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Beren 
Forum Newbie
Joined: April 01 2006
Location: Canada
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Points: 5
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 Topic: What may come after "Octavarium"?
Posted: April 13 2006 at 15:51 |
Dream Theater is the group that introduced me to progressive metal, and to this web site. I have been listening to their music for a few years now and I have tried to get a better understanding of it by paying special attention to the characteristics of every album and reading as many reviews as can. It is amazing to notice the changes that have occurred in the "Dream Theater" sound over the course of the years.
I have been listening to their latest studio album, "Octavarium", and I have read many reviews from this web site. However insightful, I would like to know everyones' opinion about the possible directions the band could follow in the future, as well as everyone's comments on the evident change that occurred in "Octavarium" with respect to "Train of Thought" and "Six degrees of inner turbulence". Is it a change for the better? How does "Octavarium" stands in comparison to recent efforts by other groups? How does it stand in comparison to the past albums? Is Dream Theater's music still meaningful to everyone, or their music comes across as just a commitment to the market -a forceful necessity-? These are just questions that I have been considering for a while now, and I would like to know your opinions.
Greetings,
Beren
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Light and darkness, good or evil, man made categories, fear of chaos
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
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Points: 30711
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Posted: April 13 2006 at 17:03 |
Well I like some Dream Theater albums and dislike others.Octavarium I like.Solid 4 star album.My favourite is Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence while the one I hate is Train of Thought.
Future Direction? Not a clue.They have a prog and metal fanbase.TOT was for the metal fans.SDOIT was more for Keyboard/Rudess fans I reckon.Octavarium was hedging bets a bit.Portnoy is clearly a prog fan.Rudess and Pornoy want to do more prog stuff I guess.Who are the strong personalities in the band?
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transend
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 876
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 08:12 |
I couldn't agree with Richard more....
I hated TOT, loved Six degrees...and the new one was a decent album, return to form after the Metallica debacle of TOT.
Me thinks they have another concept in them yet, that may not be as obscure and fantasy-like as 'Scenes..' was. To me, that is a logical step. They need to begin a new DT era and bring their fans back together after splitting many of them on the last two efforts. Plus, they still have not met their potential really in the concept dept. To me, 'Scenes..' was a great, but they trumped it musically with 'Six degrees..'...so there is 'THE ONE' in them, yet....I hope!
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MikeEnRegalia
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
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Points: 21886
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 08:15 |
I hope they make another album ... other than that I don't have any expectations. 
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Masque
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 01 2006
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Points: 808
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 09:24 |
I hope Dream Theater can get in touch with their feminine side and perhaps listen to some Jon Anderson Solo albums , throw away their heavy instruments and replace them with blocks & spoons and wind instruments  I`m sure their fans would dig it 
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MikeEnRegalia
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Joined: April 22 2005
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 09:28 |
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Syzygy
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 09:36 |
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I'd guess that it will involve 75 minutes of recycled Metallica riffs with some Yes style lyrics and arrangements, the whole thing sounding like Rush would have done if they'd been a 5 piece. It will get 5 star reviews before it's been officially released and will generate about 150 threads on this forum, plus 73 polls tackling issues like 'what's the 3rd best song?'. This will be followed by several near-identical live albums, a DVD or three and a 'special edition' with a bonus disc consisting of random scraps swept up off the studio floor. Then they'll go quiet again for a year or so, with any luck.
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'Like so many of you
I've got my doubts about how much to contribute
to the already rich among us...'
Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom
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BePinkTheater
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 01 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 1381
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 09:39 |
well they are taking this summer off. no tours, not writing, just alone time.
I tihnk this will give them a much needed time to clear their head and to beable to go into the studio with fresh ideas and deliver a great album
I tinhk they need to spend more time writing then albums. TOT was written in 3 weeks, 8Vm was written in studio..
Then we look at pieces like a change of seasons which they wrote of the course of 5 years. its the pinnical of progmetal.
i thinik if they take their time and stay focused on the music, we'll have a kick ass album by the middle to end of next year
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I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t.
-Stone Beard
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MikeEnRegalia
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Joined: April 22 2005
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 09:42 |
 Syzygy wrote:
I'd guess that it will involve 75 minutes of recycled Metallica riffs with some Yes style lyrics and arrangements, the whole thing sounding like Rush would have done if they'd been a 5 piece. It will get 5 star reviews before it's been officially released and will generate about 150 threads on this forum, plus 73 polls tackling issues like 'what's the 3rd best song?'. This will be followed by several near-identical live albums, a DVD or three and a 'special edition' with a bonus disc consisting of random scraps swept up off the studio floor. Then they'll go quiet again for a year or so, with any luck. |
Wow, hold your horses ... I think the current rating of Octavarium is quite adequate.
