New DT Album

[Postulate]

I have never been a fan of Arch. I just don't like much about his voice, so I passed on getting this album. I heard bits and pieces, and the music sounded good, but couldn't stomach the vocals. I love Fates Warning, too.

Wow, I'm surprised. Arch seems to have the ideal "prog metal" voice, for my money, anyway. Extremely virtuosic, with lots of unique phrasings, vibrato, and syncopation that can stand toe to toe with the complexity of the instrumental music rather than having to make it step to the side and give the singer room. It's also piercing, which is important in prog metal because you've got some very busy pieces of music with lots of loud, crunching guitars that you need to be able to cut through without cramping them.

Aside from that, I love the sound of his voice, and he's a first-rate melodist to top it all off.

 

[Xtopher]

When people say an album is a "grower", that's another way of saying euphemistically "I decided to find things to like about this awful album that made a bad first impression. These things I found to like help me feel better about the money I wasted on it."

As a matter of fact Kenneth, i think the new DT album IS a grower. I bought it, listened to it, went to my backyard, dug a hole and put it inside. After a couple of days a few fruits were growing up from there... oh scratch that, it was just LaBrie and Co.

 

[Kenneth R.]

rotten fruit no doubt.

okay, maybe i'm too harsh, but still

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

I don't agree that Heritage sounds like Damnation leftovers as there's a lot of that rock thing going on, which Damnation had none of. Damnation, however, is indeed the better album.

I've only heard the first seven tracks from Heritage, but thus far I would agree - these songs sound nothing like Damnation. Most of Damnation (save for the last track) had a groove and a beat behind it; a lot of this new album is ambient "moody" stuff. Can't say I'm a fan. I also don't like the mix on the new album.

But I'm biased a bit since Damnation is my favorite Opeth album.

As for the new DT, I've only heard the first three tracks but it sounds like more of the same. I'm not a fan of the mix - the drums are way too low in the mix. Think they're trying to make a point? Anyway, I'm glad that Portnoy and his lame "tuf guy" backing vocals aren't present here. That shit has ruined like their last three albums.

 

[Marq]

"standing on the back of angels, dicks up my ass, lalalala"
vs
"RISE OF THE ONE!!!! THE DARK ICONOCLAST!!!
Forgin a cuuult of feaar WITH LEGIONS UNSURPASSED!!!"

ummmm..... :Smokin:

 

[Orbis_Tertius]

I find it a good album, which proves in my opinion that DT can be accused of anything but lack of inspiration, which is I think SX's main problem of the last ten years. (two albums like Paradise Lost and Iconoclast in 10 years? come on...)

 

[Orbis_Tertius]

When people say an album is a "grower", that's another way of saying euphemistically "I decided to find things to like about this awful album that made a bad first impression. These things I found to like help me feel better about the money I wasted on it."

I also agree on this: this is exactly the same feeling I have when I listen to the last two releases of Symphony X...

 

[Detective Clarence Beauregard]

Finally finished listening to the rest of the album, and I'll say that while it's not spectacular, it is easily their best effort since Train of Thought. The two ballads towards the end of the album aren't really to my tastes, but everything else is decent. I wish they'd cut out those wanktastic interludes, though; most of the songs would benefit from it. Seriously, some of the songs start grooving really well, and then out of fucking nowhere comes wank fest '11.

I found the throat singing in Bridges in the Sky to be interesting, even though many people here seemed to hate it. It adds a bit of culture to DT's music. The only two songs that I really like upon the first listen are Outcry and Breaking All Illusions. Minus the overly complex interludes, these two songs are full of win.

Edit: The mix is still bugging me, though. The drums need to be louder!

 

[Phanto]

ummmm..... :Smokin:

sorry I didn't recall the DT lyrics so I just wrote something immature and appropriate to the singing.

 

[estYMaj]

I'm with all the people bashing it, to be honest.

When people say an album is a "grower", that's another way of saying euphemistically "I decided to find things to like about this awful album that made a bad first impression. These things I found to like help me feel better about the money I wasted on it."

edit: also, fuck the "new" Anathema. I give up on that band until they produce a real NEW album that isn't simply applying the "Anathema filter VST" to all of their previous hits. Hindsight was pretty cool, okay. We're here because we're Here, okay, you had half an album of new songs that were already released on EPs anyway... and now, this. Wake up Anathema and make new music. You're in danger of being included in a DT thread. Oh, wait...

and ANOTHER edit: Redemption's only listenable output is their debut. The rest is a Fates Warning cover band.

