DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)

[erwinrafael]

No doubt Portnoy plateaued during the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era, but to call Portnoy's playing 'leagues' below the likes of Bruford, Peart, and Mangini is a little ignorant. What MP lacks in technical prowess, he makes up for with creativity, but MP in his peak was one of the best rock drummers in the world. What make Bruford and Peart less mechanical sounding like Mangini is their sense of groove and of course jazz influence, which I hear none from MM. Portnoy has that in him a little (as do Petrucci/Myung/Rudess)

Well, he sure does know how to groove and improvise when tuning his kit.

https://youtu.be/JocZI3WKjaI

[hefdaddy42]

Now ban me

Okay...

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Does anyone who's heard DT15 think Invisible Monster is a top 3 track on the album? 

[Enigmachine]

Well, he sure does know how to groove and improvise when tuning his kit.

https://youtu.be/JocZI3WKjaI

Even as a non-drummer. I love the kind of groove that MM creates here. There's a deliberacy and purpose in a lot of the tension and release there that I don't usually see in these sorts of jams. The little pauses, to kick straight back into the beat feel so off-kilter but ear-catching at the same time. All the while, keeping the momentum flowing with all of those ghost notes. The "groove and feel" are absolutely there. This jam is another one that comes off well to my ears (and even has that jazz quality to his playing):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6y4ipRjDME

[Glasser]

Does anyone who's heard DT15 think Invisible Monster is a top 3 track on the album? 

It’s definitely top 3 for me. It’s one of the “different” tracks of the 7. I love the chord progression on it, very diminished and avant-garde yet accessible. 

[illusionist]

@Glasser, are there many guitar solos on the album,or is there any song without one?

[hunnus2000]

Well, he sure does know how to groove and improvise when tuning his kit.

https://youtu.be/JocZI3WKjaI

Even as a non-drummer. I love the kind of groove that MM creates here. There's a deliberacy and purpose in a lot of the tension and release there that I don't usually see in these sorts of jams. The little pauses, to kick straight back into the beat feel so off-kilter but ear-catching at the same time. All the while, keeping the momentum flowing with all of those ghost notes. The "groove and feel" are absolutely there. This jam is another one that comes off well to my ears (and even has that jazz quality to his playing):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6y4ipRjDME

That's as cool as fuck! 

[Stadler]

No doubt Portnoy plateaued during the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era, but to call Portnoy's playing 'leagues' below the likes of Bruford, Peart, and Mangini is a little ignorant. What MP lacks in technical prowess, he makes up for with creativity, but MP in his peak was one of the best rock drummers in the world. What make Bruford and Peart less mechanical sounding like Mangini is their sense of groove and of course jazz influence, which I hear none from MM. Portnoy has that in him a little (as do Petrucci/Myung/Rudess)

Well, he sure does know how to groove and improvise when tuning his kit.

https://youtu.be/JocZI3WKjaI

I don't want to be argumentative, but while it's creative, and certainly technically proficient, I'm not getting "groove" from that.  I'm sorry, I'm just not.  Maybe it's in our definitions of "groove".  That also evidences a point I made above; I don't care for his use of the bass drum.  It's just too busy for my taste.

None of this is to say Mangini sucks, none of this is to imply anyone else is better, just saying it's not for me.

[hunnus2000]

No doubt Portnoy plateaued during the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era, but to call Portnoy's playing 'leagues' below the likes of Bruford, Peart, and Mangini is a little ignorant. What MP lacks in technical prowess, he makes up for with creativity, but MP in his peak was one of the best rock drummers in the world. What make Bruford and Peart less mechanical sounding like Mangini is their sense of groove and of course jazz influence, which I hear none from MM. Portnoy has that in him a little (as do Petrucci/Myung/Rudess)

Well, he sure does know how to groove and improvise when tuning his kit.

https://youtu.be/JocZI3WKjaI

I don't want to be argumentative, but while it's creative, and certainly technically proficient, I'm not getting "groove" from that.  I'm sorry, I'm just not.  Maybe it's in our definitions of "groove".  That also evidences a point I made above; I don't care for his use of the bass drum.  It's just too busy for my taste.

None of this is to say Mangini sucks, none of this is to imply anyone else is better, just saying it's not for me.

You not being argumentative? Now THAT's rich! 

But honestly, I just see 2 guys drumming it up and having fun while entertaining others. As far as groove? I can certainly feel it. 

