Dream Theater's BC&SL Discussion
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58989
Printed Date: February 21 2025 at 05:34
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Dream Theater's BC&SL Discussion
Posted By: rpe9p
Subject: Dream Theater's BC&SL Discussion
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 20:30
|
So the album came out today and it was a release that I know many on this site were anticipating. I want to reserve judgment until I give it more listens, but my first impression was that it was an obvious improvement from SC (which I thought was terrible) and despite my not being a huge fan of their heavier direction, I though a lot of the album was very solid. I was surprised after hearing so much about the count of tuscany, my favorite song initially is the best of times |
Replies:
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 20:55
|
0/5 not enough Magma.
------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 23 2009 at 21:02
| My first listen went really badly, but I haven't gotten all the way through the album yet. I guess it's better than Systematic...but that's all I can say about it. I think at this point it's a "it's not you DT, it's me" problem as well. |
Posted By: rpe9p
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 06:38
| Listen to the whole album, the first 2 songs are the worst and the last 2 are the best. It left me with a good feeling about the album because the best came at the end. |
Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 09:25
|
I'm on my second listen at the moment, and my first impression is that it's pretty good. LaBrie's voice sounds surprisingly good though the lyrics are a little weak at times. The music as some great moments. I actually got that tingly feeling at two different points on the album. The 'beautiful agony' part of "A Nightmare to Remember" and "The Count of Tuscany". So far, I'd put this in the league of "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" and "Scenes from a Memory", not quite as good as the Kevin Moore era but at the top of the Rudess era. Unrelated, "Falling Into Infinity" is really growing on me. So much so that I picked up Molecular Heinosity on e-music and wow, it's really good. ------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 09:35
 Falling into Infinity is one hell of a album, my fave by them, though I admit I'm not really a DT fan. It's much lighter than your average DT album, yet it's awesome. Would like to talk it about more, but I'm changing the topic of this thread, so... |
Roland113 wrote:Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 09:40
|
I swore to myself after Systematic Chaos that I'll never again buy another DT album before hearing it first. Well, I listened it once from Spotify on monday and on tuesday I ran to the store to buy the 3CD version. I've listened to it about five or six times now (once instrumentally) and I'll say that it's their best since Six Degrees hands down. May end up being the best Rudess era album when given more time. So yes, I'm impressed. ------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA! 
|
Posted By: rpe9p
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 09:42
Yeah, that part of A Nightmare to Remember is really good, unfortunately it quickly gets much worse ("DAY AFTER DAY AND NIGHT AFTER NIGHT"). The lyrics are pretty bad throughout, I got the feeling they just didnt really care about the lyrics. Also, I agree FII has some great songs, people just tend to look at the couple bad ones and criticize it.
|
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 10:01
|
My verdict after three listens: Much light, but also much "shade". There are some really nice parts which I thoroughly enjoy listening to, but also some parts that are IMO near "cringeworthy". There are two things which annoy me the most: 1. Portnoy's "growling". It almost never makes sense musically/dramatically, and it's poorly implemented. I think that growling takes a lot of practice in order to do it convincingly, and most of the time his vocals just seem like some annoyed visitor in the studio was yelling something into the mic.  2. Most of the great moments are actually re-hashes of stuff they did before. Ok, in The Shattered Fortress that's the point of the piece (and it's actually my favorite track of the album), but it's happening in many of the other tracks, too. Of course it has to happen to a certain degree as long as they stay true to their overall style, but on this album it's happening much to frequently and "bluntly". ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 10:50
Thanks Pablo, if you liked Falling Into Infinity, I'd give something by Derek a try. As I mentioned earlier, Molecular Heinosity is really good, I'm going to pick up a few more of his CD's when my e-music subscription renews next month. ------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 10:55
Yeah I'm really planning to get something rom Planet X or Platypus which seem to have better ratings. |
Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 10:56
Ok, you got me  , when I say 'the lyrics are a little weak at times', what I really mean is "holy heck, I can't believe that they really used 'take me for a drive, let's go for a ride, in the country side, Once I knew a guy named Clyde' or something like that. I can appreciate that John Petrucci had an odd experience in Europe, but have someone craft something a little more mature. Yeah, I kind of get the feeling that lyrics were an afterthought at times, which is sad, cause LaBrie's voice is better than I've heard it for a while and some of the harmonies are actually nice.------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 10:58
It's actually Kevin Moore, the problem is that no one actually recognized him at first...he was like bald and overweight or something like that.------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 10:59
I prefer Platypus because of Ty Tabor and I think that their 2 albums are awesome, but I think that you might prefer Planet X which is entirely instrumental and features Sherinian's playing. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 11:30
Agree 100% with both of these. The Shattered Fortress is too much of a rehash IMO. There's "referencing" earlier parts of AA suite, and then there's just recycling. I think the latter is occurring, and I was as annoyed as you, probably more. |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 11:31
|
I've only heard it once thus far... a few points:
- Portnoy's growling is terrible. He sounds like he just wants to use the bathroom, not like he's actually growling.
- A Rite of Passage is really "variations on a theme called "home"".
- Musically, it's very good. Tuscanny is masterpiece-material and Best of Times is also great.
- The first song is a few minutes too long.
- There's a kind of return to the choruses and melodic style of SFAM which is not a bad thing.
Overall, it should grow with time. Right now, is still only 4 star material. let's give it time. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Diaby
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 11:32
|
I like it so far. Not an Octavarium or SDoIT, but much better than SC. There are 3 unnecessarily fast solos and some weak compositional skills. (+ the first verse of ARoP...), but apart from these problems there is nothing to bash.
