Octavarium Clips

[leaded]

Personally, I find the most mature board of DT and maybe SX too is the JP forum. There are a few 12-15 year olds who don't know their place, but comparet to dt.net
OOOOOOOOOOH it's heaven.

there are more TOT/SDOIT haters on the dt.net board than anywhere else on the internet, and they have pretty immature reasons for disliking it too, like "TrOT is gay", "TrOT is wank" etc...

I haven't heard much about SX on dt.net, but the guys (and gals) on the JP forum love them (especially romeo)

 

[SymphonyOfDreams]

The MP.com forum also has a lot of people behind SyX. As evidenced by their reaction to the annoucentment of SyX being considered for the Gigantour.

Anyways... I ended up not like ToT as much as their past work, SDOIT is IMO pure genius, specially the 2nd disc, Disappear and Blind Faith, Jordan Rudess gives lecture of tastefull playing all over that disc. SFAM, well SFAM is a masterpiece, and FII is amazing (despite the bad reviews from many fans and all... it's an excellent album, with loads of great music and great playing by Derek Sherinian).

Though I trully believe Kevin Moore is a genius... I do think that DT has moved to do greater things without him in the band. Sure they seriusly have some over-wanking problems in the last 2 albums... but most of the material is solid, and I have a VERY good feelings about Octavarium...

 

[joeshabadoo]

First of all, I think that many people's current opinions of DT will be changed after this release (no melodic focus, only wanking, loss of song structure). Those few people who've said that they have the album, I kinda doubt it, but I have heard it a few times now, and fucking love it to death. (yes I didn't hear EoP, the samples are the same as the album I heard)

 

[dargormudshark]

who cares Rudess is not a metal fan!he plays the shit out of the goddamn keyboard!if Dt sounds harsh its all because of petrucci and prortnoy,they simply wont let the guy write enough music for the band .by the way with Kevin moore they could never achieve this level of insanity in musicianship.

technicality and musicianship aren't everything. Bands like Meshuggah, Spiral Architect, Watchtower and shit like that is the stuff where technicality and musicianship are the main direction of the music. Bands like SX and DT merge technicality with great melodies and great arrangements....but lately Petrucci's solos (on ToT) are just beating off to a metronome. Kevin Moore was a great writer, I also think he influenced the band members to write the same way kinda...the ambience and melody type thing...plus the lyrics had a different style. The lyrics were so cool before Moore left, they had so much imagery and I think they were alot deeper too. SFAM was great but it is different from I&W, WD&DU, Awake, A change of Seasons...it didn't have the same mood as those albums. It's like I don't think SX has the same mood on V and The Oddysey as they did on TDG and DWOT...but that isn't a bad thing...I just prefer the older stuff

 

[HeroBoy]

Just a few comments here. First, I think a lot of people let their romanticized visions of earlier releases actually prevent them from enjoying later material. It astounds me how many people still think Images and Words is the best DT release, despite how much the band has matured since then. Disc 1 of SDoiT is one of the most technically, lyrical, and emotionally powerful albums ever recorded. As for ToT, just to use one example, Stream of Conciousness is one of the most well composed instrumental pieces I've heard, and could hardly be accused of mindless sprawling.

Which of course segues directly into the Moore vs. Ruddess, argument. It's popular (and easy) to say that the less technically proficient guy is more creative or a better composer and that the more proficient guy is more adept and flashier, but that's not always true. It's certainly not true that everyone's opinion is arbitrary, but perhaps some of you should listen to Ruddess more carefully--you might be surprised.

Lastly: the clips are thirty seconds long. That's not enough time to judge a pop song, much less progressive rock. Even once you've heard a progressive album, at least in my experience, you won't really know what you think of it until weeks later.

 

[Rose Immortal]

Symphony X might do well in Middle Earth. Jason already looks like an elf...

He DOES have an excellent face for a role like that...I mean that with all kindness.

Guys...about the idea that this is turning into a DT-bashing thread, it isn't on my end. I am one of those who has a split opinion on the band, and I am not going to be upset with people who disagree with me.

As to the "romanticizing earlier works" issue...I'm actually a very new DT fan, and certainly never caught any of those works (not even ToT!) when they first came out. I sampled all over the catalogue kind of all at one time, and of what I've heard so far, it has been the earlier work (and to a lesser extent ToT) that has really managed to capture my attention.

As for whether the "lesser" player from a technical standpoint is the more skilled composer, I certainly know that's not always the case. But I've definitely seen cases of it...Pink Floyd is one with Rick Wright, and DT is the other with Kevin Moore.

Oddly enough, I was not a HUGE fan of the Chroma Key album I heard. Don't laugh, but it may have been because I heard a different work in a similar vein by Jonny Greenwood (Bodysong) and preferred that one to it. But since I've only heard Graveyard Mountain Home once, my opinion may well change. (This is why I do not write reviews for albums until hearing them at least three times in all but the most unusual cases.)

How are the other Chroma Key works in comparison? Is their sound similar to GMH or different?

 

[wayne the goblin/robot]

Disc 1 of SDoiT is one of the most technically, lyrical, and emotionally powerful albums ever recorded

The song Missunderstood comes to mind for me.......best song ever in my opinion.

 

[Metropolis Part 2]

I didn't really like Disc 1 that much, but however, Disc 2 is sheer amazement for me at least. I want to see the whole thing LIVE! How cool would that be?

 

[sknight]

I saw it live in NYC. It was cool, marred only by bad sound at the Beacon Theater.

 

[WarHammer]

I didn't really like Disc 1 that much, but however, Disc 2 is sheer amazement for me at least. I want to see the whole thing LIVE! How cool would that be?

On the Live at Budokan DVD they play a large chunk of the songs from disc 2 in varying orders, very quality dvd.

