Sons of Apollo (feat. Portnoy & Sherinian)

[erwinrafael]

I am slowly starting to accept Labyrinth. The first half is good. The ending of the instrumental is good. I just feel meh for the instrumental sections that keep on repeating patterns (which is basically why I also don't like much of the 12SS songs).

[MirrorMask]

My wild guess at a setlist:

God of the Sun
Coming Home
Labyrinth
Figaro's Whore
Divine Addiction
Lines in the Sand
Alive
another cover song
Opus Maximus
Lost in Oblivion
another cover song
Signs of the Times
==========
cover song (famous)
cover song (famous)

Something like that.

[DragonAttack]

Not quite what I was expecting.  Surprised at the mellowness and the spoken lyrics.  Will take a while to get a grip on this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_1__V-o12w

(Not quite the original title I was led to believe)

[cramx3]

I think Derek said in interviews there will be solo spots for everyone so I'm guessing the entire album will be played with solos and maybe a couple covers.  I'm guessing Lines in the Sand and maybe some more Van Halen? 

[rumborak]

https://youtu.be/QAA1AE1nigo
I dunno if somebody posted it before, stusio outtakes part 2. Fun to watch, Ron is my hero here definitly 

What a shame about the "Tarkus" thing. It's a lot cooler when played on the piano, too bad DS ended up playing it on the keyboard.

[Mebert78]

Not sure if anyone has pointed this out yet, but the melody of the choruses for "Coming Home"  and "Alive " are pretty similar. 


"I'm coming hooooooooome.
"
"I am aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive."


I'm enjoying both songs. Just an observation though.

Yea, I noted that when I listened to the samples on Itunes. It's basically identical, especially with MP's response vocals.

It's a shame they overlooked that.  They basically copied themselves in the same album.  I guess that's bound to happen when you crank out albums so fast and don't sit with the tunes for a bit.

[MirrorMask]

Well, to be fair, that kind of echoing chorus is kinda common practice. So it's more like they used twice the same trick, rather than literally not realizing to have composed the "same" chorus.

[mikeyd23]

Not quite what I was expecting.  Surprised at the mellowness and the spoken lyrics.  Will take a while to get a grip on this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_1__V-o12w

(Not quite the original title I was led to believe)

 

[mikeyd23]

^ I don't think the echoing vocal line is the issue as much as the melody being almost exactly the same.

[AngelBack]

Not quite what I was expecting.  Surprised at the mellowness and the spoken lyrics.  Will take a while to get a grip on this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_1__V-o12w

(Not quite the original title I was led to believe)

 

What the.....that crap has over a million views...

[bill1971]

I still haven't listened to the album.  I feel somewhat badass.......

I probably should though.

Or you can just listen to FII, some of Black Clouds, an album by Rainbow, Deep Purple and Nickleback and be equally satisfied.

I am kidding sort of, it is worth a listen. At least once.

[bosk1]

I have two polarizing thoughts toward this album as time goes on and I listen to it more. 

The more I listen, the more I am really enjoying the music.  Just because a band includes seasoned members with exceptional chops doesn't necessarily mean that they will write and execute good music together.  For a debut from guys who haven't written and played together before, this is really a superb effort.  Just a really well done effort.  It has all the quirkiness, complexity, and epicness that a prog fan could want.  It has the hooks that a rock fan would want that is sometimes lacking in prog-related projects.  Really nice blend of the two elements.  And I feel like all five members really bring solid performances to this album.  Just well done. 

The fact that the music is so good makes it all the more frustrating that Mike and Derek have conducted themselves so poorly toward the fans and others during this.  They really have a good, solid product.  But it is tainted by all the negativity and unprofessionalism that those two have pushed to the forefront in their public dealings, and that casts a shadow over the whole thing that is hard to shake off.  Really, really stupid move on their part.

[Stadler]

I don't have a problem with either picture.  They're just typical metal band pics.

That's the problem though; they're typical metal band pics.  I suppose image is everything, but whatever happened to abominations like the cover to Sabotage by Sabbath?  Now THAT'S a metal band picture!

[The Walrus]

If you're not trying to emulate Manowar in all your band pics, you're doing it wrong.

[bosk1]

If you're not trying to emulate Manowar in all your band pics, you're doing it wrong.

 

Personally, I don't have an issue with the pics and never have when it comes to these guys.  Generally, as long as a band isn't portraying an image that is itself morally offensive or is so over-the-top ridiculous that it can't be ignored, I don't really see the point of fixating on it.  But whatever.

