Dream Theater

JS19 wrote: PS. Yes we all know Portnoy is a complete A-hole, but he's a damn good drummer, I fail to see how the two are connected?

So true.  I really don't care what they do in their free time, if they kick ass as a musician, they kick ass as a musician.  End of story.

(If anything, it's that "a-hole" side of Portnoy that's endearing in a weird way due to how genuine it makes him come off, rather than trying to do the whole faked enthusiasm bit)

I met Mike twice and while he does come off a little  sarcastically  he talked to me just fine.  He looked at me strangely when I told I had seen him play three times but never with Dream Theater but was happy to hear I saw LTE and at the time I was talking with him, Transatlantic.  Just saw him again Friday night with Yellow Matter Custard and I said hi and he just smiled and nodded at us. While he isn't the greatest drummer I have seen he certainly is versatile  in his styles and i hope to hear him someday with Neal's solo work live and really can't wait for the Steve Morse stuff too.  I have two DT cd's that I hardly ever play as this is just not my cup of tea.  I will give the project a listen but unless James Labrie has changed his style I doubt I will like it. 

Catcher10 wrote: I think he is an accomplished drummer and writer........Nobody says you have to 100% like what he does, I certainly do not. But the majority of the body of work he has done is excellent IMO. We talk about influence and all that on this site like its the #1 quality of a band...well other than Neil Peart, I don't know of any other drummer in the last 20yrs that has influenced more "new" drummers than Mike Portnoy....I fail to see how that could be if he is so horrible.   I don't really care much to know about his personal life, unless he wants us to know about it in a book or bio DVD...so most of what I hear I take with a small grain of salt.   We buy music albums and discuss that stuff.....I don't think his comments to people mean much, heck 90% of all musicians are drug addicts, alcoholics, womanizers and suffer from severe marital infidelity while touring....but we don't trash them for that do we.   But I guess if you are OK with an artist being a known alcoholic, drug addict, womanizer and cheater...then I can see how Mike Portnoy telling some kids his personal opinons on other music might bother you...really??

I think he is an accomplished drummer and writer........Nobody says you have to 100% like what he does, I certainly do not. But the majority of the body of work he has done is excellent IMO. We talk about influence and all that on this site like its the #1 quality of a band...well other than Neil Peart, I don't know of any other drummer in the last 20yrs that has influenced more "new" drummers than Mike Portnoy....I fail to see how that could be if he is so horrible.

topographicbroadways wrote: Portnoy has just become an utter self involved ass. He says he left DT because they wouldn't go on Hiatus for him to take a break. Well why should they? He also said in his time with DT he hasn't had a chance to rest. Again utter rubbish because DT took plenty of breaks since 2000 but Mike Portnoy spent them forming distinctly average Beatles and Rush tribute bands.  And the worst part of him is that he spent the entire Scenes From a Memory tour pissing about on stage because he didn't like doing the same setlist every night, and he got away with it because he convinced the paying audience it was a funny thing to do. So heres a little tip, when mister Portnoy gets his head out of his ass long enough to release a solo album, nobody buy it. Just download it illegally so you don't give this selfish moron anymore of your hard earned money. And well done to DT for not letting him back in.

Edited by AllP0werToSlaves - March 01 2011 at 10:18

Portnoy has just become an utter self involved ass. He says he left DT because they wouldn't go on Hiatus for him to take a break. Well why should they? He also said in his time with DT he hasn't had a chance to rest. Again utter rubbish because DT took plenty of breaks since 2000 but Mike Portnoy spent them forming distinctly average Beatles and Rush tribute bands. 

^^^ excellent! dont forget disc 1

as for the next album, i feel there will be an almost equal mix of metal and prog, but with tons of great melodies. Rudess will have a great amount of influence on the new album as well i think. The album will open up with blazing drums with insane bass on top. Then everyone else enters

Octavarium may be a good next track to hear, it's my favourite DT song, and I guess it's got some similarities to 6DoIT.

moshkito wrote: JS19 wrote: ... From the start, they have been both Metal and prog, symbolised almost, by the appearance of Mike Portnoy. A long haired, troglodytic, metalhead, but so dedicated to prog, he has a King Crimson tattoo. I think that up until now, Dream Theater have been incredibly dedicated to prog and to metal, whereas most bands have 'splashings of this', and a 'bit of that'. I also believe that if one of these was removed, and the band could focus solely on one of the two, they would astound. ...     I totally disagree. Mike is not that great a drummer. He does have an excellent presence on stage and he plays up to the audience and has fun, which the other 4 are not willing/able to do like he does, and that makes Mike appear to be much better, and he is NOT ... he simply is the better showman ... and one of these days, you might stop and see how reliant he is on his snare drum, to the point that I would like to break it over his head and then tell him ... now drum! ... and he probably can't! He's a good, and fun, time keeper ... and a terribly over rated "drummer", in a band that put together a lot of music that was far more challenging to play, than his drumming gave it credit for, or could improve! Even in transitional parts, you get ... standard drumming ... that you would teach to your son at 12 ... not to a prime musician! ...   ... With the departure of Mr Portnoy, I wondered where they would go from here. It's almost certain that they won't abandon one of the two completely, but if they maybe just toned down the metal side of it, they may find themselves rather better received on this here website. ...   I sincerely hope they come back better than ever and make Mike's exit show ... that the band has a lot more to offer than just a glorified clown that thinks he is a good drummer and has all the kiddies convinced, because he looks cool and has fun, and YOU are paying for it! ... sorry, bro ... just another Ozzie in my book ... a good entertainer, not necessarily musician!

progismylife wrote: I read somewhere (don't ask me where I don't remember) that Myung stopped writing because his ideas needed worked on and weren't fully compatible with the music by the time he brought it to the other members so he stopped writing.

I read that too, but I guess it has to be with some sort of Lennon-McCarthy syndrome with him and Petrucci. At least the last album reflects that for me, I identified that they wanted more protagonism, Porntoy tried to sing/chorus in almost every song and he do it terrible. And Petrucci went with the Count of Tuscany which is an extraordinary song, but with pathetic lyrics. Myung is credited for the lyrics in Learning to Live and I think are really good, better than all the last times lyrics by the other two. And in the musical aspect I think they also tend to hold most of the composition, which for some bands may be good way to work (Wilson in Porcupine Tree for example), but it's clear that for DT they just keeping doing music with the same formula which IMHO is very predictable now.

I think the leave of Portnoy will help both parts to create some fresh music. At least if they stop trying to get the full attention... I think some fresh and good records may come up.