New Dream Theater Album is Up For Streaming.

torkolort said:
Awesome!! I think this is by far their best album since Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. Epic opening track!
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Agreed! I've listened to this album about 5 times now and it has an energy that I haven't heard in Dream Theater's music for a long time! The heavy parts were balls to the wall. There were a lot of parts that reminded me of older stuff (I&W and Awake) that really sound like the whole band is having a blast playing.

Highlights:
- James Labrie's shrieking high notes on Illumination Theory
- John Myung being in the spotlight throughout the album
- Enigma Machine - the first instrumental since Stream of Consciousness
- Petrucci's chocolate cake tone! I thought his tone on ADTOE was a little muted, but this album was a complete rebound from that!

The petrucciforum has been down the last few days so I had to vent here... :p
 
swervedriver said:
Dream Theater has failed to grab me since Scenes From A Memory, this one appears to be no exception. Enigma Machine is pretty nice though.

All IMHO of course. If you're digging it, power to you. :)
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Don't dismiss the master piece Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence. Give this album a few proper listens and I am sure it will sink in. It has its own identity,to me this is classic DT.
 
jeffpengelly said:
Agreed! I've listened to this album about 5 times now and it has an energy that I haven't heard in Dream Theater's music for a long time! The heavy parts were balls to the wall. There were a lot of parts that reminded me of older stuff (I&W and Awake) that really sound like the whole band is having a blast playing.

Highlights:
- James Labrie's shrieking high notes on Illumination Theory
- John Myung being in the spotlight throughout the album
- Enigma Machine - the first instrumental since Stream of Consciousness
- Petrucci's chocolate cake tone! I thought his tone on ADTOE was a little muted, but this album was a complete rebound from that!

The petrucciforum has been down the last few days so I had to vent here... :p
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My thoughts exact man :)

This album is a breath of fresh air personally. It has the timings of tracks like Awake and then a killer epic and then YTSE Jam type of instrumental with a more modern sound. Love the Rush influence,love Myung's bass shining in the mix.

It also has a "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" vibe in their big epic "Illumination Theory",which I think is a master piece.

I loved the writing,some of the best Dream Theater have done in a while. But the tone of the album is very fresh it sounds quiet different from the previous works. When I heard "The Enemy Inside" it sounded like the Black Clouds era or Systematic Chaos type of stuff but the overall album is quiet different in its feel.

John Petrucc's solos are really well constructed. Mike Mangini is doing a great job on the drums.I can't judge the drum sound mix wise,I would need the CD or a better mix. But the playing is killer,something sounds strange at times in the snare.

Pre-ordered it and I am glad I did.
 
PerChr said:
Streaming it now, really like what I'm hearing :)
Been a fan since Images & Words.
I think this will be a classic DT album.

Pre ordered cd has shipped and tickets for the Oslo concert is in the mail. :)
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Lucky you man,I am too far from any Dream Theater concert location. I did pre-order it with the 5.1 surround sound mix :)

Yes this is definitely a classic.
 
immortal_soloist said:
I can't judge the drum sound mix wise,I would need the CD or a better mix. But the playing is killer,something sounds strange at times in the snare.
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I'm at the studio listening on Genelec 8250s with Sub. The album is very well mixed. The CD would be better to judge since the data compression of this streaming audio is doing a number on the stereo image and top end of the mix. Very swirly. The snare was the first thing that jumped out to me. It works well on the straight forward "chugga chugga" type sections but it is a bit too fat and punchy and compressed for the rolls and fast playing sections. It comes off sounding like a triggered sample snare (though I doubt it would be completely) Snare is the toughest thing in an entire mix to get right, IMO. I think it is a great snare sound but at times it doesn't seem to fit in the arrangement.
 
Tonemeister said:
I'm at the studio listening on Genelec 8250s with Sub. The album is very well mixed. The CD would be better to judge since the data compression of this streaming audio is doing a number on the stereo image and top end of the mix. Very swirly. The snare was the first thing that jumped out to me. It works well on the straight forward "chugga chugga" type sections but it is a bit too fat and punchy and compressed for the rolls and fast playing sections. It comes off sounding like a triggered sample snare (though I doubt it would be completely) Snare is the toughest thing in an entire mix to get right, IMO. I think it is a great snare sound but at times it doesn't seem to fit in the arrangement.
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That does make a lot of sense. I overall love this record though. Such a fantastic album. :)
I am getting my CD in the first week of October,I pre-ordered it. It would also have the 5.1 mix.
Shall hear it then on my JBL LSRs. :)

Thanks for adding your input,really appreciate it :)
 
I love everything I've heard except "The Bigger Picture". I have to say I have had an inner struggle with Labrie ever since I first heard DT back in '90. I absolutely hate the breathy, overdramatic, sweeping vibrato style he uses. Makes me gag. I am almost embarrassed when listening. Haha. My opinion obviously. Love the instrumental stuff.
 
Tonemeister said:
I love everything I've heard except "The Bigger Picture". I have to say I have had an inner struggle with Labrie ever since I first heard DT back in '90. I absolutely hate the breathy, overdramatic, sweeping vibrato style he uses. Makes me gag. I am almost embarrassed when listening. Haha. My opinion obviously. Love the instrumental stuff.
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I have heard a lot of people saying that however I personally feel James Labrie was really strong on this record.
 
Listening now... wow, I'm really digging this album so far (up to "Behind The Veil"). I could NOT say this about ADTOE upon first listening, and I'm still disappointed in that album. This new one though... YES! :mrgreen

Can't wait to hear it without compression, and on a good sound system.
 
It's better than ADTOE and BCASL but I still hated it :(. As a long time DT fan I really wanted to like it and was hoping they'd be turning over a new leaf with this album, but it seems they've gone downhill in the creativity department. Sounds a bit like they're on auto pilot. Noooo
 
How do they remember what notes to play live? I don't think practice is enough to cut it. There must be some good live cock-up you tube vids out there but i'm at work now and cant check... damn... I'll probably forget to check later :D
 
I've seen them live a few times. Its certainly an experience. Rudess reads the score as they go. The rest of them have amazing memories - their gigs are 3 1/2 hours long with no support band!
 
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