THE OFFICIAL DREAM THEATER DISCUSSION THREAD

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Kenneth R. said:
Maybe you didn't read all the posts where I stated that I enjoy most of their albums, have been to their concerts at least 6 times, and own 2 of the DVDs?
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Well, I apologize if that's the case, but claiming "Octavarium" is a proof for DT's egos when all of three albums that came before it were MUCH more wank-tastic is far from "healthy criticism".
 
:lol: lmao, i get it. i had forgotten to present my "proof of fanboyship" before saying something negative about DT. cause as soon as i show i'm a fan, you apologize? how pretentious! i think you could use a dose of healthy criticism.

in my opinion the downhill slide begain with train of thought.
 
Kenneth R. said:
...

in my opinion the downhill slide begain with train of thought.
Click to expand...

I agree. I really love DT but the direction they were, hopefully not still, heading is a little scary. It only seems logical that after 8V they hire Liza Minelli to sing on a few tracks.:erk: Although 8V song is one of my favorites. It is the only one that I still enjoy.
 
Jordan Rudess actually strikes me as astoundingly humble for how talented he is. There are many things that make me think that about him, but one thing that stood out is on a video where he is demonstrating the program changes for Dance of Eternity, he shows a really subtle part that follows that first main guitar lick thats in like 15/16 or whatever it is, and notes that it is a subtle sound because the lick is supposed to be carried by guitar and bass and he is just there for support. Now, personally, if I were the keyboardist and I was going to take the time to learn and play that part, I'd want to play it a lot louder and more obviously than that. Again, there are many more reasons for this opinion, but I think that example exemplifies exactly how much Jordan is about the song and creating the best overall sonic scope rather than having ego and pushing himself to the forefront whenever possible.

Now, James Labrie and Mike Portnoy, those two have egos. Portnoy I think is largely justified, not just because he is an extraordinary musician, but because he is the work horse of Dream Theater. That guy continues to do as much for the band as I'm sure he did when they were first playing gigs and looking for a record deal. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him stapling fliers to telephone poles. Mike makes a LOT of amazing things happen through his own intelligence and ingenuity. When you are that imbued in your musical ventures, I guess that entitles you to a bit of a musical ego - as putting that much effort into something probably makes it all the more infuriating if it doesn't go right.

Labrie thinks a little highly of himself.
 
Very, Very strange this was on MPs site:

I cannot believe I am writing this again....
But it seems this idiot Anthony Mendez is out of jail and on the loose again.
THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!

After the ordeal back in 2003, I figured he would've learned his lesson - but apparently not...

This is an email that was just passed onto me from a recent encounter:
(edited to protect the person who reported the incident)


>> This guy came over to my house the other day claiming to be "Mike from
>> Dream Theater".
>>
>> This guy looked like a wreck, (edit) He was clearly on some heavy drugs, I just couldn't believe that
>> it would actually be Mike Portnoy from Dream Theatre!!!
>>
>> You must be thinking this is a joke, but it's not. This guy maintained
>> that he was Mike Portnoy the whole time he was hanging out at my
>> house.
>>
>> I totally would've assumed this guy was lieing, but he KNEW EVERYTHING
>> about the band, tours, album covers and their meanings, etc.
>>
>> Please tell me this guy was an impostor, I'd hate to think that the
>> real Mike Portnoy is a drugged out wreck. (edit)



My family's safety is at hand, not to mention the safety of any victims that come in harm's way of this criminal.
(and least of all, my reputation is also at stake to the people that he comes in contact with that don't realize he is NOT me...)

If you come in contact with this criminal, please contact my webmaster immediately to pass the info onto me. webmaster@mikeportnoy.com

For those of you that have no idea of the backstory with this imposter, I have reprinted below the original info from April 2003...

Any help in this matter is truly appreciated,
MP

---------------------------------------------------------------
Taken from Dreamtheater.net - April 2003:

"Someone has been out on the streets and in bars in New York City claiming to be Mike Portnoy. This person apparently knew a lot of Mike's intimate business and family details, and as such, managed to convince a number of people that he was indeed the drummer for DREAM THEATER. Using Mike Portnoy's identity, the imposter managed to steal wallets, credit cards, cell phones, house keys, and whatever else he could get his hands on.