[gzarruk]

We really need another single to discuss

To those who have already listened to the album (Bosk, Glasser, etc.), do you know who wrote which song lyrics? I'm hoping we get at least one from MM as last time.

[Dedalus]

Now ban me

Okay...

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

 

[Glasser]

We really need another single to discuss

To those who have already listened to the album (Bosk, Glasser, etc.), do you know who wrote which song lyrics? I'm hoping we get at least one from MM as last time.

I am only able to hear the songs to this point. I wish I could see the credits myself.

[SeRoX]

I am only able to hear the songs to this point. I wish I could see the credits myself.

What's your opinion about James' vocals?

[Glasser]

I am only able to hear the songs to this point. I wish I could see the credits myself.

What's your opinion about James' vocals?

Nailed it 1-7. Love his tone and phrasing.

[Wim Kruithof]

Since I'm not one who's blessed to be able to listen to A View From the Top of the World all the darn day, I've to stick with the Alien this far.

I've been wondering, is already mentioned who wrote the lyrics of the tracks? Can't find it on the internet. I've listened to the Alien now I guess 20 / 25 times. The song blew me away from the beginning but its increasing. I love the track more everytime I hear it. Myung's parts are incredible and Mangini (who's absorbing credits even from the Daily Doug) is doing a wonderful job. The track feels familiar, in a proggy-way and I can't wait till the 22th of october.

Meanwhile next week Master of Puppets would be a bone for this dogg to bite on a while. (So curious to hear if Myung kicks Burton's ass in Orion).

[Max Kuehnau]

The Alien is by James, Transcending Time is by John, and Awaken The Master is by JM. (this is what I could gather by freezing the frames on the latest YT clip btw)

[Madman Shepherd]

Back to the arranging thing, calling him a master arranger seems odd to me, too.  I am sure he makes great suggestions, but DT's arranging has been just fine without him (better in fact in the 10's than it was in the 00's), and Neal Morse's arranging was just fine back in the Spock's days when Portnoy was not around.

I always kind of took that arranger title as his way, and the apologists way of saying, "See I/he contribute(s) just as much as John and Jordan!" I agree with what you said that he probably makes some good suggestions. I also think its asinine people are so quick to give him credit as the grand arranger, as if John and Jordan are just sitting around with all these riffs and no idea what to do with them. 

If we had to break it down to who contributed the most during those years, at least musically, it would probably be John and Jordan at the top. Mike in the mid range with James and John Myung just below him and a times on the same level. In fact, I wonder if that was some of the source of tension with Mike and James and John Myung.

[Wim Kruithof]

The Alien is by James, Transcending Time is by John, and Awaken The Master is by JM. (this is what I could gather by freezing the frames on the latest YT clip btw)

thank you Max. I'm especially curious to hear Awaken the Master.

[Max Kuehnau]

The Alien is by James, Transcending Time is by John, and Awaken The Master is by JM. (this is what I could gather by freezing the frames on the latest YT clip btw)

thank you Max. I'm especially curious to hear Awaken the Master.

anytime, and btw, forgot to mention: John wrote the lyrics to A View as well, as he mentioned (somewhat inadvertantly) during a recent interview

[Wim Kruithof]

I so do hope the epic is Illumation Theory-like. Illumination Theory has - to me - the most variety musically and the classic Embracing the Circle is one of their best pieces this far. Overwhelming, emotionally.

[geeeemo]

I so do hope the epic is Illumation Theory-like. Illumination Theory has - to me - the most variety musically and the classic Embracing the Circle is one of their best pieces this far. Overwhelming, emotionally.

100% My top 3 song. Always hits me.

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

A master arranger?  Have you actually been in the studio to see what it is that he actually contributes?

Seems to me that, by your logic, all the great songs by DT/TA/NM are due to Portnoy’s masterful arrangements but the lacklustre material he’s put out in other bands is not his fault as the talent is not there.  You give him so much of the credit for the good stuff but none of the bad stuff is his fault?  You can’t have it both ways. 

The simple fact is that MP is a drummer and his stuff with talented players sounds good because he’s playing with talented players and writers.  His stuff with less talented players sounds bad because they’re not great songwriters.  He is not the reason the good bands sound good or the lesser bands don’t, he’s just the drummer in good and not so good projects.

