Coming back to Dream Theater after falling off

[The Letter M]

I've gone through spurts of listening to DT. I used to listen to them fairly consistently up until ADTOE, but after that, I only really listen to them just before, during, and right after a new album comes out, although in the case of The Astonishing, I dropped off completely for awhile until DOT came out.

Funnily enough, I put on AVFTTOTW last night/this morning and still really like it (and DOT as well), so having two good-to-great albums in recent years has sort of rekindled my love for DT, which had died down after ADTOE.

I'd say I've listened to DT more in the last 3 years than I did between 2013-2018, so hopefully their 16th album keeps up the pace and progress they've been making as a band.

-Marc.

[Nel]

I have never stopped respecting the guys in the band, but my days of being a manic DT fanboy are long gone!

Peak of my fandom was around ten years ago. There are a few reasons as to why I have dropped off. Firstly my musical tastes have shifted so much during the last decade. I listen a lot of different music nowadays, and while I still listen to prog music, it's nowhere near as dominant as it once was.

Secondly, their output during the Mangini era has been hit or miss for me. ADTOE was good. S/T was pretty forgettable. TA was ambitious, but ultimately I just did not like it. On the other hand I really enjoyed D/T! It was a breath of fresh air to me, and got me excited for the next DT album. "The View" while it has some good stuff on it, just didn't grab my interest at all.

I Still put on some DT occasionally, and I do have my favorite tunes that I will love to death!

Mostly I stayed on this forum, because I think this is just a great place to discuss all things music related.

Replace ADTOE beging 'good' with being 'excellent,' and this sums up my feelings perfectly.

Honestly, your last point about the forum is exactly why I'm here as well:)

I think I would lean toward what Polarbear said in that section except I really liked AVFTTOTW when released. Although it hasn’t had much staying power with me, just like D/T.

Yeah, I'd say that's about where I'm at. ADTOE is a top 3 Dream Theater album for me, self-titled really let me down, Astonishing did nothing for me, DoT was alright, but not memorable, and even though I was praising View when it came out, it hasn't really had any staying power overall. But I like this forum!

[Herrick]

There are long periods of time when I don't listen to the band but I've always been a fan since I got into them in 2001.

[Dublagent66]

This year is my 30th anniversary as a DT fan.  Never really "fell off" during that whole time.  Just took little breaks here and there. 

[Volante99]

I “fell off” after Octavarium. Loved that album and tour. After that, possibly due to burnout, I completely missed Systematic Chaos. Then one day I randomly spotted “Whither” on YouTube and was immediately turned off by what ito capitalize on the attention they were receiving from being featured on Rock Band 2 (my theory on a major reason why BC&SL became their highest charting album).

Fast forward a year or two I heard the news Portnoy left the band and decided to give BC&SL and proper listen and was hooked all over again thanks to in no small part to Nightmare to Remember. Despite Portnoy’s absence, ADToE was a resounding success and new artist high point for the band In the 2000s.

After that, however, it’s been an uphill battle getting into the latest releases. We’ve had production problems (DT, DoT). Songs coming frustratingly close to greatness but missing the mark (At Wits End). Uninspired epics (IT, AVFTT). JLB’s dwindling vocal abilities in the studio. The Astonishing. Last but not least, I feel Mike Portnoy’s presence is certainly missed. Mangini is capable but I’m a big MP fan and his playing, along with JP’s, was a major attraction for me. I’m enjoying maybe 1-2 songs per record which isn’t enough to hold my interest.

View from the Top might be the first DT album I’ve listened to a couple times and have no real desire to listen to again. Despite arguably being their most consistent record since ADToE the songs just aren’t hitting the “sweet spot” for me. So, at this point I’ll probably always check out their latest album and (depending on the setlist) tour but unless I’m completely blown away, gone are the days where I’m playing the new record dozens of times to brand it into my brain, learning the new songs on guitar, hitting refresh a hundred times to make sure I’m first in the queue to get concert tickets etc. I’m, now, just a casual fan of Mangini-era DT, and at this point that’s about as “fallen off” the bandwagon (pun intended) as I’ll ever be.