What Does Dream Theater Need to Do? (Musically)

kingfriso wrote: What they should do? The same thing as every modern band:   - get an organ and a mellotron - no digital amplification for guitars, just Fender's and stompboxes - Let Patrucci play on a strangly tuned guitar, maybe it would get more interesting. For instance: E G C# G C D - Try to make a record live in a mediumsized theatre withoud fans.   Seems like a plan to me.

I love you man...

I admit i have a love/hate relationship with the band. Their first period (IaW through FFI) is what got me into prog music in the first place. Since then, I have watched the band rapidly deteriorating in just about every aspect: Lyricwise (SFaM being the pinacle of BAD lyric writing), soundwise (why the crushing chuga-chuga riffs in 6D, ToT and SC?) and composition-wise (just about everything post SFaM with the exception of the brilliant 8V title track). The thing that saddens me the most is that just about every record 6D throu BC&sL has random moments of former brilliance on display, but they are way to few and far between. So what i'm trying to say is i believe the band still has talent but they need to retain their focus, take their time and let good ideas develop. Try some quality contol for heaven's sake! I believe it worked with octavarium (title track) it can happen again! Oh and PLEASE, step off the *ULTRA* heavy metal wagon, it is SO beneath you.

Just my 2 cents...

p.s. I had high expectations for BC&SL. I stand dissapointed once again...


Edited by theBox - June 09 2009 at 02:56

Mr ProgFreak wrote: jplanet wrote: If it wasn't for their metal leanings, in both image and sound, we wouldn't even be talking about them right now. The vast majority of Dream Theater fans are metal fans - as prog fans, we make up only a very tiny subset of their audience...Metal sells. Prog doesn't. This is the same reason Opeth, Devin Townsend, and Porcupine Tree have achieved greater popularity compared to Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, etc. They all have a sound that can be marketed as "metal". The only non-metal prog bands that can afford to tour regularly are the ones that have a legacy dating back to the 70's (Yes, Jethro Tull). Otherwise, as large a community as this site appears to have, we're not even a blip on the map of any record executive. I resent this separation between metal fans and prog fans. People who like metal but not prog would never listen to a band like Dream Theater.

Kyo wrote: They should try writing lyrics to a song first, then come up with music that fits.

A FELLOW BELIEVER!

I believe what Kyo said would be fantastic, and, they should also make the bass audible, and John Myung should try to play less fast. He sounds muddy and undefined 90% of the time that you can hear him.

it's interesting to read these ideas what DT should do. They will not, why ? Some of us know why :- )

god, this is funny topic

Dream Theater is what it is.  They're not one of my favorites, but they do come up in circulation fairly regularly.  I can only take them at face value.  They do what they do, warts and all.  I do find it intriguing that this band, more than any others perhaps, incites such love and hate, praise and riducule.  I don't know why that is.

Obviously the whole point of the thread is not to argue whether arguing about how a band should change they're style is pointless to argue or not. The point of the thread is each person's opinion of what musical direction the band should go.

I personally agree that adding some jazz-fusion or textural metal influences would be a good way to spice up their music, if it worked out alright in the end. I think their getting a bit static in their music, not horribly, but enough to feel like I'm hearing mostly the same stuff repeated.

But then again, the whole point of Dream Theater (as much as I like their music) seems to be to combine prog stereotypes with metal, period. There's nothing truly experimental about their music, even if they've changed their sound a bit over the years. I would even argue they've made some of the greatest metal in history. But they're not developing today's musical landscape, they're rolling in the doe, and good for them.

OzzProg wrote: Epignosis wrote: And yes, Rudess is excellent, especially when he uses various tones (instead of the electric guitar clone). At times if you are just causally listening, you can mistake keyboards for guitar. I also think they should ditch the whole "Bad ass Metal Band" attitude. Many (no, not all) Metal heads dismiss Dream Theater as poppy fluff. Even if they are good, they shouldn't try and be like that crowd, they are distinctly different. (did you see that promo picture they released just before this new album! AHHH!)

Well, that's what I mean.  Is that dark, bad ass image really necessary?  Every metal band almost tries to pull it off...what if you're just a meek computer programmer with acne but can shred your grandmother's head off?

KingCrimson250 wrote: The Quiet One wrote: I think you're being quite a bit extremist T, well at least from my point of view. Concerning your example about Zappa, he never played hip-hop nor black metal, while Dream Theater has played some jazzy things, which is something people would like to expect more from DT, and it's not something outrageous like asking black metal or hip-hop from Zappa. Maybe I'm not a expext on DT, but I know albums by them, and I know they did some jazzy stuff mixed with metal of course. I would really like if they once developed that side a bit more, or at least do that again. I'm not asking for them to do stuff ala Gentle Giant nor Magma, no, just wished if they could go a bit deeper in territories they once touched. I can't really think of any jazzy things that DT played, unless you count Another Day, their tribute to Kenny G. What songs were you thinking of?

Derek Sherinian-era: Falling into Infinity has some slightly jazz touches, which are magnificent, though would be greater if they were levelled-up in the mix.

Epignosis wrote: And yes, Rudess is excellent, especially when he uses various tones (instead of the electric guitar clone).

At times if you are just causally listening, you can mistake keyboards for guitar.

I also think they should ditch the whole "Bad ass Metal Band" attitude. Many (no, not all) Metal heads dismiss Dream Theater as poppy fluff. Even if they are good, they shouldn't try and be like that crowd, they are distinctly different. (did you see that promo picture they released just before this new album! AHHH!)


Edited by OzzProg - June 08 2009 at 19:20