Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[TAC]

I can't tell you how much the public comments from Derek and Mike have soured me on this. Seriously.

That said, I still can't see my self not getting this. Trying to decide to buy the Amazon mp3 or the CD. It's a $4 difference.

[MirrorMask]

I've been able to hold out and not listen to really anything on the SOA record except for brief snippets of the two songs that debuted first. I'm pretty excited to hear the whole thing on Friday. Anyone else been holding out?

Nope, usually I can hold out when I want (I didn't hear a single note or snippet from The Astonishing) but I've heard the two songs and also the snippets in the commentaries... God of the Sun sounds promising!

[mikeyd23]

I listened to the two singles, but nothing else. Probably won't until the album is released, then I'll check it out on Spotify. Unless it totally blows me away, I don't intend to purchase it based off of what I've heard (and frankly what I've seen - read social media stuff) thus far.

[Anxiety35]

If they're doing SOA socks, might as well go full on with SOA rompers. 

Here are my current thoughts...

As far as MP doing a project with (insert musician name here), it may seem good in theory. I used to think that it was cool for members of bands to collaborate with members from other bands in a side project but now it happens a lot and I don't think we get great music from it. Maybe one or two worthwhile tracks on a release. Is it because my expectations are too high? Maybe. The only side project I think knocks it out of the park as far as great songs from start to finish is Liquid Tension Experiment - both releases.

Hopefully SOA will be MP's full time landing spot post DT. I never thought The Winery Dogs would be the full time band. Neal Morse is awesome, but that's not MP's big destination either. Flying Colors and Transatlantic, as awesome as they are, have too many moving parts (members being in other full time gigs).

I do see SOA changing members with MP and Derek being the core two for the long haul if the band lasts. Billy Sheehan can't keep grinding out tours at 64 years of age and older, so I think he will be the first to bow out after a while. I think Soto and Bumblefoot have potential to last longer.

[ErHaO]

Now that more and more reviews are trinkling in, I am getting more excited. Even the "lesser" scores, around the 7 (thus far), give a description that suits my tastes. Seems like a very solid debut effort and I like both singles.

While Mike and especially Derek have been annoying, they didn't cross the line to the point where I won't buy their material. Just to the point where I won't go the extra mile to give them exposure if I end up really liking the album. It is still so mild compared to many pop artists or especially artists in film and theatre.

[Podaar]

Yeah, I'm starting to really look forward to hearing the album too... but mostly to see what Bumblefoot brings to the project. His contributions to the first two songs are pretty damned cool. 

[The Walrus]

Let me sum up Bumblefoot's contributions to the album:

1. *riffs gurgling alongside Billy Bass*
2. *meedly weedly Bumbleshred*

[Herrick]

Hopefully SOA will be MP's full time landing spot post DT. I never thought The Winery Dogs would be the full time band. Neal Morse is awesome, but that's not MP's big destination either. Flying Colors and Transatlantic, as awesome as they are, have too many moving parts (members being in other full time gigs).

I do see SOA changing members with MP and Derek being the core two for the long haul if the band lasts. Billy Sheehan can't keep grinding out tours at 64 years of age and older, so I think he will be the first to bow out after a while. I think Soto and Bumblefoot have potential to last longer.

Agreed but I really thought The Winery Dogs was going to be a full time band. I wasn't into them anyway so it wasn't a big deal to me when they called it quits or took a hiatus or whatever.

Why isn't The Neal Morse Band Portnoy's main band at this point?

[Podaar]

Let me sum up Bumblefoot's contributions to the album:

1. *riffs gurgling alongside Billy Bass*
2. *meedly weedly Bumbleshred*

Yes, but before he gets to the 'meedly weedly' (as you so derisively put it) there is some original style there, or so it seems to me. Personally, I'm pretty fond of shred guitar playing and see nothing wrong with enjoying it. Hopefully it will all be applied tastefully and appropriate to the song at hand. That's part of why I'm looking forward to hearing it.

[The Walrus]

Let me sum up Bumblefoot's contributions to the album:

1. *riffs gurgling alongside Billy Bass*
2. *meedly weedly Bumbleshred*

Yes, but before he gets to the 'meedly weedly' (as you so derisively put it) there is some original style there, or so it seems to me. Personally, I'm pretty fond of shred guitar playing and see nothing wrong with enjoying it. Hopefully it will all be applied tastefully and appropriate to the song at hand. That's part of why I'm looking forward to hearing it.