------------- yeah |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 13:03
|
Well, admittedly I went into it with low expectations, but I'm going to have to say this is the worst DT album. Here are my thoughts:
A Nightmare to Remember has hilariously bad sound samples of a car crash. The heavy parts are pretty average and the transitions aren't smooth and fluent like they always have been. The clean section is pretty alright. LaBrie's vocals don't really go with a lot of stuff in this track, though, and Portnoy's vocals are really poor. I got another laugh during that part at the end when he "growls" that "Day after day" part. And then a blast beat? That didn't sound great, just came off as a lame attempt at expanding their palette and getting with the music of today.
A Rite of Passage has some OK stuff, a couple good riffs/solos but overall nothing really great. I had a really tough time getting through this one despite not being very long just because it was so average.
Wither was not too bad, maybe a tad better than "The Answer Lies Within" as far as a shorter ballad goes, but I'm not a big fan of their ballads anyhow so I wasn't into it.
The Best of Times started out promising with that nice guitar melody and such, but then it quickly turned into Dream Theater reinvents Spirit of the Radio and then went into the next laughable moment on the album: the chorus. It just sounded sooo...bad. I mean, I can appreciate what they're trying to do, as Mike wrote this for his dad, but still, musically it fails much like "Take Away My Pain" did. The guitar solo at the end, however, was fantastic
The Shattered Fortress opens with a boring metal riff and then proceeds to rehash all kinds of riffs from the old AA suite pieces and has possibly the worst ending the suite could have. The idea might not have been awful, but the execution certainly was. This piece might work if listened to with the rest of the suite, but holds no weight as a stand-alone.
The Count of Tuscany has some really good instrumental stuff going on there. The ambient mid-section was pretty good, but it definitely has nothing on "Trial of Tears."
And ultimately, that's one of this albums biggest problems. They're trying to do things they've already done, and they're not hitting anywhere near the heights of those old days. The lyrics may be an improvement over Systematic Chaos' but that still says nothing. It sounds like the band is losing inspiration. These songs just don't sound genuine and impassioned. Sure, they are competantly written and performed, but they are missing the soul of the older albums. It's approaching vacuousness.
I'll end my rant there. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph  
|
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 13:11
Important caveat: I have yet to even finish the album, and I'll try to listen to it a couple more times. But this post encapsulates my feelings about the album right now, and does so pretty much perfectly, especially in the conclusion; I think I found myself thinking almost the same words this morning thinking about the album. |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 13:20
|
I'm about halfway through "The Count Of Tuscany" on my initial listen and not sure if it's my favorite. Overall, I like the disc, but need to spin it more. E ------------- 
|
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 13:35
|
The hype over BC&SL is beyond belief. I don't see it as being a good release. I did give it 3.5 stars in my review. Octavarium was a much better release. ------------- 
|
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 14:25
yet you have contributed to it by posting several times in every single thread about the album, my good StyLaZyn...  -------------
|
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 14:31
|
best album since Six Degrees fight me I dare you ------------- 
|
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 14:45
|
Right now I find it very good, not DT's best, but good. I'll need to listen to it a few more times before I can write a review. I need to give it a fair amount of time to grow on me.
------------- 
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 14:49
DT is probably the most popular modern day prog band, so yes there will be a few topics about them.  About Octavarium, I certainly agree it's much better in my review i gave it 5 stars. http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=179319 - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=179319 -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: metalrob4662
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 14:56
 I'm enjoying the entire album..now it's no "Image & Words" or "Awake", but a very good album , I like it better than the last one.
|
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 15:00
By god...you are right! Oh the folly! Actually, I just like to beat up on DT. They're w**kers. -------------
|
Posted By: TheCaptain
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 15:10
|
After first listen I was pretty ho hum about the first 4 tracks. The Best of Times was pretty good and The County of Tuscany was excellent. Easily one of my favorite DT songs and that's just on first listen. A Right of Passage reminds me a lot of the single from Systematic Chaos (which I detested and haven't listened to more than once).
------------- Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal. |
Posted By: Dalezilla
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 15:11
I was going to say the exact same thing. |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 15:17
There, now it's a Haiku As for the album itself, I haven't heard it. Honestly I've just lost confidence in DT as a result of the last few albums, and while I've heard good things about BC&SL, I'm not really convinced why I should pick up an album that's "probably good" when there are still so many albums I need to get that are "definate masterpieces." Maybe if I get it as a gift or if someone gets me a gift certificate that's only valid when used to purchase Dream Theater albums made in the last 12 months. I'm sure I wouldn't hate the album, I just can't justify spending money on it at this point. |
Posted By: Foxtrottresspass
Date Posted: June 24 2009 at 17:44
|
First impressions...I like it! Even though it doesn’t really stretch the horizon, it is more complete than some of Europe’s leading prog bands latest efforts. I am not left wanting for more, other than the deeper lyrics they used to write. The cover songs add to the volume and completeness of the package. Haven’t made it to the instrumental CD yet, but the instrumentation gets more attention on this CD, so I am sure it will be good. A Nightmare to Remember reminds me so much of the instrumentation on Kansas – Leftoverture, especially Release the Beavers/Gnat Attack, with lyrics that remind me of the car crash from Human Equation. Rite of Passage – Possibly designed to take advantage of the hoopla over the Da Vinci Code and it’s follow up Angles and Demons. Very good music, but the lyrics don’t inspire further investigation. Wither – One of the best lyrical songs on the album. The lyrics match the music almost perfectly. Sounds like this one might belong well on Awake – the kind of thing I really like. Good song development and the instrumentation really stand out. La Brie’s voice really stands out like it should and used to. The Shattered Fortress – The music is very good, but the lyrics and screaming do nothing for me anymore. The screaming was cool when I first heard them 10 or 15 years ago. Now it sounds like a plea for us to keep listening. The Best of Times – Starts out like Images and Words – beautiful piano. “Those summer days and West Coast dreams” “The record shops” – you know I like those lines! Wonderful tribute to Mike’s father. Lots of emotion and one of the most powerful songs on the album IMHO. The Count of Tuscany – Great music, but the story leaves me flat. The Queen covers really stand out along with Zebra’s. Really respect them for trying Lark’s Tongue. That one must be very difficult to play.