No when people say its a grower it means you notice more and more things you like about the songs that maybe you miss the first few times because your focus is on one part of the song or band member , I very much enjoyed the album the first listen but liked it more and more every time , this happens a lot with other bands such as Opeth and POS The Dear hunter and so on .

 

[Sep3]

New Leprous is also pretty good btw.

Seriously, some of the songs start grooving really well, and then out of fucking nowhere comes wank fest '11.

Haha. Really makes me want to strangle a bunny or something.

 

[brain-hammer]

Arch/Matheos released the best prog album of the year!

Arch is one of the best vocalists out there

 

[Liquid Tension]

No when people say its a grower it means you notice more and more things you like about the songs that maybe you miss the first few times because your focus is on one part of the song or band member , I very much enjoyed the album the first listen but liked it more and more every time , this happens a lot with other bands such as Opeth and POS The Dear hunter and so on .

The same for me which makes me glad I don't have Ken's outlook on this subject.....

 

[Liquid Tension]

I'm looking forward to getting the new Mastodon and Leprous...

Didn't think much of the DT while watching football and did like better at work with the head phones on.

The OPETH is great and I also don't see how this sounds like Damnation.

 

[Isaac_de_Moorea]

For me "A Dramatic Turn of Events" is not a "grower", but all the opposite.

When I first listened to it I was like "Holy shit, this is really awesome", "This is not the DT of SC or BLSC", I even thought "Bridges in the Sky" was the best song of the album

Then, after several listenings more, I think that despite is not a bad album, it has some serious flaws. I agree with Detective about the "wank fest", "Bridges in the Sky" and "Outcry" both have like 4 or 5 minutes of this untasteful soloing, but just and only one memorable melody, curiosly (and "safely" if you ask me), both with an oriental-harmonic minor feel, that I´m not really sure if it flows with the song.

I also extremely hate the intro of "Build me up, Break me Down", I can´t even imagine what the hell were they thinking. And I´m not so bothered with the intro of "Bridges in the sky" as I´m with the lack of melody and feeling of the hole song.

I personally like "This is Life" and "Breaking All Illusions" (I know, this one has also a very long interlude, but has more memorable melodies and feeling for my taste), disliking "Bridges in the Sky" & "Build me Up, Break me Down". The rest, meh. That´s an accomplish for DT since TOT.

As for the rest of albums being discussed here, I can only give my two cents about Arch/Matheos. Not a fan of the vocals too, the music can´t be fully-enjoyed because of them.

Ah, and Iconoclast who???

 

[metalxmetalx]

Arch/Matheos. The songs are good, but I greatly dislike Arch as a vocalist. Can anyone be more nasal than LaBrie? This is the guy. They could quite aswell record someone stepping on a cat's tail.

Really annoying voice!

 

[Phanto]

I actually agree Arch has a tedious voice. But it's excellent in small doses.

 

[Prog is King]

Arch sounds like he channels Ozzy sometimes. I like Ray Alder way better.

 

[Postulate]

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Arch has the best voice in the genre, but it was wasted on all of you!

 

[Kenneth R.]

No when people say its a grower it means you notice more and more things you like about the songs that maybe you miss the first few times because your focus is on one part of the song or band member , I very much enjoyed the album the first listen but liked it more and more every time , this happens a lot with other bands such as Opeth and POS The Dear hunter and so on .

Maybe that's your way of apologizing for it.

I wish they'd cut out those wanktastic interludes, though; most of the songs would benefit from it. Seriously, some of the songs start grooving really well, and then out of fucking nowhere comes wank fest '11.

This is exactly why I won't give DT the time of day anymore. Bullshit moves like that are an attempt at being "prog" or maybe just naked vanity. Somehow, the fanboys still gush oooh and ahh at the fireworks of virtuosity while the rest of us are left speechless at the desecration of what might have been a good song. Between this and their unbelievable record of stolen/borrowed/'homaged' passages, they are in my opinion less original than Ke$ha or Katy Perry. Even Black Eyed Peas are more progressive.