 

[WarHammer]

I say it again:

Dream Theater used to be an amazing band but all their magic died when Kevin Moore left.

Jordan Rudess is a veteran sesion musician that will never write a song like "Space Dye Vest". Rudess is a great player, very skilled, very fast and i love the way he plays the piano but in my opinion he is more a performer than a composer.

It is hard to say this (and maybe hard to accept): Kevin Moore was the mastermind behind Dream Theater. Chroma Key rules ¡¡¡.

Since Metropolis Part 2, the guys have been focusig in pyrotchnics and in making fast solos and the lack of melody and counterpoint (all the instruments playing the same riff) with Rudess is remarkable. Example: Erotomania and Dance of Eternity .

Peace

Listen to Rhythm of Time by Rudess, then tell me he isn't a composer. I couldn't disagree more with your statement of Moore being the mastermind and the magic being gone without him. We shouldn't forget that his writng input was minimal for the releases he was part of, 2 or so songs for every cd, and the music he wrote was only his parts. I loved his lyrics as well, but the magic is still definitely there. So JP wants to shred a little more on the last 2 releases? What of it? At least he has the talent to not make it sound like shit. Melody is now sharing its role with metal groove, and it is blending very well, and LaBrie is beginning to get his range back that he lost on the Awake tour, I believe it only gets better, which will be hard.

 

[wayne the goblin/robot]

Listen to Rhythm of Time by Rudess, then tell me he isn't a composer.

Screaming Head was an awesome tune

 

[WarHammer]

Screaming Head was an awesome tune

Screaming Head was my favorite as well. The guy is super-human.

 

[dargormudshark]

The only songs I liked off SDoIT were Dissapear(one of my faves from them), The Glass Prison, The Great Debate, War Inside my Head

 

[ErikSchierboom]

The only songs I liked off SDoIT were Dissapear(one of my faves from them), The Glass Prison, The Great Debate, War Inside my Head

Agreed, but I add The Test That Stumped Them All.

 

[MorphineChild205]

Disc 1 of SDoiT is one of the most technically, lyrical, and emotionally powerful albums ever recorded. As for ToT, just to use one example, Stream of Conciousness is one of the most well composed instrumental pieces I've heard, and could hardly be accused of mindless sprawling.

I agree on both points.

I love 6DoiT disc one...not a dud on there. In my opinion, Misunderstood is probably the weakest track on disc one (but it's still excellent) and either The Glass Prison or Blind Faith is the best. I'm not too fond of disc two, though...I mainly just like TTTSTA and About to Crash (Reprise).

As for ToT, Stream is my favorite song on there...and it's all about that classical ending. There's no doubt in my mind that Rudess wrote that, and it's absolutely brilliant! ITNOG and HTF are also awesome tunes.

 

[Metropolis Part 2]

IMO, Disc 1 of SDOIT is the WEAKEST cd (Other than ToT) they had ever made because parts of it are just so bland and sooooo boring at times. I need the lighter side of things to be back in DT.

 

[Odysseus]

Oddly enough, I was not a HUGE fan of the Chroma Key album I heard. Don't laugh, but it may have been because I heard a different work in a similar vein by Jonny Greenwood (Bodysong) and preferred that one to it. But since I've only heard Graveyard Mountain Home once, my opinion may well change. (This is why I do not write reviews for albums until hearing them at least three times in all but the most unusual cases.)

How are the other Chroma Key works in comparison? Is their sound similar to GMH or different?

Being a rather big fan of Chroma Key I thought I'd respond to this.

GMH has less vocals than the two earlier albums You Go Now and Dead Air for Radios. I usually only listen to the first 5 - 8 tracks of GMH since I only ever listen to it while driving and I generally lose interest by then, but I do really like the first few. I'd have to sit down and watch the video along with the music in order to give you a good analysis of the whole thing though because one thing to consider is that it was written as an alternate soundtrack for a pretty obscure short film so many of the tracks were probably meant to not stand out so much on their own as create a mood for the film.

DAFR is my personal favorite just because I think the vocal melodies, lyrics, and music overall are just so mysteriously simple and catchy but in a very artistic way. I can barely make any sense out of some of the lyrics because they're pretty abstract, but I know there's something deep in them and the music and lyrics just blend together very well. Listen to just about any track and you'll see what I mean. Colorblind and On The Page are a few that stand out to me.

YGN is similar to DAFR but gets a little more into some tracks which seem to be meant for "easy" listening you could say. Either way I like it.

One thing's for sure, CK and DT are basically polar opposites and I like them both all the more for it.

One last thing, anybody else think Moore's solo in 6:00 is just perfect for the song?

 

[MetalMan57]

I am a Dream Theater Fan and I come in peace...I love both DT's and SX's entire discography. It seems many of you are itchin for a fight. Whats wrong with liking both of them? They both rock your sox of. Id hate to tell you guys but I am going to Gigantour...I am going to go watch symphony X's full set, bang my head, throw up the horns and scream very loudly...right after that...I am going to go watch Dream Theater's full set, bang my head, throw up the horns and scream just as loud if not louder. It seems like some people have a problem with that

 

[soundgarden]

I am a Dream Theater Fan and I come in peace...I love both DT's and SX's entire discography. It seems many of you are itchin for a fight. Whats wrong with liking both of them? They both rock your sox of. Id hate to tell you guys but I am going to Gigantour...I am going to go watch symphony X's full set, bang my head, throw up the horns and scream very loudly...right after that...I am going to go watch Dream Theater's full set, bang my head, throw up the horns and scream just as loud if not louder. It seems like some people have a problem with that

Same here, even though I only like IaW and SFAM. I never bash DT. I rarely bash any bands in fact.

Now where is that Black metal bashing thread