Now that the MM era is finished, how would you rank those five albums?

[naimad]

Here is mine:

1. Distance Over Time (8/10)
After three disappointments I had zero expectations over DOT. This is the record that made me feel something again.

2. A View From The Top Of The World (7/10)
To me, not as strong as DOT but really solid.

3. A Dramatic Turn of Events (6.5/10)
I was very critical when ADTOE came out and was hugely disappointed. In retrospect, I don't think it was that bad. Actually, is not bad at all.
The only problem I see with this record is the sound (production) and that JP tone that I never understood (lacks definition when distorted).

4. Dream Theater (5/10)
In my opinion, has the worst instrumentals from the band and also the worst epic. Not a big fan of the sound neither.

5. The Astonishing (3/10)
Tried many times to get into this record. Never could. Can't remember one single song from it.

Sorry if this was done recently, but I just didn't found it on the forum.

[wolfking]

DT12
DOT

ADTOE
AVFTTOTW



TA

[KevShmev]

01 A View from the Top of the World - this really took me a while to get into, but once I did, I have not looked back. Very consistent, and the highs are excellent.
02 Distance over Time - the first two songs being forgettable are why it is not number 1, but the rest ranges from very good to excellent.
03 A Dramatic Turn of Events - probably the best songwriting of the MM era, but it gets docked because of how dry and muddy the production is.
04 The Astonishing - I loved this a lot for years, but it is not aging well for me.  It's just too long and bloated.  It does have a lot of really good/great songs, but it's just too padded.
05 Dream Theater - good record, but I hate the drum sound, and that makes it a tough start to finish listen for me.

[Madman Shepherd]

ADTOE
DoT


AVFTTOTW



DT12


















TA

[Setlist Scotty]

AVFtTotW
d/t
s/t
ADToE
 
 
 
TA (props for the effort, but the execution wasn't there)

[Mosh]

1: Dream Theater - Easily the best of the bunch for me. I am often pretty surprised at how low it rates for a lot of fans because I really feel like the band was most in their element for this album. The songwriting is really solid, the riffs are great, and the album has a really cool cinematic atmosphere. The drums are hot but it's still the most clear drum sound that they had in the Mangini era. I really liked the more focused approach to the songs. It's a small thing, but I also liked the sparseness of the arrangements - JP didn't overdub a lot of rhythm guitar under his leads for example. That was a big improvement to me. Also just little things like the ambient/orchestral part of Illumination Theory, the instrumental overture, the first real instrumental in years. A Dramatic Turn of Events proved that the band could manage without Portnoy, DT12 proved that they were still capable of trying new things and continuing to be an exciting band. Unfortunately, that's where my excitement about the Mangini era ends.

2: A Dramatic Turn of Events - I have to say this album has held up really well over the years. I remember really enjoying it when it came out, then cooling on it quite a bit, and now I think it sits solidly in the upper middle of the discography if I were to rank everything. For a band's 11th album and after a huge change, I think that's pretty impressive. The production is definitely the thing that holds this album back the most, but everything about the writing displays what I love about Dream Theater. For what it lacks in originality, it demonstrates competency. Just a really great collection of tunes and a pretty cohesive album experience. They could bring back pretty much any of these songs live and I would really enjoy it.




3: A View From the Top of the World - Maybe it's Dream Theater, maybe it's me, but this album just doesn't grab me. I've tried to listen to it several times and on a technical level it does everything a good DT album should do but it all just sounds kinda bland. The title track is impressive and it has some moments sprinkled throughout, but I just don't feel the urge to come back to any of it. It's an album I should like, but for whatever reason doesn't connect. Again, maybe that's just my problem. One tangible thing that I can point to as a criticism though is I really don't care for a lot of the vocal writing. DT has always been an instrumentally focused group, but this album really felt like the vocals took a backseat and didn't really gel with the exciting music happening.

4: The Astonishing - This one gets a B- for effort, but that doesn't work for an over 2 hour long album. I really tried to give the album my full attention, listening to it several times without any distractions and seeing them play it all live (and in a near empty row at the venue). I know JP and JR especially were really proud of it, but somewhere along the way it feels like it fell short of living up to what they set out to do. I say B- for effort because there are a lot of moments throughout the album that feel kinda underbaked. The story is kinda generic and sometimes it feels like there was supposed to be more to it but then there isn't. The first disc has a lot of really great music on it, but the second disc really loses it. Fun moments like Three Days or the awesome jam in A New Beginning are just not there at all in the second disc. Part of me wonders if the record label just put their foot down midway through and prevented them from spending more time on the writing. Also little glitches in the recording that made it seem rushed. Finally, this isn't really a comment on the overall effort because I doubt this was ever considered seriously to begin with, but I really think not having guest vocalists to "play" the different characters like what Ayreon does was a missed opportunity. JLB did a great job with this album but having a full cast of vocalists for each character would've added a lot of color to an album that can feel pretty bland and tedious.





