Kevin's Watch

I am perplexed that this band is never even mentioned in this forum! I discovered this band a couple of years ago, when I didn't like Metal at all. (Except for some Tool) After listening to Train of Thought until my ears bled I was transmogrified into a metal head. I bought Number of the Beast because I heard they covered it, I bought Opeth because I heard they were contemporaries.

Progressive Metal is an extremely interesting genre, and in my opinion, is some of the most exciting, interesting, and blood-boiling music being produced today. To top it off they are among the most abundant veins of raw musical talent on the Planet.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Theater

I would HIGHLY recommend Images and Words, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory, Train of Thought, and Octavarium to anyone regardless of musical taste. Their music shows an extremely rare blend of intimidating technical skill and raw songwriting chops.

The problem is, DT are so good I can’t really enjoy Tool anymore, they are just so put to shame. In fact, I can’t enjoy most music as much as I used too.

Have you checked out Liquid Tension Experiment? It's 3/5 of DT, plus Bill Bruford and Tony Levin (and without LaBrie's vocals, which I really don't like ).

I've stuck two Dream Theater songs in the You Tube topic...so they have been mentioned...

Yeah, a lot of people don't like LaBrie. I really dont mind him, and he's been gradually cutting the metelopera out of his sound for the past 2 or 3 albums. (It's barely there in Systematic Chaos). LTE is pretty cool, but I just don't generally like their music from that era as much (the Falling into Infinity period...) as their early stuff and their more recent stuff.

I like LaBries, I don't understand why so many people don't. It's not like he's that raving egomanic who fronts Creed...

I've been a DT fan for several years now. Scenes From A Memory is my all-time favourite cd which I would take to an uninhabited island with me if I had to choose.

I'm a huge fan of DT's drummer Mike Portnoy. I'm a prog guy, though; not a metal guy, so I'm way more into Portnoy's work with Neal Morse and Transatlantic than I am of DT. I do admit I've only listened to one DT cd once, so there's always a chance I'd like them if I listened to them more, as is becoming the case with Kings X.

You just don't hear metel like this anywhere else. The guys are scary good. Every musician excells at his own intrument, together they are just a force.

dANdeLION wrote:I'm a huge fan of DT's drummer Mike Portnoy. I'm a prog guy, though; not a metal guy, so I'm way more into Portnoy's work with Neal Morse and Transatlantic than I am of DT. I do admit I've only listened to one DT cd once, so there's always a chance I'd like them if I listened to them more, as is becoming the case with Kings X.

What he said. I love Transatlantic, almost as much as the Beard. Funny, the drummer in my previous band was really into King's X and I never wanted to listen to them until someone else turned me on to one of their albums... now I dig them. But DT has just never really done it for me.

BTW, have you heard the Morse/Portnoy/George "Cover to Cover" album? It's all covers of really cool classic rock songs.

That one's next on my list. I may also get the Transatlantic cd I saw in the store. I'm pretty sure I don't have it.

I think I like the 2nd TA album better, but both are superb.

Relayer wrote:Have you checked out Liquid Tension Experiment? It's 3/5 of DT, plus Bill Bruford and Tony Levin (and without LaBrie's vocals, which I really don't like ).

Bumping to correct a mistake here. Bill Bruford DID NOT play in Liquid Tension Experiment. It was Mike Portnoy (from DT) who played drums, John Petrucci (also from DT) on guitar, Tony Levin on bass, and Jordan Rudess (now part of DT, though not at the time) on keys. An amazing ensemble.

Big, big fan of DT here. Was a huge fan from Awake all the way up through Scenes From A Memory (fave album by far), but was less than impressed from their next three albums. 6 Degrees Of Inner Turbulence was too all over the place with only a couple redeeming tracks. Train Of Thought was too one-sided for my tastes. I'm a metal fan through and through, but TOT bored me to tears. Octavarium was okay, but too middle of the road for me. Nothing stood out, but nothing was horrible either.

