Dream Theater Finishes Smoking Barbecue!! - Album in Food Warmer!

[metrojam]

Heh, for the first time since 6DOIT (the first album I waited for, I discovered them after SFAM was released), I don't really care. Sure, I'm gonna pick up the new album when it comes out, but I don't have any expectations or whatever. TA made me completely lose interest, and I haven't really been listening that much to the other MM-era ones either.

But come on DT, surprise me. I would be thrilled. 

Same here. But I think there will be no surprise.

I'm afraid after being a fan since 1989 and dozens of live concerts in different countries too, I still have HOPES but little expectations sadly of a return to form after their last 2 efforts. So sadly I'm with you two guys and it hurts to have to say that as DT were my number one musical love for over 25 years and that's a hell of a long time!!
Come on guys, prove us oldie but sceptical fans wrong and bring out another classic DT album (oh and please make sure Jordan's damn piano is smashed into smithereens before you go into the studio too as we heard enough of that on the last one to last another 10 DT albums!!)

[gzarruk]

Come on guys, prove us oldie but sceptical fans wrong and bring out another classic DT album

I think ADTOE fits that criteria very well. DT12 might too, it's really good and sounds more like "classic DT" than anything from TOT to Black Clouds.

Oh dear DT gods please hear my two prayers :
-I wish we hear the bass in the mix
-I wish we hear the drums in the mix, including cymbals, and with a real drum sound like in "into the great divide" from mangini

Gloria gloria

Hah, yeah agreed. Speaking of which - has there been any word as to who will be engineering the record? I assume Rich but here's hoping they switch it up...

I'd say it's Chycki, because he's worked on every DT release since LALP untill now (including the still unreleased Budokan show from last year), but you never know. As for me, I'd like to see them work with someone else this time. Would love to have Kevin Shirley back, not as a producer, but as an engineer and mixer, his DT mixes were very good.

[lucasembarbosa]

Come on guys, prove us oldie but sceptical fans wrong and bring out another classic DT album

I think ADTOE fits that criteria very well. DT12 might too, it's really good and sounds more like "classic DT" than anything from TOT to Black Clouds.

Oh dear DT gods please hear my two prayers :
-I wish we hear the bass in the mix
-I wish we hear the drums in the mix, including cymbals, and with a real drum sound like in "into the great divide" from mangini

Gloria gloria

Hah, yeah agreed. Speaking of which - has there been any word as to who will be engineering the record? I assume Rich but here's hoping they switch it up...

I'd say it's Chycki, because he's worked on every DT release since LALP untill now (including the still unreleased Budokan show from last year), but you never know. As for me, I'd like to see them work with someone else this time. Would love to have Kevin Shirley back, not as a producer, but as an engineer and mixer, his DT mixes were very good.

I would aim for Nolly Getgood, but he's working on the new Haken's stuff. Maybe Jens Bogren??

[gzarruk]

Come on guys, prove us oldie but sceptical fans wrong and bring out another classic DT album

I think ADTOE fits that criteria very well. DT12 might too, it's really good and sounds more like "classic DT" than anything from TOT to Black Clouds.

Oh dear DT gods please hear my two prayers :
-I wish we hear the bass in the mix
-I wish we hear the drums in the mix, including cymbals, and with a real drum sound like in "into the great divide" from mangini

Gloria gloria

Hah, yeah agreed. Speaking of which - has there been any word as to who will be engineering the record? I assume Rich but here's hoping they switch it up...

I'd say it's Chycki, because he's worked on every DT release since LALP untill now (including the still unreleased Budokan show from last year), but you never know. As for me, I'd like to see them work with someone else this time. Would love to have Kevin Shirley back, not as a producer, but as an engineer and mixer, his DT mixes were very good.

I would aim for Nolly Getgood, but he's working on the new Haken's stuff. Maybe Jens Bogren??

Both are very good options And, btw, Nolly is only working on drum tones with Haken, not the whole recording or mixing.

[Fritzinger]

Oh dear DT gods please hear my two prayers :
-I wish we hear the bass in the mix
-I wish we hear the drums in the mix, including cymbals, and with a real drum sound like in "into the great divide" from mangini

Gloria gloria

Those two, especially the latter one, are my only concerns. I'm pretty sure I will like what the guys will compose, but it has to sound good.

We had this discussion 39482 times already, but I really don't think Rich Chicky has anything to do with the bad drums sound. He was involved with Into The Great Divide too.

[mikeyd23]

Both are very good options And, btw, Nolly is only working on drum tones with Haken, not the whole recording or mixing.

Gheez, what a missed opportunity. Nolly's one of the best out there and you only tap him for drum sounds?

Anyway, the more I listen to his work with DT, the more I realize I'm just not a big Chycki fan. I get that JP is the producer, so the buck stops with him, but still there's a balance there. Rich is the engineer tracking and mixing and needs to stick to his guns if he doesn't think the producer is making good choices from a sonic perspective.

[PepeLePew]

Do we have any indication on the release date? How long does it take DT from going into the studio to release? Or has that been vastly differing in the past so we can't estimate a time frame?

