Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Is there even any generally agreed upon glory years for DT?

It's not like Metallica, whose most tenured fans tend to think the glory years were everything until (and including) Justice. DT albums have been pretty varied over the years both stylistically and in terms of reception.

1992-2002

Go to just about any site with rankings and their top four most popular albums will be from that era (I&W, Awake, Scenes, 6DOIT).  That is the consensus. 

But that period contains Falling Into Infinity, which is generally considered their worst album. And Awake sounds nothing like I&W and had more mixed reactions. There are also plenty of people who were blown away by I&W and lost interest in the band after they released Awake. You have 3 very strong albums that nearly everyone would agree on (I&W, Scenes and 6DOIT), but that is over a 10 year period. Do 3 albums dispersed over a 10 year period make a glory years period? I tend to think not given the order in which they fell, alongside albums that are considered less strong. It's  a far less obvious thing I think compared other bands. I used the Metallica example, where nearly everyone who's been a fan for a while loves those early albums. Maiden very obviously had their glory years from Number to Powerslave (maybe to Seventh Son but then again that includes a weaker album in there). As another example you could say In Flames had Jester until Colony. It's a more obvious case when the band sticks to one sound for a period and then suddenly changes it.

Consider this forum. The opinions here about DT albums are so wildly different. I am not sure you could pin down a consensus on any glory year period.

[KevShmev]

Is there even any generally agreed upon glory years for DT?

It's not like Metallica, whose most tenured fans tend to think the glory years were everything until (and including) Justice. DT albums have been pretty varied over the years both stylistically and in terms of reception.

1992-2002

Go to just about any site with rankings and their top four most popular albums will be from that era (I&W, Awake, Scenes, 6DOIT).  That is the consensus. 

But that period contains Falling Into Infinity, which is generally considered their worst album. And Awake sounds nothing like I&W and had more mixed reactions. There are also plenty of people who were blown away by I&W and lost interest in the band after they released Awake. You have 3 very strong albums that nearly everyone would agree on (I&W, Scenes and 6DOIT), but that is over a 10 year period. Do 3 albums dispersed over a 10 year period make a glory years period? I tend to think not given the order in which they fell, alongside albums that are considered less strong. It's  a far less obvious thing I think compared other bands. I used the Metallica example, where nearly everyone who's been a fan for a while loves those early albums. Maiden very obviously had their glory years from Number to Powerslave (maybe to Seventh Son but then again that includes a weaker album in there). As another example you could say In Flames had Jester until Colony. It's a more obvious case when the band sticks to one sound for a period and then suddenly changes it.

Consider this forum. The opinions here about DT albums are so wildly different. I am not sure you could pin down a consensus on any glory year period that doesn't contain albums a lot of people consider weak or just decent.

This forum is a tiny percentage of the actual fanbase.

Awake lost them some casual mainstream fans since there was no Pull Me Under, but the album has held up as one of their 3-4 most popular albums with the fanbase (again, go to most sites where you can rank albums and you will see this).  And the band knows this, which is why it was heavily featured on the Along for the Ride tour in 2014.  The only albums to date that have gotten the anniversary treatment over the course of a whole tour are I&W, Awake and Scenes.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Is there even any generally agreed upon glory years for DT?

It's not like Metallica, whose most tenured fans tend to think the glory years were everything until (and including) Justice. DT albums have been pretty varied over the years both stylistically and in terms of reception.

1992-2002

Go to just about any site with rankings and their top four most popular albums will be from that era (I&W, Awake, Scenes, 6DOIT).  That is the consensus. 

But that period contains Falling Into Infinity, which is generally considered their worst album. And Awake sounds nothing like I&W and had more mixed reactions. There are also plenty of people who were blown away by I&W and lost interest in the band after they released Awake. You have 3 very strong albums that nearly everyone would agree on (I&W, Scenes and 6DOIT), but that is over a 10 year period. Do 3 albums dispersed over a 10 year period make a glory years period? I tend to think not given the order in which they fell, alongside albums that are considered less strong. It's  a far less obvious thing I think compared other bands. I used the Metallica example, where nearly everyone who's been a fan for a while loves those early albums. Maiden very obviously had their glory years from Number to Powerslave (maybe to Seventh Son but then again that includes a weaker album in there). As another example you could say In Flames had Jester until Colony. It's a more obvious case when the band sticks to one sound for a period and then suddenly changes it.

