Porcupine Tree vs Dream Theater - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Brendan

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Joined: May 20 2006
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Topic: Porcupine Tree vs Dream Theater
Posted: May 17 2010 at 04:26

Ha Ha!!

The nil all soccer match!

The Monodrone View Drop Down

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Joined: March 21 2010
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Points: 4489

Posted: May 04 2010 at 17:42

I personally LOVE Porcupine Tree and everything they have done. I wouldn't call myself a fanboy... I don't buy their albums for the fact it says "Porcupine Tree" on the album, I buy them because they are truly music to my ears and, IMO, one of the greatest bands in the last 15 years.

On the other hand, although I used to really be into DT, I can't really stand them anymore. Everything seems forced and non-flowing, unlike PTree (IMO). Oh, and James Labrie.....

But who is better? There is no "better", there is only what you as an individual favor.

I can't wait for Anesthetize....

steve j

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Joined: September 30 2007
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: May 03 2010 at 10:27

I love both bands!

So, why does one band have to be better than another, its all subjective anyway!

Kashmir75

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Joined: June 25 2009
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Points: 1029

Posted: May 02 2010 at 19:05

thechrisl wrote:

I likes me some Liquid Tension Experiment. Does that count?

Yes. i suppose it does count. LTE is mostly DT anyway, without LaBrie; and Levin on bass instead of Myung. Yeah, Rudess hadn't joined yet by that point, but he still counts.

Hello, mirror. So glad to see you, my friend. It's been a while...

Conor Fynes View Drop Down

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Joined: February 11 2009
Location: Vancouver, CA
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Points: 3196

Posted: April 30 2010 at 13:57

I love both... but Porcupine Tree. As much as Dream Theater is great to me (they basically got me into prog and metal) they have released alot of material I find really horrible in the past... and unlike Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree is at the heat of their creativity!

thechrisl

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Joined: April 23 2010
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Points: 88

Posted: April 30 2010 at 13:19

I likes me some Liquid Tension Experiment. Does that count?

thechrisl

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Joined: April 23 2010
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Points: 88

Posted: April 30 2010 at 13:18

progpositivity wrote:

Man Overboard wrote:

People have been commenting on the downfall of the younger generation for as long as there has been written history. How many times must we continue down that self-indulgent path?

I cannot find the words to express the extent to which I agree with you!

Maybe I need to add that as my tagline for the next few weeks!

Someone ask Mr. Daltrey if he has decided to die before getting old yet....

progpositivity View Drop Down

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Joined: December 15 2007
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Points: 262

Posted: April 29 2010 at 19:38

I cannot find the words to express the extent to which I agree with you!

Maybe I need to add that as my tagline for the next few weeks!

Positively the best Prog and Fusion 24/7!
http://www.progpositivity.com

elder08

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Joined: February 25 2010
Location: Russia
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Points: 236

Posted: April 26 2010 at 14:06

FU OP this is a hard desicion ive listened to both equally (not alot of either) and i'd say PT

"There are people who say we [Pink Floyd] should make room for younger bands. That's not the way it works. They can make their own room."- David Gilmour

elder08

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Posted: April 26 2010 at 14:05

SergiUriah wrote:

Porcupine Theater, no doubt.

"There are people who say we [Pink Floyd] should make room for younger bands. That's not the way it works. They can make their own room."- David Gilmour

EatThatPhonebook View Drop Down

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Joined: September 03 2009
Location: Norwich, VT
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Points: 788

Posted: April 26 2010 at 13:24

PT, I guess. I also really like DT. Smile

juanvalverde View Drop Down

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Joined: May 09 2005
Location: Mexico
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Posted: April 21 2010 at 20:10

AgentSpork wrote:

For what I've heard from PT, they have been doing the same... their only evolution is using a heavier sound in the last like 4 albums right...??? what evolution is there...??? really...

Well, it's divided into segments really. There's the earlier psychedelic period (Up the Downstair, The Sky Moves Sideways, and Signify), the more straightforward pop-friendly *gasp* approach midway (Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun), the heavier period where they started incorporating metal into their music (In Absentia, Deadwing, Fear of a Blank Planet). As for The Incident... well, I haven't really got much to say about this album.

Dream Theater, to me, has been going downhill ever since Jordan Rudess joined the band. Personally I feel like Scenes From a Memory was just some kind of magical fluke, as there's not a whole lot of his little keyboard cheesefests present on that album. It just kind of exploded when Six Degrees came out and Rudess decided that keyboards would make a perfect replacement (not) for orchestral arrangements. Not trying to be a complete troll, there are quite a few enjoyable songs on DT's newer albums, but personally I haven't found a whole lot of evolution going on. What I have found, however, is an almost endless supply of keyboard and guitar battles going on between Rudess and Petrucci.