Maybe the lack of strong lyrics was another reason they did the instrumental CD. These guys are still some of NY’s finest studio musicians, but as a creative force with innovation I’m not sure any more.
A friend once said to me in the 90s that “someday they’ll make a great cover band”, just to irritate me, since she knew I was a fan. Instead I just laughed, cause they were at the top of their game. I’m not laughing any more. ------------- "I hope that all those that are dear to me, know of all that wasn't clear to me.....one day! Unitopia 
|
Posted By: TheLastBaron
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 00:50
|
This is my second time listening to it and i enjoy it. Its not perfect but it has its moments and there are a few things I would like to commment on in regard to this album and the band. First off I did not have huge expectations. When it comes to music by bands that I like I tend to not build up hopes for futures releases for several reasons.
1. No current album will never be as good as your favorite album by that band. My favorite DT albums are Awake, Images and Words and Scenes from Memory. The first two are great IMO because at that time DT was just getting started. They were a fresh young bunch out of music school with new ideas, passion, focus, a different record label and different members. Now I like Jordan Rudess but Kevin Moore is my prefered keyboardist.
2. Its the 10th album. Think of any band that you like. Comparing there latest work to thier earliest efforts isn't one hundred percent logical. Bands change, thier styles, influences, sound and direction inevitably will change and its not always for the worst. And how many bands that have started in the last 20 years are still around?
I enjoy the edge on this album. I'm a metal fan so I don't mind the heavier direction. The album still has great prog trademarks. The keyboards build a nice atmosphere that adds to the guitar and the tempos and time signatures change. Count of Tuscany and The Best of Times have some rush and floyd influences and thats cool IMO.
Also keep the following in mind
1.Theres a lot of worse music out there and no genre, even our mighty prog is 100% gold. Every genre has its ups and downs. Don't get all mad if this a down in your mind, it happens to every band and every genre
2. There are plenty of other good prog bands old and new. DT has a solid body of work, some misses but overall they've built a huge fanbase because they've worked there asses off for a long time and have created a unique sound. Yet so have numerous other prog bands, give others a listen. ------------- " Men are not prisoners of fate, but prisoners of their own minds." - FDR |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 01:30
|
I absolutely love it. My 3rd favorite DT album, behind SFAM and 6D. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 05:04
|
This album was everything I expected it to be. It's Dream Theater doing "business as usual", uninspired and just a record that seems like it was made just to fulfill their record label contract. And who can blame them for not taking a risk? They are like many people who have families to feed. But I guess even so, it'd be cooler if their families were starving and the records kicked ass lol. Yeah, it has some decent guitar solos, but so has every Dream Theater record thus so far. Sorry, but I don't sit through entire songs that suck to listen to a few good solos. Yeah, the playing is competent, perhaps some of the compositions are too, but they've done it before. I don't necessarily agree with this statement, but I would imagine some people would agree with this bit of text taken from some dude's post at Ultimatemetal.com "its a lot better than systematic chaos but im pretty sure if they sat around a room and recorded random conversations it would be better too" Lol. Ah well folks, if I must be honest, do I really care a busting lot that it sucks? Nah, not really, because there is a crap ton of other metal bands out there continuing to put out inspired sounding records. Dream Theater can join Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and countless other metal bands in the "tired" camp. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 05:45
|
^ as I said a number of times before: Maybe a band should not be bashed for sounding tired on their 10th record. Maybe they should ... but in any case it's not fair to expect it to sound like they were 20 years old. Imagine how Between the Buried and Me will sound on their 10th record (or after their 25th anniversary). Of course that does not make the album any better for you, I'm aware of that. You're also free to say that it sucks (especially compared to the old ones) ... we just differ in that you seem to hold a grudge against them for not living up to your expectations of what they *could* achieve, while I am content with what they managed to achieve. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 07:16
I wouldn't say tired. I'd say they stopped caring about what they write. It's cut and paste DT. No breakthroughs, nothing really new. But worst of all, nothing memorable. -------------
|
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 09:24
|
^ now I would object to "nothing memorable" ... in fact, they managed to write quite a few catchy melodies.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 09:32
|
I gave it 5 listens yesterday (yes, 5 I'm not kidding), and it certainly grew on me. At first I thought it was okay, but now I find it incredible. Definitely better than Systematic Chaos and in my top 3 or 4 DT albums. This is what the list probably looks like. 1. Scenes From A Memory 2. Octavarium 3. BC&SL or Images and Words (whichever I've listened to last) -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 09:48
| Heard it once, and it was better than expected. Most of the songs had something I particularly disliked or liked, I can remember a couple of the melodies, which isn't too bad. I mean, it's not Gabrielodic, but it wasn't a bad album. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 11:31
I would hope that BTBAM and the other leading bands today go out with dignity. When they run out of ideas is when they would quit. And since they're not nearly as popular as DT, they probably won't even have the money aspect to consider. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 11:33
|
Age brings the wisdom to accept that people are not young forever -------------
|
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 11:48
Well, that's fine, but then, why bother listening to Dream Theater? There are plenty of new artists out there doing things that are more innovative and creative than what they're doing. Why should we spend our money on the death rattle of a passing giant? Like I said before, I'm sure there are plenty of enjoyable moments on BC&SL, but I think most people on this site have yet to acquire a lot of the excellent prog listed here, so why put that off to pick up this album? |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 12:05
Good point. I mean, sure pick up the new DT if you are a fan, but it is not a release to hear anything new. There are some newer bands out there doing some great new things with Prog. -------------
|
Posted By: Kashmir75
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 22:39
|
Got BCASL yesterday. I guess I still need to listen to it a few more times before I 'get it'. I definitely know I need to hear it again before I make up my mind. That's a good sign, isn't it? It already sounds to my ears to be an improvement on Systematic Chaos.
