Re: DT16 Timeline Thread - John finished recording guitar parts

[Wim Kruithof]

Eh, their choice. Would you rather listen to something rushed and low quality or thought through and high quality?

Train of Thought was done in three weeks. It is not that a lot of time is involved, per se. Could be, but a masterpiece can be written in a short period of time as well.

[Setlist Scotty]

Eh, their choice. Would you rather listen to something rushed and low quality or thought through and high quality?

Train of Thought was done in three weeks. It is not that a lot of time is involved, per se. Could be, but a masterpiece can be written in a short period of time as well.

Awake was written in roughly the same time period. d/t was also written within about the same time period too. So I agree that it can be done.

Personally - and I realize that it's probably a pipe dream - I hope they'll stay in the studio and work on at least two albums' worth of material or more. Given that they have DTHQ, they don't have a deadline looming over their heads (at least financially speaking), so I'd like to see them follow their muse and continue working on new songs just to see where they go, and then select the best/most cohesive group to release as an album and use the rest of the material for other purposes (or even later releases). How many great songs were lost to the ether just because they had a CD's worth of material? Obviously we'll never know. But when you look at the extra/later songs written for IaW and FII (after they already had enough material for an album), it's clear that they could come out with some more great, perhaps greater material (depending on who you ask) than what they wrote initially.

[Schurftkut]

yeah, kinda like what i suggested; do a creative first disc like sdoit, and a second disc with more "regular" DT

[gzarruk]

I wouldn't mind a concept album for disc 1 and some extra individual songs for disc 2.

[porcacultor]

That would be fantastic if they wrote enough for more than one album. Seeing as they're in a moment in their career when they're their own bosses and with a label that seems to be on "their side", it's a possibility.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

the next album will be a triple album entitled The Mikestonishing 2: Was he fired, or did he quit?

[Wim Kruithof]

Hovering Sojourn, can't look at your avatar without thinking LaBrie is 'cuming'. Such a horrible close-up without the context.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i tried to pick a picture that makes it looks like JLB is saying my posts

[LKap13]

Why do I feel like new dt is gonna sound exactly like lte3

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Why do I feel like new dt is gonna sound exactly like lte3

Why do you? LTE as a whole does not sound like DT.

[hefdaddy42]

Why do I feel like new dt is gonna sound exactly like lte3

I have no idea.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

DT will start the new album in less than 2 weeks...not a note has been written yet.

JP interview from NAMM...around 14:50 mark

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

And no...Mike Mangini was not addressed by the interviewer, though Mike Portnoy was.

[porcacultor]

DT will start the new album in less than 2 weeks...not a note has been written yet.

JP interview from NAMM...around 14:50 mark

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

And no...Mike Mangini was not addressed by the interviewer, though Mike Portnoy was.

Thanks, Warrior. There's a little writeup by Blabbermouth on the part you mentioned (here: https://blabbermouth.net/news/dream-theaters-john-petrucci-its-really-exciting-to-have-mike-portnoy-back-in-the-band ) but that's pretty much it.

It kind of surprises me that they're willing to hit the studio without having done any writing beforehand. It's been their M.O. for many albums, so it's not like I think it influences end product quality either way, but I dunno. It's always funny to picture these songs starting out being about nothing, and then the lyrics sort of scope out a meaning.

I also wonder if JLB will be there! I know he prefers to record his parts back in Canada, but I also remember him being present in the DoT sessions (even remotely) and giving opinions on the tracks as they were written/recorded by the other players.

[Mosh]

I really disliked the DoT album, but that approach to recording and writing seems like a good way to handle this first album with MP back.

[gzarruk]

He did remote work for A View, for DOT he was there with them for the whole writing process (not sure about the recording).

[porcacultor]

He did remote work for A View, for DOT he was there with them for the whole writing process (not sure about the recording).

My mistake, you're right! I remember him standing there watching them play an early version of S2N.

[PMSummer]

My son sent me this and I thought it was real at first but apparently it's AI LOL. Anyway it got me wondering, do you guys think they will use Syme again? I feel his output has gotten increasingly 'lazy' and now robots do a better job than he does...

[Zydar]

Well Hugh Syme can spell 'Majesty' right, don't know about AI there

[Setlist Scotty]

Pretty sure they'll continue using Syme. Both JP and MP really like his artwork, and not only did JP use it for DT's stuff while MP was away (aside from The Astonishing, which Syme himself passed on since he knew he couldn't do what JP wanted for that album), but MP used Syme for the second and third FC albums, and maybe others. So yeah, it's almost a given.

