Dream Theater

[Moose Knight]

Probably the best band in the world. "Train of Thought," their later release, while not the gretest, still shows that a band from the eighties can put out solid stuff.

Anyone else like this band? If so, what's your favorite album/song?

[Skogs]

Dream Theater make me laugh. They're so unashamedly pretentious. Kind of like Symphony X, but significantly more musically adept. Tool is the only prog-metal band that I like because they don't rely on fast synth and finger-tapping to wow their fans.

[Erdrick Holmes]

Dream theater =awesome. They're so awesome they don't even need a lead singer.

[Moose Knight]

Originally posted by Skogs
Dream Theater make me laugh. They're so unashamedly pretentious. Kind of like Symphony X, but significantly more musically adept. Tool is the only prog-metal band that I like because they don't rely on fast synth and finger-tapping to wow their fans.

Umm...DT never fingertaps, and they use about as much synth/electronic effects as Tool does, so your post doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Unless you're talking about Symphony X, but what's wrong with fingertapping anyway? Van Halen did it, so does that mean that the technique is restricted from anyone else using it? Because you're not making any sense in your denunciation of one of the most talented bands ever in favor of something that is, at best, satisfactory.

And what's wrong with a band being pretentious anyway? If Dream Theater says that its better than everyone else (which they don't), it wouldn't matter anyway, because I've never heard of a more talented band.

[The Man]

I like 'em. Awake is probably my favourite release of theirs, but most of their stuff's good.

[Moose Knight]

Originally posted by The Man
I like 'em. Awake is probably my favourite release of theirs, but most of their stuff's good.

yeah, Awake is a pretty good cd, probably my second favorite. "6:00" alone makes the cd worth it.

[Lindy]

They're pretentious, but talented enough to be so.

I don't like them that much though.

I'm quite happy with four chords, no wait, three, I'm lucky if I get a song with four chords.

[The Man]

Originally posted by Moose Knight
yeah, Awake is a pretty good cd, probably my second favorite. "6:00" alone makes the cd worth it. What's your favourite then? And yeah, "6:00" is ace; other standouts for me include "Caught in a Web," "Lie," "Erotomania," "Space-Dye Vest" and "Scarred." Actually come to think of it the whole album is practically a standout.

My second favourite is probably A Change of Seasons, and then either Images and Words or Scenes from a Memory.

[Skogs]

Originally posted by Moose Knight
Umm...DT never fingertaps, and they use about as much synth/electronic effects as Tool does, so your post doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The solo from Blind Faith sounds finger tapped in some places to me. And Tool uses electronic effects, yes. Hardly any synth, though. Personally I really don't like synth much, even when Pink Floyd used it, but that's just my personal bugbear.


Unless you're talking about Symphony X, but what's wrong with fingertapping anyway? Van Halen did it, so does that mean that the technique is restricted from anyone else using it? Because you're not making any sense in your denunciation of one of the most talented bands ever in favor of something that is, at best, satisfactory.

And what's wrong with a band being pretentious anyway? If Dream Theater says that its better than everyone else (which they don't), it wouldn't matter anyway, because I've never heard of a more talented band.

I always get the impression with bands like Dream Theater that their music is a vehicle for them to show how technically adept they are at their instruments. The don't seem to know the power of understatement. I prefer bands that aim to write good music, good songs, and don't feel the need to produce the full range of their ability at every opportunity. That's just my opinion, though. I'm not saying it's the only opinion. :p

[Moose Knight]

Originally posted by The Man
What's your favourite then? And yeah, "6:00" is ace; other standouts for me include "Caught in a Web," "Lie," "Erotomania," "Space-Dye Vest" and "Scarred." Actually come to think of it the whole album is practically a standout.

My second favourite is probably A Change of Seasons, and then either Images and Words or Scenes from a Memory.

My absolute favorite is Images and Words. It has three immortally great songs (Metropolis, Learning to Live, Pull Me under), and the rest being great as well.

I've always wanted to hear Change of Seasons (never been able to find it though). I have heard the high-quality cover of 'Achilles Last Stand' on it.

