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heyitsthatguy 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 17 2006
Location: Washington Hgts
Status: Offline
Points: 10094
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 Posted: March 08 2008 at 14:30 |
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I think we should have a "bash bands" subsection
hell I'd bash bands I love, the only reason I hate this thread is because it reached its conclusion about 10 years ago
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Posted: March 15 2008 at 17:43 |
A producer (I mean a real one)
A songwriter (i.e. Kevin Moore)
Restraint
Better lyrics
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gray
Forum Newbie
Joined: March 05 2008
Status: Offline
Points: 29
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Posted: March 16 2008 at 02:31 |
- Emphasize melody and atmosphere over technique.
- Emphasize lyrics over theme. Both are important, but no use having a good theme if the lyrics are riddled with cliches and read more like prose than poetry. Alas, Kevin Moore was their best lyricist.
- Try to do something you haven't exactly done already. This is a hard one. A lot of bands fail at that.
Of course, this is all just my opinion. If the band is happy with their recent output and continue to move in the same general direction, that's their choice and I can't hold that against them.
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AustinPrince14
Forum Newbie
Joined: March 30 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 29
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Posted: March 19 2008 at 19:21 |
 Shakespeare wrote:
Lonely Progger wrote:
So if you had the 4 members of DT in front of you discussing about their 2009 album what advice would you give them ? |
SPARE US!
or
Make it a Zorn wannabee insane avant-garde 79 minute opus.
or
An instrumental album. Complexity/musicianship toned down. Focus on melodies.
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I think the focus shouldn't necessarily be drawn away from complexity, because they would lose their trademark. But a definite shift from just constant solos on every instrument, there should be more focus on melodies and TONE. That is my biggest beef with DT. The power-chorded, dropped-d'ed, scooped-mid'ed sound of almost every metal band is adopted even by those going out of their way to sound "out-there" (DT, Symphony X, insert overblown "prog" shred giant here). More attention is needed in their tone. I want to come away from the verse-chorus-verse, 4/4 songs that pollute the airways, but I'll sure as hell listen rather listen to something simple that sounds sonically good (Boston, Eric Johnson, IB) than something that is incredibly complex, but sounds like the instruments are plugged into the nearest "cliche-pedal". So, to DT, continue to push the boundaries of what we normies consider impossible in the genre of metal, just remember those normies are LISTENING to this music. Throw us a bone, here, boys. Continue to kick ass, just experiment with some sounds, get away from the scooped mids and power chords every once in awhile.
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Give him an internet applause by tapping your fingers lightly on the keyboard.
-Ninja Pirate Thilo Savage
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Damjan
Forum Newbie
Joined: December 02 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 33
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Posted: March 19 2008 at 20:32 |
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Dream Theater needs to stop making the same albums over and over again. A change of style would be a nice breath of fresh air.
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StyLaZyn
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 22 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 4079
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Posted: March 20 2008 at 08:17 |
Damjan wrote:
Dream Theater needs to stop making the same albums over and over again. A change of style would be a nice breath of fresh air. |
Right! If they want to show off what good musicians they are, maybe a different approach is needed. They could remain Progressive in doing a Space Rock type album. Or how about some pieces that focus on using only acoustic instruments throughout. Classical guitar, acoustic bass, grand piano, drums with hot sticks or brushes only. That would be something to hear! 
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ProgBagel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2819
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Posted: April 13 2008 at 22:52 |
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Sorry for ressurecting an old thread...which I something I despise.
I was listening to Labrie's solo album 'Elements of Persuasion' and I forgot how much I liked this album, I think it is great.
Now on this album, James is credited to the music on every song. How much he actually contributed to the songs obviously none of us can know.
The point of this post is; Should James LaBrie have some imput on the compositional process in Dream Theater's music. I think he has some great tastes in music and can bring new ideas into the table.
At the point the album was realeased...I didn't even want to check out the 'real' Octavarium, if you all know about the leak mix up. Much to my surprise, Elements was leaps and bounds over it.
Edited by ProgBagel - April 13 2008 at 22:52
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TR!P
Forum Groupie
Joined: December 21 2006
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 69
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 04:37 |
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i think to an extent the label is to blame (road runner)
what i think happend here was that peeps like Portony saw joining Roadrunner as a great way to get DT's music to a new generation of young metal kids
so what was the result?
Systematic Chaos...
which to me sounds like one of DTs first albums made with a target audience in mind, therefore the music greatly suffers
we get such boring "hear that before" tracks like Constant motion, terrrrrible fantasy songs like Forsaken, then various others that dont sound too inspired
luckly enough we somehow get a gem like "the dark eternal night", however this still suffers from heart wrenchingly poor lyrics
so yea, i think they need to write another awake, and i know i know it'll never happen, but i mean i want another album thats deep, emotional, and packs a nice tone and mood
....plus more Myung
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Petrovsk Mizinski
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 24 2007
Location: Ukraine
Status: Offline
Points: 25210
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 04:48 |
^I agree that Systematic Chaos wasn't a very inspirational album, but I honestly don't think the record label has that much of an impact on their sound. For some, the sound of Octavarium wasn't particularly inspirational, but it wasn't on Roadrunner was it? For some, they found ToT to be uninspiring, but that wasn't on Roadrunner, some think FII wasn't greatly inspirational either, but that wasn't on Roadrunner either. Can you see my point there?
I tend to think SC sounds somewhat less inspired on than some of their other albums is because some of the song writing was a bit bland, and it generally doesn't feel as modern and as fresh as what some of the other prog metal bands released in the same year. Dream Theater have been somewhat known to not really care about the major trends of what record label they happen to be on at a particular time, and I believe this still holds true with SC, which is still far better listening than most of the other bands that are on Roadrunner.
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TR!P
Forum Groupie
Joined: December 21 2006
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 69
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 13:13 |
^ well i get what your trying to put accross but i still think the label did infulence them
for ToT i think the album was defo not aimed at reaching a certin audience, it was litreally petrucci and portony wanting to make a pure metal album, and thats what they did, tastefull or not, it is what it is, a metal album, and i dont really think it would have matterd what label they were on, they would'a made it anyway, the only factor was that they were established enough as a band to be alowd to take such a risk, in the older days they would never have done this, labels wouldnt let them
which brings me onto FII, your saying it wasnt greatly inspirational, which is true, but i think the reason for that is cos they were being presured into being 'inspirational' therefore they couldnt really atain they'er best, and in this case it WAS the record companys fault to an extent
octavarium is a different case altogether, this albums more of DT trying to be other bands, i.e. the muse and U2 spin offs etc. therefore its a bit hard to be inspiring when your trying to fit a mould and play to a certin type of sound
what im trying to get to is, i think portony somewhat saw roadrunner as a chance to tap into the younger metal market, maybe this was a subconscience thing i dunno (however with portony i really doubt it) but it defo was a huge factor when it came to writing the music
they must'a stepped into the recording studio and thought to themselves:
"hmm, new label, new audience..."
so they must'a subconsciencly paniced and thought, sh*t we gotta play some heavy stuff so the fans dont think were girly old soft proggers,
cos think about it, if DT releaced an album like awake, I & W, or even Octavarium on roadrunner they'd prob not do as well as they have, sure all of us old fans would buy it, but when it comes to doing tours in all the metal festivals they'd be eaten alive by the metal heads who wouldnt know them very well
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Visitor13
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: February 02 2005
Location: Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 4702
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Posted: April 14 2008 at 13:30 |
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