[mikeyd23]

Do we have any indication on the release date? How long does it take DT from going into the studio to release? Or has that been vastly differing in the past so we can't estimate a time frame?

I think originally they were saying an early 2019 release for the next record. Not sure if the label change has moved that up or not.

[Ninjabait]

Do we have any indication on the release date? How long does it take DT from going into the studio to release? Or has that been vastly differing in the past so we can't estimate a time frame?

I'd say sometime in 2019 for sure. It's a bit hard to tell, because it looks like DT has been slowly shifting from a 2-year release schedule to a 3-year one. But depending on how fast the writing and pre-production process goes (which could vary from 3 weeks like ToT to almost three years like tA), the actual production and post-production will probably a couple of months. At the earliest, I'd say maybe February or March of next year? Nothing confirmed yet tho.

[gzarruk]

Both James and JP have confirmed it'll be released in early 2019. JP actually said (don't remember if it was to Bosk or on an interview) that the label wanted it released earlier, but they decided january or february 2019 was better.

[MirrorMask]

It might be that, just like in 2016, we get a release date combo of DT and Avantasia 

I'm all for whatever updates they'll throw our way, they can also be vague - I don't really expect them to do mini videos or stuff like that, but just the occasional teasing message should be fun. "Guitars almost done"....  "Today Jordan is really wild on the piano"... "James is here for the vocals".... stuff like that.

Anyway, let the long gestation until January begin!!!

[mike099]

The first order of business is what the coffee budget will be.  I seem to remember they consumed a lot of coffee in the studio.

Hoping the cd will be heavy.

[TAC]

I'm all for whatever updates they'll throw our way, they can also be vague - I don't really expect them to do mini videos or stuff like that, but just the occasional teasing message should be fun. "Guitars almost done"....  "Today Jordan is really wild on the piano"... "James is here for the vocals".... stuff like that.

Exactly.

[The Walrus]

The first order of business is what the coffee budget will be.  I seem to remember they consumed a lot of coffee in the studio.

Hoping the cd will be heavy.

Wasn't their Starbucks tab something like 30-40k for one of the Roadrunner albums? Black Clouds I think? Unbelievable!

[Fritzinger]

The first order of business is what the coffee budget will be.  I seem to remember they consumed a lot of coffee in the studio.

Hoping the cd will be heavy.

Wasn't their Starbucks tab something like 30-40k for one of the Roadrunner albums? Black Clouds I think? Unbelievable!

I think it was around 20k for the Systematic Chaos recording sessions

[TheOutlawXanadu]

While the guys have earned the right to do whatever the heck they want to do at this stage of their careers, I would love to see them hire an outside producer. It would obviously need to be the right guy, because we all know the damage a bad producer can do, but I think that a good producer can do wonders. My main inspiration for this is Amorphis, who brought on Jens Bogren a couple of years back and since then have ascended to god status with Under the Red Cloud and Queen of Time. His influence has been transformative, and I would love to see Dream Theater benefit from something like that.

[gzarruk]

While the guys have earned the right to do whatever the heck they want to do at this stage of their careers, I would love to see them hire an outside producer. It would obviously need to be the right guy, because we all know the damage a bad producer can do, but I think that a good producer can do wonders. My main inspiration for this is Amorphis, who brought on Jens Bogren a couple of years back and since then have ascended to god status with Under the Red Cloud and Queen of Time. His influence has been transformative, and I would love to see Dream Theater benefit from something like that.

Completely agree with you. There's nothing wrong with hiring a good producer who will only help improve the band's sound/vision for an specific record.

[Lethean]

There's nothing wrong with it at all - but I hope they don't.   I think their last 3 albums are among their best, so I think JP's doing a fantastic job.

[goo-goo]

There's nothing wrong with it at all - but I hope they don't.   I think their last 3 albums are among their best, so I think JP's doing a fantastic job.

I do like JP's approach to producing the music and like the post-MP albums a lot, however, the sonic side (the recording/mix/master) of the albums has been very questionable. ADTOE had a very thin guitar sound and while it's (imo) Mangini's best drum sound, it was also very thin (Andy Wallace did the mix). The return of the bass was great! In DT 12, the snare drum sound is horrible in my opinion, and the guitars basically take the whole sound spectrum of the album. It is also very compressed and hot (loud). The Astonishing was a bit better overall, but the drum sound is still bad. The live sound of the snare drum on the The Astonishing concerts was great. So a lot of these sonic decisions are on JP's lap and a 2nd set of ears would definitely help the final product.

[Lethean]

I wouldn't mind the drums being a little more noticeable in the mix.  For the most part however, I don't pay attention to that sort of thing, and I suppose I should consider myself lucky in that regard because there's less aggravation on my end, I guess.   I wouldn't mind (or probably care) if they had a second set of ears with the overall sound and mix, or maybe they should let MM have a little more input into how his drums sound.  I just don't really want a full on "producer" who is going to be suggesting changes to the music itself.

[The Walrus]

I've always wanted more guest appearances but I'm not going to hold my breath. I really like the additions they brought to Falling Into Infinity for example and guest appearances on songs are usually nice. Would be cool for a single or something at least.

[Lethean]

I don't want guest appearances either.  Unless it's Geddy Lee... That would work for me.

