Author Topic: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (number 1 revealed!)  (Read 36565 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Deadeye21

  • Posts: 1713
  • Gender: Male
  • 30 years say we’re in this together
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #210 on: September 22, 2022, 06:39:04 PM »
I listened to WDADU at work today and I will say it's a very consistent album, there aren't any wild swings of quality like Awake for example.

Yeah, it’s all pretty great! Even though Awake is my number 2, I gotta say it botches it’s ending.
Let's go with a P for Deadeye has premature alphabetejaculation.

Online wolfking

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 46263
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #211 on: September 22, 2022, 07:22:11 PM »
I listened to WDADU at work today and I will say it's a very consistent album, there aren't any wild swings of quality like Awake for example.

You mean a swing between fucking amazing and just amazing?
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Online TAC

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 74096
  • Gender: Male
  • Arthritic Metal Horns
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #212 on: September 22, 2022, 07:27:33 PM »
 :lol

You know, if you're not ready for it....
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline Lethean

  • Posts: 4504
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (starts 09/22)
« Reply #213 on: September 22, 2022, 08:00:04 PM »

I had When Day And Drean Unite at #5!

I didn't get WDADU until some time in late '93, long after I had I&W and Live At The Marquee. I basically learned all of the songs through various bootlegs from the I&W tour. That and seeing a number of songs live as well. So I basically learned these songs with James as the singer. I don't take into consideration the production or Charlie when ranking this album. I only take the songs into consideration.

I think if I had done this, it probably wouldn't have been last for me. I really don't care about the production, and I like the songs.  Status Seeker maybe not so much, but The Killing Hand is incredible, and I like the rest pretty well.  But while I don't think Charlie is bad, it just doesn't sound quite right either.  I'd still rather listen to any of the other albums.

Offline Cool Chris

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 13558
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #214 on: September 22, 2022, 08:41:11 PM »
Surprised a bit to see Afterlife ranking so low among the songs. That is my favorite from the album - the Score version might have something to do with that.
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Offline Lethean

  • Posts: 4504
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #215 on: September 22, 2022, 10:14:02 PM »
The Score version of Afterlife is great.

Offline Mladen

  • Posts: 15203
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #216 on: September 23, 2022, 01:23:13 AM »
It was a great song in the first place, though. No wonder they decided to revisit that one, and not TOWHTSTS or Status seeker.

Offline Zydar

  • Creep With Tonality
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 19210
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #217 on: September 23, 2022, 03:02:34 AM »
I ranked it at #13. It's always been near the bottom for me, but it's been overtaken by two other albums lately. I like the songwriting overall, too bad the production and vocals drags it down.

Highlights for me are Afterlife, Ytse Jam, Status Seeker, and Only A Matter Of Time (this one thanks to the Budokan DVD).

And yeah the Score version of Afterlife is great.
Zydar is my new hero.  I just laughed so hard I nearly shat.

Offline nobloodyname

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 1942
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#15 featured)
« Reply #218 on: September 23, 2022, 03:22:34 AM »
Reminding myself of WDADU right now. The production really is bad, isn't it? Sounds like someone through a mobile phone in the middle of the studio and recorded it on that. Which is a shame because the songs, for the most part are really good. Except The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun, of course. But I tell you what, this is still light years ahead of the vocally massacred When Dream and Day Reunite. Virtually unlistenable, that.
Paul
Gamer, rocker, humanist, womble
Leicestershire, UK
Getting right out of my comfort zone: www.youtube.com/@paulplayspoorly Go on, you can do it, too! (24/3/2024: Now playing on Paul Plays Poorly!, The Answer Lies Within by Dream Theater)

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured)
« Reply #219 on: September 23, 2022, 05:39:50 AM »
14. Systematic Chaos

Number 1 finishes: 1
Last place finishes: 4
Average finish: 10.9


I ranked this at 14, so I nailed this one's spot.  I have long said that this feels like their cheesy 80s horror film album, given some of the lyrics.  It's a mostly enjoyable record, even kind of fun at times, which you can't always say about a Dream Theater album, but some of the songwriting is among their worst ever (vocal melodies in Constant Motion, the thud of a chorus in Forsaken, etc.).  Still, there is some good stuff here, but it probably has, for me anyway, the lowest highs of any DT record to date.