I didn't get Opeth's Watershed on my first few listens. Now its one of my favourite albums ever. That's the thing with prog and prog metal I guess. You don't always feel the music on your first few listens. ------------- Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while... |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 22:42
You're content with "what they managed to achieve"? It sounds like the record achieved/will achieve 2 things: Feed their families Fulfilled the record label contract It's like the band has a workman-like approach to music now. Instead of "let's just see what comes out!" it's more "let's use this formulaic idea here". And listening to the AA suite song shows that. Apart from a good guitar solo, the rest of the song is simply "Let's use past formulas and apply them in this track". I really don't think that's a good way to write music at all. The best records I've heard in recent years, and perhaps all the best records I've heard really scream "Let's get in there and just f**king do it!" and just letting loose and letting the creativity flow, rather than just merely following set patterns/formulas that is highly evident in pretty much this whole new DT album. I have to say, that is not quite enough to make me content with a record. -------------
|
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 25 2009 at 22:47
|
And as was said above, why have not bad, or okay, when you can have amazing? I've heard the album twice through, and frankly, I'm not going to give it anymore time. I've heard plenty of records this year that sound genuine and are simply bursting with true passion and inspiration. Those are the records I devote my time too. -------------
|
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 03:09
|
I think it's not just an "okay" album ... so far I've listened to it 5 times, which I wouldn't enjoy if I didn't really like it. I guess it's just not for you. Maybe it's also because I'm a fan. I have been a fan for more than 15 years, and I'm not going to dismiss them just because their 10th album isn't as good as their best ones. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 03:33
|
^Dream Theater changed my life and helped shape how I view music both as a player and a listener. I'm a fan. But shoot, a weak album is a weak album. I'm still going to love most of their other records as I always have and I'm not dismissing them on the whole. Neither is he. We're just dismissing what they've been up to recently. So anyway, I think it has nothing to do you being a fan. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 04:06
|
^Agreed entirely. Seriously, hearing Images and Words, and Awake totally changed me. Fair enough, I'm not even old enough to have liked them for 15 years (gotta remember Mike, I was 5 years old 15 years ago, I didn't even know what heavy metal was at that age), but just because I don't like this new album one iota does not make me a fan of the band and what the band has done in the past. I saw Dream Theater Live last year, despite not being overly impressed with Systematic Chaos. I even bought some merchandise, the tour t shirt on top of what was already quite an expensive ticket for the gig, so I'm hardly a Dream Theater hater. Images and Words and Awake will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart, I can guarantee that. If I live to 110 years old (which I doubt I will lol) I would still listen to those 2 albums. SFAM isn't as good as their best ones, yet I don't dismiss it. Same goes for ToT and FII. I dismiss BC&SL because to me, it sounds like the band made the album for some dollars, a bigger fan base and to ensure the record label keeps them. I want to hear genuine music, something that truly sounds real. I just don't feel that on the new album, sorry. -------------
|
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 05:42
We just differ in how weak we think this album is. I rated it well above 8.5/10 at PF ... the rating may change on further listens, but I doubt it will go below 8.0. I guess that you would rate the album significantly lower ... ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: E-Dub
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 06:34
|
I'm going to listen to it again today, but my initial thoughts were mostly positive. I'd still like to see Myung write some songs more often. Love "Lifting Shadows Off A Dream". E -------------
|
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 06:40
-------------
|
Posted By: Roland113
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 06:56
Shoot, now I'm feeling old, I saw them on the Images and Words tour (I'm guessing 92 or so). Petrov, you would have been three at the time. . . I'm gonna wash that gray right out of my hair. . . I remember hearing that Kevin Moore had left the band and was crushed. Lost interest in them for a few years after that and rediscovered right when Score was released. I have mixed feelings about their last few albums, love Octovarium, don't much care for Systematic Chaos or Train of Thought. Black Clouds and Silver Linings however is pretty good. I really like the fact that Rudess seems to have calmed down at times, he seems developed a better knack of knowing when to play his licks vs. laying back and adding to the backing layers. In addition, LaBrie's voice seems better than it's been in a while (IMHO). The down sides, as others have said, the growling is a bit irritating and the lyrics could be more mature. I'll end up reviewing this after a few listens, but I'm thinking a 4 star review, 8.5 using the Prog Freak ratings. ------------- -------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob------- I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 09:04