Fortunately, the imposter was located and arrested [yesterday] (April 2nd 2003) and is currently in police custody. More than four victims have already come forward in the past 48 hours, which helped lead to his arrest.

"In order to build a solid case against this person, we need for any victims to come forward and report their experiences. If you think you may have come across the Mike Portnoy imposter, please contact the webmaster at webmaster@dreamtheater.net and report any incident that you may know of."

Among the imposter's alleged victims was SAVATAGE guitarist Chris Caffery, who posted the following message on his message board:

"Hello... It is April and snowing. The world hates America and there is a Mike Portnoy imposter running around NYCity...

"You may have noticed that I removed my post about Mike, it was for a good reason.

"Although I have seen band photos and played festivals with DREAM THEATER... I never really knew their faces.

"My friend called me and told me that Mike wanted to say hello. This was last week.

"A few days later in the city I was introduced to who was supposed to be Mike. The guy had the whole bar fooled. Me included. He obviously did a whole bunch of research on Mike and his career and family. He apparently had stolen his wallet and cell phone.

"He had his ID...so who was to know. The guy knew very serious business details and family matters of Mike's. He was even recognized by people as Mike Portnoy when I was with him. He held phone conversations on my phone with supposed mutual friends...

"I got into a room to jam with this guy last week and knew something was up. He was still hammered, but he was not a good drummer. I went on-line to Mike's site and we noticed that although he looked similar he was scrawny and had a space between his teeth that did not exist on Mike's photos. I e-mailed Mike about it. He is aware of this guy and I am going to try to help stop him before he does something to damage Mike personally. By using his name that is. I actually had someone come up to him at the game and say, 'Aren't you the drummer from DREAM THEATER?'

"It is too frickin' weird...

"He was calling drum companies and ordering gear using Mike's name...trying to set up gigs with people and having them send drums to clubs. It seemed weird to me the following day when the guy still had no money on him and was trying to stay at my home again... The whole thing is kinda scary. I am not exactly embarrassed by the situation, I am angered. The guy had a lot of nerve. I am just happy that he did not injure any of my friends or steal anything from me. I think the guns in my room may have made him think twice. Apparently he even got into people's homes using this guise and tried to steal their keys...this was to return later and rob them. Apparently the guy was trying to pick up guys, too… I assure you that he was not doing this in my case, I think I am pretty obvious in my ways, so he was trying to play the party guy to scam into my circles and use my name for is benefit...my friend was trying to get him to fill in on drums for some shows. I think my friend thought me hanging out would be good to help get the guy to play...he thought I was a good name to throw around. I have a message for him if he reads this...Watch your back...

"So...we are dealing with it, trying to find him and stop him before he goes even further.

"I want to apologize to you guys and to Mike and his fans for any misinformation. I also want to ask anyone in NY to be on the look out and try to help identify this piece of shit.

"It was a pretty good act...the ID, the rolex, the drum companies, the phone calls...the guy was pretty convincing. Everyone in the bar was calling him Mike and buying him drinks and talking about his band. He even knew that we played a show together in Sao Paulo...he knew about Wacholz and Jeff... Lesson to be learned here...think before you post, Chris...I had a feeling things were weird, I just followed it up after I let you know."


--------------------------------------------------------------
Taken from an article in the New York Post - April 2003:

Mike Portnoy, drummer for the rock band DREAM THEATER, might have thought someone was having a little fun with him on April Fool's Day as he drove to Manhattan's 115th Precinct, where he had been told cops were holding a man arrested for impersonating him.

But for about a month, tales of such a troublesome double had been clogging his web site, mikeportnoy.com.

Busting the guy, said Portnoy, "was a scene straight out of 'NYPD Blue'." Portnoy, whose progressive-metal band has been likened to RUSH and YES and is slated to tour with metal band QUEENSRŸCHE this summer, was face to face with 35-year-old Anthony Mendez.

They are the same age and they look vaguely alike — both with long, thick dark hair and full beards. But cops say Mendez ripped off at least two men — one he met in a gay bar and another he met at Finally Fred's in the Meatpacking District — while posing as the musician named Best Progressive Rock Drummer by Modern Drummer magazine eight years in a row.

"He told me he'd just come back from Japan where he'd signed an endorsement deal with a drum manufacturer," said Carlen Langley, who'd never heard of Portnoy when he met impersonator Mendez in February.