Top 5 songs from me from the album:
1 The Dark Eternal Night
2 Repentance
3 In the Presence of Enemies Part 1
4 The Ministry of Lost Souls
5 In the Presence of Enemies Part 2

« Last Edit: September 24, 2022, 04:08:04 PM by KevShmev »

Offline ReaperKK

  • Sweeter After Difficulty
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 17718
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #220 on: September 23, 2022, 05:52:29 AM »
I'm the one who voted this album as number 1 :lol

I'm actually very shocked to see this album so low. I didn't think it'd crack the top 10 but 14, jeez. When this album first came out I wasn't too big on it but with every year it just grew and grew on me. I think this is the perfect blend of the future, more metal focused DT with some glimpses of their old proggy elements. The lyrics aren't great but really DT's lyrics are hit-or-miss in the first place (mainly miss).

One final thought for now is I actually didn't expect to rank it so high either. Normally when doing album ranking I just eyeball the list and move stuff around until it makes sense. This time I used the ranking engine and really thought about every matchup. I was surprised to see this at the top but after enjoy a drink or two and thinking some more I'm like "yea that's right".

Well I'll be having more drinks tonight because this ranking has really shook me. :lol

My ranking so far:

1. Systematic Chaos
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14. When Dream And Day Unite
15.
« Last Edit: September 23, 2022, 09:10:47 AM by ReaperKK »

Online wolfking

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 46263
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #221 on: September 23, 2022, 06:01:11 AM »
Number 11 for me.  I was really disappointed when this came out.  Still don't think much of it past a couple of songs. It's aged slightly better though when it came out.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Offline T-ski

  • Posts: 2915
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #222 on: September 23, 2022, 06:12:40 AM »
#14 for me.  Nothing on this album stands out and “Repentance” is a chore to get through. Easily a bottom album for me.
Is all that we see or seem, but a dream within a dream?

Offline Stadler

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 43016
  • Gender: Male
  • Pointing out the "unfunny" since 2014!
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #223 on: September 23, 2022, 06:25:23 AM »
No. 7.  I think this record gets short shrift, honestly.  I don't quite get the hate for the last two Portnoy albums, especially this one.  I get it, there are spots that people don't like - I can do without the growls or whatever we're calling them and while I like Repentance, I understand it's polarizing - but some of the melodies are good, and most of the playing is still stellar.   

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Systematic Chaos
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. When Dream And Day Unite

Offline DTA

  • Posts: 2457
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #224 on: September 23, 2022, 06:30:26 AM »
I think SC has a lot more going for it than Octavarium and Black Clouds. I appreciate the non-serious nature of a lot of the lyrics and it seems a bit more musically playful overall. WDADU is way better though

Offline Mladen

  • Posts: 15203
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #225 on: September 23, 2022, 06:54:23 AM »
I adore this album, given that I became a fan at the time that it came out. But I know it isn't very well liked generally, so the placemen't isn't much of a surprise. I called it.

15.
14.
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12.
11.
10.
9.
8.
7. Systematic Chaos
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.

Offline devieira73

  • Posts: 2834
  • Gender: Male
  • Boldly go where no brazilian has gone before...
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #226 on: September 23, 2022, 07:00:37 AM »
14.   Systematic Chaos (also #14 for me); grade: 7.1/10

Best songs: ITPOE pt. 1, The Dark Eternal Night, Constant Motion, ITPOE pt. 2 and The Ministry of Lost Souls.

Despite the very fantasy lyrics, if we keep just its 5 best songs, I think we have an amazing album, very heavy with a lot of really cool instrumental passages, although not as good as Train of Thought.
"one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." (RIP Neil Armstrong)

Offline Zydar

  • Creep With Tonality
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 19210
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #227 on: September 23, 2022, 07:22:14 AM »
I had SC at #12. I became a fan right after its release in 2007, so I listened to this one quite a lot. But as I discovered their previous stuff, SC quickly fell down my album ranking :lol

I still enjoy it from time to time, and it has a nostalgic feel to it, for the above mentioned reason.

Favourite songs: ITPOE, The Dark Eternal Night, Forsaken, and Constant Motion.
Zydar is my new hero.  I just laughed so hard I nearly shat.

Offline Shalev Amir

  • Shmoolikipod
  • Posts: 370
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #228 on: September 23, 2022, 07:23:08 AM »
Wow, 14? I ranked it 8th and thought it would finish 10th or something. I have mixed feelings about SC. Prophets and Repentance are bad, Constant Motion... exists, Forsaken is great and ITPOE might be my favourite Dream Theater song. The other 3 tracks are where it gets weird because I somehow both love them and hate them on the same time. I think TDEN on Chaos in Motion is awesome, but the studio version is one of my bottom DT songs. TMOLS is great until that completely unrelated wank section, and the comes back with a magnificent outro.

