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Topic ClosedMy review of DT's Systematic Chaos.... UNRELEASED

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The T View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: My review of DT's Systematic Chaos.... UNRELEASED
    Posted: February 16 2007 at 00:59
Finally, DT's new album, Systematic Chaos, has arrived. A lot of people were wondering how would the album sound like now that they have signed with RoadRunner Records. Many were afraid the band would have to adapt to their new label and maybe have to make concesions.
 
The result: don't be afraid. This is the same DT that we have always known and loved (or hate, for that matter). With only one difference: even better!
 
Yes, DT have managed to release a much better album than Octavarium. Many fans accused DT of being plagiarists in that release, copying riffs and melodies from other bands' songs. I just can say, they won't be able to complain with SC. All songs are 100% original, pure DT prog-metal-fest. If there are still people that accuse the band of plagiarism, they better check their dictionaries, for they could be mistaking that word with "inspiration" .
 
About the music, it's a mixture of I&W and TOT, with lots of prog metal elements and lots of plain heavy-metal ones. There are a few moments when the band keeps it quiet and mellow, other moments when the band is at full-speed showcasing their abilities to play incredibly difficult rhythms. I can say it's a balanced album.
 
The songs:
 
song1 - A great song, I love Petrucci's performance. It grows with time.
 
song2 - My least favorite, because it's not as original as the rest of the lot. But good nevertheless.
 
song3- The best song in the album. The instrumental part just blows me away. Well done fellas!
 
song4 - Another successful song. LaBrie's is so good when he sings like this. Myung's bass lines are worth of mention.
 
song5 - I like this one a lot but not like the preceding one. It lack punch with me.
 
song6 the epic - fantastic, the best song in years, better than octavarium for me. Portnoy surpasses himself and Petrucci's solo is so spectacular.. Melody mixed with power, a magnificent way to end the album.
 
All in all, a great record, one I would recommend every DT fan to get as soon as it's released! You won't be dissapointed.
 
 
 
 
Now, of course I HAVEN't heard a note of DT's next album. The point I'm trying to illustrate is that when we allow reviews for albums that just haven't been released yet, there's a strong chance that stupid, inmature fans that either love a band to death or hate it with all their might, will write reviews without having heard a note from the album, just to get it to have a high or low score in the overall rating and to try to "amaze" everybody by being the firsts to have "discovered the album with their incredible research-skills".... That's even more likely to happen with famous bands like DT that are either hated or loved. I've read a lot of "early" reviews for recently released album that are just like the one I wrote above: full of generalities that careless people (like all of us because, really, we shouldn't  be looking for such a toddler-like behavior) will not doubt come from a person that has actually LISTENED to the album. Just copy the name from the songs from the list, check their respective lenghts and say the epic has a solo and the shortest one is not so good.
 
I really suggest the admin.  to try to stop reviews for unreleased albums. Not only because of the possibility of what I described above happening, but also because maybe many of those reviews come from people who listened to the album ILEGALLY. That's my suggestion. Big%20smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 04:27
We'll be watchingWink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 04:37
Edited: What made me angry about this thread is that "fan/hateboyism" is thrown together with the issue of "premature" reviews. Those are separate matters, and not every premature review is abusive. Of course if people are listening to leaked copies which turn out to be fake (like back when Octavarium was announced people uploaded the LaBrie solo album) ... Wink

Edited by MikeEnRegalia - February 16 2007 at 05:04
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 04:44
He (The T) isn't a DT-hater, Mike. In fact, he's a great fan of DT

For the topic : so if there were any review that submited before the release of a particular album, what would the admin do ? Would the review be suspended, or perhaps deleted ?

Edited by kazansky - February 16 2007 at 04:50
The devil we blame our atrocities on is really just each one of us.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 04:56
Indeed, The T is one of the band's biggest advocates here...Confused
 
I think he makes very valid points and agree with every word. I will suggest that if this album is added before the day of release, delete it. The Octavarium issue went exactly like this observation- people reviewing the album, over-praising it/hating DT, without even hearing it. In my experience here, it's this band which seems to polarise prog fans more than any other, though Mars Volta and Tool come close.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 04:57
and don't forget POS' Scarsick
The devil we blame our atrocities on is really just each one of us.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 04:58
The album should be added as soon as all information about it is known (name, cover art, track list) ... but reviews should only be permitted as soon as it's released.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 05:00
Originally posted by kazansky kazansky wrote:

He (The T) isn't a DT-hater, Mike. In fact, he's a great fan of DT


Indeed he is ... I stand corrected. However he does bash the "early reviewers" ... they're not automatically fan/hateboys, and that made me a little bit angry.Embarrassed