[The Silent Cody]

I also think that this is a solid album and it's definitly a grower. With every listen I enjoyed it more and more and now I would give a solid 7 instead of 5.

[Podaar]

IMHO, this is the only way 50-60 year old guys should do band pics.



 

[Adami]

Yes!

The problem is that no one in DT or SoA are tough guys. They're all just normal dudes. Family men and nerds. When normal dudes try to act tough, it looks weird.

[bosk1]

I also want to give props to Soto in particular.  He brings a lot of soul and emotion to these tunes, which really brings the songs to life.  Yeah, he may not exhibit the range he did in the '80s (or even on some of his recent solo stuff).  But the songs didn't need that.  His voice fit the songs and took them to a good place.  He was definitely a great choice in the vocal department for this project.

[Adami]

I also want to give props to Soto in particular.  He brings a lot of soul and emotion to these tunes, which really brings the songs to life.  Yeah, he may not exhibit the range he did in the '80s (or even on some of his recent solo stuff).  But the songs didn't need that.  His voice fit the songs and took them to a good place.  He was definitely a great choice in the vocal department for this project.

I thought Soto mostly did a really good job. I would only have two complaints about his performance. That soft section in the beginning of I think Labyrinth is very very rough, and it always sounds like if he went 3-4 notes higher, his voice would break.

I have issues with the lyrics on most songs, but that's not related to his vocal performance.

[Stadler]

But.. but... you're in a BAND!   Anyone who plays an instrument knows if you punch someone in the face, you don't get to play for a week, at least.  Plus most of these guys are 5'7", 165 pounds soaking wet, and they're not going to be dropping a real hammer on anyone anytime soon.   

Petrucci excepted. 

[cramx3]

I really dont understand what some of the photoshoots are really aiming for since they always put the band in some position that isn't natural.  It's not even DT, it's pretty much all of metal music.  Maybe I just don't understand the art of photography enough to get the idea behind some of these shoots.  Just put the band on a stage and take a picture, the bands always look better in their natural environment.

[Adami]

I remember doing some photoshoots back in the day. We were all trying to look tough and serious. The shoot took like 2 hours cause we couldn't stop laughing at how dumb it all was.

A pic of us laughing would have been better.

[bill1971]

I really dont understand what some of the photoshoots are really aiming for since they always put the band in some position that isn't natural.  It's not even DT, it's pretty much all of metal music.  Maybe I just don't understand the art of photography enough to get the idea behind some of these shoots.  Just put the band on a stage and take a picture, the bands always look better in their natural environment.

I don't get the not smiling for group band pictures either. I can see if you are an MMA fighter or a football team trying to intimidate your opponent. Who is DT trying to intimidate? They release a picture of 5 guys ready to kick ass and then release The Astonishing, which I love but do not equate to kicking ass.

Same with SOA, they try to look tough and then release a song with an Egyptian sounding intro called Gods of the Son.



Then there is Randy Couture who is tougher than the entire Prog world combined and he is smiling

[rumborak]

I have often wished that DT would evolve their image further because as you say Adami, we all know these are mellow family dads who just like to play metal. And yes, I too was in a band in the 90s, and boy did we try to create an edgy tough photoshoot, and totally failed. We should indeed just have taken shots where we were cracking up.

[Madman Shepherd]

Oh no.  Last time DTF started talking about DT's image it turned into a bunch of grown men opining about how a bunch of a other grown men should do their hair.  Perhaps we should make a subforum for the Dream Theater Fashionistas. 

[antigoon]

i would post in that subforum

[MirrorMask]

I like a lot this pic of DT. This to me genuinely represented both them and their style:

[Adami]

That's definitely better. It still lacks their personality. They're (mostly) goofy funny dudes. I think the metal community should really embrace things like goofiness and being a normal person. No one looks at a band pic and says "damn, these guys look super serious, angry, and rigid.....I am going SO going to love this music."

[Orbert]

I wouldn't be so sure.   I'd think a fair number of people still expect a certain image associated with certain types of music.

[Adami]

I wouldn't be so sure.   I'd think a fair number of people still expect a certain image associated with certain types of music.

We can change the system bro!

[Orbert]

Let's do it!

[Adami]

Let's do it!

Okay, we're going to start a death metal band and do a photo shoot of us watching TV in our boxers.

[Mladen]

IMHO, this is the only way 50-60 year old guys should do band pics.



 

This has got to be the best band photo I've ever seen. 

[cramx3]

That's definitely better. It still lacks their personality. They're (mostly) goofy funny dudes. I think the metal community should really embrace things like goofiness and being a normal person.

Devin Townsend is already doing that