Why Dream Theater?

[Statler Waldorf]

Hey guys,



I was just wondering if I am the only one on this forum who thinks DT is severely overrated? The other day I listened to all of their albums, except for Images and Words, looking for what it is that makes them so "special".
After close examination I have concluded that I must be deaf because I didn't hear anything! Yes most of the musicianship is downright amazing, but I do not feel their songs are always thought out very well, ecspecially lyrically. I also have serious issues with the vocals, there are absolutely no hamonies to speak of, and I find James as one of the genre's worst singers. I don't know whehter or not this guy saved every band member's life at one point or not, but it is obvious they owe him something and that is why he is part of the band. It reminds me of an outstanding football team which just has a medeocre Quarterback.
I will give Dream Theater some credit, they are amazing when it comes to odd time signatures and finding unique ways to incooporate them into songs. However this being said, I do not believe they are the "hands down" prog kings, and I feel other bands such as Symphony X and Shadow Gallery deserve more credit and need to stop being passed off as "Dream Theater Rip Offs". I know that a lot of you guys like DT, and I find this kind of humorous because the DT fans over at their official forum absolutely hate Symphony X. So what's my point? I think that we give DT too much credit, and I think we need to look at some of the outstanding musicianship displayed by less popular bands. I want to hear everyone else's opinions. What do you guys think?

 

[MC Pee pants]

i think why beat a dead horse?

 

[bball_1523]

I think this thread might turn into another DT vs. SX flame war, but I'll give my opinion anyway.

I also do not see what is so special about DT other than their talents. I give them mad props for their skill, but that's just about it. The majority of their songs I just can't get into. I have an odd taste in music though so I don't know if my opinion really qualifies. I like to listen to dark, heavy, melodic and depressing music (not doom metal, lol). Bands like Opeth, Pain Of Salvation, Nevermore, SX all qualify in my tastes.

DT on the other hand don't qualify with my tastes for some reason. They have a few songs that I enjoy like "Overture 1928," "Erotomania," and "Learning To Live." But most of their songs on every cd I've listened to, I just can't feel. I feel the music I listen to and I find a connection with it, but with DT that is not the case. With bands like Opeth, PoS, SX, Nevermore, I can completely feel their music from beginning to end. Songs like Accolade II where the choir sings "aaaah AAHHHH" I can totally feel that part, lol. I know I am weird, but I don't care, I like my taste in music.

In the end, it doesn't matter and none of this is useful. DT or SX, give or take, like em both or not. There are no facts, just opinions.

 

[Meedleyx10]

My opinion? You wasted a lot of time typing that. No one cares if you like Dream Theater or not. Everyone with a brain on this forum is sick of these kind of threads, and everyone on the DT forum with a brain is sick of these threads. The fact is that DT are the pioneers of modern Progressive Rock and have influenced (in one way or another) every band in the genre. Whether you like them or not is another thing. For example: I can't stand anything about jimi hendrix, and Im a guitar player. That doesnt change the fact that 90% of the people i listen to have had some sort of inspiration from him nor does it change the fact that he was one of the most influential musicians in modern history.

There is really no sense in comparing DT to symphony x, they aren't even the same style of music. They both do their own thing and both are good at what they do. Both bands will be the first to shoot down any "rivalry" or whatever that people like you try to create. Shadow Gallery is also friends with DT and have worked with LaBrie on at least two known occassions. All threads like this do are create arguments and piss people off for no good reason

 

[Thraxz]

The thing that bothers me about DT is that they throw a Petrucci solo into a song with little to no concern about whether it fits or not. AT times SyX will approach the invisible line between awesome contextual solo and, "self-fellating, no-purpose," solo but never ever cross it. (King of Terrors has a moment that nears it; 5:10ish. That's the closest they ever got and it was still badass.)

DT does it on nearly every song which describes perfectly why I consider Sy X an awesome band while thinking that DT is a decent one. My two cents.

 

[meisteh]

you probably missed out a bit on Images and Words, many regard it as their best.

anyway I enjoy both bands immensely. i was blown away by DT when i first started listening to them. perhaps it was because i hadn't listened to anything like it before at all? either way I know i did and still do really enjoy their music. Sacrificed Sons off Octavarium is probably my favourite at the moment and the best part of that isnt the complexity, the last 4 minutes or so i just absolutely love.

 

[Jeremy Krull]

I used to be really into DT, like when I was in 8th grade. My friends and I thought that each member of that band was the finest people on their instruments that existed. Now it wasn't even really Symphony X that turned me off of them. It was actually just the blatant and ridiculous closed minded attitudes put forth by the "prog-snob" collective that usually roosts on Opeth, Porcupine Tree, and DT forum areas. Quite honestly, I don't think there is a better example of a band with a fanbase more destructive to their reputation than Dream Theater. Frankly, if DT had never come into being, there would be a lot less wannabe mediocrity walking the premises of Berklee, and guitar stores. I just find really sad that so many budding musicians want to model their gear and attitudes and music around such pretentious and overrated people. Yes, I think they are extremely overrated. I think that they started to become this overrated when people started trying to rationalize the Falling Into Infinity album. However, the band reached their peak when they created the Scenes From A Memory record. Sadly, nothing short of everything they have done since is a steady decline down into Barking Pumpkin's favorite word, mediocrity. It's unfortunate to see them changing their image and becoming more grandiose, and feeding off of how unconditionally worshipped and revered they have become. I'm glad Mesa, Tama, Ernie Ball, DiMarzio and whatnot are experiencing better sales, but there are a lot of unoriginal directionless impressionable kids out their who are throwing their talent down the fucking drain. All DT's fans do is crap on other bands, the few Dream Theater fans I've met who are truly open minded and well versed aren't even really Dream Theater fans anymore either. That says something. The band is EXTREMELY overrated, they've become as much if not more a sordid parody of themselves as Stratovarius or Ozzy Osbourne.