"He had a lot of detailed information about Portnoy's life."

After a few drinks, the pair returned to Langley's apartment, where they 'were intimate.'

The next morning, after Mendez left, Langley discovered that his wallet, two cell phones and a set of keys were missing.

When he called his bank, someone had already racked up more than $1,000 in purchases on his credit card. Langley quickly found Portnoy's web site, and e-mailed the real Mike Portnoy that someone was impersonating him.

A few weeks later, at Finally Fred's, Mendez introduced himself as Portnoy to Ray Freeman, a 33-year-old music promoter and singer with the rock band BLOCKK 16.

"I needed a drummer, so I asked him if he'd play with us and was thrilled when he agreed," said Freeman.

Meanwhile, Mendez "drank here all week but never paid his tab" — which amounted to $70 — said Finally Fred's bartender Charles Ruggiero.

When Freeman saw Mendez again at the bar, Mendez said he'd lost his keys and ATM card and couldn't get home. He started sleeping on Freeman's and other BLOCKK 16 band members' couches.

"Mendez told us that his mother was dying of cancer, his wife was divorcing him and that DREAM THEATER had canceled its tour because of the war," said Freeman. "So I kind of felt sorry for him."

On March 28, Mendez arrived to rehearse with Freeman "without his own sticks or any of the charts he said he'd written," said Freeman.

And when he sat down to play, "he sounded worse than my grandmother," said Freeman.

Freeman found Mike Portnoy's web site and saw a posting detailing Langley's experience with Mendez.

"I compared Mendez's tattoos with ones I saw in photos of the real Mike, and they didn't quite match," said Freeman.

He also noticed that his vintage Les Paul guitar, a gold chain and a set of house keys were missing from his apartment.

On April 1, Freeman called the cops. They made a plan for Freeman to pick up Mendez. As the two drove around, the real Portnoy called Freeman on his cell phone — creating the scene Portnoy called "NYPD Blue"-like.

Back at Freeman's Jackson Heights apartment, the cops began questioning Mendez, who told them, "I'm Mike Portnoy."

Mendez was taken to the precinct, where Portnoy was waiting.

Mendez has been charged with criminal impersonation in the second degree and grand larceny in the fourth degree, with bail set at $100,000.

He was unavailable for comment and his attorney declined to comment on the case.
Click to expand...

:OMG:
 
SyXified wrote:
Labrie thinks a little highly of himself.
Click to expand...

Especially considering he is the 'least' of all the members of the band... JP seems to have very little ego considering he is the lead guitarist of a prog metal band, and JM is happy to just be awesome in the shadows, and JR is very humble considering he is simply insane, I think MP definately has the biggest, though I agree with what you said about him doing heaps for the band...

@ Noble Savage, I read that a while back on his forum, pretty crazy eh... I can understand why MP wouldn't be too happy about it, cos he would be concerned about his family and his reputation...
 
Shoot, I think DT started declining when Moore left the band. But they're still my favorite band. They were just that lofty in my eyes for WD&DU, I&W, and Awake. Incredible songs and musicianship. Now it's mostly good songs with phenomenal musicianship. But I like the musical ranting.

For me, the "ego" problems mentioned above are more about virtuosity. I love to hear the solo breaks and virtuosity is what defines Dream Theater for me.

There are only a couple occasions where I can remember exactly what I was doing when I first heard them, and I can vividly recall my first listen of Pull Me Under before I&W came out, and I have vivid memories of hearing I&W for the first time in my dorm room back in college.
 
Yeah, I enjoy virtuosity as well, if they weren't all brilliant, that would be half the pulling power of the band gone... And for what it's worth, I think the music sounds fantastic anyway, not all, but the majority of it.
 
This was taken from www.melodicrock.com

FIRST INSIGHT INTO THE NEW DREAM THEATER ALBUM!:
One of the companies I work closely with is re-issue label Rock Candy Records. The label is run by the legendary journalist and A&R duo of Derek Oliver & Dante Bonutto, who are also now working in conjunction with Roadrunner Records to bring new releases from classic bands to the market place.
Their first signing is Dream Theater, as announced a month or so ago. Of course the guys are very familiar with the band, having signed them to Elektra all those years ago.
Dream Theater have just turned in their new album Systematic Chaos to their label, and Derek Oliver was kind enough to forward me his thoughts on the album after living with it for a while and gave me the ok to run this as your exclusive first look into the album from someone who has a long and lasting passion for the band.