DT have not fallen apart without his masterful arranging skills, they’ve moved on and barely missed a beat (pardon the pun, if that is a pun) putting out high quality album after high quality album.  Are they the absolute pinnacle albums of their career? I’d say no but none of the MP albums after SFAM are either imo.  That stretch from SDOIT to BC&SL are my least favourite DT albums and things picked up when Mangini joined.  Likewise, if Neal Morse switched drummers tomorrow, it would likely have very little impact on how his albums will sound.  The Spock’s Beard albums sound just fine with a different drummer.

What’s abundantly clear to me on these BTS making of album videos is just how little he contributes to the writing of those records.  The others all turn up with loads of demos and ideas and he turns up with zero.

I agree with pretty much all of this.  As many hats as he tries to wear now, drumming is still the thing Portnoy does best.  And there is no shame in that considering he is still a great drummer (despite his admitted lack of care in improving anymore).  But he's probably lucky that all of the bands he's been in don't have the Fleetwood Mac rule where the person who had the original idea for the song gets all of the songwriting credit, otherwise he might be able to count his total songwriting credits on one hand (or none ).  Aside from him supposedly coming up with the riff for A Rite of Passage, which is basically the Misunderstood riff slightly tweaked (IIRC), I cannot think of a single song where I've seen him or the band talk about how it started from an idea he had or melody he wrote.  Maybe there is an example or two of which I am unaware, which I am sure someone will correct me if that is the case . but I think y'all get my point.

Exactly. If MP could actually write, and being the control freak he brags that he is, I'm pretty sure he would have been releasing solo albums all this time. But he hasn't. That's not an insult to him, but giving him credit for the things that JP, JR, and JMX have done is certainly an insult to them. Even MM has contributed guitar riffs at this point!

[BeatriceNB]

No doubt Portnoy plateaued during the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era, but to call Portnoy's playing 'leagues' below the likes of Bruford, Peart, and Mangini is a little ignorant. What MP lacks in technical prowess, he makes up for with creativity, but MP in his peak was one of the best rock drummers in the world. What make Bruford and Peart less mechanical sounding like Mangini is their sense of groove and of course jazz influence, which I hear none from MM. Portnoy has that in him a little (as do Petrucci/Myung/Rudess)

I personally disagree with calling him one of the best Rock drummers in the world, but at the same time, I don't like the genre and I have no idea which drummers count as Rock drummers and which ones don't
 I won't deny his strong influence in the Prog scene, though (Blake Richardson is one of my favourite drummers of all time, and he's influenced by MP).

As far as I can hear, both Bruford and Peart (especially Bruford) had a better navigation through more complex rhythms, with more precision (compare Portnoy playing Larks Tongues and Tom Sawyer, there's many things he skips on those songs).

As for the Jazz claim, Portnoy improvisation and swing aren't Jazz-y (LTE jams, Liquid Trio Experiment's Jazz Odyssey). As for MM, you can hear a lot of Jazz in this video shared some messages ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6y4ipRjDME. While it's not, idk, '60s-ish swing, it's not away at all from the likes of Chad Wackerman, for example.

[Dedalus]

A master arranger?  Have you actually been in the studio to see what it is that he actually contributes?

Seems to me that, by your logic, all the great songs by DT/TA/NM are due to Portnoy’s masterful arrangements but the lacklustre material he’s put out in other bands is not his fault as the talent is not there.  You give him so much of the credit for the good stuff but none of the bad stuff is his fault?  You can’t have it both ways. 

The simple fact is that MP is a drummer and his stuff with talented players sounds good because he’s playing with talented players and writers.  His stuff with less talented players sounds bad because they’re not great songwriters.  He is not the reason the good bands sound good or the lesser bands don’t, he’s just the drummer in good and not so good projects.

DT have not fallen apart without his masterful arranging skills, they’ve moved on and barely missed a beat (pardon the pun, if that is a pun) putting out high quality album after high quality album.  Are they the absolute pinnacle albums of their career? I’d say no but none of the MP albums after SFAM are either imo.  That stretch from SDOIT to BC&SL are my least favourite DT albums and things picked up when Mangini joined.  Likewise, if Neal Morse switched drummers tomorrow, it would likely have very little impact on how his albums will sound.  The Spock’s Beard albums sound just fine with a different drummer.

What’s abundantly clear to me on these BTS making of album videos is just how little he contributes to the writing of those records.  The others all turn up with loads of demos and ideas and he turns up with zero.

