Dream Theater's new disc?

[sixxswine]

While in my friend's record store I had the New disc in my hand. I was about to buy it.
I heard from three people that "this disc is THE disc of 2003." Since they weren't really "metal" fans I passed. So I came to place where I can get some REAL opinons.
Is this disc the shit or what?!

 

[MRNot]

While in my friend's record store I had the New disc in my hand. I was about to buy it.
I heard from three people that "this disc is THE disc of 2003." Since they weren't really "metal" fans I passed. So I came to place where I can get some REAL opinons.
Is this disc the shit or what?!

Without a familiarity with your personal ideas about DT, it's tough to comment, but let me try to give you my lowdown and perhaps you can extrapolate.. I'm a bigger fan of AWAKE & SCENES than I am of IMAGES & WORDS (though I like pretty much all of DTs stuff, with the possible exception of 6 DEGREES..). This one is heavier than their previous stuff, and song for song much more enjoyablee than 6 DEGREES. From a few cursory listens, the guitar solos are a bit cold and widdly-diddly, but James sounds good and the production is pleasing. If you like DT, and understand that progressive music progresses, you shouldn't be afraid of this disc.

 

[MrMajs]

I really like it! Its almost a masterpiece

 

[sixxswine]

No shit that good? Heavier is better. There were selected tracks that I enjoyed from their previous stuff. I guess I will give it a shot, then. Thanks for the help.

 

[MRNot]

No shit that good? Heavier is better. There were selected tracks that I enjoyed from their previous stuff. I guess I will give it a shot, then. Thanks for the help.

I'd recommend cautious optimism, but I stress the optimism part..

 

[Eternal_Decadent]

i like it very much , but i like 6 degrees more . Of course it's heavier & darker.

 

[sixxswine]

I have been reading online reviews on this disc & there's not a bad review on it yet. Most are 9.0-9.5 out of 10.

 

[Psychonaut]

I'm not a fan but I've been reading some excellent stuff on this disc. The drawn-out solos tear so much away from the songs themselves. I know Bryant might steer you towards Vanden Plas to avoid that. Anyway, after Awake I drifted...

 

[sixxswine]

Vanden Plas?! Never heard of them. I too after Awake, lost interest in the band. I have however, heard some great tracks off various records since that time(on the radio).

 

[Psychonaut]

Bryant knows a lot more about Vanden Plas than I do. I heard one song by them and it was really good but I'll be damned if I know the name of it or what album it was off of. It was a ballad and had a lot of cello work in it.

 

[sixxswine]

Cello? How about that shit?!

 

[MRNot]

Vanden Plas?! Never heard of them...

I *HIGHLY* recommend THE GOD THING (1997?), BEYOND DAYLIGHT (2002?) and FAR OFF GRACE (2000? produced by Dennis Ward of PC69). This is a great progressive metal band, indeed.. The song with cello may or may not have come from the semi-acoustic/unplugged release, ACCULT.

 

[[0hr]Sunlapse]

It's awesome! Definately DT's best, they finally dropped all their "wimpy" aspects....

 

[TheGraveDigger]

Great disc. Easily my favorite Dream theater album yet and before this one Awake and Images and Words were my two favorites. Very heavy. Some of the guitar work will make you shake your head and say what the bloody fuck! Too amazing.

 

[sixxswine]

As TVF would say, I'm getting a "Chubby."

 

[sixxswine]

This disc is fantastic. I picked it up on Weds. after getting some shopping for the holiday done. I would put this one up there with Metallica's Master of Puppets. Not in heaviness, but in the "epic" that it is.

 

[tedvanfrehley]

ok now I'M poppin' a chubby! I gotta track this disc down! Incidentally, who knew that poppin' chubbies would become such a favored pastime?!?!
It's just fun to say, afterall.

Poppin' a chubby
Ted

 

[Psychonaut]

I *HIGHLY* recommend THE GOD THING (1997?), BEYOND DAYLIGHT (2002?) and FAR OFF GRACE (2000? produced by Dennis Ward of PC69). This is a great progressive metal band, indeed.. The song with cello may or may not have come from the semi-acoustic/unplugged release, ACCULT.

"Days Of Thunder" was the song and it was on Accult! Thanks!

 

[Wyvern]

I'm a huge Dt fan, I have all their albums and most of the side projects of band members, past and present.

I don't want to hurt anyone's feeling but sincerely IMO is the worst DT album. Heavy is good, but this ain't good heaviness is "mallcore type". For starters songs 2 and 4 are terrible to my taste. A mix of the worst of Metallica and Iron Maiden in the 2 and some rap in the 4.
The rest are acceptable, being the instrumental "Stream Of Consciousness" and "Vacant" the best, but not the prime for the band that created "Image And Words" or "Metropolis pt.2: Scenes Of A Memory".

I'm very dissapointed with the band 2003 effort and I sincerely hope this is a very experimental passing phase (like "Chameleon" was with Helloween), otherwise if they are following Metallica path...I'm getting a divorce.

 

[Bryant]

Bryant knows a lot more about Vanden Plas than I do. I heard one song by them and it was really good but I'll be damned if I know the name of it or what album it was off of. It was a ballad and had a lot of cello work in it.

Yeah Vanden Plas rules the prog-metal world in my ears. The problem with Dream Theater is that they change rythms and chord progressions so often that unless you "work your way" up to their style, you probably won't like it. There is not much "song flow" in their last few releases and it is easy to get distracted. Vanden Plas is labelled a prog-metal band and that's not unfair as I am a prog fan, but they are really more of a melodic metal band with prog touches. If you want to try out a prog band, go with Dream Theater's "images and Words," Fates Warning's "Paralells" or my personal favorite, Vanden Plas "Beyond Daylight." If you don't like keyboards, especially get the Vanden Plas BD. Their kb player, Gunter Werno will change your mind about keyboards. He is to keyboards what EVH/Yngwie....(insert famous guitar player).... is to guitar.

Bryant