I've been a fan for that long, probably longer. Picked up I&W almost as soon as it came out. They were among my favorite bands for many, many years. I discovered this website trying to find more bands that sounded like them. Mike, it's the fact that the 8th album was a step down, the 9th was an even bigger step down, and this latest one seems to confirm they're going in the wrong direction. Going through the motions, uninspired, recycling riffs, etc. Like Harry said, they put this out because an album is due and this is their job now. I think their best days are long behind them at this point. It's all opinion of course - I'm glad you and a lot of others really enjoy the album, and see it as an improvement over the last one (others actually rank BC&SL in their top 5 DT albums). I wish I could see it that way, but I don't. |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 11:24
|
I've been a fan for 13 years. They have given me some of my best moments in all music. None of the last 4 albums has received 5 stars from me, and 6DOIT and TOT even got only 3. Only three of their albums have received from me 5 stars (Genesis beats the crap out of DT in 5-star-ness in my review catalogue)... It's clear I'm a fanboy but not a blind fanboy. Honestly, I don't agree with the comments about BCSL being disappointing, even though "Wither" is one of their worst songs since "Just let me Breathe". All the other song deserve my attention; "Rite of passage" may be a re-work of "Home" but the chorus is one of the best ever in DT. I seriously think at the end of the day this album will get 4.5 stars from me, therefore the first 5 star since SFAM. -------------
|
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 11:41
Not to mention Learning to Live |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 11:56
Yeah, that's a great song. I laugh at the people who said Dream Theater were going U2 with "I Walk Beside You" on Octavarium. I guess they didn't hear that song or "Speak to Me," both of which are A+ songs. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 13:00
Well, I guess it also boils down to the fact that we appreciate different aspects of DT altogether. I personally love Six Degrees and Train of Thought and I think "Just Let Me Breathe" is far from their worst song. It's at least better than half of Falling into Infinity for me at least (though it's still not a great track for me, although they did a great job with it live). I also don't particularly care for the chorus of A Rite of Passage. So hey, Dream Theater is making music that you like, and that's great. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 13:13
People are different ... and it seems like the DT studio albums are a good example for that. In fact even their masterpieces are highly disputed ... some people love I&W but hate Awake, or vice versa. I love Falling Into Infinity, others think it's their worst album. The same can be said about ToT. Or Octavarium (I hate it, for others it's the only DT album they like). Or take 6DoIT ... some people like the first CD but not the second, I skip the first but love the second. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 13:22
|
Well I think that's the thing about DT, because they have approached their music from several different directions, you've got all sorts of people coming to their music with all sorts of different expectations. I remember having a discussion on another forum where I was confused because everyone felt that DT did very complex music when their compositions seem quite simple to my ear. After a bit it was clarified for me: People didn't really feel that DT had complex compositions, rather when they refer to complex music they were talking about the sheer virtuosity of the instrumentalists, and I had to admit that yes, they certainly had some technically complex stuff. But of course, my opinion of the band wasn't really changed because compositional complexity is what I look for in music - instrumental virtuosity doesn't really impress me too much. So I suppose that because they're bridging two genres, prog and metal, everyone comes at them with all sorts of expectations that typically aren't fulfilled - they are inevitably going to be a bit watered down on either side, and aren't going to be as innovative or complex as a pure prog band could potentially be, and aren't going to be as heavy or hardcore as a pure metal band could potentially be. Images and Words and SFAM seem to be the only album where both sides are consistently happy with the output (and you might be able to throw Awake and 6DOIT as pretty close to that), and even with those albums you'll find lots of dissenting opinions. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 26 2009 at 13:28
|
^ keep in mind though that Prog is not a genre ... if anything, the bands that you describe as "Pure Prog" are mixing Prog and Rock. BTW: Obviously DT are much about instrumental virtuosity, few people will deny that. Personally I love it, but always combined with strong compositional skills or other aspects. And yes, they have written some pretty impressive compositions. Sure, they tend to be "episodic" rather than "interwoven", if you know what I mean (I'm sure that Certif1ed would). I wouldn't say that's essentially negative though ... ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: June 27 2009 at 23:48
|
I think that sentence Harry posted sums it up, it's better than Systematic Chaos but that's about it. Funny, my initial impressions were pretty good, no I didn't say "Images & Words" but this would do very well. Soon, the delight melted away and the album began to sound rather uninspiring (to me, of course). For all of you who liked it, good for you, enjoy many more spins, nothing more to say. And yeah, I agree with the person who sounds LaBrie sounds better here than in a while, which probably explains my initial favourable reaction.
|
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: June 28 2009 at 21:32
|
It's growing.. By now i'm sure it gets a 4 star.... The first, fifth and sixth songs (too lazy for names) are great... Rite is catchy and good prog-n-metal-roll.... Wither is forgettable really... and Shattered shoudln't exist since it already happened....