I agree with pretty much all of this.  As many hats as he tries to wear now, drumming is still the thing Portnoy does best.  And there is no shame in that considering he is still a great drummer (despite his admitted lack of care in improving anymore).  But he's probably lucky that all of the bands he's been in don't have the Fleetwood Mac rule where the person who had the original idea for the song gets all of the songwriting credit, otherwise he might be able to count his total songwriting credits on one hand (or none ).  Aside from him supposedly coming up with the riff for A Rite of Passage, which is basically the Misunderstood riff slightly tweaked (IIRC), I cannot think of a single song where I've seen him or the band talk about how it started from an idea he had or melody he wrote.  Maybe there is an example or two of which I am unaware, which I am sure someone will correct me if that is the case . but I think y'all get my point.

Exactly. If MP could actually write, and being the control freak he brags that he is, I'm pretty sure he would have been releasing solo albums all this time. But he hasn't. That's not an insult to him, but giving him credit for the things that JP, JR, and JMX have done is certainly an insult to them. Even MM has contributed guitar riffs at this point!

Exactly. MP for the DT was, in addition to a great drummer, a driving force, a leader, lyricist, producer. A position worthy of respect, but it doesn't seem to be enough. He has to be made the great songwriter of the band. If not possible, in the master arranger.

The problem is that there is a portion of the fans who likes the MP so much that they want him to be a sort of Steven Wilson, Neal Morse, Gildenlöw. He isn't.

[Ben_Jamin]

Back to the arranging thing, calling him a master arranger seems odd to me, too.  I am sure he makes great suggestions, but DT's arranging has been just fine without him (better in fact in the 10's than it was in the 00's), and Neal Morse's arranging was just fine back in the Spock's days when Portnoy was not around.

I always kind of took that arranger title as his way, and the apologists way of saying, "See I/he contribute(s) just as much as John and Jordan!" I agree with what you said that he probably makes some good suggestions. I also think its asinine people are so quick to give him credit as the grand arranger, as if John and Jordan are just sitting around with all these riffs and no idea what to do with them. 

If we had to break it down to who contributed the most during those years, at least musically, it would probably be John and Jordan at the top. Mike in the mid range with James and John Myung just below him and a times on the same level. In fact, I wonder if that was some of the source of tension with Mike and James and John Myung.

Mike Portnoy is a good arranger and has some great ideas on where to take the songs. I say this as him still having that "Fan Mindset" rather than the casual "Musician Mindset".

Although, I do feel that him getting Sober definitely was a big part of him having more a tight grip on the decisions of the band. This gave MP a sense of purpose in a way that I am sure helped him immensely with his Sobriety, a big reason for him doing the 12 Step Suite. It's also why I found MP deciding to want a break after completing the arduous task of spanning the suite across several albums quite perplexing, as it came to it's conclusion with Black Clouds and Silver Linings.

Which I find it odd and coincidental given how personal and monumental his last two lyrical contributions are. And these two songs define the albums title, Black Clouds and Silver Linings.

[Ben_Jamin]

A master arranger?  Have you actually been in the studio to see what it is that he actually contributes?

Seems to me that, by your logic, all the great songs by DT/TA/NM are due to Portnoy’s masterful arrangements but the lacklustre material he’s put out in other bands is not his fault as the talent is not there.  You give him so much of the credit for the good stuff but none of the bad stuff is his fault?  You can’t have it both ways. 

The simple fact is that MP is a drummer and his stuff with talented players sounds good because he’s playing with talented players and writers.  His stuff with less talented players sounds bad because they’re not great songwriters.  He is not the reason the good bands sound good or the lesser bands don’t, he’s just the drummer in good and not so good projects.

DT have not fallen apart without his masterful arranging skills, they’ve moved on and barely missed a beat (pardon the pun, if that is a pun) putting out high quality album after high quality album.  Are they the absolute pinnacle albums of their career? I’d say no but none of the MP albums after SFAM are either imo.  That stretch from SDOIT to BC&SL are my least favourite DT albums and things picked up when Mangini joined.  Likewise, if Neal Morse switched drummers tomorrow, it would likely have very little impact on how his albums will sound.  The Spock’s Beard albums sound just fine with a different drummer.

What’s abundantly clear to me on these BTS making of album videos is just how little he contributes to the writing of those records.  The others all turn up with loads of demos and ideas and he turns up with zero.