5: Distance Over Time - Ugh, honestly this is probably my least favorite Dream Theater album, even below When Dream and Day Unite. I know a lot of folks here love it which is great, but they really lost me with this one. Where the conciseness found on DT12 feels refreshing, here it just feels like they're churning out generic middle of the road Metal and frankly holding themselves back. Stuff like Paralyzed, just not what I want from my Dream Theater. A couple songs on there, like Room 137 or Viper King, are among my least favorite songs they've ever done. After putting a lot of thought into the lyrics and vocal parts with The Astonishing (and even DT12), the vocal parts on D/T feel really low effort. JLB is so processed and just doesn't sound very good, the lyrics range from meaningless to kinda dumb. I dunno, I don't want to sound like a hater but this felt like such a step in the wrong direction to me. I will say that I really enjoy Barstool Warrior and Pale Blue Dot, but even those songs don't feel like the band at the top of their game.

[DTwwbwMP]

1. A Dramatic Turn of Events (9/10)
2. Dream Theater (7.5/10)
3. A View From The Top Of The World (6/10)
4. Distance Over Time (5/10)
5. The Astonishing (1/10)

[JeopardousRaven]

1. ADTOE
2. AVFTTOTW
3. D/T
4. DT12
5. TA

[axeman90210]

1) D/T- My favorite Mangini era album. Barstool Warrior, At Wit's End, and Pale Blue Dot are all killer, and aren't really any duds for me.
2) ADToE- Breaking All Illusions is the best track from Mangini's tenure and possibly a top 10 DT track. Bridges in the Sky is also very strong, and Outcry is solid. There is some filler here though.
3) DT12- Not a lot of soaring highs but no real lows either, just consistently slightly above average. Behind the Veil should get more love than it does.
4) AVFTTOTW- Some solid songs (Answering the Call, Transcending Time, Awaken the Master), but the title track is far and away the least impressive of their 20+ minute epics.
5) TA- I don't dislike this album, and I applaud DT for trying something different. That said, the lyrics are cheesy and on the nose enough (Nafaryus, really?) that they're distracting even for someone who doesn't normally pay much attention to them. JLB is a standout at least.

[The Letter M]

DOT and AVFTTOTW are vying for first, while ADTOE rests comfortably in the middle. The self-titled straddled the wide gap between ADTOE and TA, which is pretty far down for me.

-Marc.

[jammindude]

1. DT
2. AVFTTOTW
3. ADTOE
4. D/T
5. TA

[Ben_Jamin]

The Astonishing
D/T
AVFTTOTW
ADTOE
DT

Honestly I think they're all pretty good. DT at the bottom doesn't mean I think it sucks or is the worst album the band has done. I also based it on the mixing and production. DT has that snare tone, which works for some songs, but I do appreciate how it adds to the atmosphere and vibe of the album. It's also a bit loud, I ended up buying the HD tracks version of it and it is the version I prefer to listen to.
ADTOE isn't too bad, the cymbals and the keyboards I feel are bit too low in the mix. I noticed it more after listening to Live at Luna Park and the other live releases.

[Zydar]

1. A Dramatic Turn Of Events (they start the MM era off great with this one, I never understood the I&W comparisons though)
2. Distance Over Time (they bounce back from TA with a very fine album, Fall Into the Light is a big favourite)
3. Dream Theater (some great songs here, but the big epic just don't work for me)
4. A View From The Top Of The World (I've tried many times, but none of the songs really click)
5. The Astonishing (my least favourite DT album ever, not just from the MM era)

[Dittomist]

1. A Dramatic Turn of Events
2. The Astonishing
3. Dream Theater
4. Distance Over Time
5. A View from the Top of the World

[Kwyjibo]

1. A Dramatic Turn Of Events
2. Distance Over Time
3. Dream Theater
4. The Astonishing
5. A View From The Top Of The World

[ariich]

Tricky one.

ADTOE is easily top, that's a 10/10 and one of my top 3 DT albums (along with SDOIT and I&W).

The rest is all sort of a mush of solid 8/10 albums with different strengths and weaknesses, where my preferences probably change depending on my mood.

DT probably has the best songwriting overall but the production is awful.