best album since the second disc of 6DOIT -------------
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: June 29 2009 at 13:46
|
IMO SC was "business as usual" for the band. in the months leading up to BC&SL i opened my mind to SC more and actually found it to be a superb album (Prophets of War bring it down A LOT!!!) with the new one, i feel they could have trimmed some of the songs a bit (the solo trade off section in ANTR is a little too long and in TSF, i dont think The Root Of All Evil reference makes sense in the song) but other than that, ive been able to get into this new one much easier than SC, and not because SC is "underrated, needs many listens to understand!". I think thats true for BC&SL, but IMO there's something more to the new album, something that brings the listener back. btw if you let lyrics decide if you like a song or not, i laugh at you. If you listen to music for the lyrics, then why not get into poetry? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
|
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: June 29 2009 at 13:55
|
^While I do kid around about the "if you listen to music for the lyrics, why don't you just read poetry?" kind of thought, I disagree with it to a certain extent. If the lyrics are alright and the music is phenominal and you can tell the band is really passionate about what they're doing and/or you can connect to it in some way/whatever, that's no biggie and the lyrics don't matter much. However, when the lyrics are so obviously bad that they stick out in the way they do here, they really do mess things up. It's even worse when the music is so blatantly uninspired. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: June 29 2009 at 14:00
|
i guess. but i could give 2 Sh*ts about lyrics, unless they are GOD-AWFUL, which they arent on BC&SL. They are bad, but ive heard much worse. Besides, i mostly focus on the music most of the time when i listen to music, even if i know the lyrics well. I guess thats why i listen to jazz/jazz-rock/fusion, and love instrumentals.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
|
Posted By: Kazzbaah
Date Posted: June 29 2009 at 16:04
| It seems alright. I'm not as impressed with it as much as a few of their earlier albums, which seem a lot heavier, but it's definitely not a bad album. I really enjoy "The Count of Tuscany". |
Posted By: Proggy Pogo
Date Posted: June 29 2009 at 16:36
I've played BC&SL twice and really like it. My favourite track is The Shattered Fortress, closely followed by The Count of Tuscany. I wasn't keen on Wither on first listen, but it sounded better second time round. The Best of Times made me cry!! 
------------- 
|
Posted By: steve j
Date Posted: July 01 2009 at 12:48
|
Thought I would add a comment. First listen - about 3 stars - not too impressed, some good bits, but that's it. But,.... this thing is a grower.
I work 70 miles from my home, so I have plenty of time to listen to the radio and CDs. This week I have listened to it non - stop. I love it, and find I am totally surprised by how much I have enjoyed it.
I am not going to compare it with other DT albums, as I believe it stands alone quite nicely. The Archives has it sat at about 3.5 stars, I think is much better than that possibly about 4.00 to 4.10. I wonder how many times other reviewers listen to an album before reviewing?
Here's an uncanny coincidence - 2nd album I ever bought - Rainbow Rising. Last Album prior to BC&SL, Aspics (KC). Can you imagine how surprised I was when the cover titles were released? Enjoyed the covers immensely too.
Looking forward to Prog Nation now. Don't know what to think of Unexpect though
 . |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 01 2009 at 13:10
|
I'm listening to a few of the songs on Franz Keylard's show right now as I decide whether to refund my ProgNation tickets.
I honestly don't think I've listened to any Rudess-era DT before and while he's not a musician he certainly adds his share of cool noises to the mix.
The songs are good enough, I think I'd enjoy seeing them again after 14 years since the Awake tour. Pertucci is an average shredder, Portnoy is his usual self, LaBrie actually is more listenable now that he's lost his high range.
The drummer in my former band, who learned by ear, when he was first introduced to Portnoy, remarked "Man that dude can count." That about sums it up for me.
ed. Alright, "Best of Times" is awful....."But most of all, thank you for my life." "My heart is bleeding blood." I understand using your art to deal with loss, but not everything one writes needs to be for general consumption. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: The T
Date Posted: July 01 2009 at 13:18
|
I'm on my 6th listen and finally it has reached 4.5 star-level... Only wither is just appalling... Even the Shatered fortress, when heard in context, is coherent. I heard all songs of the "alcohol suite" at once and it's clear it's a good ending for the saga. -------------
|
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 01 2009 at 13:35
1. Are you saying Rudess is not a musician?
2. If you haven't listened to Rudess-era DT before you should go back to the beginning of the era and listen to those albums
3. Petrucci is a pretty great shredder, although I don't think it shows on this new record often.
4. This album blows, but rest assured that DT plays music from their whole career each show. It's not just going to be BC&SL material, but given the new lineup for the show, the whole thing might not be that great after all. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 01 2009 at 13:48
|
The main reason we're reconsidering is the loss of PoS and Beardfish. I pretty much knew what I was going to get with DT. I didn't mean to say Rudess wasn't a musician at all, just that he's more of a player and less of a big picture guy like Moore is.
I was a big fan of the shred scene long before Pertucci was its standard bearer and he's pretty average. He just hasn't added anything as a guitarist to what had already been done. You have to remember, Varney was putting out a new guy every 6 months in those days, and many of those guys are legends of the shred scene now. I had all their debut albums (Greg Howe, Jason Becker, Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore....on and on.) What I liked about him most was his riffs, which were the first to use mathematical subdivisions to create strange syncopations. But with bands like Meshuggah taking that ball and running so much further with it....
Anyway, I'm leaning toward going, mainly after watching some youtube of Zappa play Zappa.
If I'm going to check out a Rudess-era album, where would start? ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 01 2009 at 14:11
|
^Well, maybe Petrucci is average in the sense you're thinking of, but I find his soloing in DT's material often very good and fitting, shredding or not.
I would take a look at Scenes from a Memory, then work your way chronologically into Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Train of Thought. Octavarium might be worth hearing too, even if only for the title track, but the first three are by far the best of the Rudess-era albums. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Visitor13
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 03:56
|
I envy DT. It's the dream of every business to have a marketbase loyal enough to gobble up every half-assed product that gets thrown at them. Well played, DT... and really badly played at the same time |
Posted By: cobb2
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 04:19
Couldn't resist this... 'Jordan Rudess has the distinction of taking classical piano training at the Juilliard School of Music at nine years old. Rudess has played with Steve Morse, both in his solo career and in Dixie Dregs. He has also recorded with David Bowie, Annie Haslam, and Vinnie Moore. He and fellow Dregs man Rod Morgenstein have a side project called the Rudess Morgensein Project. He is a member of the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment and also the third keyboardist for Dream Theater. ' Not bad for a non-musician addition: I think this album is their best since six degress. I am enjoying it immensely.
|
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 08:12
ZING!!!  Well said. -------------
|
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 09:03
I already admitted that I mis-spoke my feelings. Rudess' key skills are not in question. I was mainly talking about musicianship, with a comparison between Rudess and Kevin Moore in mind.