I agree with pretty much all of this.  As many hats as he tries to wear now, drumming is still the thing Portnoy does best.  And there is no shame in that considering he is still a great drummer (despite his admitted lack of care in improving anymore).  But he's probably lucky that all of the bands he's been in don't have the Fleetwood Mac rule where the person who had the original idea for the song gets all of the songwriting credit, otherwise he might be able to count his total songwriting credits on one hand (or none ).  Aside from him supposedly coming up with the riff for A Rite of Passage, which is basically the Misunderstood riff slightly tweaked (IIRC), I cannot think of a single song where I've seen him or the band talk about how it started from an idea he had or melody he wrote.  Maybe there is an example or two of which I am unaware, which I am sure someone will correct me if that is the case . but I think y'all get my point.

Exactly. If MP could actually write, and being the control freak he brags that he is, I'm pretty sure he would have been releasing solo albums all this time. But he hasn't. That's not an insult to him, but giving him credit for the things that JP, JR, and JMX have done is certainly an insult to them. Even MM has contributed guitar riffs at this point!

I really don't think that is the reason why he doesn't have any solo albums. I do think a major reason is that he just doesn't have the time. He is involved in so many different projects, he barely has enough time in schedule to get to at least jam out with the projects he himself has planned in his constantly moving brain of his. 

[darkshade]

No doubt Portnoy plateaued during the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era, but to call Portnoy's playing 'leagues' below the likes of Bruford, Peart, and Mangini is a little ignorant. What MP lacks in technical prowess, he makes up for with creativity, but MP in his peak was one of the best rock drummers in the world. What make Bruford and Peart less mechanical sounding like Mangini is their sense of groove and of course jazz influence, which I hear none from MM. Portnoy has that in him a little (as do Petrucci/Myung/Rudess)

I personally disagree with calling him one of the best Rock drummers in the world, but at the same time, I don't like the genre and I have no idea which drummers count as Rock drummers and which ones don't
 I won't deny his strong influence in the Prog scene, though (Blake Richardson is one of my favourite drummers of all time, and he's influenced by MP).

As far as I can hear, both Bruford and Peart (especially Bruford) had a better navigation through more complex rhythms, with more precision (compare Portnoy playing Larks Tongues and Tom Sawyer, there's many things he skips on those songs).

As for the Jazz claim, Portnoy improvisation and swing aren't Jazz-y (LTE jams, Liquid Trio Experiment's Jazz Odyssey). As for MM, you can hear a lot of Jazz in this video shared some messages ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6y4ipRjDME. While it's not, idk, '60s-ish swing, it's not away at all from the likes of Chad Wackerman, for example.

Having jazzy influences doesn't necessarily mean it has to sound like 60s post bop. Growing up, the DT boys were listening to stuff like Alan Holdsworth, Return to Forever, and lots of other 70s and 80s jazz fusion music. That style and influence is most obvious in IaW, Awake, and FII, and slowly faded away after SDoIT, but the whole extended solo trade off DT does is a big American Jazz tradition, too. Of course, Rudess played with Steve Morse, Jan Hammer, and Tony Williams, 3 big names in jazz and fusion.

[KevShmev]

Back to the arranging thing, calling him a master arranger seems odd to me, too.  I am sure he makes great suggestions, but DT's arranging has been just fine without him (better in fact in the 10's than it was in the 00's), and Neal Morse's arranging was just fine back in the Spock's days when Portnoy was not around.

I always kind of took that arranger title as his way, and the apologists way of saying, "See I/he contribute(s) just as much as John and Jordan!" I agree with what you said that he probably makes some good suggestions. I also think its asinine people are so quick to give him credit as the grand arranger, as if John and Jordan are just sitting around with all these riffs and no idea what to do with them. 

If we had to break it down to who contributed the most during those years, at least musically, it would probably be John and Jordan at the top. Mike in the mid range with James and John Myung just below him and a times on the same level. In fact, I wonder if that was some of the source of tension with Mike and James and John Myung.

I think it was sometime in 2011 or 2012 when Rudess was quoted as saying that he and Petrucci had done most of the heavy lifting when it came to songwriting since he had joined the band in 1999.  I doubt most were surprised by that revelation. 

Exactly. If MP could actually write, and being the control freak he brags that he is, I'm pretty sure he would have been releasing solo albums all this time. But he hasn't. That's not an insult to him, but giving him credit for the things that JP, JR, and JMX have done is certainly an insult to them. Even MM has contributed guitar riffs at this point!

Right, it not an insult to call him a collaborator and not a songwriter.  Popular music history is loaded with stars who collaborated on a regular basis. 

