New DREAM THEATER

[psycle_1]

I think mix-wise they brought up certain instruments when the songs called for it rather than having everything fighting in the mix. Personally, I think they did a great job in the mix, and it's good to not hear the drums overbearing in the mix for once...

Album thoughts - I think it's a step back to their roots, although I don't really care for 2 of the tracks not having any drums whatsoever, making them sound too ballady. Just a minor nitpick though... Overall it's great.

 

[RemoWilliams]

I do see some of the old stuff in it, but it´s not like an Images and Words II for me, in fact I wouldn´t like that album. I do really like these samples, I think even more than the first full track they released so I have high hopes. But I don´t think I´ve disliked any DT album so far so who am I to say?

+ 1. Can't say I've meet a Dream Theater album I don't like. I really enjoy what I'm hearing and can re-listen with ease.

 

[Charlie E.]

I'm on the Dream Theater Youtube page and on the right hand side where you can see the videos under favourites a title is cut off as "DREAM THEATER - A Dramatic Turn Of" Naturally I read it as "off"

 

[storming heaven]

I'm just listening to the teasers on laptop speakers, what exactly is wrong with it? Sounds good to me

The drums are too buried in the mix, guitars have too much low-mids and I can barely hear the bass in some songs. I don't have a perfect monitoring system, but when I compare this to other bands' albums, or even DT's own catalogue, it sounds weak imo.

 

[crillemannen]

^

Agree. I hope for the music to be good, but the mix isn't that good.

 

[diafebus]

I can say the same to the mixes… DT never sounded so great compared to other bands... but about the music of the new album, I'm getting bored when I listen the new stuff... and it doesn't awakes any interest on me… btw we'll have to wait to listen the full album and see what they did... I have no rush for dream theater than I have for other bands, I've lost all my expectations since they released systematic chaos.

Good Luck! and Have F*ck

hahahah

(I'm actually really loving the new stuff of textures!!! everybody must listen those new songs!!)

 

[aramism]

jeez whats up with the drums?

 

[tfrel]

People have to realize they're not going to write the next Images and Words, Awake or Scenes from a Memory.


That happened many years ago, and it's done. Get over it.

Musicians need to progress and change or things sound forced.


I think this sounds awesome.
The mix sounds a little raw, but I actually like it.

 

[DanLights]

People have to realize they're not going to write the next Images and Words, Awake or Scenes from a Memory.


That happened many years ago, and it's done. Get over it.

Musicians need to progress and change or things sound forced.


I think this sounds awesome.
The mix sounds a little raw, but I actually like it.

I get your point, but it is some people´s hypothesis they actually went and DID Images and Words 2. Interesting, to say the least, I have to say Lost not forgotten and Backs of angels really fit.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150771825130184

 

[Keregioz]

People have to realize they're not going to write the next Images and Words, Awake or Scenes from a Memory.

I agree with this, they can totally write an excellent album that it's not like the ones you mentioned musically but they are just as good quality wise....like, for example, "six degrees..." and "train of thought". Everything after that doesn't come close to that level of quality.

 

[crillemannen]

I agree with this, they can totally write an excellent album that it's not like the ones you mentioned musically but they are just as good quality wise....like, for example, "six degrees..." and "train of thought". Everything after that doesn't come close to that level of quality.

Totally agree.

Siegrees is actually my favorite album. Of course i like their other top albums.
Traing of thought is the first album Labrie sounds weak and was a let down because of that. In the name of God would have rocked so freakin bad if the vocals where top notch.

But with octavarium they have been a bit on repeat. You hear the same chord progressions etc.

btw.. Labrie is the only reason why they have degraded musically. I think Petrucci and company have to adjust the vocal melodies because of Labries dimineshed range And Labrie is like the biggest inspiration to me, its so sad to see him get so bad..

 

[grywolf627]

My problem with DT isn't their song writing...as such. I could do without the virtuoso noodling stuff. But my main problem stems from two things: Jordan's choice of sounds, many of the times (actually, I'm just not a big fan of Jordan all together)...and foremost...the atrocious production values. When I say I basically want another Images & Words or at the very least another Awake...I'm referring to the production and mix. At the VERY LEAST, give me something as good sounding as James' last solo album! I know everyone has different tastes in production/mixes, but that's just mine. I prefer really polished productions. That's not to say I can't listen to or appreciate their other works. I can find things I like about most of their albums, including this new one, but they will never satisfy me the way Images and Words because it's not a sonic pleasure for me to listen to. That's just me.