[Cool Chris]

I've always wanted more guest appearances but I'm not going to hold my breath. I really like the additions they brought to Falling Into Infinity for example and guest appearances on songs are usually nice. Would be cool for a single or something at least.

Oh god no. Wasn't there just one guest appearance on FII? And it was awful. (minority opinion here, I know...). Guest appearances can enhance a song, but I don't know if I want it from DT.

[dparrott]

Meanwhile, still no decision on releasing last year's Budokan concert.   

[The Walrus]

I've always wanted more guest appearances but I'm not going to hold my breath. I really like the additions they brought to Falling Into Infinity for example and guest appearances on songs are usually nice. Would be cool for a single or something at least.

Oh god no. Wasn't there just one guest appearance on FII? And it was awful. (minority opinion here, I know...). Guest appearances can enhance a song, but I don't know if I want it from DT.

*shuffles back to a lonely corner grumbling about DT fans* 

[Adami]

Don't forget Theresa on SFAM. That was a very cool guest appearance.

You don't need a prog dude as the guest star. Bring in someone totally different to add a new dimension to a song.

[Ben_Jamin]

All i want really is more Mangini contribution. Its about time he gets it.

[pcs90]

Don't forget Theresa on SFAM. That was a very cool guest appearance.

You don't need a prog dude as the guest star. Bring in someone totally different to add a new dimension to a song.

Agreed, TSCO wouldn't be the same without her or the choir. An occasional guest probably wouldn't hurt.

As far as adding an outside producer goes, I completely agree re: sound quality. ADTOE and TA aren't necessarily bad but they're not ideal and the drum sounds on the last 2 albums have been disappointing. I really hope JP lets there be an organic-sounding mix this time around without all the over-the-top compression and electronic-sounding drums. This band deserves a better sound than that!

[Ben_Jamin]

Don't forget Theresa on SFAM. That was a very cool guest appearance.

You don't need a prog dude as the guest star. Bring in someone totally different to add a new dimension to a song.

Agreed, TSCO wouldn't be the same without her or the choir. An occasional guest probably wouldn't hurt.

As far as adding an outside producer goes, I completely agree re: sound quality. ADTOE and TA aren't necessarily bad but they're not ideal and the drum sounds on the last 2 albums have been disappointing. I really hope JP lets there be an organic-sounding mix this time around without all the over-the-top compression and electronic-sounding drums. This band deserves a better sound than that!

You know it makes me wonder why JP didn't have Guest singers along with JLB for The Astonishing. Releasing it titled exactly like the tour "Dream Theater presents..." Or "John Petrucci presents The Astonishing performed by Dream Theater". It would've likely went better with the fans in it not necessarily being A DT album, but it is still Dream Theater.

[Madman Shepherd]

Don't forget Theresa on SFAM. That was a very cool guest appearance.

You don't need a prog dude as the guest star. Bring in someone totally different to add a new dimension to a song.

Agreed, TSCO wouldn't be the same without her or the choir. An occasional guest probably wouldn't hurt.

As far as adding an outside producer goes, I completely agree re: sound quality. ADTOE and TA aren't necessarily bad but they're not ideal and the drum sounds on the last 2 albums have been disappointing. I really hope JP lets there be an organic-sounding mix this time around without all the over-the-top compression and electronic-sounding drums. This band deserves a better sound than that!

You know it makes me wonder why JP didn't have Guest singers along with JLB for The Astonishing. Releasing it titled exactly like the tour "Dream Theater presents..." Or "John Petrucci presents The Astonishing performed by Dream Theater". It would've likely went better with the fans in it not necessarily being A DT album, but it is still Dream Theater.

Honestly, I would have felt a lot better about it if they did it that way. 

[The Walrus]

Guest singers would have been absolutely perfect for Astonishing. Get Anneke in there, Devin Townsend as Lord Nafaryus... 

[Lethean]

No no no no no no no no.

The Astonishing is perhaps my favorite vocal performance ever and it wouldn't be nearly as good as it is with either of those two.  Both great singers, but no thanks.  If I wanted something like that, I bet I could find it on an Ayreon disc or two...

[Cool Chris]

Taking Lethean's side here. First off, who cares what it's called if the music is good. If it wasn't considered a "DT album" that would just mean we haven't had a proper DT album since 2013. And I am glad they chose to utilize James to the fullest and not turn it in to a multi-vocalist album.

[The Walrus]

No no no no no no no no.

The Astonishing is perhaps my favorite vocal performance ever and it wouldn't be nearly as good as it is with either of those two.  Both great singers, but no thanks.  If I wanted something like that, I bet I could find it on an Ayreon disc or two...

Yes yes yes yes yes yes. Yes. Yes again. Yes some more.  

James did absolutely kill it live, though. Man was he good. Honestly didn't think he'd be able to do Faythe's stuff live but he did! My muuuusic plaaayeeeeer...

[TheOutlawXanadu]

There's nothing wrong with it at all - but I hope they don't.   I think their last 3 albums are among their best, so I think JP's doing a fantastic job.

I agree! JP has been doing a great job. Maybe a co-production between JP and an outside guy is the best compromise.