Consider this forum. The opinions here about DT albums are so wildly different. I am not sure you could pin down a consensus on any glory year period that doesn't contain albums a lot of people consider weak or just decent.

This forum is a tiny percentage of the actual fanbase.

Awake lost them some casual mainstream fans since there was no Pull Me Under, but the album has held up as one of their 3-4 most popular albums with the fanbase (again, go to most sites where you can rank albums and you will see this).  And the band knows this, which is why it was heavily featured on the Along for the Ride tour in 2014.  The only albums to date that have gotten the anniversary treatment over the course of a whole tour are I&W, Awake and Scenes.

Aren't those the only albums old enough to actually receive anniversary treatment (not including an unpopular album in FII)?

[TAC]

The worst part about this tour being postponed is that now we're going to miss out on The Astonishing's 5th year anniversary suite.

[darkshade]

...with a yes-man drummer who's more concerned with technique over substance.

Aside from being factually incorrect, that is incredibly insulting.  Given your repeat warnings for bashing band members, consider this your final.

I didn't mean "yes-man" as an insult, but more that MM was hired as, well, a hired gun. This seems contrary to the conditions for when Rudess was hired, where it seems he had a dominant role in the writing process almost immediately when he joined DT.

I recall discussion somewhere on DTF recently about how (fan speculation? I don't know..) Mangini was chosen as the new DT drummer because he is someone who wouldn't rock the boat, and that the band wanted someone who would stay in their lane, so to speak, and picked someone who would emulate Portnoy's style as much as possible, without the alpha personality and boastfulness, as opposed to picking someone like Marco Minneman or Virgil Donati, who would have potentially challenged the band members to do something more expansive, help them continue evolving their sound, instead of sticking to their guns and playing things safe to appease the hardcore base, which is how modern DT sounds to me. Again, I didn't mean to insult anyone in the band. I can't completely blame the other 4 guys for taking the direction they took from a business standpoint, but it doesn't mean I have to like it unconditionally.

[jayvee3]

...with a yes-man drummer who's more concerned with technique over substance.

Aside from being factually incorrect, that is incredibly insulting.  Given your repeat warnings for bashing band members, consider this your final.

I didn't mean "yes-man" as an insult, but more that MM was hired as, well, a hired gun. This seems contrary to the conditions for when Rudess was hired, where it seems he had a dominant role in the writing process almost immediately when he joined DT.

I recall discussion somewhere on DTF recently about how (fan speculation? I don't know..) Mangini was chosen as the new DT drummer because he is someone who wouldn't rock the boat, and that the band wanted someone who would stay in their lane, so to speak, and picked someone who would emulate Portnoy's style as much as possible, without the alpha personality and boastfulness, as opposed to picking someone like Marco Minneman or Virgil Donati, who would have potentially challenged the band members to do something more expansive, help them continue evolving their sound, instead of sticking to their guns and playing things safe to appease the hardcore base, which is how modern DT sounds to me. Again, I didn't mean to insult anyone in the band. I can't completely blame the other 4 guys for taking the direction they took from a business standpoint, but it doesn't mean I have to like it unconditionally.

No one is saying you have to like anything unconditionally. But you rarely have a single positive word to ever say about MM. Personally, I know little about drumming, but it's not hard to hear and see that some of his drumming work is stellar. To be a fan of the band, but be so negative towards his drumming as well as everything they have done since he has been there, to me at least, suggests it's more about him replacing Portnoy for you (which you have yourself hinted at in other posts). If you genuinely don't like albums, fine, but to give some earlier MP albums a pass on certain attributes that you won't let by on some of the newer stuff just seems like cherry picking. Not to mention a shame, as there are some quality tracks and musicianship in there, but to each his own.

As for the "yes man" stuff - you have yourself sited it as potentially being fan speculation, so not sure the band needs to be excused from any "business standpoint" that we don't even know is factual...

[nobloodyname]

But you rarely have a single positive word to ever say about MM.

Whereas you and several other frequent fliers always have something positive to say about MP, right?

But I think we all forget they're just drummers anyway... two a penny

[jayvee3]

But you rarely have a single positive word to ever say about MM.