And none of this has to do with my liking for Symphony X, I like the band a lot. And yea, they replaced DT as that "progressive/metal" sort of band that I truly enjoy. But quite honestly, I would probably feel the same way about Dream Theater if I never found about Symphony X at all.

 

[Beelzebub]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

 

[karelrulez]

So what's my point? I think that we give DT too much credit, and I think we need to look at some of the outstanding musicianship displayed by less popular bands. think?

right.

sorry man but if someone's heavily into DT.. why bother him with this stuff?
WE give DT too much credit? Who's 'WE'?

I think people can handle it just fine by themselves, let everyone decide for itself how much 'credit' one gives to DT! If you like the music, you like the music.

 

[Luis]

However this being said, I do not believe they are the "hands down" prog kings, and I feel other bands such as Symphony X and Shadow Gallery deserve more credit and need to stop being passed off as "Dream Theater Rip Offs".

I agree with you 100%. Fates Warning also deserves far more credit.

The band reached their peak when they created the Scenes From A Memory record. Sadly, nothing short of everything they have done since is a steady decline down into Barking Pumpkin's favorite word, mediocrity.

I agree with you 100%.

Drem Theater became the most famous prog metal band due that they got in 1992 and 1993 support of several radio stations and MTV

As we can see everybody loves I&W and Awake, those albums deserve the reputation they have won because without doubt they are masterpieces but we need to remember that Kevin Moore was the mastermind behind them. Since Kevin gone a big part of DT died.

Perhaps they show is over.

 

[Divine Wings Of The Machine]

i'm a dream theater fan who is open minded about music. come to think of it, that is probably why i am still a dream theater fan. just letting you know all remaining dream theater fans are not brain dead petrucci worshippers.

 

[Kenneth R.]

i think why beat a dead horse?

yet still, i'd say you're not alone. great band, but by no means worthy of worshipping that they recieve so blindly. their later albums haven't impressed me.

 

[soundgarden]

i'm a dream theater fan who is open minded about music. come to think of it, that is probably why i am still a dream theater fan. just letting you know all remaining dream theater fans are not brain dead petrucci worshippers.

+1

I like DT. They are not my favorite band, but in a few days I will have bought all their studio albums.

 

[Rose Immortal]

I'd say SymX is more consistent as far as the quality of its albums, and the stronger band overall--but I do still enjoy some of DT's albums immensely. Not all of them, but I genuinely do consider myself a fan because of what I do like. And I honestly like James LaBrie's voice. I know a lot of people don't, but I have one of those voices myself that can kinda match his a little bit. That probably contributes.

 

[Divine Wings Of The Machine]

ever heard Liquid Tension Experiment soundgarden? it's a dream theater side project. pretty good stuff, all instrumentals.

i like the second LTE better then the first, but they are both worth checking out.

 

[soundgarden]

ever heard Liquid Tension Experiment soundgarden? it's a dream theater side project. pretty good stuff, all instrumentals.

i like the second LTE better then the first, but they are both worth checking out.

I will check it out, thanks.

I have "An Evening With JP and JR" which I like a lot. It is the only instrumental rock (actually, im not sure if its considered rock) album I have.

 

[sweepking]

DT is just not a consistent band, and that is probably due to the fact that they like to change their sound and experiment. They have some really good songs that are amazing both creatively and from a technique standpoint, but a lot of their songs are really boring. I think I have listened to Octavarium twice, because it falls into the complete boredom category for me.

 

[bball_1523]

DT is just not a consistent band, and that is probably due to the fact that they like to change their sound and experiment. They have some really good songs that are amazing both creatively and from a technique standpoint, but a lot of their songs are really boring. I think I have listened to Octavarium twice, because it falls into the complete boredom category for me.

I agree, I don't want to bash DT, but to me their songs don't have much life to them. It's more about show then writing memorable songs. Bands like Symphony X, Pain of salvation have tons of memorable pieces that I just love to sit there, close my eyes, and concentrate on the music. With DT I just can't do that for some reason, no matter how much I listen to them.

I kinda have to agree with Shokai. I find that there are DT fans that just absolutely worship the band. There are those for every band, but for some reason I find DT has too many. I get turned off from DT everytime I hear a fan come out blast every other guitarist because they think Petrucci is the end of all guitarists. There is no end, and there no beginning, they are all freakin good. I like petrucci and am influenced by his clean alternate picking, but there's no way he's the best of the best, and neither is Romeo, although imo Romeo is my favorite.

 

[Snowmaker]

If you don't like it, don't listen.

And quit taking up valuable board space.

 

[arglebargle]

DT vs SX topics should be banned from the internet, permanently.