I've grown tired of it. At the same time though I'm worried that Porcupine Tree's going down the same road in that they'll be doomed to making melancholic dreary music (as evidenced by The Incident) for the remainder of their career. Luckily Steven Wilson's solo work has shown quite a bit of promise as far as new directions go.

I totally agree with your assessment regarding DT. Jordan Rudess seemed, at first, to refresh DT, but at the long run he has stalled them. I always tell my friends that Dream Theater doesn't need to get rid of LaBrie, they need to get rid of Rudess. Have you guys heard what Kevin Moore is doing these days? What he did with OSI is truly the direction Dream Theater should have been going... but hey, i still like them just not as much as before.

Dream Theater made me listen to Rush,Yes, ELP, Genesis.. That must count for something!

Hopix

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Joined: February 19 2010
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Posted: February 19 2010 at 15:52

Porcupine Tree infinitely.

I've heard several DT tracks. And I find them boring, repetitive and long for the sake of being long. There's also no soul and feel to them.

I did like their cover of DSoTM though. Pretty impressive.

Harry Hood View Drop Down

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Joined: August 15 2005
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Points: 1305

Posted: February 18 2010 at 02:27

This is a really tough call.

If I were forced to only listen to Dream Theater or Porcupine Tree, I'm really not sure which one I'd pick. Images & Words is one of my favorite albums ever, but I imagine it would get annoying after a while and the further I ventured into their discography the more annoyed I would get.

I consider Porcupine Tree's later material to be more actively obnoxious, but their earlier material I could at least space out and not pay much attention to. So I guess in that scenario I'd have to go with PT.

Then again, if you took it a step further and I could only listen to their latest output, hmmm, I'd probably go with Dream Theater, as their latest release is a bit more diverse and has some cool covers.

Bah, I'll just pick neither and listen to Yasunori Mitsuda.

progkidjoel View Drop Down

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Joined: March 02 2009
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Posted: February 18 2010 at 00:36

Kashmir75 wrote:

Yeah, I agree with JLocke. I don't think Fear of A Blank Planet is saying its a good thing to get stoned in shopping malls, and spend hours playing Xboxes. Wilson's commenting on the downfall of today's youth. When I went to see PT live last week, there were plenty of people over the age of 18 there. In fact, it was an 18+ only gig. There were middle aged guys wearing Floyd t shirts there with their wives.

Many people here come down on the FOABP lyrics. I think they're great, personally.

I love all eras of PTs sound, from the space rock era, to the modern era. But if they'd never made In Absentia, and the heavier albums that followed, they'd probably still be playing small clubs. Metal sells, like it or not. And I happen to really enjoy PTs new, heavier direction. It's made them a lot of new fans.

People just need to keep stuff in context; its ridiculous that someone would say Steven Wilson is writing the lyrics from a personal, first person point of view. If that were true, Strip The Soul would tell me Steven Wilson is a perverted murderer who beats his kids.

JLocke

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Joined: November 18 2007
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Posted: February 18 2010 at 00:18

Man Overboard wrote:

I can dislike music about being young and stupid if I want. Tongue

Of course you can.

You can also eat food out of a leper's palm, though I wouldn't find it particularly logical. Tongue

Edited by JLocke - February 18 2010 at 00:19

Man Overboard View Drop Down

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Posted: February 18 2010 at 00:16

I can dislike music about being young and stupid if I want. Tongue

Especially when it's written by millionaires who are really twice my age Wink

Edit: To clarify, the music itself I don't care for that much either, but it's really the juxtaposition of music and word that puts my back up.

Edited by Man Overboard - February 18 2010 at 00:18

JLocke

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Joined: November 18 2007
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Posted: February 18 2010 at 00:10

Forever. Deal with it. Wink

So, Dark Side of the Moon must also be pointless, since its lyrics are observations about others rather than the typical introspective lyrics rock music is more well-known for. I don't see any difference at all between Waters talking about careless living & useless spending and Wilson singing about vicarious, cyber-living and getting stoned.

Look, if you don't like FoABP, fine, but don't blame it on Wilson's lyrics. The music itself is is what should matter, and many people think PT has gotten too 'Alt. Rock' in their more recent years. That's a more valid complaint, in my opinion.

SergiUriah View Drop Down

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Posted: February 18 2010 at 00:04

Porcupine Theater, no doubt.

Man Overboard View Drop Down

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Posted: February 17 2010 at 22:58

People have been commenting on the downfall of the younger generation for as long as there has been written history. How many times must we continue down that self-indulgent path?

Edited by Man Overboard - February 17 2010 at 22:59