  MP for the DT was, in addition to a great drummer, a driving force, a leader, lyricist, producer. A position worthy of respect, but it doesn't seem to be enough. He has to be made the great songwriter of the band. If not possible, in the master arranger.

The problem is that there is a portion of the fans who likes the MP so much that they want him to be a sort of Steven Wilson, Neal Morse, Gildenlöw. He isn't.

Funny you say that because on more than one occasion I have seen fans of Neal on his FB fan page refer to Morse/Portnoy as the modern day Lennon/McCartney.  I know, fanboys gonna fanboys, and I certainly do enough of that for certain musicians and bands  , but that comment is so off base and hilarious that I cannot help but roll my eyes every time I read it.

[erwinrafael]

Mike released this video of him playing a beat taking off from an unreleased song in the album. What song is it?

https://youtu.be/OPRdo4MCDQ8

[TAC]

.

[Kotowboy]

Mike released this video of him playing a beat taking off from an unreleased song in the album. What song is it?

https://youtu.be/OPRdo4MCDQ8

A View From The Side Of A Refrigerator

[evilasiojr]

Mike released this video of him playing a beat taking off from an unreleased song in the album. What song is it?

https://youtu.be/OPRdo4MCDQ8

Just as a side note, I asked Mike on the FB post he made about this video if he used this kit set up for the whole album, and he answered "YES"!

[BeatriceNB]

No doubt Portnoy plateaued during the Six Degrees/Train of Thought era, but to call Portnoy's playing 'leagues' below the likes of Bruford, Peart, and Mangini is a little ignorant. What MP lacks in technical prowess, he makes up for with creativity, but MP in his peak was one of the best rock drummers in the world. What make Bruford and Peart less mechanical sounding like Mangini is their sense of groove and of course jazz influence, which I hear none from MM. Portnoy has that in him a little (as do Petrucci/Myung/Rudess)

I personally disagree with calling him one of the best Rock drummers in the world, but at the same time, I don't like the genre and I have no idea which drummers count as Rock drummers and which ones don't
 I won't deny his strong influence in the Prog scene, though (Blake Richardson is one of my favourite drummers of all time, and he's influenced by MP).

As far as I can hear, both Bruford and Peart (especially Bruford) had a better navigation through more complex rhythms, with more precision (compare Portnoy playing Larks Tongues and Tom Sawyer, there's many things he skips on those songs).

As for the Jazz claim, Portnoy improvisation and swing aren't Jazz-y (LTE jams, Liquid Trio Experiment's Jazz Odyssey). As for MM, you can hear a lot of Jazz in this video shared some messages ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6y4ipRjDME. While it's not, idk, '60s-ish swing, it's not away at all from the likes of Chad Wackerman, for example.

Having jazzy influences doesn't necessarily mean it has to sound like 60s post bop. Growing up, the DT boys were listening to stuff like Alan Holdsworth, Return to Forever, and lots of other 70s and 80s jazz fusion music. That style and influence is most obvious in IaW, Awake, and FII, and slowly faded away after SDoIT, but the whole extended solo trade off DT does is a big American Jazz tradition, too. Of course, Rudess played with Steve Morse, Jan Hammer, and Tony Williams, 3 big names in jazz and fusion.

Pre-SFAM they even had Funk sections. I don't deny any member in the band being influenced by Jazz and Jazz Fusion musicians (as a quick reference, Trial Of Tears' solo is almost lifted from Holdsworth's solo on UK's In The Dead Of Night), but in the case of Rudess, he's fond of improvising his solos, and the way he adds embellishments has a Jazz-y -and improv- vibe to it (outside of DT, I would point out his playing on Steven Wilson's Raider II).
Again, not to deny MP was influenced by the style or musicians in the aesthetic, but I don't hear it.

[erwinrafael]

Mike released this video of him playing a beat taking off from an unreleased song in the album. What song is it?

https://youtu.be/OPRdo4MCDQ8

Just as a side note, I asked Mike on the FB post he made about this video if he used this kit set up for the whole album, and he answered "YES"!

So that was YOU

[Enigmachine]

I don't know if I'm alone in thinking this, but I feel like The Alien has a fair bit of jazz fusion influence. The middle solos have that character for sure, as well as the choices of beats under it. The percussive syncopation in the track (especially things like that cool stick rhythm MM does which iirc precedes the middle solos) is something much more attributable than jazz in general than rock or metal to my ears, although part of it is because that's sorta been one of the staples within the progressive metal blend anyway.