Whereas you and several other frequent fliers always have something positive to say about MP, right?

But I think we all forget they're just drummers anyway... two a penny

I actually very much liked MP, definitely thought he was a bit of a control freak, which he admitted himself, but always enjoyed all the extra little bits he always offered to the fans. I prefer MM as a drummer, but they are both extremely talented, and generally always state that while the period from TOT-BCASL was my least fave, there are also some amazing bits of music on those albums that I will always love. Saw them live twice (they’ve only been to my part of the world twice) with MP at the kit and loved it. Not to mention my very fave DT albums have MP drumming. But whatever mate…

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

But you rarely have a single positive word to ever say about MM.

Whereas you and several other frequent fliers always have something positive to say about MP, right?

But I think we all forget they're just drummers anyway... two a penny

I have not been here very long but thus far I have only seen people say negative things about MM. No one has said anything negative about MP which MP himself has not already said about himself.

[KevShmev]

Is there even any generally agreed upon glory years for DT?

It's not like Metallica, whose most tenured fans tend to think the glory years were everything until (and including) Justice. DT albums have been pretty varied over the years both stylistically and in terms of reception.

1992-2002

Go to just about any site with rankings and their top four most popular albums will be from that era (I&W, Awake, Scenes, 6DOIT).  That is the consensus. 

But that period contains Falling Into Infinity, which is generally considered their worst album. And Awake sounds nothing like I&W and had more mixed reactions. There are also plenty of people who were blown away by I&W and lost interest in the band after they released Awake. You have 3 very strong albums that nearly everyone would agree on (I&W, Scenes and 6DOIT), but that is over a 10 year period. Do 3 albums dispersed over a 10 year period make a glory years period? I tend to think not given the order in which they fell, alongside albums that are considered less strong. It's  a far less obvious thing I think compared other bands. I used the Metallica example, where nearly everyone who's been a fan for a while loves those early albums. Maiden very obviously had their glory years from Number to Powerslave (maybe to Seventh Son but then again that includes a weaker album in there). As another example you could say In Flames had Jester until Colony. It's a more obvious case when the band sticks to one sound for a period and then suddenly changes it.

Consider this forum. The opinions here about DT albums are so wildly different. I am not sure you could pin down a consensus on any glory year period that doesn't contain albums a lot of people consider weak or just decent.

This forum is a tiny percentage of the actual fanbase.

Awake lost them some casual mainstream fans since there was no Pull Me Under, but the album has held up as one of their 3-4 most popular albums with the fanbase (again, go to most sites where you can rank albums and you will see this).  And the band knows this, which is why it was heavily featured on the Along for the Ride tour in 2014.  The only albums to date that have gotten the anniversary treatment over the course of a whole tour are I&W, Awake and Scenes.

Aren't those the only albums old enough to actually receive anniversary treatment (not including an unpopular album in FII)?

Not necessarily.

And while Falling into Infinity was considered a letdown by some at the time, it has aged well for many, so it calling it "unpopular" is hyperbole, and just looking at one site now (below), it is rated higher than four of their six most recent albums (and the two that are ahead of it, are barely ahead of it.

https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/dream_theater

Also, feel free to notice what four studio albums there are rated the highest. 

But hey, if you don't like that site, try this one:

http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=378

Look at that, the same four studio albums are the highest rated. (not counting the new one, which has two votes so far ).

Now, if someone wants to argue that the glory years of LIVE Dream Theater was 2000-2006, I won't argue that.  They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

[nobloodyname]

They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

Very few would disagree with that with respect to the fanbase as a whole. Although my personal favourite sequence is from Scenes to Octavarium. But then I confess I came onboard between Six Degrees and Train of Thought, so that probably explains that

[hefdaddy42]

I don't understand the notion that all the MM-era albums are allegedly similar.

Me neither.

[bosk1]

Kev is spot on about his "glory years" comments.  From what I have seen, I would say the consensus is stronger for 1992-1999.  But I don't really have a problem with anyone taking it out to 2002.  I&W, Awake, and SFAM are universally acclaimed as DT's "classic" albums among fans, and anyone who wouldn't agree is an definitely outlier.  It doesn't matter than FII is ranked lower by many fans.  Even if that album breaks the streak, there is no requirement that a band's "glory years" or "classic period" not have a dud or an album that raised eyebrows somewhere in the middle. 