TA I actually really enjoy, it's just a lot of fun, I love the theatricality and it has so many great hooks. But it also has a lot of filler and really drags. I made myself an 80 minute abridged playlist and if I feel like putting the album on these days that's the version I go to.

DOT is solid if unremarkable. Much better sound than DT, but not as many high points in the music.

AVFTTOTW is probably my least favourite by a smidgen. Nothing bad about it and I've enjoyed it every time I've put it on, but just too vanilla. Other than Answering the Call I find it somewhat unmemorable.

[Lax]

AVFTTOTW : Very refreshing, drumming is god tier, I would just listen to the charleston's isolated track alone From Rush to chugchug, many sides of DT are pictured.
ADTOE : Super solid album, I wished for an epic on it, easily traded with the weakest tunes.
DOT : Quite a powerhouse, some incredible solos, the hammond organ is crazy and Viper king sounds like falling into infinity era on steroids !
DT12 : Enjoyable but with highs and lows, feels less risky.
TA : Once the wow effect left, I found myself listening less and less to it, until not all.

Overall, it's my feeling when thinking about albums as a whole, estimating how many songs I love vs ignore decrescendo.
If I take songs individually, I guess it's harder to classify

[Indiscipline]

1. TA and ADToE
Let's pretend I&W never made a lifelong fan of me on release, which other albums could have done the job later? SFAM, ADTOE (for the same reasons I&W did) and TA (same reasons as SFAM and then some).

3. DT
Lovely lovely album with a couple of all time gems gracing a perfectly constructed song sequence. Funny thing, to me it's the DT album getting better every year.

4. DOT
Except the personal favourite and voluptously Purplish Viper King, everything is quite likeable but nothing has stuck.

5. AVFTToTW
As above, without a Viper King. 

[nikatapi]

1. A View From The Top Of The World - The best MM album in my opinion, i really love all the songs, the great production and overall it was a pleasant surprise

2. A Dramatic Turn of Events - It was a relief when this album was released, and i still think it's a very strong one, although i'm not too happy about the drum sound.

3. The Astonishing - A bold and divisive release from the band, it could be trimmed down a bit, but i think for what it is, it's a very good album. I was impressed with James' theatrical performance, and i also think this one has some of the strongest melodies JR has written.
 
4. Distance Over Time - A return to the "core" DT sound after the divisive Astonishing. Some strong tracks (At Wit's End), but overall it was not a very exciting release for me. Also i like the fact that MM contributed both lyrically (Room 137) and musically (Paralyzed). Overall, i think this is one of the albums from DT that i consider "by the numbers"

5. Dream Theater  - I really enjoy some songs from a musical perspective (Illumination Theory, Surrender To Reason). I think this is the worst production since When Dream And Day unite, and really destroys my experience, to the point that it detracts me from the actual songs at some points. It's a shame, because there are some strong moments in this album.

[Pettor]

With DOT they finally found a solid sound and production for the new constellation. It's not perfect but they finally sound like a band that works together and produced several songs I listen to repeatadly (At Wit's End, PBD, Barstool Warrior, Sleeping Giant etc.). Most importantly Mangini isn't a problem to the sound anymore but instead adds to every song in many great ways. There's def something missing without Portnoy but they became a very solid prog metal band with these albums and I would have been fine with that.

1. A View From The Top Of The World (8/10)
2. Distance Over Time (7/10)


Maybe it's the mixing and sound production of ADTOE that pulls it down but I seldom go back to it. Breaking All Illusions is a DT classic and there's some cool efforts but songs like LNF and Outcry really lacks Portnoy to make them great. TA is a fine effort imo. Way too many ballads and the story is weak, but James is doing some damn fine vocal delivery here. Once again, I believe they lacked some Portnoy because TA really do lack balls.

3. A Dramatic Turn of Events (6/10)
4. The Astonishing (6/10)


The production just makes it a hard listen. The songwriting truly had me worried and this is the point where Portnoy leaving the band really felt like a disaster. It's just so uninspiring. Songs like Along for the Ride is too mediocre for a band like DT. Illumination Theory did sound a lot better on 4th Wall with some added dynamics, but yeah I never listen to this album. And the tour (same as 4th Wall) they had with this album is one of my favorite. Loved it.

5. Dream Theater (5/10)

[emtee]

D/T. After struggling mightily for 3 albums to find a sonic quality that breathes life and energy into their music, they finally nailed it. Exceptional production and great songs minus 2.

View. Nailed it again! Fantastic sound that adds a monumental dimension to the songs.