[Schurftkut]

It would be kinda cool though if they named the new album "Majesty"

[MirrorMask]

It would be kinda cool though if they named the new album "Majesty"

That would be as close as Portnoy would get to have his own band namesake album 

Anyway, now that all is said and done, I think naming DT12 after the band was a mistake. It's weird when the namesake album is not the debut and, while I enjoy the album, it's no SFAM or Images and Words, it's just one album of their discography that got the special name treatment without even producing a single "modern classic". Breaking All Illusions is still revered by the vast majority of the fan base, which is the DT12 songs that everyone is crazy about and would be more than happy to see it as often as possible in the setlist?

[TAC]

Well Hugh Syme can spell 'Majesty' right, don't know about AI there

That’s what happens when AI headquarters uses Kingshmegland’s posts as inputs.

[King Postwhore]

If that happened, the world would be in chaos.

[Jamesman42]

JLB does his stuff remotely sometimes? That...is interesting.

[fadetoblackdude7]

JP said they start in less than 2 weeks….so probably Monday February 5th is my guess.

[Setlist Scotty]

JLB does his stuff remotely sometimes? That...is interesting.

He ended up working remotely for AVFtTotW because of the pandemic, but it seemed to work so well that they might consider doing it again. It would save him from having to travel and it's much easier for him to formulate ideas than when he's with the band in person.

[Madman Shepherd]

He did remote work for A View, for DOT he was there with them for the whole writing process (not sure about the recording).

For ADTOE he was remote but JP did end up flying up to Canada towards the end of the sessions. DT12 he did at the studio. Astonishing he did remote without JP there. I'm sure jp had input but I think james pretty much did most of it with minimal input, although I'm sure the vocal melodies were largely written by jp already.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

It was more convenient for him because he could mute himself and work out melodies while the guys played.

[Setlist Scotty]

It was more convenient for him because he could mute himself and work out melodies while the guys played.

Exactly, which is why can see him repeating that process with the next album, besides of course the cost savings of him staying at home.

[TAC]

I hope whatever they write stretches James out a bit. I feel like vocals are such an afterthought with JP, save for The Astonishing.

[jammindude]

I hope whatever they write stretches James out a bit. I feel like vocals are such an afterthought with JP, save for The Astonishing.

Just so long as it’s something he can perform live.  The show I saw, he couldn’t even pull off The Alien.

[Setlist Scotty]

I hope whatever they write stretches James out a bit. I feel like vocals are such an afterthought with JP, save for The Astonishing.

Just so long as it’s something he can perform live.  The show I saw, he couldn’t even pull off The Alien.

Agreed, although some of it might be JL upping his game again. Hopefully he's been using his time since the DreamSonic tour ended to train with someone again to get back some of the abilities that he's lost.

[TAC]

So I'm probably talking out of my ass, but I feel like MP is going to push James, and I don't mean that he's gonna be a dick. I just mean that "someone" in the band will be paying attention, because it's clear from the last tour cycle that nobody else was. This is why I've never been a fan of him recording his vocals in Canada. There's no one there to push him. Other than The Astonishing, I just don't think JP has a vision for the vocals, which is something that MP was more involved with.

I understand not being able to hit something live that he does in the studio, but to me, why would you diminish a recording that will be around forever...on purpose? James' issue wasn't being able to hit a note here and there, it was staying in key and being in the general neighborhood of where the song was vocally.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

So I'm probably talking out of my ass, but I feel like MP is going to push James, and I don't mean that he's gonna be a dick. I just mean that "someone" in the band will be paying attention, because it's clear from the last tour cycle that nobody else was. This is why I've never been a fan of him recording his vocals in Canada. There's no one there to push him. Other than The Astonishing, I just don't think JP has a vision for the vocals, which is something that MP was more involved with.

I understand not being able to hit something live that he does in the studio, but to me, why would you diminish a recording that will be around forever...on purpose? James' issue wasn't being able to hit a note here and there, it was staying in key and being in the general neighborhood of where the song was vocally.

I can't see MP pushing JLB in any way. They just patched things up after a decade and it would appear that this was the last step to complete before MP was officially coming back. I am sure no one is looking to be pushed by anyone else at this stage of his career. I don't think the vocal melodies are necessarily bad..some are meh. Where things are falling apart is on stage. But even there, I don't think anyone is going to disturb the new equilibrium of the band. I would bet my bottom dollar the expectation on all sides is to keep doing what they're doing for a couple more albums and smooth sailing into the sunset.

[jammindude]

It’s fairly rare when people who have friction in close quarters, and then get along much better when apart, suddenly start having zero friction when placed back into close quarters.

Not impossible, but it would be contrary to the norm.