mark b
Prog 4 ever. Australia!!!
I agree completely, mate. I just don't get the heavy opinions - I'm sorta disappointed that people don't have better things to do...
Yep, I agree.
I agree completely, mate. I just don't get the heavy opinions - I'm sorta disappointed that people don't have better things to do...
I agree completely, mate. I just don't get the heavy opinions - I'm sorta disappointed that people don't have better things to do...
^ Listen to Perfect Symmetry, particularly "At Fates Hands," and tell me DT didn't borrow a TON from FW. DT themselves even admit this. Though I agree, Kansas and Rush are in there as well (but also in FW, so...)
I don't agree with the Watchtower comparison, however. Both technical bands, but DT sounded and still sounds way different than they did. The only Watchtower influence I'd say survived by proxy, again, through FW, who was influenced by Watchtower.
You might be right about Queensryche, I just threw that in there because everyone seems to say that, but truth be told I have never been able to care much for them...
Hey, Steve's back. Where ya been?
I've had Perfect Symetry since it was released in 89 the same year When Dream and Day Unite was released same year Control and Resistance was released, one year after Mindcrime and No Exit. Its all progressive metal but to my ears these bands have their own individual sound with Dream Theater raising the bar on technical along with Watchtower. Dominici did seem to come from the Arch school of singing, Alder and LaBrie have similiar tone and range. These were all sounds of the times, I mean I can point to Fates musical passages on Perfect Symetry (which Im listening to now)that correlate to old Dixie Dregs, Ponty or other 70's fusion. Early Fates is heavy on the Maiden side. That heavy atmospheric, droning, melancholic sound I always attributed to Queensryche but someone pointed back to a few Priest songs that predated Queensryche, myself I can dig back as far as certain Uriah Heep songs, Sabbath and even Floyd and find those sounds and moods. So yes theres a ton if influences in there for all bands by all bands, none of which diminish the value of what Dream Theater laid on us with Images and Words. I mean I'd heard all this other stuff long before Images and Words but my jaw still hung open in amazement, it was the first time I had been amazed like that since hearing Dixie Dregs Freefall back in the late 70's for overall compositions, tightness/syncopation and depth of the band.
I wanted to add that when I went to "The Chance" in 92 or 93 to see Dream Theater on their Images and Words tour that they were playing to a small crowd, the room was mostly wide open. It seems the genre had about 0 popularity at the time. Also something that was funny, there were some head banging metal heads there and they would get banging away, hair flying in the air and the band would do one of their timing changes and they would get all fucked up. You'd see them hesitate then stop then get back in the correct groove... but it wouldnt last long lol. This exemplifies why I always expect hardcore headbanging metal heads to bash Dream Theater, they cant take the rhythmic adversion and dont want to hear any of that slow touchy feely stuff like Take the Time or Wait for Sleep
It would probably take weeks at its speed to back up those files. I should try it though, thanks. Unfortunantly I just dont know much about the things. Removeing that program that the music file I was trying to get came with didnt help. Two people that know more than myself about them have gone through it and cant find anything. Norton doesnt find anything, Stopzilla doesnt find anything. I'll talk to my one buddy about doing the reformat.
So I would be interested in hearing Dixie Dregs and comparing.
I would have to be there to point out exact passages or you wouldnt get it I think. The Dregs combined elements (depending on the song) of bluegrass, funk and rocked out with it. Some slower stuff was possibly whats called contempary classical with maybe a Irish, Celtic or Appalacia folk feel. Check out a song called Night Meets Light my favorite of that style by them. Sounds a bit like that intro to whatever song that is on Perfect Symetry that has the Violin on it. They show minimal jazz feel like most fusion bands did but there are a few songs that are pretty much fusion sounding. Steve Morse gets all the composition credit but its hard to believe given the talent of the other players that they didnt have their input especially on their own parts. The band covered alot of sounds on one album but to me seemed to be rehashing after the first two records. What If and Freefall to me are must haves for the progressive musically inclined.
Dream Theater has covered Dregs songs and its interesting how Night Meets Light and When Dream and Day Unite rhyme and mean basically the same thing... not that there is anything similiar between that particular song and DTs album. You might find some decent stuff on youtube, Im not sure its been awhile since I looked for them there and it was minimal at that time.
Fates Changed thier sound considerably with Perfect Symetry and after, there is no questioning their importance or uniqueness. I personally have a hard time with their earlier stuff. Mark Zonder the drummer was also new to the band on Symetry.
Talking about DT, the new Devin Townsend album is awesome...
Hah!
Talking about DT, the new Devin Townsend album is awesome...
Hah!