Says Derek:
"Systematic Chaos is pretty full-on. You'll all be very surprised. It's undoubtedly the best record that they've recorded in many years - very accessible, very heavy and very melodic. They've managed to combine a sense of the past with the future and, unlike Rush, haven't dumped their glorious past in favour of annoying skinny tie affectations or garage rock pretence.
There are two absolutely killer tracks, Constant Motion and The Dark Eternal Night, the former is like Metallica with keyboards and the latter showcases the most intense and heavy musicianship that they've ever recorded - think Pantera jamming with Iron Maiden. Those tracks will be regarded as master classes in progressive metal for years to come. And they both boast lashings of melody.
The most accessible track is titled Forsaken, a blindingly obvious radio song that mixes contemporary modern rock ala Evanescence with the old school power balladry of Queensryche's Silent Lucidity whilst still packing a progressive rock punch. Do I smell a potential radio smash? Quite possibly.
Surprise contenders for classic status include Repentance, a brooding 10 minute creepy crawler that seeps its way into one's inner psyche from the first few seconds of playback. The impact of this track is enhanced by an abundance of unexpected spoken word contributions from a number of well known musicians. I won't spoil it by revealing exactly who they are as its a lot of fun trying to decipher for yourself. Musically think Pink Floyd duetting with Metallica on a decidedly trippy space rock epic.
The other major surprise is Prophet's Of War a magnetic and compelling six minute romp that appears to be a combination of electro pop and classic arena metal and it works brilliantly. Imagine walking into a Berlin discotechque at 2 in the morning with 2,000 nutters jumping up and down to a wild electro mash-up of the Prodigy, Queen, Robbie Williams, Metallica and Ramstein whilst Dita Von Teese dances in a cage.
Trad DT faire is offered up with The Ministry Of Lost Souls. Initially a piano driven ballad which builds into a colossal prog rock hoedown allowing Jordan Rudess to utilise every keyboard that he's acquired through the ages amongst a cacophony of wild jamming. Once the battle has been won, its all back to the main theme for a piping hot cup of cocoa and bed.
The 25 minute epic In The Presence Of Enemies is indeed a pleasure to experience. Split into two parts, which bookend the album, the vibe here is dark and distant. The song is driven by a particularly impressive bass riff and a full, open chorus with evil lyrics delivered convincingly by a more assured and focussed James LaBrie. Then, in the blink of an eye, it all kicks off as Portnoy jumps in with double kick drums thumping at an alarming speed and its heads down for the final push with swords, guitars, knives and keyboards re-enacting the Charge Of The Light Brigade.

Man of the match? Impossible to say as all of them are at the top of their game on this one. Portnoy? Well, he's just being Portnoy - crucially the most accomplished drummer of modern times.
Petrucci? He's off his head on virtually every track delivering the heaviest riffs this side of Black Sabbath and the fastest most precise plank spanking I've ever heard.
Myung? The guys doesn't have much to say for himself in interviews but his playing on this record speaks a thousand words.
Rudess? Possibly the bastard child of Keith Emerson and Rachmaninov. His playing is historic and, understandably, quite perplexing.
LaBrie? I have great pleasure in announcing that he, out of them all, has risen most magnificently to the challenge. Its clear that he's taking this particular moment in the bands career to up his game considerably, approaching each track with an intelligence that belies his previous output. By adapting his delivery to suit the mood of each song this fine fellow has breathed new life into an old frame. A great and significant accomplishment.
I came away from this album thinking that - and I'm not taking a pot shot here - if Iron Maiden and Metallica were currently writing and performing to this level of excellence then the world of rock would indeed be a far better place."
Click to expand...

Sounds really interesting, can't wait to actually hear it and make up my own mind...
 