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MajesterX
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 30 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 513
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 09:53 |
Overall I liked Octavarium. Yes, there are songs that are rather weak (Answer lies within), and I think "the Root of All Evil" is just a cody of little bits and references to the Glass Prison and This Dying soul, but songs like "Sacrificed Sons" and "Ocatvaium" are great and I think they should loose the slight U2 incluence with short songs like "I walk beside you" and do what they do best- writing 8-? minutes epics. I hope they do another concept album but honestly I have no idea what's up next. As to the quesion does Octavarium compare to other recent prog metal albums I think overall it's not quite as good as some of the stuff such as POS and that kind of stuff, but everyone must admit that normally a band's early period is thier strongest, though as we have seen with releases like Scenes from a Memory, Marbles and Dark Matter where a band makes a huge comeback. This is probably why new bands are more popular. I think Dream theater is just experimenting with different sounds, not necessarily getting weaker, though I would like to see John myung write more lyrics and possibly be put somewhere in the mix 
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antibiotic
Forum Groupie
Joined: September 22 2005
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 40
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:09 |
Syzygy wrote:
I'd guess that it will involve 75 minutes of recycled
Metallica riffs with some Yes style lyrics and arrangements, the whole
thing sounding like Rush would have done if they'd been a 5 piece. It
will get 5 star reviews before it's been officially released and
will generate about 150 threads on this forum, plus 73 polls
tackling issues like 'what's the 3rd best song?'. This will be followed
by several near-identical live albums, a DVD or three and a 'special
edition' with a bonus disc consisting of random scraps swept up off the
studio floor. Then they'll go quiet again for a year or so, with any
luck. |
...I hope they would just shut up for ever. Completely worthless band.
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MikeEnRegalia
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Joined: April 22 2005
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:13 |
One thing that I don't understand - why do people like you have to post in threads like this one? I mean, this is obviously a thread for Dream Theater fans. It's not about whether or not they're a good band, it's to discuss what their 9th album might sound like.
Don't you have better things to do than to spoil this thread? Go ahead and write a 1 star review for Octavarium, that would make much more sense. It would also prove that you're in no way better than a 5 star fanboy.
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antibiotic
Forum Groupie
Joined: September 22 2005
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 40
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:16 |
MajesterX wrote:
As to the quesion does Octavarium compare to other
recent prog metal albums I think overall it's not quite as good as some
of the stuff such as POS and that kind of stuff, but
everyone must admit that normally a band's early period is thier
strongest, though as we have seen with releases like Scenes from a
Memory, Marbles and Dark Matter where a band makes a huge
comeback. |
Octavarium doesn't compare to other recent prog metal albums. A band
like Portal in the first 20 seconds of any of their releases crushes,
kills and destroys the entire DT discography put together, then rapes
it and then kills it again.
Edited by antibiotic
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MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:19 |
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Ed_The_Dead
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 29 2005
Location: Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 4928
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:23 |
Now don't call him an angry teenager!
I'm angry teenager...
He's just plain stoopid
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MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
Status: Offline
Points: 21886
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:26 |
^ you're right Ed ... of course I don't really know if he's a teenager.
BTW: I have nothing against teenagers at all ... some of them even know more about prog than me!
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Ed_The_Dead
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 29 2005
Location: Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 4928
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:32 |
^Wow is that your main criteria while deciding if you like someone or not?
knows more prog = good
knows less prog = bad
on topic again:
I'm still hoping they'll make another album in the I&W vein...
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ken4musiq
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 14 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 446
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:33 |
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I didn't like Train of Thought so did not get Octavarium. I saw them live and liked the stuff off the new album; but since its been given kind of mediocre reviews here I did not get it. I think it may be that Dream Theater's glory days are behind them. Are they ever going to make another Image and Words, Metropolis or Six Degress of Inner Trubulence? With Portnoy doing a lot of work with Neal Morse,(someone said they were starting a supergrooup) I think they may be on hiatus for a while. It would be nice if they got in touch with their feminine side because I like the piano bits that have become so rare.
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antibiotic
Forum Groupie
Joined: September 22 2005
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 40
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:33 |
MikeEnRegalia wrote:
One thing that I don't understand - why do
people like you have to post in threads like this one? I mean, this is
obviously a thread for Dream Theater fans. It's not about whether or
not they're a good band, it's to discuss what their 9th album
might sound like.
Don't you have better things to do than to spoil this thread? Go
ahead and write a 1 star review for Octavarium, that would make much
more sense. It would also prove that you're in no way better than a 5
star fanboy. |
I checked into this thread for a laugh at some of the praise that this
band is receiving. I posted cause I have nothing better to do at the
moment, when I have something better to do, I don't spend that time
staring at computer screens. I'm not going to review DT for 1 star
because nothing they have ever done deserves one star, and it also
would show that I am paying to much attention to a worthless band. This
proves that I am indeed better than a 5 star fanboy.
I hope this has covered all of the questions you had regarding myself on this thread and topic. If not, ask away.
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MikeEnRegalia
Special Collaborator
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Joined: April 22 2005
Location: Sweden
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Posted: April 15 2006 at 10:35 |
^ "This proves that I am indeed better than a 5 star fanboy" ... well, if you think so.
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What may come after "Octavarium"?
