

[MirrorMask]

Wacky idea but I have to admit they look kinda pretty   

[RodrigoAltaf]

There are stores in Toronto that sell socks by Slayer, Motorhead and Maiden.

[ariich]

Haken sell all kinds of weird merch too, normally as a limited run so that people want to buy them before they run out. Seems to be quite a good money maker.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Haken sell all kinds of weird merch too, normally as a limited run so that people want to buy them before they run out. Seems to be quite a good money maker.

Yeah, at the show I went to they were selling Haken coffee...wtf!! 

[cramx3]

Haken sell all kinds of weird merch too, normally as a limited run so that people want to buy them before they run out. Seems to be quite a good money maker.

Yeah, at the show I went to they were selling Haken coffee...wtf!! 

Been getting the facebook ad for the Haken Joggers    Whatever works. 

[RodrigoAltaf]

I got it too, cramx

[Stadler]

Just to use one very broad parameter: which band is getting more movement in their thread here in DTF: Haken, Leprous, POS or Sons of Apollo?

Which band's members started to talk crap about their previous band and offended a big part of their potential market?

I think you're vastly overstating the impact of Derek's jokes.     Even here, a place that actually cares about what he's saying, the reaction is 50-50 at best.   The "big[gest] part" of the audience doesn't give a crap either way and is going to buy a good album (if it's good) and ignore a shit album (if it's shit). 

[millahh]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

Sons of Apollo...THE FLAMETHROWER!

[Madman Shepherd]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

Sons of Apollo...THE FLAMETHROWER!

Sons of Apollo...THE TOILET PAPER!

[Aythesryche]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

Sons of Apollo...THE FLAMETHROWER!

DT Already did it, though.

[Samsara]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

I have the SOA album coming on Friday. And I am trying to look the other way with some of the cringe-worthy stuff. But what I don't understand is...why the continued veiled shots at Dream Theater? Why is it necessary?

At some point, you just move on. If Derek is releasing 20 years of pent up frustration...I mean, shouldn't he have gotten over that by now? Even if it is just his quirky sense of humor...I get it, I have friends that poke fun at stuff for a laugh. But it is getting harder and harder to give Derek and Mike the benefit of the doubt.

I have no doubt SOA will be right up my alley as a music fan. But if DS continues to be this way...

[Sycsa]

Yeah, Mr. Big are still huge in Japan.

They should rename themselves Mr. Big in Japan.

[RodrigoAltaf]

Yeah, Mr. Big are still huge in Japan.

They should rename themselves Mr. Big in Japan.

Tonight?

[pcs90]

Derek's Twitter: "There will NOT be a novel adaptation of "Psychotic Symphony", but we will have SOCKS OF APOLLO available soon!"

Criiiiiinge... why of all things are they marketing socks?

He's obviously trying to target the "JR has no feel, TA sucks balls, DT is crap without MP" crowd. In that market he may be very successful.
Many fans did love the direction DT was going in with MP, with the heavier metal-y songs. This album seems to be an answer to that. So if you think about it like that, the jabs at DT do make more sense even if I think they're unprofessional.

[ganpondorodf]

So Derek is still coming across as a sad little boy. Whatever works for him I guess!

[the keyboard wizard]

Where are those socks being sold?

It's not fake, they are real. You will get news soon.

[emtee]

Is there a reason why SoA would not be listed anywhere on Progarchives? I've been visiting that site for many
years and there are ample examples of bands that straddle the prog fence but still appear there with reviews
and info. Maybe MP requested postponing discussion until after the release?

[Mebert78]

Is there a reason why SoA would not be listed anywhere on Progarchives? I've been visiting that site for many
years and there are ample examples of bands that straddle the prog fence but still appear there with reviews
and info. Maybe MP requested postponing discussion until after the release?

I believe they have a comprehensive process with regard to adding bands to ProgArchives.  Certain information must be submitted about the band and the music is reviewed to make sure it's progressive enough to be included on the website, if I recall correctly.  I could be wrong, but that's my understanding from reading up on their website in the past. 

I was able to find an old link detailing the requirements to add a band to ProgArchives: https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11993

[emtee]

Interesting. Seeing as how many people there know about MP and DS and all things prog I would have thought they would
have been set up months ago but maybe it was deemed by the chair of that committee that they didn't meet the criteria.

Thanks Mebert. I'll keep my eyes open over there and see if anything changes. I was looking for reviews which seem
far and few between with only a couple weeks left until release.