Presto Ballet

[dano1427]

I picked this up, recently, after Shadow Gallery's Dissapointing Room V and DT's almost as disappointing Octavarium...

Presto Ballet's "Peace Among the Ruins" may be the release of the year.

P.B. was formed by Metal Church guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof, and seamlessly combines classic 70's sounding prog-rock with Kurdt's fantastic songwriting. The CD was recorded full analog, including real instruments, analog tape, and no computers. It sounds amazing!

I recommend it highly.

www.prestoballet.com

 

[|ngenius]

I also found Shadow Gallery's new album a bit disappointing, and haven't heard Octavarium yet. "Presto Ballet's", uh? I take note of that. Another record I liked is the instrumental album by "At War With Self".


|ng.

 

[drummerboy58]

This Presto Ballet sounds interesting, may have to pick that up myself. As far as the other releases go, I haven't heard the new Shadow Gallery, though I loved Legacy. For the new Dream Theater, I liked it quite a bit. Octavarium sorta took me back to 'Falling Into Infinity' for some reason, but FII might be my favorite DT album.

Honestly, there are weak moments on the new album, but what moments I enjoy more than make up for those. Personally, I think Panic Attack and any of the parts Portnoy is credited are the album's strengths.

 

[Ze Dan]

new shadow gallery record is a killer cd, light years better than Legacy IMHO.
Octavarium has some good and bad moments. Much better than Train Of Thought which to me was a total piece of c**p but it's not that revolutionnary

 

[ebass]

I have been listening to it over the last few days and I have to say I really dig it. It has really grown on me. Especially when cranked to the hilt. The production and mix sounded strange at first but now I have come to like it.

I think These Walls, Panic Attack and Never Enough are flat out kick ass.

The only one I can not get into is track 2, I just don,t like it? The 24 minute monster Octavarium has its moments also but I agree with Ze Man about strong and not so strong minutes. But mosts bands do including us.

This one rocks and DT is still incredible. It amazes me how many people I see on so many other boards taken such shots at these guys? I think a lot of us only wish we had such talent and when your on the top it is to expected that everyone tries to knock you down.

DT are still STELLAR in my opinion! and an inspiration to me.

Does anyone know the Euro set list? or seen any shows yet?

 

[quaoar]

I've read that they play a lot of stuff from the past three albums and only some classics (Pull Me Under, some songs from "Scenes", Learning To Live). But I wasn't there...

EDIT: okay, here you go

-The Root Of All Evil
-A Fortune In Lies
-Under A Glass Moon
-JR Keyboard Solo
-Through Her Words
-Fatal Tragedy
-Panick Attack
-Never Enough
-Endless Sacrifice
-In The Name Of God
-Sacrificed Sons
-Intro of Through Her Eyes
-The Spirit Carries On
-Learning To Live (with long Jam-session)
-About To Crash
-Solitary Shell
-About To Crash Reprise
-Losing Time

Encores:
-As I Am
-Pull Me Under

 

[slowhand]

But...two of the new songs, "never enough" and "panic attack" are almost "muse"-clones in the way the melodylines work and in the way James is singing. It's that much, that it can't be a coincidence I would say.
I'm a DT-Suppoerter from the beginning and in all "octavarium" is a good release, but if the best songs are the ones they 'bought' a little bit...there is a problem I think.

Apart from all: There's much more soul in your music, you guys from Enchant!

@Ed: If you don't know them yet: Check out the CDs from Muse: "Showbiz" and "Origin of symmetry" and you will understand what I mean. By the way: These are for me two of the best rock albums with a new progressive (literally) touch and among the best releases in the last years. The third one, "absolution" is not bad either, but they are starting to repeat themselves a little bit.

 

[Stoffi]

I saw them in Linz/Austria last week. The setlist posted by guaoar looks complete, the order was slightly different. 2 hours and a half. Last time I heard DT live was 1999, it's incredible how especially James improved. Although I like his voice on the records I was always disappointed by his live-appearance, but last (definitely not dreadful) monday he absolutely blew me away! The music during the intermission was quite strange. Dream Theater songs like As I Am, with Acoustic guitar and a woman singing. I didn't like it! ;-)

Regarding Octavarium: At first I was a bit surprised by the difference to Train Of Thought, which I like very much, but the CD grows with every listen.
Ed, I agree with you picks, but the one I like most, is Root Of All Evil, the chorus just kicks ass - what a melodyline!

