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Dream Theater - Midnight Messiah. Thoughts? |
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MikeEnRegalia 
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 Topic: Dream Theater - Midnight Messiah. Thoughts?Posted: January 23 2025 at 00:58 |
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The song was released yesterday, probably the last one before the full album release. My first listen impression: Meh. Will listen again today ...
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Jared
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 01:44 |
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Thanks Mike.... I don't really know what to say any more. We criticise them when they try something new and then again when they turn out tired, formulated DT-by-numbers stuff like this.
If the idea of ejecting Mangini was to give them a new revitalised creativity, then it's not really worked.
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Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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MikeEnRegalia
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 03:25 |
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^ I don't want to criticise them, and I'll gladly buy the new album. I'm just listening to something, and then I'm either "wowed" or not. In this case, unfortunately, not - especially compared to many other recent releases by other talented bands.
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Jared
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 03:31 |
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Neither do I; criticising would be really churlish, when I remember the joy they gave me for about a 15 year period between say 1992 and 2007. I guess we've just grown apart.
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Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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MikeEnRegalia
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 04:21 |
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I think that as a fan it has to be possible to say something negative about the band, when it is justified. The "fanbase" tends to be quite extreme both towards the positive end (the band is above criticism) and the negative (for example, the band - or some members - have ruined everything). Especially with the Mangini/Portnoy topic, I've been reading some crazy stuff in the DT Facebook group
 The fact is: Even stellar musicians make crap music occasionally. As fans/reviewers (which is a form of critic/journalist) we have to be able to point that out when it happens, in order to retain some modicum of credibility.
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Deadwing
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 04:38 |
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Nice, my favourite from all the 3 singles. The first was probably their worst that screamed "by the numbers", not that the others are very much different but have more interesting ideas though
This one has a great catchy chorus and it screams Portnoy's groove as well. |
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Grumpyprogfan
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 05:28 |
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Another meh from me and another DT release I won't own.
Portnoy left the band because he thought they were repeating themselves musically, and that's what they are doing with the three songs released so far. I can't blame them for wanting more money and that is why Portnoy is back.
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Cristi
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 05:43 |
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I like the song, but I can't say I'm excited. I will listen to the whole album when it comes out.
Last time i was excited for real with a new DT album was Octavarium.
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Jared
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 06:12 |
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I think you and I have agreed on this before. Back in the day, I was also really into Therion; thought they were so original, both musically and visually. I saw their 'Celebrators Of Becoming' set in 2006 which was phenomenal, but they also haven't done anything of note for me since Gothic Kabbalah in 2007. I'm eternally grateful to both bands for the joy they gave me through my thirties, but either they are treading water, I've lost the excitement of it all now... a bit of both, I suspect.
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Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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MikeEnRegalia
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 06:36 |
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^ Gothic Kabbalah is still the only awesome Therion release IMHO
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Jared
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 06:43 |
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^^ no, I do seem to remember they were neither your nor Jody's bag!
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Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson
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IncogNeato
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 06:53 |
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I was a monster DT fan and had bought everything up through BCaSL...but even then, I thought that album was boring. Then it started to sink in to me that largely everything in the Rudess era, save maybe SFAM, did not connect with me at all. It all came across like "by the numbers" and samey.
I barely heard anything w/ Mangini and what I heard did nothing for me. This does nothing for me. Sounds like a band playing what they think DT sounds like.
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moshkito
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 09:06 |
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Hi,
Not sure what we were expecting from this band ... a good band, a nice band ... but I don't know that I would consider them a great band ... some nice stuff and music, but now, 20+ years later, it feels like a repeat and Mike's return to the banging on the drums, did not make it any better ... and at this point, after 2 songs, I will continue to think that ... nothing special here ... just nice stuff, and nothing new. Someone mentioned Jordan above ... and in this one piece, he is non-existant at all ... a band that supposedly has great musicians, and their talents are not used ... I'm not sure that makes it a great band, or maybe, this is just pedestrian music ... commercially viable so they can sell enough to keep themselves rich and in good standing above many others ... What else is new?
Edited by moshkito - January 23 2025 at 09:06 |
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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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IncogNeato
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 10:07 |
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Dream Theater has become a product showcase of skill. They can "shred" and are all highly skilled musicians. They're probably capable of something way more creative, but in the corporation of Dream Theater, skills on display pays the bills.
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Catcher10
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 11:28 |
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Portnoy left due to as mentioned, he thought they needed a break to recharge the DT batteries. Unfortunately (or not) he was 100% right. What he did was extremely creative and engaging with Neal Morse, Transatlantic and Flying Colors and then the hard rock metal stuff with Winery Dogs and Metal Allegiance.
When he left that left Petrucci to basically produce and manage the band on his own, with even more involvement from Rudess, hence the major disconnect with me and DT. I'm so done listening to Rudess's playing, very talented but that sound of his and the keyboard/synth w**king has grown long in the tooth. I can listen to Awake, Falling/Infinity and I&W all day long still and fully enjoying Kevin Moore and Derek's playing. That being all said, the new song is fine....Its becoming standard DT music now, a band that wants to sound like DT used to sound. It's too bad in that as they get into the final stage of this bands career, I am not too excited that we will hear anything amazing full of creativity as a final album. I already have this album on preorder and tixs to the Seattle show next month. For me they have dropped many levels from where I used to view them back 20 years ago. It's too bad......
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IncogNeato
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 11:57 |
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100% - They both had personality and mood creation. Jordan is supremely skilled but to my ears has no personality. It's like he programmed an app to play the parts for him. 'Awake' IMO is their pinnacle.
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Catcher10
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 13:52 |
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Just due to A Mind Beside Itself , makes me agree with you. Throw in Scarred and Space Dye Vest and that seals the deal for me... |
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Hrychu
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 13:59 |
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Huh. Just like with Night Terrors, the song wasn't super exciting to me... until the keyboard driven breakdown section kicked in (around 4:40 timestamp). Those breakdowns are such gold nuggets.
Edited by Hrychu - January 23 2025 at 14:00 |
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MikeEnRegalia
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 15:19 |
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^ I just think it's a boring song, and I can sense no excitement or passion in them playing it.
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richardh
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Posted: January 23 2025 at 23:03 |
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Well there is something to be said for a band that can actually go on stage and play the stuff. AI and software/ drum programming is become all the more obvious in prog metal with 'drummers' being able to play death defying and impossible fills and grooves like it's easy peasy. DT are mainly a technical metal band but they can play 'prog' as well and for the most part have quite a varied catalogue to call on. There were never going out on a limb with this. They are not alienating their core fan base which is mostly (from a distance) more a 'metal' crowd than a 'prog' crowd it would seem to me and the fact they make money is not really an issue as they are only one of a handful of prog(ish) bands that manage to do that. Anyway I liked A Broken Man less so Night Terror but will give this a listen today.
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MikeEnRegalia wrote: