Competition for Dream Theater?
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Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28421
Printed Date: February 12 2025 at 00:42
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Topic: Competition for Dream Theater?
Posted By: WaywardSon
Subject: Competition for Dream Theater?
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 18:11
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Who do you feel are on a close, or on the same level as Dream Theater, as far as musical technicallity is concerned? (only Progressive metal bands please)
I would say Spiral Architect, Symphony X, and this band...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW14rP2mEa8 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW14rP2mEa8
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Replies:
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 18:18
^ I don't know ... the video shows two musicians pulling off some "stunts" on their instruments. They're great, but not "otherworldly" ... an adjective which I would apply to the "Instrumedley" on the Live at Budokan DVD. BTW: As far as guitarist/bassist interplay is concerned, my vote goes to: Steve Vai + Billy Sheehan (The "Dynamic Duo"). ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa/aotm-2025-1/vote" rel="nofollow - 2025 Monthly Release Poll Listened to: 
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Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 18:38
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Hmmm, I just thought I would unleash a wolf amongst the chickens! |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 18:46
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^ add to that: Tony MacAlpine. There are some truly awesome moments on the Steve Vai: Live at the Astoria DVD when Vai, Sheehan, MacAlpine and Weiner play together, all of them tapping away at breakneck speed. Add to that Virgil Donati on drums ...
------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa/aotm-2025-1/vote" rel="nofollow - 2025 Monthly Release Poll Listened to:
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Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 19:24
OK Mike, but lets get back to Progressive metal bands..
Planet X maybe?
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Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 20:12
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Meshuggah and Cynic maybe. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: BePinkTheater
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 21:47
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PLanet X and Symphony X are far better than DT.
though i love all of them ------------- 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 |
Posted By: AtLossForWords
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 22:43
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There is no band that can compete with Dream Theater when we're talking about the shear musical ability of a band. Pain of Salvation can make a comparable album, but when it comes to just making songs, Dream Theater is in a class all by themselves. If I had to choose any bands that challenge Dream Theater. Andromeda, Zero Hour, and Pagan's Mind are possibilities, but they just aren't on the same level as Dream Theater. -------------  
"Mastodon sucks giant monkey balls." |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 22:46
I'd have to say that saying PoS doesn't make comperable songs is boardering on crazy talk, my friend. Indeed the albums are all very cohesive, but dammit if The Perfect Element isn't a better song than 75% of all of DT's output. You know how much I love DT, but PoS is right up there too.  ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
AtLossForWords wrote:Posted By: OpethGuitarist
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 22:57
you really havent explored too deep have you Vincent Watchtower/Spastic Ink, Spiral Architect both these bands do more "complex" things than Dream Theater ------------- back from the dead, i will begin posting reviews again and musing through the forums |
Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 23:21
But they're emotionless, dull and boring - at least to me. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: AtLossForWords
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 23:22
Watchertower and Spiral Architect may be more complex, but there is the whole entertainment factor too. I just feel like the "chemistry" that Dream Theater has fails to find it's way into other bands. It's just the way Dream Theater harmonizes and grooves. There's this huge chord sound, but there's movement with it that other bands just don't have. It's the interplay between instruments in Dream Theater that makes them such an interesting band. -------------
"Mastodon sucks giant monkey balls." |
Posted By: SolariS
Date Posted: September 10 2006 at 23:25
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Dragonforce  -------------  
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Posted By: OpethGuitarist
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 01:07
i wasn't implying that they weren't dull or boring, I thought the point was technical complexity? or not? ------------- back from the dead, i will begin posting reviews again and musing through the forums |
Posted By: OpethGuitarist
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 01:09
that may all be, but I thought the original post was aimed at overal technicality, not on their ability to write or not write a good groove. I'll be the first to say that at least in Spiral Architect's case, they are very poor songwriters, but the topic wasn't about that. In terms of overall feel, yes, PoS is probably the closest to DT, but the topic wasn't about that, at least not to my knowledge. ------------- back from the dead, i will begin posting reviews again and musing through the forums |
Posted By: OpethGuitarist
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 01:11
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btw as for the YouTube video Kiko isn't the fastest and he's also not very precise, not to mention he's boring as hell. ------------- back from the dead, i will begin posting reviews again and musing through the forums |
Posted By: Drew
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 01:14
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Honestly? No one. ------------- |
Posted By: BePinkTheater
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 01:25
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Gentle Giant.
See these video's for reference
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmqLXYa26os - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmqLXYa26os
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPN7okQwdRk&mode=related&search - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPN7okQwdRk&mode=related&search = ------------- 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 |
Posted By: Reverie
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 02:01
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Pain of Salvation i would say are classier than Dream Theater. Not only are they underrated when it comes to technical ability, but their song writing FAR surpasses DT. Gildenlow has an uncanny ability to create songs that please both aesthetically and emotionally. His arranging is fantastic, and the textures he uses... well you get my point. Dream Theater may have PoS beat in the ability department, but PoS still have some seriously nice chops, and i'm sure they could be a lot flashier if they wanted to be.
If we're talking musical technicality, there are quite a few bands that can stand right next to DT, and above. I know it's not prog metal, but Necrophagist are a band made up of freaks. They're all insanely good at their instruments. Cynic, again, are freaks. Reinert has Portnoy beat if you ask me, and Malone may very well have Myung beat, although that's harder to tell. Petrucci is a monster, but the Cynic guitarists are amazingly good as well. I might give this one to Petrucci. Vocals, well that's kinda void, and there is no keyboardist really. There are keys, but they're not a feature. And as others have mentioned - Symphony X, Spiral Architect, Meshuggah, Planet X, Spastic Ink, Watchtower. |
Posted By: toolis
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 02:26
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i think Fate's "A Pleasant Shade..." set new higher standards in the prog metal discography... ------------- -music is like pornography... sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more... -sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue... |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 06:18
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EXTROVERT!!!!!!!!!
Great Russian Prog-Metal band.They're even better than DT,despite the likeness in some aspects.They're not clones,but pretty close...Check their "Awakening the Ocean" 2005 - I ain't a fan of traditional Prog-Metal,but this album kicks a lot of a$$e$ !!! It's a shame that they're still not here!!! |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 07:36
| As I explore more prog metal, I've still not come across a band that beats DT for me personally. Maybe Symphony X or Opeth comes close. |
Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 09:50
No one is saying he is the fastest, but he is very precise (Listen to his solo album)
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Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 09:59
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I think Meshuggah blows all other ProgMetal I've heard out on the water. I don't care if they doesn't have "emotion" etc. I just think their music is better. DT and SX both comes close behind though. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: BePinkTheater
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 10:18
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See I've never been able to 'get' Meshuggah.
I really don't see the technicallity in there. i just hear really raw and gross chords going over and over with growling vocals...
Maybe I'll see it one day, but not today. ------------- 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 |
Posted By: slowfire85
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 10:39
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Psychotic waltz is a great tech/psych metal band with great vocals. They generally are considered to be as good as watchtower/fates warning, but to me their vocalist blows them all away. Anyone who can sit through 60+ minutes of spastik inc. and not want to dunk their head under water is a brave person. Meshuggah is great but a little to repetitive to be up their with the best. ------------- 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 |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 10:48
Same here. What samples I've heard on their PA page left me cold. I might try an album by them in the future, but probably not any time soon. What's odd is that the Pain of Salvation album I just purchased didn't do anything for me either, and this band is supposed to be on the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. Go figure. |
Posted By: Yito
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 11:10
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The skills of Dream Theater is very hard to reach, but not imposible; but the composition level of DT is almost imposible to reach.
-sorry for my bad english- ------------- Psalm 96 1 Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. |
Posted By: Asphalt
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 14:15
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well, not to blow yer candle there, but DT aren't alone, neither on the composition level, nor on the techincality one; and while we're at it, their last two studio outputs haven't quite been up to the level as mentioned, bands like Pain Of Salvation or Psychotic Waltz hava had a far more constant streak of good albums with outsanding output of techincal skill [without standing in the way of their songwriting ]; not to mention bands such as Arcturus, Sieges Even, Sleepytime Gorrila Museum or SikTh, or recent outputs such as Beyond Twilight's For The Love... p.s.: this is coming from a guy who's no 2 all time favourite albums is DT's Metropolis SFAM |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 14:40
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^ all the bands that you mention (except maybe for Arcturus) are on a stellar level of musicianship and compositional skill, so it seems kind of silly to me to talk about them like a few of them totally suck, and a few others are totally ahead of the rest. I guess that we sometimes forget that musicians make their music not just to "show off" ... they don't need to prove that they can play, it's plain to see. Sometimes less is more, and - to quote Devin Townsend - "Life is all dynamics", and so is music. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa/aotm-2025-1/vote" rel="nofollow - 2025 Monthly Release Poll Listened to:
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Posted By: Trickster F.
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 15:11
Stole my response. ------------- sig |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 15:15
Which album by PoS do you have? ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 15:17
Remedy Lane. Edit: It still hasn't had enough plays for me to really give it fair judgement, but it certainly didn't grab me at all immediately. |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 15:20
 ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 15:22
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Don't cry stoney, I'll try harder, I promise.
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 16:00
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^You should try The Perfect Element (they have about 20-30 minutes of it up for free download on their website), and I think they pretty much match DT technically in most aspects on that album as well.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Benjamin_Breeg
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 16:22
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In my opinion Angra is the only band that can close Dream Theater technically speaking.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Dream_Thief_/?chartstyle=Geldropdown2"> 
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Posted By: patomtz
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 16:52
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what about Ice Age, or lemur voice...