[MinistroRaven]

 

[lovethedrake]

Glory years are pre TOT.  After that the balance of prog/metal started to get out of whack.   Also the type of metal started to emulate modern metal more and not 80’s metal which frankly was a better fit for the band and for Labrie especially.

With that said…. Although I found those albums jarring and disappointing at the time. I still listen to all of them.  Dream Theater is the Tarantino of music.  Whether it’s your cup of tea or not you can almost guarantee you are going to get a blood, sweat, and tears effort from the band.

I actually don’t think they have a single “dud” in their catalogue.   

WDADU is a debut album where they are finding themselves but has awesome inspired stuff

FII has some dud songs but also gave us Trial of Tears, lines in the sand, Peruvian skies, and has amazing production.   Raising the knife also.

SC is the closest thing to a dud for me as I don’t think any of the songs are that good.  However I still listen to it from time to time. 

Anyways, glory years without a doubt are 92-2002 and their top 4 in no order are definitely sfam, I&w. Awake and six degrees.  Not everyone has that opinion but that is the concensus.

[nobloodyname]

Just listening to Distance Over Time for the first time in a while. You know, the acoustic breakdown in Fall Into the Light might be my favourite specific part of any Dream Theater song for many a year. Possibly even since the unison runs in the solo section of Never Enough.

[lovethedrake]

I love that part so much…. My only complaint is that it’s a little bit derivative of Metallica but I don’t mind because it’s brilliantly executed and something different from Dream Theater. 

I’m really a fan of that whole album… the only song I skip is Room 137.  Doesn’t do much for me but I like everything else.

[nobloodyname]

I love that part so much…. My only complaint is that it’s a little bit derivative of Metallica but I don’t mind because it’s brilliantly executed and something different from Dream Theater. 

Completely agree. It's more Metallica than Metallica. Still very good, though.

Have to say, I'm enjoying this listen more than I expected to. My partner's physically gone to work today so I am playing it loud (my rip of the stereo blu ray audio) and on very good speakers. Sonically, it's not bad at all.

Nearing the end of At Wit's End now. Excellent tune, just wish the live floor section had been merged with the fade out.

[LKap13]

Almost every favorite album poll I've seen for the past decade plus has had I&w, sfam, awake and sdoit as the top 4. Images and sfam are always top 2, nearly tied and the other two are 3 and 4,similarly. The consistency is kinda cool, and I agree with the ranking generally.

One thing I'll note is that while fii used to be a bottom feeder I think it's likely aged very well and is far from a least favorite for many fans just given how good it sounds. Plus hells kitchen, trial of tears and lines in the sand are all 3 better than most recent stuff.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

Very few would disagree with that with respect to the fanbase as a whole. Although my personal favourite sequence is from Scenes to Octavarium. But then I confess I came onboard between Six Degrees and Train of Thought, so that probably explains that

hmmm. I guess I would be amongst the few who disagree then 

I don't think of the band as having a glory years at all given how inconsistent the output has been even during the alleged consensus period. I also dispute the notion that there was something magical in their mojo, technical or compositional ability during that period which we haven't seen since. Quite the contrary on the technical part which has gotten better and better over the years.

I will say this though: when DT is finished, I may look back on the MM era and say those were the glory years if they can put out more albums as strong as ADTOE, DT12, DOT and what I hope to hear in DT15.

[KevShmev]

Kev is spot on about his "glory years" comments.  From what I have seen, I would say the consensus is stronger for 1992-1999.  But I don't really have a problem with anyone taking it out to 2002.  I&W, Awake, and SFAM are universally acclaimed as DT's "classic" albums among fans, and anyone who wouldn't agree is an definitely outlier.  It doesn't matter than FII is ranked lower by many fans.  Even if that album breaks the streak, there is no requirement that a band's "glory years" or "classic period" not have a dud or an album that raised eyebrows somewhere in the middle.