Easy, my dude. I have plenty of shred guitar albums on my shelves. But when I think Bumblefoot, I think of what I call 'Bumbleshred' which is Bumblefoot's signature sound... plus shredding. You can hear it all over Chinese Democracy, and it's on this album, too. And when he's not doing that, his riffs blend in with the bass. Nothing really derisive about it...

[Schurftkut]

on a more positive note......:  https://magazine.100percentrock.com/interviews/201710/235153

[MirrorMask]

on a more positive note......:  https://magazine.100percentrock.com/interviews/201710/235153

Nice interview! they should just let JSS doing all the promotion 

[AngelBack]

on a more positive note......:  https://magazine.100percentrock.com/interviews/201710/235153

Nice interview! they should just let JSS doing all the promotion 

You know that is a great point.  I was totally unfamiliar with JSS but I like what I see in the interviews so far as far as his personality goes.  I could hang with him.  MP I'm kinda used to as I have been a fan since the 90's and Derek, well I'm just not warming to him at all.

[devieira73]

JSS even talk about the "rock'n"roll pedigree" of the band and other a bit controversial themes (at least for us ), but in a total classy way

[MirrorMask]

Indeed, I'm starting to warming up to him. In the interviews and from comments of people here he looks very nice and humble, and his voice is very good. Out of curiosity I listened on YouTube to a solo song from him, I may have picked wrong but it felt like it could have been the next Sons of Apollo song. I'll have to look better in his discography I guess, I always knew at the very least that he existed but never really followed his bands.

[bosk1]

Mike and Derek should take note.

[gmillerdrake]

JSS even talk about the "rock'n"roll pedigree" of the band and other a bit controversial themes (at least for us ), but in a total classy way

Yep, very tactful and classy and HUMBLE. In fact, his approach in this interview shaved off a layer of the hardened heart I had been forming towards the album due to the antics and comments of MP and DS

Mike and Derek should take note.

[Schurftkut]

Mike and Derek should take note.

no further comments

[Schurftkut]

well maybe they should look to Dio as well, he always stayed a sweet human being. And he had rock/metal pedigree or whatever they call it nowadays..

[rumborak]

[Lethean]

I think I might simply buy JSS' solo album just because. He seems like a cool guy and this way I can still support him.

[Orbert]

"I don't get it.  Since our album dropped, Jeff's and Bumblefoot's solo albums have spiked, Mr. Big is up, even Falling Into Infinity got a boost, but no one's buying Psychotic Symphony.  And it's the best damned album in the past 40 years!"

[SwedishGoose]

"I don't get it.  Since our album dropped, Jeff's and Bumblefoot's solo albums have spiked, Mr. Big is up, even Falling Into Infinity got a boost, but no one's buying Psychotic Symphony.  And it's the best damned album in the past 40 years!"

Is this a fake qoute or where did you see it?

[Orbert]

I went into the future a few weeks to see what's Mike's reaction will be to the album sales, and this was a quote I found on Blabbermouth.  I then came back to this time frame to post it.  At least I think it's this time frame.  With infinite possibilities, it's hard to tell sometimes.

[bill1971]

I went into the future a few weeks to see what's Mike's reaction will be to the album sales, and this was a quote I found on Blabbermouth.  I then came back to this time frame to post it.  At least I think it's this time frame.  With infinite possibilities, it's hard to tell sometimes.

Well be careful  next time, because for some reason my car is now red.

[Orbert]

Sorry about that.  On the other hand, my wife is much hotter now and I drive a Ferrari, so I call it a win.

[Anxiety35]

Hopefully SOA will be MP's full time landing spot post DT. I never thought The Winery Dogs would be the full time band. Neal Morse is awesome, but that's not MP's big destination either. Flying Colors and Transatlantic, as awesome as they are, have too many moving parts (members being in other full time gigs).

I do see SOA changing members with MP and Derek being the core two for the long haul if the band lasts. Billy Sheehan can't keep grinding out tours at 64 years of age and older, so I think he will be the first to bow out after a while. I think Soto and Bumblefoot have potential to last longer.