ADToE. Great songs. Very lifeless and muted sound. Especially the drums-which, at the time, I actually pondered whether this was a conscious decision by the band to remove the status of 'drummer frontman' who was always front and center in the mix. Obviously I was wrong but I could never figure out why the production for the final product was signed off by everyone.

DT. Terrible drum sound again. Some good songs but I never revisit it. Ironically, of all the albums they created, minus TA, this one feels less like it should be a self titled album.

TA. Huge props for the effort but it just doesn't work for me. Every few months I try to spin it again but I just can't ever make it. My least favorite DT album by a long ways.

[WilliamMunny]

I'll agree with the general sentiment here that, when it comes to DT, 'best' and 'worst' are largely relative, as I don't feel there is a tremendous gap in their quality and I generally enjoy the entire catalog.

As for my ranking...(disclaimer:

1: A Dramatic Turn of Events – A purposeful statement on the band’s part—one intended to both reassure and rejuvenate a fanbase struggling to come to terms with the departure of Mike Portnoy. With that in mind, 2011’s ‘Dramatic Turn of Events’ is a success on all fronts. Setting aside the muffled production (something that bothers me far less than most fans), Dream Theater’s eleventh release is a diverse collection that features some of the band’s strongest songwriting to date.

2: A View From the Top of the World – If you’d never heard a single note of Dream Theater’s music, AVFTTOTW would make for a perfect introduction, a point that sums up my primary issue with the release. Dream Theater’s fifteenth album is, without a doubt, a fun listen, but there’s little here that the band hasn’t done before. Still, it sounds fantastic and is a freaking great '15th' album! Also, the excellent title track gives this a slight edge over its predecessor.

3: Distance Over Time – In many ways, Distance Over Time channels the prog-tinged metal vibe that defined the band’s 1994 release, Awake, albeit with all the benefits of modern production. From the crystal-clear, balanced mix to the ‘live on the floor’ energy seeping from the individual performances, this album is in contention for the band’s best ‘sounding’ release to feature Mike Mangini.

4: Dream Theater – While this record is Dream Theater’s second-highest charting album and earned the band a Grammy nomination, it is unfortunately marred by some head-scratching production choices (that snare!) and a mix that leaves little to be desired. That’s not to say there aren’t good songs here, because there are, but I would be hard-pressed to make an argument for any of the nine tracks here belonging in a Dream Theater ‘top 10’ list.

5: The Astonishing – No surprise here, as I've been pretty vocal about my frustrations with this one over the years. I 'want' to like it so much more than I do, and God knows I've put the hours into said attempt. While Dream Theater’s second foray into ‘concept album’ territory gets an ‘A’ for effort, in my book, The Astonishing remains a glaring late-career misstep. On paper, a high-concept musical set in a dystopian future sounds pretty awesome (I mean, it worked for Rush), but in practice, the album instantly divided the band’s fanbase.

That’s not to say there isn’t a lot to love about “The Astonishing”—the sheer ambition of this John Petrucci-led project warrants a certain level of respect and admiration. Still, given the derivative nature of the story and pacing issues, this is one of the few Dream Theater releases I have little interest in revisiting. That said, there’s a fantastic single disc (or maybe an E.P.) of material here, provided you are willing to sift through the rest to find it.

[Trav86]

A Dramatic Turn of Events

Easily the best, that for me has top notch songs beginning to end. A perfect blend of their melodic, progressive and heavy sides. This one sounds like they put a lot of effort into crafting it and it’s a top 5 or 6 album for me.

Dream Theater

This is one that has gone up for me over the years. I think they did a good job of incorporating their sound into shorter songs. I don’t think there is a bad song here, it’s solid all of the way through.

Distance Over Time

I think this was their time to shine and recover from TA and they probably should’ve put a little more work into. It has a few great songs, but more songs that I don’t really like.  It’s okay.

A View from the Top of the World

This one hasn’t aged as well for me. No “bad” songs but nothing that grabs me. Maybe the first time that JP’s playing just wasn’t inspiring to me. The Alien is pretty good but other than that it’s mindless riffs and forgettable solos. James delivers with the lyrics, as usual. Myung’s lyrics are poetic and catchy, but no clue what he’s talking about, as usual. And JP keeps churning out the same bland motivational seminar lyrics that he has for awhile. I’m really hoping DT16 is a step up.

The Astonishing
There are a lot of good moments, but it’s such a chore to sit and listen to it. I wish I liked it more.