Spherical Universe Experience, is a band that totally blows DT, with their debut album Mental Torments, I really dont know why they are not on the archives... Ive asked many times to add them, but nobody answers! ------------- I still can't get how Dream Theater music is created by humans Dream Theater in Monterrey, Mexico 03.03.06 Unforgettable 
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Posted By: OpethGuitarist
Date Posted: September 11 2006 at 17:39
attempt to play Meshuggah (drums/guitars) and you will understand the drumming is near impossible to get down correctly on some songs ------------- back from the dead, i will begin posting reviews again and musing through the forums |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 16:36
| Pain of Salvation. |
Posted By: Chronicles
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 17:05
I was gonna say Lemur Voice aswell. Good Band.
There has been many worthy mentions here, like Planet X and Symphony X, both great.
I've never heard Spherical Universe Experience before, and sadly haven't been able to find anything with them
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 17:36
why only prog metal bands, Wayward Son? -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 17:58
| It can be music from other genres too BaldJean (on a technical level) |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 18:19
then my answer is defnitely Gong. best drummer, best flute and sax-player, excellent guitarists (both Hillage and Holdsworth, though they are not my favorites when it comes to guitar) and excellent bass player too. and the tuned percussion of the Pierre Moerlen's Gong aera is unsurpassed ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: SolariS
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 18:34
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Watch this video, it's cool/funny/impressive/over the top. But this was my answer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6PhyWn99XA&mode=related&search= - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6PhyWn99XA&mode=related&search= -------------
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Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 18:35
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I have a friend who is a Holdsworth fanatic, he is definitely an excellent guitarist.
Actually I read that one run up his fretboard(I think it´s on the song Devil has the hind quarter, or something like that) is supposed to be the fastest ever.
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 19:04
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I've always found Symphony X to be a better, rythymically, version of DT, but with a symphony.
the 2 bands should trade guitarists for an album...  ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: September 25 2006 at 19:17
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Blink 182 can beat Dream Theater any day, it's just no one knows it ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: Tristan Mulders
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 13:29
OMG that's exactly the type of thing that I dislike about this type of music.. the showing off... the bassguitar soloing doesn't even sound nice in my opinion  ------------- Interested in my reviews? You can find them http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=784 - HERE "...He will search until He's found a Way to take the Days..." |
Posted By: kashedguy
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 13:55
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Angra's album; Temple of Shadows puts on quite a spectacle and is very technical, precise and just all around good.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/kashedguy/?chartstyle=OpethMR"> 
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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 14:08
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Unquestionable Presence by Atheist... Amazing musicianship.
I also prefer Symphony X to Dream Theater. Rudess may be better than Pinella (honestly, besides Derek Sherinian, very few come close to Rudess), but the rest of the band is as competent as any DT member. ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: WaywardSon
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 17:42
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@ kayshedguy, You described Temple of Shadows perfectly.
@ Melomaniac, sure you will like this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZgp8O8-QD4&mode=related&search=Queensryche%20Operation%20Livecrime%20Mindcrime%20The%20Needle%20Lies%20Heavy%20Metal%20Prog - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZgp8O8-QD4&mode=related&search=Queensryche%20Operation%20Livecrime%20Mindcrime%20The%20Needle%20Lies%20Heavy%20Metal%20Prog
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Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 19:27
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hahaha, did that band just started to play the Number of the beast???... a, that Angra right? ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: SolariS
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 20:50
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Dragonforce hair = more extreme guitar tricks = more extreme lyrics = more extreme guitar battle at 3:22 sec = more extreme http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6PhyWn99XA&mode=related&search= - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6PhyWn99XA&mode=related&search= -------------
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Posted By: Hierophant
Date Posted: September 26 2006 at 23:02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5benF9RsytQ ------------- 
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Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: September 27 2006 at 14:21
Thanks ! Man can that guy play... Can't wait for the new album... ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: sean
Date Posted: September 27 2006 at 22:22
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i don't think anyone surpasses dt
if anyone were to come close it would probably be symphony x or dragonforce
i don't know if they're progressive, but sonata arctica as well
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Posted By: Pseud0
Date Posted: September 27 2006 at 23:16
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wow this band is awful
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 28 2006 at 13:02
Listened to it today for the first time. Great album. Fireworks is another album of theirs that i enjoy a lot.
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Posted By: Asyte2c00
Date Posted: September 28 2006 at 19:21
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Watch Out
Mindflow is inundating the Turbulent Seas of Progressive Speed Metal.
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Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: September 28 2006 at 20:14
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no band comes close to DT, cause if they did, there'd be 19847321647 polls about the band ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: acheron
Date Posted: September 29 2006 at 09:57
| hey AtLossForWords whose that hottie in your profile? |