Scenes from a memory is pretty good, I agree, but there are a few songs I don't think to much of on it (Regression and Through my words). Still, the album flows very well (I love the transition from 1928 to Strange Deja Vu).

Also, if you've heard them, The Man, what do you think of the DT side project, Liquid Tension Expreiment?

[The Man]

They're on my list of bands to check out eventually. I'll probably like them because they're reputed to be twice as pretentious as DT though :p

[Moose Knight]

Originally posted by The Man
They're on my list of bands to check out eventually. I'll probably like them because they're reputed to be twice as pretentious as DT though :p

LTE is definitely a show-off band, even more so than DT. They have more insane keyboard/guitar solos and even more sporadic time changes. If you like that stuff, give them a whirl.

[Rage]

They're great musicians...



...but frankly, their music is boring.

[Skogs]

Originally posted by Rage
They're great musicians...



...but frankly, their music is boring.

I agree. They should go back to being session musicians. Nothing shameful in that! :p But yeah, give me substance over style any day. Style's only good if you've got the tunes to back it up.

[Chzn8r]

Hell yes!!! Looks like I showed up here at the right time. A Dream Theater thread! :cool:

I'd like to add my sentiments (note this wasn't written specifically for this thread, but I've used it for a few recent DT topics I've posted in on forums):

Huge Dream Theater fan here! I'm the 8th highest poster on the DT.net forums (heh... I'm a bit obsessed).

I really detest it when people say that Dream Theater's music is just emotionally vacuuous musical masteurbation, or whatever the criticizers like to call it. I respect people if they say they don't like Dream Theater because they don't like long songs, don't enjoy metal, don't enjoy James LaBrie's voice, etc... those are all fine reasons not to like Dream Theater. But to put them at the level of just... robots programmed to do music, or pretensious arogant musicians determined to be the best and make people look up to them... that's just wrong.

I am of the opinion that Dream Theater's expert musicianship is equally matched by... their amazing songwriting talent! Their ability to consitently write 10+ minute songs that are so catchy and enjoyable they feel like average short length songs! I love their style of connecting riffs and melodies together and always keeping songs fresh and creative to keep it interesting, and make repeated listens really worthwhile. And that's just their instrumental ability... then we have the lyrics.

Now, I will say, the lyrics on the latest album Train of Thought aren't as great as DT's normally are (these are more straightforward and emotional, versus the deeper and more thoughtful lryics they usually write), but on the whole, the bandmembers are damn good lyricists. They always seem to find a good topic for the songs they right, it's as though the music was made for the lyrics (if you didn't know, DT has written all music before lyrics for the last 3 albums, since Jordan came in). And with James' great vocal training, not only can he find amazing ways to improve the vocal melodies of the lyrics he's singing to align or contrast with the music (whichever provides better effect), but he can sure belt out the words! And he doesn't just belt out, either. His slow, smooth singing is actually some of my favorite, and he shines there. I like him to have a health mix of both styles in songs. He's one of my favorite singers, though I suppose sometimes when he gets into his more "sinister" voice, or up in the high registers, some people might not enjoy it. But I love it. And just to note- he has been training his voice a LOT in the last year. For the DT/QR/FW summer tour, for Train of Thought, for Frameshift, and especially for this tour (nothing but good word so far!). He just seems to get better.

Anyways, I simply believe that musically, Dream Theater is the tightest band in the (or at least in my) world right now.

A few extra things...

My favorite Dream Theater album: Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Their longest, most musically diverse, and IMO most epic.

My favorite Dream Theater song: A Change of Seasons. How could it not be? This defines a perfect whole-band performance. The whole song is tight, I wouldn't shorten it at all (unlike, say, Rush's 2112). My second favorite list is really damn long... a lot of their songs just astound me, after hundreds of listens. Learning to Live, Voices, Scarred, Lines in the Sand, Fatal Tragedy, The Glass Prison, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence.

Favorite instrumental: The new one, Stream of Consciousness! Some of Dream Theater's best riffs ever, plenty of addictive parts that make me want to keep repeating it! Close second- Erotomania.

Anyways... yeah, so I got into the world of prog/metal music through Dream Theater, and I thank them for my music life right now! Dream Theater forever!!!