[Stadler]

1 Distance Over Time
2 A View...
3 A Dramatic Turn
4 DT12
5 The Astonishing

[krands85]

1. A Dramatic Turn of Events

2. Distance Over Time/A View from the Top of the World
4. The Astonishing

5. Dream Theater

[Mladen]

1. A Dramatic turn of events
2. The Astonishing
3. Dream Theater
4. Distance over time
5. A View from the top of the world

The ones at the top are magnificent. It was a good era as a whole, though. Even the ones at the bottom are solid.

[Awaken]

1 A Dramatic Turn of Events
2 A View From The Top of The World
3 Distance Over Time
4 DT12
5 The Astonishing

[hefdaddy42]

1 A Dramatic Turn of Events
2 A View From The Top of The World
3 Dream Theater
4 Distance Over Time
5 The Astonishing

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

D/T
View
ADTOE
DT12
TA

[MirrorMask]

A Dramatic Turn of Events
The Astonishing
Dream Theater
A View from the Top of the World
Distance Over Time

[The Great Ape]

1. Distance Over Time: This album perfectly balanced the band's progressive roots with more concise songwriting. It's a compelling mix of heavy tracks like "Untethered Angel" and more melodic pieces like "Out of Reach." The instrumental proficiency and the diverse song structures make it a standout. As a lawyer, I feel like I often spend time reconciling the past to the realities of the future, and that's exactly what Dream Theater did here.

2. A View from the Top of the World: This album demonstrates the band's technical excellence and compositional diversity. From the epic "The Alien" to the poignant "Invisible Monster," it showcases Dream Theater's ability to blend complex musicality with emotive storytelling. I relate to that when I'm at the prosecutor's bench, speaking to the jury. How do I make my legal case but also frame the story in a way the jury will understand?

3. Dream Theater: This was the band's second album with Mark Mangini and revealed his integration within the band's sound. Tracks like "The Enemy Inside" and "The Looking Glass" exhibit his drumming finesse, while the album as a whole demonstrates the band's ability to maintain their signature style while exploring new territories.

4. The Astonishing: Known for its ambitious concept, this double album is a progressive rock opera that unfolds a complex narrative across diverse musical landscapes. Though divisive due to its sheer scale and divergence from their usual style, it's an epic showcase of Dream Theater's storytelling and songwriting abilities. Since law school, I've been interested in the U.S. Constitution and the stories of the American Revolution, and this album really took be back to that.

5. A Dramatic Turn of Events: This album captured the band's energy and skill in the studio. It's a testament to their performance capabilities and highlights Mangini's exceptional drumming skills.

Each of these albums displays Dream Theater's commitment to pushing musical boundaries while showcasing the incredible talent and cohesion within the band, especially with Mangini's contributions as their drummer.

[pg1067]

1. DT12
2. ADTOE

3. DOT
4. View








5. TA

[Dream Team]

A Dramatic Turn of Events
The Astonishing
Dream Theater
A View from the Top of the World
Distance Over Time

Same here. The Astonishing is such a unique and different album with some incredible highs but lots of boring sections so that it rates anywhere from 1 to 3 for me. Distance Over Time has great production and some killer songs but also features some of their worst (UA, P, 137) which is why it drops to 5th. 5th place here is still higher than several MP-era albums though.

[bosk1]

ADTOE is easily top, that's a 10/10 and one of my top 3 DT albums (along with SDOIT and I&W).

The rest is all sort of a mush of solid 8/10 albums with different strengths and weaknesses, where my preferences probably change depending on my mood.

Wow, other than substituting SFAM for I&W, this perfectly describes me. 

Yeah, hard to rank them.  But as of right now:

1.  ADTOE:  This album really hit on all fronts for me.  Even the ballads, which are usually among my least favorite when it comes to DT, were top notch.  That's why this album is my #3 all time.
2.  DT:  ...and this one comes in at #4 all time.  Again, the consistency is off the charts. 
3.  AVFTTOTW:  Maybe it's still recency bias, but this one just edges out d/t for me right now.  Sleeping Giant and Answering the Call are amazing.  And after those two favorites, the album is just a collection of consistently good stuff.
4.  d/t:  Just the tiniest of steps below View for me. 
5.  The Astonishing:  As I've said before, there is some stuff in Act 2 that takes me out of the moment, which bugs me a bit and distracts from my enjoyment of the overall piece.  And the length does make it hard to take the whole thing in, as it was meant to be enjoyed.  But that said, I try to take it for what it is rather than what I wish it was, and I still love it.  It may be my least favorite of the five, but I am SO glad to have it in the discography, and SO glad to have seen it live twice. 

[Buddyhunter1]

DT12
DOT
AVFTTOTW
ADTOE
TA