 

[Keregioz]

Jordan's choice of sounds

+1 to that. I like some of the stuff Jordan has done, especially in "scenes..." and "six degrees", but at times it's like hearing a 12 year old playing with the sounds of his crappy synth.

 

[Nuno Filipe]

First thought that comes to mind is: WTF? Did he forget to mix the drums?
Can´t believe this comes from Andy wallace.:zombie:
As for the songs I have to hear better the album.

 

[DanLights]

I get your point, but it is some people´s hypothesis they actually went and DID Images and Words 2. Interesting, to say the least, I have to say Lost not forgotten and Backs of angels really fit.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150771825130184

Quoting myself on this, it seems Portnoy found this post and responded to it agreeing with it, and then being a douchebag and a dumbass about it, but that's beyond the point and no surprise anyone who has heard the album can check this out, or if you know IAW really well, just listen to backs of angels, lost not forgotten or breaking all illussions and tell me if they are not structured almost exactly as and with some riffs with very similar melodies/motives with Pull me under, Glass moon and learning to live, respectively

Edit: "This post" means the facebook post by Thiago Campos I linked to, not my post here in the forum

 

[ahjteam]

not liking these

 

[aramism]

best dt mix imo was octavarium. i think its awesome, the drums are never really in front either and kind of on the "backseat" but they are still present because nothing else really gets in the way. everything is very blended and close together. its like a very borderline mono-ish mix. the guitars take up much less space and sound totally natural. the mix is profoundly better actually than the new album.

awake is also awesome there's so much color and space to the mix but it has more of the spacey 80s approach to it with big reverbs and tons of headroom and individual instruments really pushing at your ears. its great in its own way.

octavarium is a pure genius mix as far as a melting pot goes, there is never a time where one instrument towers over another everything is kind of blended and glued together where nothing is super clean or clear but they mesh very well. isolated everything sounds like shit probably but together it works well. it is literally one of the best jobs of putting together a bunch of chaotic sounds ever in music i think. it's that impressive for me call me crazy.


i was REALLY hoping and looking forward to andy wallace topping it and going in that direction btu i was very disappointed because being one of the biggest andy wallace fans ever i had my bar set very high and was very let down. it might not be his fault, i think john petrucci has like overly beefy and too full bodied tone these days. i guess this muscle philosophy has made it into his tone.

the drums on the new album literally sound like they are stock vst/au plug in drums with no sense of space to them and no body and dynamic impact. the kick sounds like shit, the snare sounds like its highpassed at like 1khz, the oh are very sterile. i really have no idea what the hell is going on. the guitars meanwhile are super thick and middy and are like right in front. it almost sounds like john petrucci himself took a crack at mixing the album and thought to himself "hmm i wanna make the guitars so loud that people can learn the parts without having to get tabs or try hard to listen to the guitar parts. and i wanna make sure the drums or bass don't get in the way.")


ps - andy wallace has other albums he's mixed which are top notch that have drums on the more backseat side like lp "meteora" but the guitars still sit better and the bass/drums/drum machines really drive the album. unlike meteora, the new DT has no drive coming from percussive elements.


ps 2 - a lot of it also might be mike mangini and how the shells and cymbals naturally sound and sustain off his hands. he has a much less musical attack and way of hitting the drums. MP had a TOTALLY different type of feel, much more loose and the drums naturally sounded a lot better as far as the tonality and the sustain.

ps 3 - also, there's like no bass anywhere. listen to two "heavy" aw mixes and compare them. linkin park "don't stay" and dream theater "build me up break me down" when the dt kick plays double bass it sounds like a toy hammer hitting sheetrock.

 

[Virgil.]

After listening to the album in it's entirety today, I can honestly say I love it. This is seriously the best thing they've done since 'Scenes...' in my opinion. I think we're all forgetting that music is subjective. Nothing is going to be better than the first few albums from an artist we love.