Agreed but I really thought The Winery Dogs was going to be a full time band. I wasn't into them anyway so it wasn't a big deal to me when they called it quits or took a hiatus or whatever.

Why isn't The Neal Morse Band Portnoy's main band at this point?

Neal is the main songwriter, arranger, lyricist, sets vision, and so forth. It's Neal's band, not Mike's. MP simply provides his services in the drum department. I could be wrong, but I think MP longs for and thrives most in a leadership role instead of a support role.

[Madman Shepherd]

well maybe they should look to Dio as well, he always stayed a sweet human being. And he had rock/metal pedigree or whatever they call it nowadays..

I love Dio.  One of my all time favorites.  I still am in awe I got to meet him but I don't know if I'd use him as an example.  He had two sides.  There was the cool humble side he showed to his fans and some of his band and then there was the dark vindictive side.  Some of it may have been warranted.  I don't know enough details but if you read interviews with some of his past band members they elude to it.

Sorry to get off topic.  But yeah, Dio fucking rules.  Any band, any era...one of the all time greats.   

[Ben_Jamin]

Everybody has a good and bad side. It just depends on when you catch them. They could have a bad day and don't feel like talking to anyone. Just like you could catch them on their brightest day and they're joyous like a giddy schoolgirl.

[TAC]

I love Dio.  One of my all time favorites.  I still am in awe I got to meet him but I don't know if I'd use him as an example.  He had two sides.  There was the cool humble side he showed to his fans and some of his band and then there was the dark vindictive side.  Some of it may have been warranted.  I don't know enough details but if you read interviews with some of his past band members they elude to it.

There's always this classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwZBo8FQvo

[bill1971]

Sorry about that.  On the other hand, my wife is much hotter now and I drive a Ferrari, so I call it a win.

Eye alsso kompleetly lostt te abbiidy 2 spel

[Madman Shepherd]

Everybody has a good and bad side. It just depends on when you catch them. They could have a bad day and don't feel like talking to anyone. Just like you could catch them on their brightest day and they're joyous like a giddy schoolgirl.

This was more of a long term thing between some of his bandmates.  Not just a bad day.   Not even talking about Vivian Campbell who I'm glad finally came to terms with his time in Dio.  He has been much more tactful talking about it.  But there were quite a few burnt bridges.

When it came to the fans though, Dio was always on his game.  Signing autographs, taking pictures, etc.  Near impossible to find him every being a jerk to a fan. 

[?]

I highly doubt the MP style of writing appeals to MA.

Not the biggest Opeth fan, but MA seems like the kind of guy who sits down at a keyboard or in a DAW and slaves over things for hours and hours at a time, over several weeks if not months/years. The MP style of doing an album seems to be more like "get everyone in the studio for two weeks, write and record whatever comes out as quickly as possible, send the files off to production, and never think about it again until the album is 'finished' and it's time for tour". I highly doubt MA is into that kind of thing. 

There's a good reason why every post-DT MP album has either been 1.) formulaic rock or 2.) largely composed separately by Neal Morse. Only so much you can do when you rush everything.

Yeah, I think Mikael has said he's not a jamming kind of guy, and he seems pretty reluctant about doing side projects nowadays anyway. I also remember reading that MP asked Jim Matheos to play on the first Transatlantic album, but Jim wasn't into the idea of the "let's go into the studio and start jamming until we have 70 mins of music" method, so that style of writing is definitely not for everyone.

[Hourglass Prison]

I love Dio.  One of my all time favorites.  I still am in awe I got to meet him but I don't know if I'd use him as an example.  He had two sides.  There was the cool humble side he showed to his fans and some of his band and then there was the dark vindictive side.  Some of it may have been warranted.  I don't know enough details but if you read interviews with some of his past band members they elude to it.

There's always this classic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOwZBo8FQvo

Woooowww. Lol I’ve never heard Dio talk like that before.

[goo-goo]

I also remember reading that MP asked Jim Matheos to play on the first Transatlantic album, but Jim wasn't into the idea of the "let's go into the studio and start jamming until we have 70 mins of music" method, so that style of writing is definitely not for everyone.

And this where I struggled a bit with DT post SFAM/Six Degrees. I feel like with MP leaving, JP started demoing a bit more at home rather than writing and recording everything in the studio. I prefer the demoing way.