It was badly spoken, apologies to Mr. Rudess. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 09:15
He is a musician. An creative artist? Well that could be a different story. Moore was an artist and musician. After listening to the album another 5 times, I like it less with each listen. The strong points just fade among the wanckery. -------------
|
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 09:22
Not a fan of the Rudess-era, but if there would be one that is Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory. Though not sure if you have already heard it. That is pretty much the best record they've pulled together with Jordan. As far as I know: Systematic Chaos and Train of Thought are pretty heavy. The former introducing Mike's annoying "growls". While ToT is based more on Petrucci's solos and Mike's double-bass drumming. Both feature a very dark mood, unlike those from Moore and Sherinian. Octavarium is supposedely a return to a balanced band. While I understand why some can say so, it's really nothing as balanced as in Images & Words, Awake, CoS and FII. And by the way, I find it pretty un-inspired, though enjoyable all through must admit, even if only 3 of the songs in there are Prog. Six Degrees seems like a interesting mix of their straight-forward heavy stuff ala Metallica, and some of their most Proggy stuff, though headed more to Symphonic rather than Prog Metal. However if you haven't checked out Falling Into Infinity and Change of Seasons and you really like Moore, those 2 with Sherinian are musts. While not as heavy, the Moore-vibe is there and all the musicians have a lot of space to shine. |
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 11:05
|
^Yes, I might go ahead an check out A Change of Seasons and Falling into Infinity. A Change of Seasons is one of, if not the best Dream Theater song. Falling into Infinity has some amazing tracks, but be aware that half of the tracks are pretty weak. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 11:12
|
I heard a Change of Seasons years ago and remember liking it. Maybe that's where I'll go. I actually liked the debut album back in the day.
I probably need to bite the bullet and do the time to really let Scenes from a Memory sink in. I listened to it a couple times when it came out, but really didn't spend the time I should have.
------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 11:59
Don't forget Falling Into Infinity! New Millenium, Trial of Tears, Peruvian Skies, Anna Lee, Just Let Me Breathe, Lines in Sand, Hell's Kitchen, they're all excellent songs! |
Posted By: J-Man
Date Posted: July 02 2009 at 12:07
I think he rather would forget Falling Into Infinity! -------------
Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime" rel="nofollow - http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
Posted By: Dalezilla
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 06:22
|
I wasn't going to post here, because I thought that people would think that I'm trolling. This is my honest opinion and I hope no one gets offended. First of all the gothic sounding keyboards in the first track just sound horrible. I mean the whole gothic feel they're trying to achieve just doesn't work. On top of that it just seems totally pointless. Then later we have the quieter sections and instrumental passages. But the problem is that none of them compliment the other. They all just seem pointless. The gothic keyboards return in the end, but still just pointless. It all just seems like a silly formula. You start a song with something, then do a different sounding section, then maybe something instrumental, then something else and back to where you started from. But it just doesn't work. To me it's only a formula nothing more. Then we have the samples. I think they were covered pretty well earlier in this thread. I mean what was the point of that car crash? Then we have LaBrie trying to sound badass. That just made me laugh. I wish he could just sing the way he did in the I&W to FII era. A Nightmare to Remember is a good example of him trying to sound really badass, but failing miserably. Portnoy's "growling" is just laughable. And that deep voice sample on the AA track is probably the worst sample I've heard in DT history. Another thing is the "emotional" solos. I think it was The Best of Times that had one of these. A few tracks had some solos that clearly tried being emotional, but they don't work at all. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the bad lyrics, but the songs themselves don't sound emotional at all. When you add an emotional solo to that equation it just sounds silly. I seriously laughed at many points of this album. Oh and then Pornoy's tasteless double bass drumming. I mean what happened to him. I listened to 6:00 and wow it's like a different drummer. There's probably much more that I forgot, but all in all I'd probably give it 1 star. It's easily the worst album I've heard all year. And I really like everything DT did up to FII. Sorry if I offend anyone, but this is how I feel. I probably didn't use the best words possible, but I just find the whole album tasteless, pointless and laughably bad. |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 06:36
|
How do you DT fans feel about the obvious Rush "homages" in the last two tracks? I can hear Hemispheres, La Villa Strangiato, Xanadu, Cygnus x-1, The Analog Kid, Red Barchetta and most obviously The Spirit Of Radio. It's obviously deliberate, especially on The Best of Times where I believe it is meant to fit the theme, and they have gone to great pains to capture the "Rush sound" from that era.... |
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 07:05
I do kinda get what you're saying about Petrucci, in terms of lead guitar. You're right, all the tapping, sweep picking, legato, alternate picking, it had been done before really. You're right about his innovations with rhythm guitar though, it's often overlooked because he is seen first and foremost a shred hero, whereas I think he's an amazing, versatile all rounder. What is often forgotten though, is the use of the 7 string on Awake. In terms of the modern 7 string, Vai was first with his use in Whitesnake and his album Passion and Warfare, and of course, we had Korn in 1994 with their debut, funnily enough also using an Ibanez Universe for the album. But in the world of technical metal playing, practically no one before Petrucci was rocking a 7 string. Sure, guys were tuning their 6 strings down, but usually only drop D or maybe D standard at most at the most, not much lower on average. Petrucci's work on Awake with the 7 string is probably the first time a prog metal band had fused a super heavy Pantera-ish groove metal riff played on a 7 string, yet unlike the down tuned groove metal bands of the time Petrucci took full advantage of the extended range of the 7 string to create crazy soloing lines. To a lot of 6 stringers it might not mean much, but you go on guitar forums and talk to 7 string players, about 1/4 of those 7 string players say if it wasn't for Petrucci and the stuff he did on a 7, they wouldn't be playing 7 strings today. It really did impact a lot of players in a huge way, but of course it's not hugely noticeable to the average joe because the 7 string guitar is still a relatively niche instrument. Petrucci took a risk when he used the 7, because it just wasn't done in prog metal before and ultimately it ended up being a big contribution to the way heavy metal is today. Kinda why I hate the new record in a way, because it lacks the risk taking that truly drove records like Awake to be so stunning and innovative. -------------