This was taken from www.melodicrock.com

FIRST INSIGHT INTO THE NEW DREAM THEATER ALBUM!:
One of the companies I work closely with is re-issue label Rock Candy Records. The label is run by the legendary journalist and A&R duo of Derek Oliver & Dante Bonutto, who are also now working in conjunction with Roadrunner Records to bring new releases from classic bands to the market place.
Their first signing is Dream Theater, as announced a month or so ago. Of course the guys are very familiar with the band, having signed them to Elektra all those years ago.
Dream Theater have just turned in their new album Systematic Chaos to their label, and Derek Oliver was kind enough to forward me his thoughts on the album after living with it for a while and gave me the ok to run this as your exclusive first look into the album from someone who has a long and lasting passion for the band.

Says Derek:
"Systematic Chaos is pretty full-on. You'll all be very surprised. It's undoubtedly the best record that they've recorded in many years - very accessible, very heavy and very melodic. They've managed to combine a sense of the past with the future and, unlike Rush, haven't dumped their glorious past in favour of annoying skinny tie affectations or garage rock pretence.
There are two absolutely killer tracks, Constant Motion and The Dark Eternal Night, the former is like Metallica with keyboards and the latter showcases the most intense and heavy musicianship that they've ever recorded - think Pantera jamming with Iron Maiden. Those tracks will be regarded as master classes in progressive metal for years to come. And they both boast lashings of melody.
The most accessible track is titled Forsaken, a blindingly obvious radio song that mixes contemporary modern rock ala Evanescence with the old school power balladry of Queensryche's Silent Lucidity whilst still packing a progressive rock punch. Do I smell a potential radio smash? Quite possibly.
Surprise contenders for classic status include Repentance, a brooding 10 minute creepy crawler that seeps its way into one's inner psyche from the first few seconds of playback. The impact of this track is enhanced by an abundance of unexpected spoken word contributions from a number of well known musicians. I won't spoil it by revealing exactly who they are as its a lot of fun trying to decipher for yourself. Musically think Pink Floyd duetting with Metallica on a decidedly trippy space rock epic.
The other major surprise is Prophet's Of War a magnetic and compelling six minute romp that appears to be a combination of electro pop and classic arena metal and it works brilliantly. Imagine walking into a Berlin discotechque at 2 in the morning with 2,000 nutters jumping up and down to a wild electro mash-up of the Prodigy, Queen, Robbie Williams, Metallica and Ramstein whilst Dita Von Teese dances in a cage.
Trad DT faire is offered up with The Ministry Of Lost Souls. Initially a piano driven ballad which builds into a colossal prog rock hoedown allowing Jordan Rudess to utilise every keyboard that he's acquired through the ages amongst a cacophony of wild jamming. Once the battle has been won, its all back to the main theme for a piping hot cup of cocoa and bed.
The 25 minute epic In The Presence Of Enemies is indeed a pleasure to experience. Split into two parts, which bookend the album, the vibe here is dark and distant. The song is driven by a particularly impressive bass riff and a full, open chorus with evil lyrics delivered convincingly by a more assured and focussed James LaBrie. Then, in the blink of an eye, it all kicks off as Portnoy jumps in with double kick drums thumping at an alarming speed and its heads down for the final push with swords, guitars, knives and keyboards re-enacting the Charge Of The Light Brigade.

Man of the match? Impossible to say as all of them are at the top of their game on this one. Portnoy? Well, he's just being Portnoy - crucially the most accomplished drummer of modern times.
Petrucci? He's off his head on virtually every track delivering the heaviest riffs this side of Black Sabbath and the fastest most precise plank spanking I've ever heard.
Myung? The guys doesn't have much to say for himself in interviews but his playing on this record speaks a thousand words.
Rudess? Possibly the bastard child of Keith Emerson and Rachmaninov. His playing is historic and, understandably, quite perplexing.
LaBrie? I have great pleasure in announcing that he, out of them all, has risen most magnificently to the challenge. Its clear that he's taking this particular moment in the bands career to up his game considerably, approaching each track with an intelligence that belies his previous output. By adapting his delivery to suit the mood of each song this fine fellow has breathed new life into an old frame. A great and significant accomplishment.
I came away from this album thinking that - and I'm not taking a pot shot here - if Iron Maiden and Metallica were currently writing and performing to this level of excellence then the world of rock would indeed be a far better place."
Click to expand...

Sounds really interesting, can't wait to actually hear it and make up my own mind...
 
the one contesting point i have with that review though is how the guy consistently thinks they're on the bleeding edge of progressive metal. but we've gone over that topic before. :Spin:
 
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