Dream Theater's Black Clouds & Silver Linings

juanvalverde wrote: Russelk:  You are right, but you can get a good sense of what kind of thing you are listening.   I remember listening to Scenes from a memory and feeling greatness was being played from the very first listen. The same happened when i first heard the first words a capella by Peter Gabriel in Selling england by the pound.  So im guessing it does have some sort of value the opinions of some of us real dream theater fans, not an opinion from a basher.

Before you label me a Dream Theater basher, take a look at my NINE carefully written Dream Theater reviews on this site, including a five-star review. I'm "bashing" (not the word I'd use) the foolishness of people who think they can review an album after seeing the cover, or hearing a few tracks once. This has nothing to do with the quality of the album.

Will this be the most over-hyped DT release?

Today, I was listening to "Awake" and "Matropolis 2", and with this new release, it's like two different bands. I can't understand what so "crucial" happened to them, so they started to ride for a fall. They just started to release albums by some inertia, there's no place for any progressive momentum and that's the thing which really disappoints me, just because I am a huge fan of the band and someone who grew together with Dream Theater.

actually my only complaint so far is how far back the keyboards are pushed. When Rudess joined, he was all over the place, yes, but you could hear him, and his playing complimented Petrucci.

now, he's more in the backround, more subtle, and holds back a lot. At times, I feel like im listening to The Petrucci and Portnoy Duet with Special guest James LaBrie (Myung is again seemingly mostly absent in sound)

it may on purpose, i do like that Rudess has been restraining himself since after ToT, but i feel he's been pushed back too much, and there's too much guitar getting the lead melody, or the overpowering guitar riffs drown out the keys. Again, let me say, they are there, and you dont have to strain to hear them, but if you hear this album, you'll know what i mean

BTW The Count of Tuscany is the best track by far! any DT haters wont be able to not like this song (Kind of like Octavarium, Learning to Live, etc..)

BTW II, The keys are all over The Count of Tuscany!!!

BTW III, did anyone else know one of the covers they are doing is Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt. 2?


Edited by darkshade - May 20 2009 at 13:07

darkshade wrote: BTW III, did anyone else know one of the covers they are doing is Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt. 2?

TheProgtologist wrote: darkshade wrote: BTW III, did anyone else know one of the covers they are doing is Larks Tongues In Aspic Pt. 2?   Supposedly,this is the track listing for the covers disc:   1. Stargazer - RAINBOW 2. Tenement Funster/ Flick Of The Wrist/ Lily Of The Valley -QUEEN 3. Odyssey - DIXIE DREGS 4. Take Your Fingers From My Hair - ZEBRA 5. Larks'Tongues In Aspic Pt.2 - KING CRIMSON 6. To Tame A Land - IRON MAIDEN

Covering Zebra!?! Wow! It's not the song I would have picked, but still, that is awesome.

Per your Count of Tuscany recommendation...yikes! I may have to buy the CD just for this. I hate spending cash on a CD for one song. <grumble>

I'm buying without a doubt, and probably the special edition as well.

I can't understand all the criticism about Systematic Chaos and Octavarium.
Th mentions of gothic metal scare me a little bit, but it still will end up in my collection. 

Drew wrote: BTW, I wonder what James thinks of the disc that is all instrumental?

rpe9p wrote: topofsm wrote: Just one question. Are the growls truly growls, or just distorted vocals from TDEN that people have been labeling as growls to confuse the people who actually know what they're talking about?   My friend played 'A nightmare to remember' for me and the growls on that song were actual growls.  The part with the growls was pretty short and also pretty hilarious because portnoy is not very good at it.

Oh man, why do they have to use Paul Northfield as the sound engineer again? For some reason I only just noticed this now.
This guy totally ruined the dynamics on Systematic Chaos, I only imagine he's back to make sure everything is nice and compressed, BECAUSE HEY DYNAMICS AREN'T IMPORTANT.
Goddamn idiot, I've heard guys with jack sh*t all budget and few less gear than this guy must have access to that can mix and master better than that, christ.
I don't understand why anyone involved feels the need to have to conform with the trend of louder and more compressed, it's Dream Theater, not radio hits.
I know to some it's a non issue, but it seriously does piss me off that bands become more reliant on production trends that is really the domain of pop instead of actually embracing dynamics in their music more with a mix and mastering job to match.