Systematic Chaos, on the other hand, was an amazing album and easily in my top 3. Some of their most focused songwriting since Awake. Not a single bad moment on the whole disc.

Thought I'd bump this one as no mention of Mike Portnoy's departure on here yet . . .

Dream Theater's Press Release

Added on 09-08-2010

To all of our loyal fans and friends: It is with profound sadness -- regret -- we announce that Mike Portnoy, our lifelong drummer and friend, has decided to leave Dream Theater. Mike's stature in the band has meant the world to all of us professionally, musically, and personally over the years. There is no dispute: Mike has been a major force within this band.

While it is true that Mike is choosing to pursue other ventures and challenges, we can assure you that Dream Theater will continue to move forward with the same intensity -- and in the same musical tradition -- that you have all helped make so successful, and which is truly gratifying to us.

Fans and friends: File this episode under "Black Clouds and Silver Linings." As planned, we begin recording our newest album in January 2011, and we'll follow that with a full-on world tour. "The Spirit Carries On."

All of us in Dream Theater wholeheartedly wish Mike the best on his musical journey. We have had a long and meaningful career together. It is our true hope that he finds all he is looking for, and that he achieves the happiness he deserves. He will be missed.

Mike Portnoy's Press Release

Added on 09-09-2010

Wednesday September 8th 2010

I am about to write something I never imagined I'd ever write:

After 25 years, I have decided to leave Dream Theater....the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.

To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision...it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so....

After having had such amazing experiences playing with Hail, Transatlantic and Avenged Sevenfold this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in Dream Theater...

Please don't misinterpret me, I love the DT guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them...it's just that I think we are in serious need of a little break...

Dream Theater was always my baby...and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985...24/7, 365...never taking time off from DT's never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was "off" between cycles)...working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band...

But I've come to the conclusion that the DT machine was starting to burn me out...and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DT spirit hungry and inspired.

We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here & there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a "hiatus" to recharge our batteries and "save me from ourselves"...

Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather...I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be...

While it truly hurts for me to even think of a Dream Theater without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way...so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes....

Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DT and I talked about "always following your heart and being true to yourself"...sadly I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with Dream Theater...and I would simply be "going through the motions", and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.

I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come...I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played....

I'm sorry to all the disappointed DT fans around the world...I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work...I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)...but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within....

You DT fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me....(and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future MP projects!)

Sadly...
Your fearless ex-leader and drummer,
MP


"Move on be brave, don't weep at my grave, because I am no longer here...
But please never let your memory of me disappear...."
--- The Spirit Carries On

taken from www.dreamtheater.net

Holy crap! That is a huge shock.

I met him this summer at a Rush concert in Kansas City. He was sitting in the row in front of me and I got a pic of me and him together... sad to see he's leaving DT - he will be missed. He's too good a musician to not be involved in something soon though - hope it's sooner rather than later

Whoa!

Saw them open for Iron Maiden a few months ago.....Really wasn't impressed.

This might actually not be a bad thing for DT. IIRC, Mike was for a large part responsible for the musical direction DT is/was taking, and it's been mostly the heavier stuff. I've been a fan for years, but I found Black Clouds & Silver Linings not really good. It has some strong stuff, musically, but lyrically it's just painful to listen to.
Don't get me wrong, theyve written a great deal of good stuff, but Mike doing his 'metal' backing vocals is really starting to get annoying

Maybe someone new will add some new and interesting elements.

Dream Theater was opening for Yes in 2004, and that's the only time I've ever seen them live. They came across as great musicians, without a doubt. They just did medleys of their early material, though they played some of the Train Of Thought tracks in their entirety.

The only DT albums I have are Images And Words and Train Of Thought. The former sounds like progressive rock, the latter sounds more like traditional heavy metal, but I think both albums are excellent.

Sad, poignant, and (for Dream Theater) relatively short...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxK-_Q6VeZU