|
Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 07:09
Heh, I wouldn't say you're trolling. I've been a fan of the band since I was 16, 4 years now, but I agree with nearly all your points. I really felt like I wasted my time listening to this album, it was atrocious compared to the best stuff released this year, and dare I say, just atrocious in general. -------------
|
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 10:40
Get out of here troll! You fail. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Moatilliatta
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 10:42
Well my opinion might be a bit slanted because I didn't like the record, but in a normal situation I wouldn't mind too much as long as the material was inspired and enjoyable to me. ------------- www.last.fm/user/ThisCenotaph
|
Posted By: Visitor13
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 13:14
I made it seven minutes into "The Count of Tuscany" before giving up, it was just that bad. Your post confirms that I was right to ignore the rest of the album. And yeah, I still like I&W. |
Posted By: steve j
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 14:48
|
This album is a grower - I didn't think much of it at first, but it's a significant piece of work by DT.
They keep changing, but keep to their prog metal roots, More people hate them, more popular they will become. More people write about them, more popular they will become - remember there is no such thing as bad press, it just becomes positive marketing.
I heard that they are thinking of calling this site the Dream Theatre Archives plus other less known prog bands due to the amount of press they get here.
 |
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 15:11
The song is about a car crash. But well, yes it could do very well without that sample.
The only thing that very slightly bothers me is the Red Barchetta verses in The Best of Times. Now that I think of it there really is something very much like Spirit of Radio, but I hadn't made that connection myself and it doesn't bother me now that I know. I love the feeling when an old favourite makes a return to form after years of disappointment. This album really may be my favourite since Awake. ------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA!
|
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 15:45
|
i like BC&SL, but i also like every single DT album, and can throw any of them on at any time. I may like certain ones more than others, but i like em all (maybe When Dream and Day REunite, but still like em all) i feel like DT are trying to finish an era in their discography. it's their tenth album, theyve tied up all the loose concepts they had and have (almost) exhausted their current sound. i think the next album will see the guys exploring new territory, maybe hire Kevin Moore back and have 2 keyboardists (i could only hope haha), and go easy on the heavy heavy compressed riffs Petrucci lays down on 3 of the 6 songs. He obviously knows how to lay back and let the music blend in rather than overpowering everyone with his distortion, as he does on TCOT, TBOT, and Wither ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
|
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 16:36
You didnt notice the Xanadu parts in Count of Tuscany?  |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 16:42
That's true of any well-known prog band though. I'm sure if Yes or Genesis put out a new album we'd be swamped with posts on that as well. Dream Theater is a band everyone can comment on, and so they do. Especially since you will always have people who think the new album is excellent and people who think that it's nothing compared to there older stuff, and the two will never see eye-to-eye and will be quite content to battle it out over several pages. Don't mistake my tone, either. I'm not condemning that sort of thing. I love discussion, I think it's great. But that's what happens when new albums by big bands get released (big bands as in bands that are popular, not big bands as in Count Basie). |
Posted By: Tzibo
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 16:49
|
Woah. Black Clouds is probably my third favorite Dream Theater album, the first being I&W and the second Awake. Every song is very good and they get better on every listen... The singles are also brilliant, especially the more "mainstreamish" Wither, which is a very beautiful song.... And then there's Rite of Passage, whose solo is just pure brilliance - the "bouncing" parts are just wonderful. (You know what I'm talking about) And the chorus is just awesome. A Nightmare to Remember is wonderful despite the slightly irrelevant semi-growling part and the maybe a little bit awkward lyrics (I haven't got over them, yet... they don't fit the song in my opinion). The song sounds a little bit too epic for so down-to-earth lyrics, even if the car crash has affected people. A Shattered Fortress is maybe the worst (well, "least good") song on the album - too much recycling and such. The Best of Times is very good and I thought that if someone close to me had died recently and I would listen to The Best of Times thoughtfully I would probably cry or something. And then there's the Count of Tuscany. I haven't understood the lyrics very well yet (what the heck do they talk about? I laughed at some comment somewhere where the lyrics were very bluntly summarized...), but I guess they talk about something very serious and I read somewhere that it happened to Petrucci... Anyways, an awesome album. |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 20:55
It's a real shame to continue to pay homage. Will these guys ever grow into their own musicians? If they want to pay homage, they need to simply make a tribute CD and be done with it but write actual original material for studio releases. -------------
|
Posted By: rogerthat
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 21:01
Oh no, they have made enough of those, I for one am certainly not looking forward to more of that.
Wait, there's a limited edition of BC&SL with a whole CD full of covers, isn't it? |
Posted By: StyLaZyn
Date Posted: July 03 2009 at 21:05
But wouldn't you like to hear DT write stuff that doesn't sound like anyone else? -------------
|