What does Dream Theater need ?

They need to replace Portnoy with Gavin Harrison.  A little less w**king would help.

khammer99 wrote: Avantgardehead wrote: Cylli Kat wrote: if you think you can do what they've done for the last couple of decades, then step up to the freakin' plate and take your swing. In the meantime, quit knockin' what you, yourselves can't do... Sorry guys, we're not allowed to have opinions anymore. And since when does somebody need to be a instrumental virtuoso to have an opinion about one? I guess Leonard Maltin isn't allowed to have negative opinions about movies because he's never made them. And in the meantime, quit freaking out about negative opinions regarding bands you like. It doesn't/shouldn't affect you.  Right on!!!   Why should people take offense, if you don't like one of their favorite bands? I'm a big fan of DT. If people don't like them, or think they're boring and what not, so what? They're not going to stop me from buying their stuff. Nobody's got a gun to your head saying YOU MUST LIKE BAND X...  As for the quote about not knocking stuff you can't do, please, that's just a ridiculous statement.

I'm not freaking either but you don't often see a "The Mars Volta Sucks" or "Genesis is Dumb" thread, whereas Dream Theater hate threads are commonplace here

... but they're nothing like them. Which is part of the problem, I guess.

khammer99 wrote:    You're right about that. DT does seem to get under some peoples skin for some reason, where as other bands, like Genesis, King Crimson and Yes are held sacred and beyond reproach.

Genesis, King Crimson, and Yes get their fair-share of dislike. Fans of those bands don't seem to complain nearly as much when someone doesn't like them, also.

they should chill out and listen to some jazz, man. or funk. they seriously gotta chill out. i think they've done what they can with the genre of metal (same with any metal band). and Rudess has got to be more soulful, pleeease

Not having read all 12 pages of posts, here's my take on the question
THEY NEED MORE HARDCORE FANBOYS ! Actually no ... the anti DT squad needs to get a life and accept that a prog group that they abhor has managed to attain a certain level of success, & maintain it over more than a decade without becoming a parody of themselves.
Does anyone here take offense to Roine Stolt's ability to keep his fanbase ? Should anybody feel angry that Peter Gabriel still has a very dedicated following ? Aren't there a good number of progheads that become giddy at the prospect of a new Robert Fripp/King Crimson work ? Did PA denizens notice the anticipation that preceded Snakes & Arrows from Rush ?
Any group outside the so-called mainstream (which seems to become more & more restrictive in its' variety) that can keep a dedicated following AND also keep putting out new music that that following appreciates is doing something right. At least for their fans. And that has to mean  a little in these days where most acts, proggers included barely manage a 5 year career with one or two albums.
So what does DT need ? A break from the unjustified hated from people who should be told to instead use their time more wisely by listening to the music they like. Medically speaking, it's a whole lot better for your health !!!???

It doesn't have anything to do with popularity or fanbase (for me at least), my quarrel is with the actual music.

I think this thread should be killed. DT's my favorite band..people say Dream Theater sucks all the time around here, I respect their opinion, but at the same time I disregard it. If someone likes Dream Theater it doesn't mean that I can't relate with them musically in some other way..like maybe they hate DT but they love Jethro Tull...I like both so I can talk to them about Tull and just not bring up DT, fully aware that I know they don't like them. People need to mellow out and not take people's opinions to heart

WideAngleWatcher wrote: The people who claim Dream Theater don't have any emotion I'm totally baffled by. Have these people heard anything beyond Pull Me Under? I would guess not.

This falls under the subjectivity of the listening experience. Again, nobody's mind works exactly alike, so while someone may hear something incredible/emotional, someone else may be completely bored.

So there's really no definitive answer for the emotionality of Dream Theater unless we devise a way to objectively measure and quantify emotion.