I wouldn't compare DT with their always present technical aspect to Enchant's pure emotion

 

[slowhand]

I wouldn't compare DT with their always present technical aspect to Enchant's pure emotion

That's right from a certain point. You can't compare them musically.
But - art is emotion and regarding tunes like "learning to live", "voices", "fortune in lies", "six degrees of inner turbulence" (the titeltrack) and many others there was always lots emotion in the songs (for me).
Now there is it again but in the both "muse"-like trax...

Generally: I do not make a differnce between technical music and not that technical music...music has to hit me by emotion...only then it's a longer lasting experience. The technical aspect can be surprising, cool or astonishing...but if there's no soul it maybe is nice to hear it once.
And that's why I love also Porcupine Tree that much, there's always soul in every bit of it.

 

[|ngenius]

Totally agree with slowhand, albeit he introduces a strong basis of subjectiveness in the discussion: some people might find Octavarium as a fair provider of emotion, really touching to their views. Some others won't. And everyone is right about that.

On the other hand, I also think that DT are less emotional than Enchant, maybe it's Ted's voice, but I think it's all of it altogether. My opinion here, though.


|ng.

 

[slowhand]

Forgot to say the most important thing and Ingenius is very right about it:
emotions are subjective, no doubt.

 

[Stoffi]

For me too emotion is the most important factor concerning music. Music has to move me in some way, I think we all agree on that!

Just to emphasize what I meant:
Enchant music has evident emotion, which causes my eyes to get wet every now and then.
DT music causes excitement. So these are to completely different forms of emotion.
Of course there is MUCH MUCH more to both of them.

By the way, I like Ted's voice a lot more, he IS emotion! ;-)

 

[Viadragon]

Octavarium is the first DT I've bought in years. I've enjoyed it from the first run-through because it has an incredible amount of emotionalism for me. (I even like track 2!) That's the hook--the emotional reaction. The technical business generally hits me later. Still, I have yet to find a group that gets to me as much as Enchant, they have the rare talent of being emotionally alive on their albums and explosive in person. Fates Warning and Porcupine Tree come in distantly tied for second...

Kristin
Viadreamingdragon

 

[Stoffi]

"Lady Of The Snow" and "Candlelight Fantasia" by Symphony X come quite close for me.

 

[StandBuilder]

Does anyone know the Euro set list? or seen any shows yet?

Offcourse, the one and only StandBuilder has been there!

Arrow Classic Rock on June 11th in Holland
Graspop, next sunday on June 26th in Belgium

They played only old material, because ( like Rudess himself and his tech explained) Octavarium is too new, so most people don't know "how to handle with it"....

I think they still do a great job.
Not only because I happen to work for them, but also that they sell out most (BIG) venues here in Europe. Halls that even Rush won't sell out.

I think the only problem with them is, that "How far they will go"....
They are all great techical musicians, but a lot of times I miss a catchy groove
in their music...

Just my two cents!

 

[MRNot]

..Presto Ballet's "Peace Among the Ruins" may be the release of the year....

I recommend it highly.

www.prestoballet.com

I have now heard it, though I have yet to buy it, but I have to whole-heartedly agree. I was a bit confused when I first heard of it, 'cause I thought this was the whole purpose of Vanderhoof in the first place. Having now heard it, there's a huge difference, and I think Kurdt nailed his intended target spot on. It's on the top of the "next purchase from the End" list..

 

[slowhand]

Just to emphasize what I meant:
Enchant music has evident emotion, which causes my eyes to get wet every now and then.
DT music causes excitement. So these are to completely different forms of emotion.
By the way, I like Ted's voice a lot more, he IS emotion! ;-)

I did understand what you meant but the DT-tracks I mentioned are not causing excitement in me they have hit me deeply in my soul ('learning to live'...).

I think the main difference is to be found in each person: the way he feels, the way he thinks and the way he's consuming music.

Regarding Enchant: the amount of soultouching melodies (including the guitar phrases) und vocallines is simply outstanding.