Offline jammindude

  • Posts: 15237
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #229 on: September 23, 2022, 07:26:25 AM »
Interesting that SC did end up with a lower average than WDADU…and by a pretty wide margin too.

SC IMO is DT’s only “bad album”…there’s just very little to be enjoyed at all, and a few things that are just terrible. Prophets of War is the worst song they ever did, part 2 of ITPOE is a huge letdown after the pretty good part 1.

The only things I like are ITPOE part 1 and TDEN. TMOLS is ok and has started to grow on me a little bit. Everything else is either boring or terrible.

Obviously I rated it 15, and if I could have given it negative points, I would have.
"Better the pride that resides in a citizen of the world.
Than the pride that divides when a colorful rag is unfurled." - Neil Peart

The Jammin Dude Show - https://www.youtube.com/user/jammindude

Offline SwedishGoose

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2482
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #230 on: September 23, 2022, 07:34:07 AM »
I have this just above WDADU so that's fine for me. I still think there are albums I like less.


15.
14.
13. When Dream and Day Unite
12. Systematic Chaos
11.
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
« Last Edit: September 24, 2022, 08:41:33 AM by SwedishGoose »

Offline ZirconBlue

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2550
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #231 on: September 23, 2022, 08:00:53 AM »
I had it at #10.  I really like most of this album, even (or especially) the songs most DT fans aren't into (Forsaken, TMoLS, etc).

1   
2   
3   
4   
5   
6   
7   
8   
9   
10   Systematic Chaos
11   
12   
13   
14   When Dream and Day Unite
15   

Offline nick_z

  • Posts: 3654
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #232 on: September 23, 2022, 08:04:15 AM »
Systematic Chaos - I had it at #14

Same as Kev, matching the aggregate ranking for this one.

I did enjoy it a fair bit when it came out. I remember the "in the studio"-documentary was fun too. In fact, the general impression in SC is that, indeed, the band was having a good time.

ITPOE part I is a neat way to start. Really like the whole instrumental intro and the melodies when James comes in are great. Also agreed with some here that the second part is, relatively speaking, a letdown. In fact, that's one of my main issues with the record - the one-two closing with Ministry and IPTOE part II is kind of a drag. Not bad, by any means, but it doesn't excite me...and that's a good chunk of runtime.

I want to like Forsaken more - I'm all for a catchier song from DT - but in the end it's just ok.

Constant Motion is pretty cool, while The Dark Eternal Night sounds, um, forced. It has its moments, but it's too much. Not a fan of the distorted vocals. No issues with Repentance and Prophets of War, actually. Certainly not among the best DT songs, but I won't skip them.

All in all...yep, I did have my fun with the album back then, but I don't revisit it often and it's inevitably near the bottom of my ranking...

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #233 on: September 23, 2022, 08:40:14 AM »
I don't remember exactly where I had SC ranked, but I'm surprised to see it this low.

For me, this album has some really fun stuff, but also some wretched stuff.  I find it to be an excellent driving album.  However, I think that overall, I don't find that there is a lot of depth here (less than on an average DT album - and I'm not contending that they are the kind of artist that has many multiple layers to unpack all the time every time).  All of the pleasure to be had is at surface level, IMO.

Plus, it has Prophets of War and Constant Motion.

So, I'm a little surprised that it wound up THIS low, but not that it is low at all.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline krands85

  • Posts: 3009
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #234 on: September 23, 2022, 08:41:14 AM »
Not too surprised to see SC in 14th, I expected it to come in the 12-14th spots. I've always felt it gets a bit of a hard time and is slightly underrated though, I've got it in 9th.

15. When Dream and Day Unite
14.
13.
12.
11.
10.
9. Systematic Chaos
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.

ITPOE is a top 10 DT song for me, TMOLS is great, you've got a good 'metal single' in CM and a good 'catchy/accessible single' in Forsaken. TDEN can be fun, especially live, but could have done with a bit of pruning. PoW is pretty weak, though I've never found it as bad as most other people seem to. Repentance has always been one of my least favourite songs, however I strangely found myself really enjoying it while watching a Doug Helvering reaction to it recently, which surprised me.