 

[ReaPsTA]

Kev is spot on about his "glory years" comments.  From what I have seen, I would say the consensus is stronger for 1992-1999.  But I don't really have a problem with anyone taking it out to 2002.  I&W, Awake, and SFAM are universally acclaimed as DT's "classic" albums among fans, and anyone who wouldn't agree is an definitely outlier.  It doesn't matter than FII is ranked lower by many fans.  Even if that album breaks the streak, there is no requirement that a band's "glory years" or "classic period" not have a dud or an album that raised eyebrows somewhere in the middle.

Even during the FII period, if you think about the lore, the concerts got longer/more experimental and the LTE albums came out.

[lovethedrake]

They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

Very few would disagree with that with respect to the fanbase as a whole. Although my personal favourite sequence is from Scenes to Octavarium. But then I confess I came onboard between Six Degrees and Train of Thought, so that probably explains that

hmmm. I guess I would be amongst the few who disagree then 

I don't think of the band as having a glory years at all given how inconsistent the output has been even during the alleged consensus period. I also dispute the notion that there was something magical in their mojo, technical or compositional ability during that period which we haven't seen since. Quite the contrary on the technical part which has gotten better and better over the years.

I will say this though: when DT is finished, I may look back on the MM era and say those were the glory years if they can put out more albums as strong as ADTOE, DT12, DOT and what I hope to hear in DT15.

Everybody is welcome to an opinion.  There’s just a difference of your opinion and the general consensus. I agree that output is consistently strong but I don’t think they have been quite as good since SDOIT imo.  However, I like the last 3 albums more than I like the previous 4.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

Very few would disagree with that with respect to the fanbase as a whole. Although my personal favourite sequence is from Scenes to Octavarium. But then I confess I came onboard between Six Degrees and Train of Thought, so that probably explains that

hmmm. I guess I would be amongst the few who disagree then 

I don't think of the band as having a glory years at all given how inconsistent the output has been even during the alleged consensus period. I also dispute the notion that there was something magical in their mojo, technical or compositional ability during that period which we haven't seen since. Quite the contrary on the technical part which has gotten better and better over the years.

I will say this though: when DT is finished, I may look back on the MM era and say those were the glory years if they can put out more albums as strong as ADTOE, DT12, DOT and what I hope to hear in DT15.

Everybody is welcome to an opinion.  There’s just a difference of your opinion and the general consensus. I agree that output is consistently strong but I don’t think they have been quite as good since SDOIT imo.  However, I like the last 3 albums more than I like the previous 4.

I think the biggest thing is that the term glory years implies a current state of decline unless that's where you happen to be now. I think DT is the best they've ever been now, so maybe that's my aversion to going along with that label. When I listen to DoT, DT12 and ADTOE, I hear a band that is technically the best they've been, better and more concise songwriters, better lyricists, and just generally more mature musicians. 

[lovethedrake]

They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

Very few would disagree with that with respect to the fanbase as a whole. Although my personal favourite sequence is from Scenes to Octavarium. But then I confess I came onboard between Six Degrees and Train of Thought, so that probably explains that

hmmm. I guess I would be amongst the few who disagree then 

I don't think of the band as having a glory years at all given how inconsistent the output has been even during the alleged consensus period. I also dispute the notion that there was something magical in their mojo, technical or compositional ability during that period which we haven't seen since. Quite the contrary on the technical part which has gotten better and better over the years.

I will say this though: when DT is finished, I may look back on the MM era and say those were the glory years if they can put out more albums as strong as ADTOE, DT12, DOT and what I hope to hear in DT15.

Everybody is welcome to an opinion.  There’s just a difference of your opinion and the general consensus. I agree that output is consistently strong but I don’t think they have been quite as good since SDOIT imo.  However, I like the last 3 albums more than I like the previous 4.

I think the biggest thing is that the term glory years implies a current state of decline unless that's where you happen to be now. I think DT is the best they've ever been now, so maybe that's my aversion to going along with that label. When I listen to DoT, DT12 and ADTOE, I hear a band that is technically the best they've been, better and more concise songwriters, better lyricists, and just generally more mature musicians.

It’s amazing to me that someone can think the songwriting in the MM era is better than the 90’s era but that’s why music is an art and there is no right answer.  I think DT is in a good place and I’m extremely excited for the new album because of it.  However, to try and compare the last 3 albums to I&W and SFAM from a freshness and songwriting standpoint is an easy exercise.   They don’t compare.