My wife's first exposure to DT was with Octavarium, and she doesn't like any other album prior to that one. It's just a matter of preference and how we connected and how we felt with a specific album. I thought Octavarium was good, but there weren't any albums of theirs in the last 14 years that really did anything for me. Until now.

No, this isn't I&W 2, but I think the feeling the album has is reminiscent of classic DT from the 90's. It just has that vibe in the songwriting and performing. Is it as good? No, not to me, but this is still a damn good album, and better than their last couple efforts.

As far as the mix is concerned, I don't see why so few like it. If you go back and listen to order DT albums, they all have this sort of raw sound to them. I guess we are all used to Sneap productions with punchy as hell drums, or other productions that are compressed and limited to hell and back.

btw.. Labrie is the only reason why they have degraded musically. I think Petrucci and company have to adjust the vocal melodies because of Labries dimineshed range And Labrie is like the biggest inspiration to me, its so sad to see him get so bad..

Are you serious? Have you not heard Labrie's 'Static Impulse' solo album? I think Labrie's vocals have improved many times over. How can you say something like that, and NOT address the same fact towards Rudess and Petrucci and there incessant meaningless noodling, or uninspired bland riffs? I know vocalists' ranges usually diminish with age, but the same could be said for Halford, Dickinson, Tate, etc. I can't tell if you're being serious or not. But you clearly haven't heard the last couple DT albums if you're just now stating this as your opinion. Labrie's vocals on this new album, and on 'Static Impulse' are breathtakingly amazing. Seriously, wtf.

 

[Mr.Skull]

I'm really enjoying the album musically. I'm so glad that they ditched the modern/aggressive approach that marred their last several releases. This album for the most part captures what DT does best and what makes them unique. It was all downhill after Train of Thought as far as I'm concerned, and that direction just didn't suit James' voice. Granted, "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" has some terrible screaming, but that's just one track.

I agree with those that say the mix is a huge letdown. It is dominated by the low-mid-heavy guitars and the bass is mostly non-existent. The guitar tone just doesn't have the juice/balls that JP's previous tones have had, and the leads are often too dark. This is probably due to recent revisions in his signature guitar, using heavier wood and newly-voiced pickups (and of course, lack of a ballsy bass to back it up). I miss his earlier Ibanez/Mark IIC and older JP sig/RK tones. They just suited his playing and attack better, imo.

ps 2 - a lot of it also might be mike mangini and how the shells and cymbals naturally sound and sustain off his hands. he has a much less musical attack and way of hitting the drums. MP had a TOTALLY different type of feel, much more loose and the drums naturally sounded a lot better as far as the tonality and the sustain.

As JP has said in interviews, he plays almost behind the beat, but is still right on the money. So like you said, it's just a different feel. Yea, the drumming at times sounds a little 'off' on the new album, but I think it's largely due to Mangini not being a part of the writing process and having to play parts that are very Portnoy-esque. I think he's an incredibly musical/dynamic player, but was not really let loose on this album.

 

[crillemannen]

A

Are you serious? Have you not heard Labrie's 'Static Impulse' solo album? I think Labrie's vocals have improved many times over. How can you say something like that, and NOT address the same fact towards Rudess and Petrucci and there incessant meaningless noodling, or uninspired bland riffs? I know vocalists' ranges usually diminish with age, but the same could be said for Halford, Dickinson, Tate, etc. I can't tell if you're being serious or not. But you clearly haven't heard the last couple DT albums if you're just now stating this as your opinion. Labrie's vocals on this new album, and on 'Static Impulse' are breathtakingly amazing. Seriously, wtf.

Yes im dead serious. He sounds good as long as he don't go above G, then he open his vowels and gets flat, if you can't hear that then you need to improve your hearing. He has also lost the quality of his signature tone. The ease of the high notes and the natural compression he in his voice had until Train of thought. I think he sounded awesome on Metropolis pt2 and SdoT, which just sounded like a more mature Labrie, then he kept his vowels closed in a nice way so he stayed in pitch, and i love the vocals on those 2 albums. But after that it all went downhill. He butchered In the name of God which is an awesome song except his vocals. I can go on and on..

The last time he vowed me was in Chaos in motion on In the presence of eneymys pt2. when he glides from headvoice to chest which was really cool. So some thing he for sure developed these last years but still he us just a shadow of what he once where.