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 05:07
I'm enjoying the future review critique from the same man that wrote the one about Kayo Dot. ;P
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 11:43
We recall all to well the pantomime when "Octovarium" was announced. If I remember correctly, some people reviewed a hoax leak. The album will undoubtedly be added as soon as the official details are announced. We'll deal with reviews question as and when it arises.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 12:16
Originally posted by MikeEnRegalia MikeEnRegalia wrote:

Originally posted by kazansky kazansky wrote:

He (The T) isn't a DT-hater, Mike. In fact, he's a great fan of DT


Indeed he is ... I stand corrected. However he does bash the "early reviewers" ... they're not automatically fan/hateboys, and that made me a little bit angry.Embarrassed


 
Oh, yeah, sorryEmbarrassed, maybe wasn't 100% clear. I'm not talking about EVERY early review, but to eliminate that problem, reviews should only be added once the album is released. Sure we can wait a few weeks. Most collaborators indeed review albums a week in advance at the most as I have seen...
 
Listen pleaseTongue, other sites may be "less prog-legitimate" because they add bands that we in PA don't bel;ieve they are prog...OK....but in most of those sites albums are reviewed only when they are released, so they have an edge in that: I don't know how to put it... the thing is, I writer this because I really love the Archives and the legitimacy and credibility of this great site doesn't only depend on us not adding non-prog bands, but also on us not tolerating reviews that are clearly written without the reviewer having heard the album or by reviewers that did so illegally. Let's raise the standards in every way... that's my suggestion.
 
Also, DT is my favorite band. But as I said, this same thing could be said in the negative (a negative review) or about other bands.... just think in Marillion, a band many people who don't like DT may like.... that band is popular, too, and we could face the same problem. The same with Tool, Volta, Timberlake...wait, not with him... but with all the others...Big%20smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 12:21
Originally posted by laplace laplace wrote:

I'm enjoying the future review critique from the same man that wrote the one about Kayo Dot. ;P
 
????
 
Again, I always have a problem deciding whether your posts are ironic or not...Confused... if it's not, just let me clarify to you (for the 11200time, CryCryCryCry), that it doesn't apply here: read the review: maybe you don't agree with a single word, maybe you think it's atrocious, but you CAN'T say I haven't heard the album...thoroughly.....
 
One of these days a sniper will take my life... he will be paid by Kayo Dot's fans...CryCryCryCry
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 23:09
^^^

To quote your signature but distort it to make it more accurate...

You may be dead-wrong in everything you say (about Kayo Dot), but I will defend your RIGHT TO SAY IT (although I will secretly hate you forever).

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 23:38
Originally posted by inpraiseoffolly inpraiseoffolly wrote:

^^^

To quote your signature but distort it to make it more accurate...

You may be dead-wrong in everything you say (about Kayo Dot), but I will defend your RIGHT TO SAY IT (although I will secretly hate you forever).

 
CryCryI promise next time I won't touch KAyo Dot's new release...and if I do, I promise I'll name it album of the millenium.... just stop the hitmen...Cry
 
Big%20smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 23:44
^^^

It's too late for that... you just mispelled Kayo Dot as KAyo Dot...

you're never getting off my hit list now...

muahahaha...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 23:50
Well.... when I'm gone... you will have created a MARTYR. KAyo Dot's fans will turn on the band and realize the afwulness of the music because of my great shadow looming all over the prog realm...Evil%20Smile. so beware..... I'm less harmful while alive... Big%20smile 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 23:51
I didn't like Dowsing Anemone either... that doesn't necessarily mean I won't some day but, as of now, I think it's a slow piece of avant noise.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 16 2007 at 23:58
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

I didn't like Dowsing Anemone either... that doesn't necessarily mean I won't some day but, as of now, I think it's a slow piece of avant noise.
 
Clap
 
Well, now please if we can go back on topic.... Big%20smile
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 19 2007 at 16:35
What I don't want to see is albums being reviewed from leaks before release.  I think it's unfair to the people who are waiting to buy the albums when they are released.  It can potentially spoil the anticipation.  I know the I'm really looking forward to the new DT album and the new Porcupine Tree album, and there is already talk about two songs being leaked from the later.  I don't want to know anything about what it sounds like until it is released and I listen to it.  And sometimes it is hard to avoid those conversations.

As an example, Pain of Salvation's Scarsick was released early (I don't personally listen to them, but I monitored the conversation because I was curious).  The first things I saw about it was that the song samples were not very good, then that the album was very disappointing.  And I'm sure that turned off many PoS fans to the idea of buying Scarsick.

Now I'm not saying that the new PT or DT albums will be disappointing (I don't think they will be), but I think that reviews and conversations based off of leaks can influence people's opinions about albums before they are officially released.  I don't want this to happen. 

My point is, I think reviews should be allowed starting the day of an album's release and at no point prior to that time.     
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