Not to mention Labrie, who is still a fine singer is not nearly as powerful as he once was. 

Anyways, i feel like DT lost their way a bit towards the end of the Portnoy era but are back in full stride now.  33 years in and still going strong but I just can’t see any album topping my big 3 anymore (i&w, sfam, Sdoit).    Those were young inspired musicians making magic.   Now they are mature statesman making solid records. I wouldn’t so much call it a decline… they just aren’t in their prime anymore.  Nobody is after 33 years.

[erwinrafael]

I love today's DT because their style of playing changed the same way that my taste in music changed. I especially loved D/T because they finally shed off the excess = prog style that I have come to associate with them since Train of Thought (although something that was already rearing its head back in SFAM). They tried that with DT12 but D/T was them getting it right for me. The run of songs from Fall Into The Light to At Wit's End is gold, must have listened to that run more than three hundred times already.

[Architeuthis]

Dream Theater has many album sequences that you could call their big three.  To me they have matured as musicians and are playing better than ever before. I listen to their more recent stuff way more than I do their earlier albums.  As far as JLB goes, he may not have the power or range like he used to but he's the only one in the band that has a organic instrument that changes with age.  He does pretty darn good at this age so he deserves a lot of credit for still going strong.
I mean c'mon, DT are still considered the undisputed heavyweight champions of prog/metal this day. I have a feeling that their new album will solidify that title.   

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

They were mostly crushing it live in that time span, so I can get on board with that, but when it comes to their studio output, 1992-2002, regardless of what you or me or anyone else thinks of this album or that album, is pretty much the consensus for being their glory years.

Very few would disagree with that with respect to the fanbase as a whole. Although my personal favourite sequence is from Scenes to Octavarium. But then I confess I came onboard between Six Degrees and Train of Thought, so that probably explains that

hmmm. I guess I would be amongst the few who disagree then 

I don't think of the band as having a glory years at all given how inconsistent the output has been even during the alleged consensus period. I also dispute the notion that there was something magical in their mojo, technical or compositional ability during that period which we haven't seen since. Quite the contrary on the technical part which has gotten better and better over the years.

I will say this though: when DT is finished, I may look back on the MM era and say those were the glory years if they can put out more albums as strong as ADTOE, DT12, DOT and what I hope to hear in DT15.

Everybody is welcome to an opinion.  There’s just a difference of your opinion and the general consensus. I agree that output is consistently strong but I don’t think they have been quite as good since SDOIT imo.  However, I like the last 3 albums more than I like the previous 4.

I think the biggest thing is that the term glory years implies a current state of decline unless that's where you happen to be now. I think DT is the best they've ever been now, so maybe that's my aversion to going along with that label. When I listen to DoT, DT12 and ADTOE, I hear a band that is technically the best they've been, better and more concise songwriters, better lyricists, and just generally more mature musicians.

It’s amazing to me that someone can think the songwriting in the MM era is better than the 90’s era but that’s why music is an art and there is no right answer.  I think DT is in a good place and I’m extremely excited for the new album because of it.  However, to try and compare the last 3 albums to I&W and SFAM from a freshness and songwriting standpoint is an easy exercise.   They don’t compare.

Not to mention Labrie, who is still a fine singer is not nearly as powerful as he once was. 

Anyways, i feel like DT lost their way a bit towards the end of the Portnoy era but are back in full stride now.  33 years in and still going strong but I just can’t see any album topping my big 3 anymore (i&w, sfam, Sdoit).    Those were young inspired musicians making magic.   Now they are mature statesman making solid records. I wouldn’t so much call it a decline… they just aren’t in their prime anymore.  Nobody is after 33 years.

I should have mentioned that my top DT is I&W and a ACOS, so to that extent nothing has ever topped those very early years in terms of songwriting (though the band is technically superior now). I think SFAM was written well also, but I don't think many of those songs work well as stand alone pieces so I never end up listening to it except during live shows.

[Wim Kruithof]

I finally could grab my fingers round (and fund) the limited boxset of Distance Over Time. It's my second boxset (next to A View) and I really love it. Loved the album since the get-go - although it took a while before I digested it - but this is (besides the base of vinyl and iTunes, which both I have from every album) a wonderful way to shine on my bookshelf in the living room. Love the 3d pic on the cover.