It seems quite common to group this album together with BC&SL and while they have similar issues, I think SC does things a bit better than its younger brother.
Whoaaaahh, ohhh, ohhhhh. Whoaaaahh, ohhhhh, ohhhhhh. Waaah, ahhh, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaowwwwww

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #235 on: September 23, 2022, 08:43:29 AM »
It seems quite common to group this album together with BC&SL and while they have similar issues, I think SC does things a bit better than its younger brother.
I agree with you.  Like I said, I was surprised to see SC that low, but I would not have been so surprised to see BC&SL that low.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Animal

  • Posts: 244
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #236 on: September 23, 2022, 09:01:31 AM »
Becoming a DT fan with SC is like starting a new business during The Great Depression. It can only get better...

I mean, it is not a bad album, there are some good moments and I don't particulary hate any individual song. But it is IMHO, even though not by far, the least interesting thing they have ever done. It is one of the few DT records which I never listen to in their entirety - just random individual tracks every now nad then.
 And unlike many other less than stellar DT albums, it doesn't get elevated by a single genuinely great song (like Octavarium gets elevated by the title track or BCSL gets elevated by CoT).

Offline Deadeye21

  • Posts: 1713
  • Gender: Male
  • 30 years say we’re in this together
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #237 on: September 23, 2022, 09:20:24 AM »
Not the decade I thought would be taking the 14th slot.

Anyway,

Systematic Chaos
My rank: 11th of 15

Top 5:
The Dark Eternal Night
ItPoE part 1
Constant Motion
ItPoE part 2
Ministry of Lost Souls


My current standing
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Systematic Chaos
12.
13. When Dream And Day Unite
14.
15.
Let's go with a P for Deadeye has premature alphabetejaculation.

Offline RoeDent

  • 2006 Time Magazine Person of the Year
  • Posts: 6029
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #238 on: September 23, 2022, 09:24:24 AM »
While I didn't rank it #1, far from it, I am claiming a moral victory in that The Astonishing is not #14.

For some reason I don't seem to have my ranking anywhere.

Offline hefdaddy42

  • Et in Arcadia Ego
  • Global Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 52785
  • Gender: Male
  • Postwhore Emeritus
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #239 on: September 23, 2022, 09:38:02 AM »
For some reason I don't seem to have my ranking anywhere.
I don't either.  I remember the top 5, and the bottom 2 or 3.

I made it, sent it to Kev, and now it's gone.
Hef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Offline Adami

  • Moderator of awesomeness
  • *
  • Posts: 36093
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #240 on: September 23, 2022, 09:38:08 AM »
Had it at 11! Right above WDADU. It's not....awful? But I rarely want to listen to a lot of it. I like Prophets of War mostly, and I love Repentance. Don't think I care much for the rest of it.

1. ???
2. ???
3. ???
4. ???
5. ???
6. ???
7. ???
8. ???
9. ???
10. ???
11. Systematic Chaos
12. When Dream and Day Unite
13. ???
14. ???
15. ???
fanticide.bandcamp.com

Offline ZirconBlue

  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 2550
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #241 on: September 23, 2022, 10:04:16 AM »
For some reason I don't seem to have my ranking anywhere.
I don't either.  I remember the top 5, and the bottom 2 or 3.

I made it, sent it to Kev, and now it's gone.


It should be viewable in your messages folder, right?

Offline Dublagent66

  • Devouring consciousness...
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 9695
  • Gender: Male
  • ...Digesting power
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #242 on: September 23, 2022, 10:19:39 AM »
The PM section doesn't show sent messages for some reason.  I keep all my lists in a separate excel file on my desktop.
"Two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein
"There's not a pill you can take.  There's not a class you can go to.  Stupid is foreva."  -Ron White

Offline KevShmev

  • EZBoard Elder
  • *****
  • Posts: 41963
  • Gender: Male
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #243 on: September 23, 2022, 10:21:44 AM »
Messages you send do not save to your Outbox unless you click the box underneath the text next to the "Save a copy in my outbox" line. 

Offline Dublagent66

  • Devouring consciousness...
  • DTF.org Alumni
  • ****
  • Posts: 9695
  • Gender: Male
  • ...Digesting power
Re: Official Dream Theater studio albums countdown thread! (#14 featured!!)
« Reply #244 on: September 23, 2022, 10:30:56 AM »
Hmmm, thought I tried that once and it didn't work.  Oh well...

My ranking so far...

15  When Dream and Day Unite
14   
13   
12   
11   
10   
9   Systematic Chaos
8   
7   
6   
5   
4   
3   
2   
1   
"Two things are infinite; the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein
"There's not a pill you can take.  There's not a class you can go to.  Stupid is foreva."  -Ron White