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WaywardSon 
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 2537
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 Topic: DT and SA
Posted: June 19 2006 at 20:50 |
I remember when I first heard Metropolis off Images and Words, I was completely blown away by their technical way of playing. There seemed to be so much happening.
Now I´m getting that same feeling with Spiral Architect. The first time I heard them I thought "WTF is this!!" Now, having downloaded a few songs of theirs, my next step is to get their album. These guys make DT seem quite calm and I dare say, rather simple in comparison.
What are your thoughts on this band?
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WaywardSon
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 2537
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 21:02 |
Here is their site http://www.spiralarchitect.com/
Edited by RycheMan - June 19 2006 at 21:03
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Barla
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 13 2006
Location: Argentina
Status: Offline
Points: 4309
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 21:05 |
True !! Metropolis pt. 1 is amazing and the very first song I've heard of DT !!
But I have to check out Spiral Architect. Thanks.
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BePinkTheater
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 01 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 1381
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 21:29 |
Dream theater is an amazing gateway band. They got me into prog, as they got many many other's. Or they got prog guys into prog metal. But once you're in the genre, you really find nothing but better bands. They are still one of my favourites, but there are jsut SOOO many bands that are better.
That being said, Metropolis pt.1 pwns pretty much any prog-metal song... ever.
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I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t.
-Stone Beard
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slowfire85
Forum Groupie
Joined: April 18 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 92
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 21:40 |
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I like the energy SA plays with, and their vocalist is fantastic. Alot of people I played A Sceptic's Universe for like the album but aren't crazy about the bass player being all over the place on most songs. I don't mind it, I actually would have liked to have heard more of Sean Malone's stick on this album as well.
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What is prog rock ?
It is music that does progress. Progressive music takes a riff, turns it inside out, plays it upside down and the other way around, and explores its potential.
K.Emerson
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WaywardSon
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 23 2006
Location: Brazil
Status: Offline
Points: 2537
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 21:43 |
I think the bass player really stands out and that is one of the things I love most about the band.
I really like DT but my only complaint is I can hardly hear Myung´s bass (even when I listen on headphones)
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BePinkTheater
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 01 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 1381
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 21:52 |
^ true...
Unfourtunate aswell, because he is a MONSTER on the bass.
Recently (ToT, L@B ,and 8VM) he has been higher in the mix, so I think they are getting better with it.
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I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t.
-Stone Beard
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dagrush
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 14 2006
Status: Offline
Points: 537
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 22:04 |
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Oddly enough, DT is my favourite band and I think SA are hilariously bad (see my review of the album).
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 28057
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 22:49 |
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Same with me. Technical or not, I think they're just awful to listen to, going from the songs on thier site.
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MusicForSpeedin
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 22 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 613
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 22:56 |
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I don't really like their singer. I like the other stuff but I don't think it compares to DT.
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Moatilliatta
Prog Reviewer
Joined: December 01 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3083
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 23:15 |
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They are really good musicians. Technicality is impeccable, vocalist I could do without, but isn't unbearable. Still, it all comes down to overall compostional value. Dream Theater mix top notch technical skills with thoughtful, memorable, emotional, powerful, etc. songwriting, and that's why they are so good. Spiral Architect can outplay them all they want, but they will never be as worthwhile or memorable.
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Jeff Schu
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 30 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 394
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Posted: June 19 2006 at 23:52 |
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^is it really true though that Spiral Architect took 7 years to complete their first album. I've never really listened to them before though.
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AtLossForWords
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 11 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 6699
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 00:15 |
I like Spiral Archictect, but I believe DT has an edge over them not in technical but musical ability.
Dream Theater doesn't play the absolute most technical metal on the planet, but the chordal harmony is something I find really interesting.
I'm not speaking about as much harmony between instruments, but within single instruments.
John Myung isn't always playing roots of chords, he's doing modal things and also setting up things like fifth of fifth chords, Neopolitian chords, and etc.
As for Petrucci and Rudess, these guys rarely do simple triad chords. There is usually some musical device resulting in destabalizing the chord for a more interesting sound. Trial of Tears is some great chordal work by Petrucci and Finally Free is a good showcase of Rudess' chordal abilities.
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"Mastodon sucks giant monkey balls."
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Equality 7-2521
Forum Senior Member
Joined: August 11 2005
Location: Philly
Status: Offline
Points: 15784
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 00:31 |
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I think SA's album is excellent. I especially like the wild almost improvised sounding bass lines. I think they really lack something in terms of emotion which makes me not pick up the album that much but still a great listen.
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"One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. "
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riversdancing
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 31 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 143
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 02:12 |
 dagrush wrote:
Oddly enough, DT is my favourite band and I think SA are hilariously bad (see my review of the album).
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Spiral Architect is (was) only a project founded by well-known norwegian black/heavy metal musicians to grafity their passion. An album of self-indulgence. This is what technical metal is about: "guys, let us show our technical skills to the world". I really love these albums: Watchtower, Spastic Ink, Mekong Delta, Canvas Solaris,... At least they do not release triple dvd collections and unlistenable fanclub-semi-official-bootleg-cash-cd-money-mikeportnoyisthebest stuffs in every year.
I'm not a DT hater, moreover, I used to be a DT fan, but not anymore.
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Bryan
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 01 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 3013
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 02:17 |
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SA's album is one of the most unique and astonshingly technical metal albums I've ever heard, I'd take it over anything DT has released in a split second.
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transend
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 876
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 04:01 |
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Much as I like DT and their technical abilities, this thread points out yet again a problem to me about DT that hasa been there since 'Awake' ...the mixing is CRAP. We can rarely hear John Myung and alot of what Rudess does is really quiet. I know MP & JP love Kevin Shirley, but he mixes like a 8 yr old who loves the sound of the inside of boxes....I just wish for once that a DT CD could have a 'crystal clear' mix so that ALL the instruments could be clearly heard!!!
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Bj-1
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: June 04 2005
Location: No(r)Way
Status: Offline
Points: 31627
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 09:27 |
SA clearly has a Watchtower influence in their music. I have heard a couple of songs from them and I have "Control & Resistance" with Watchtower. Both extremely technical and complex.
If you like SA, check out Extol's "Synergy" - which is equally as complex as "A Sceptics Universe".
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RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
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JayDee
Forum Senior Member
VIP Member
Joined: September 07 2005
Location: Elysian Fields
Status: Offline
Points: 10063
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Posted: June 20 2006 at 09:44 |
Technical is usually the magic word for me when it comes to music, as I enjoy Spiral Architect, Canvas Solaris, Meshuggah, Ephel Duath, Spastic Ink etc. etc.
Theres one problem:
Most tech bands sacrifice melody.
or is it just me?
I choose DT over SA, but both are very very good!
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DT and SA
