Dream Theater Finishes Smoking Barbecue!! - Album in Food Warmer!

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Sounds like if it's 8 songs, there's inevitably going to be some mindless wankery and sections that overstay their welcome. Wonderful. Oh well.

Good... that's Dream Theater!

[MirrorMask]

Sounds like if it's 8 songs, there's inevitably going to be some mindless wankery and sections that overstay their welcome. Wonderful. Oh well.

Well, it's 8 songs SO FAR 

[bosk1]

Sounds like if it's 8 songs, there's inevitably going to be some mindless wankery and sections that overstay their welcome. Wonderful. Oh well.

Good... that's Dream Theater!

^This, absolutely. 

And not to pick on you, but since we have heard absolutely zero percent of the album, presuming to know what it will be like is really pointless and silly.

[The Walrus]

Sounds like if it's 8 songs, there's inevitably going to be some mindless wankery and sections that overstay their welcome. Wonderful. Oh well.

Good... that's Dream Theater!

^This, absolutely. 

And not to pick on you, but since we have heard absolutely zero percent of the album, presuming to know what it will be like is really pointless and silly.

Man, bosk I know you think I like to insult this band that I'm a massive fan of, I said that because they've been doing this long enough and have released enough albums exactly in that vein to give me that impression. I'm still buying it on day one, I'm still going to give it a fair listen, I'm still a huge fan, but I really don't think it's that farfetched to make that prediction. I am hoping, crossing my fingers, that they're playing to their strengths here, but there's a reason I haven't listened to Outcry, Lost Not Forgotten, etc. in a number of years - the mindless shredding I am just praying this album is more like some tracks on The Astonishing to me and not the self-titled or the low points of ADTOE. How many more albums do they have in them? I just want the best possible stuff. And now I'll shut up for everyone's sake. You're welcome.

[cramx3]

Another album in vein of ADTOE would possibly be their best stuff possible.  I have no doubt they are doing their best here.

[MirrorMask]

For me the "worst" wankery was left behind with SC / Black Clouds. I won't say that the Outcry solo section isn't outrageous, but it kinda works and somehow stays within the mood of the song. Same for Breaking All Illusions, it's really captivating. They've left behind the copy and paste solo sections, which was basically the only thing I ever disliked about them, and I'm confident the new songs will be cohesive and that the solo sections even if long won't completely derail the mood of the song.

[AngelBack]

For me the "worst" wankery was left behind with SC / Black Clouds. I won't say that the Outcry solo section isn't outrageous, but it kinda works and somehow stays within the mood of the song. Same for Breaking All Illusions, it's really captivating. They've left behind the copy and paste solo sections, which was basically the only thing I ever disliked about them, and I'm confident the new songs will be cohesive and that the solo sections even if long won't completely derail the mood of the song.

But the "wankery" on TMOLS is one of their best.....maybe this goes in the controversial thread....

[MirrorMask]

That is possibly, my opinion of course, the worst wanking example EVER of DT  "Hey, listen to this slow and melanchonic song about drowning and giving one's life in sacrificHEY HOW ABOUT SOME LTE FOR 5 MINUTES".

[AngelBack]

That is possibly, my opinion of course, the worst wanking example EVER of DT  "Hey, listen to this slow and melanchonic song about drowning and giving one's life in sacrificHEY HOW ABOUT SOME LTE FOR 5 MINUTES".

It's cool, to each his own.  But to further the controversial love of TMOLS, I wish the outro was LONGER.

[cramx3]

For me, I just find that instrumental part to be the best part of the song, but it doesn't really fit. 

[bosk1]

For me the "worst" wankery was left behind with SC / Black Clouds. I won't say that the Outcry solo section isn't outrageous, but it kinda works and somehow stays within the mood of the song. Same for Breaking All Illusions, it's really captivating. They've left behind the copy and paste solo sections, which was basically the only thing I ever disliked about them, and I'm confident the new songs will be cohesive and that the solo sections even if long won't completely derail the mood of the song.

But the "wankery" on TMOLS is one of their best.....maybe this goes in the controversial thread....

I agree with both your post and the one you quoted.  Responding further just to say that I find it interesting that you mention that section in TMOLS.  I make it no secret that I REALLY dislike that song.  But interestingly, the one part of the song I really do like is the instrumental section.  It could have been really awesome as part of a song that I liked better.

[gzarruk]

New video update from Mike Mangini https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/videos/10155380122157181/

We knew this already, but he confirms he's writing music with them and by himself

[erwinrafael]

Mangini just posted a video and this made me smile.

"Many of the mornings I've written songs..."

[Podaar]

The fact that these writing session updates are all I could hope for but never expected makes them all the more cool!   

[bosk1]

New video update from Mike Mangini https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/videos/10155380122157181/

We knew this already, but he confirms he's writing music with them and by himself

Exactly.  THAT is what I know many people wanted to hear, hence my post about looking forward to today's video.  I hope this makes a lot of people happy. 

[Stewie]

I'm cautiously optimistic for the new album. I'm okay with heavy, as long as it comes across naturally, and not too forced sounding.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I wonder if the 7 songs they have are complete, or if they're just working on bits of each one. If they're complete, then damn! They're on a roll for sure!!

[Peter Mc]

If you don't like a bit of self indulgent wankery, are you even a fan of Dream Theater? It's part of their DNA, the unspoken 6th pillar of DT.

Got to say am getting super excited already, it's great to hear from them in the studio. I listen to lots of music but no other band gets me this excited for a new release. I usually take the day off work when a new DT album comes out as I'm so desperate to hear it.

[fadetoblackdude7]

If you don't like a bit of self indulgent wankery, are you even a fan of Dream Theater? It's part of their DNA, the unspoken 6th pillar of DT.

Got to say am getting super excited already, it's great to hear from them in the studio. I listen to lots of music but no other band gets me this excited for a new release. I usually take the day off work when a new DT album comes out as I'm so desperate to hear it.

Brilliant strategy sir.

[The Walrus]

Dragonforce is one of my all-time favorite bands, I love self-indulgent wankery. Just not always, or when it comes out of nowhere like that run in Lost Not Forgotten early on. Some like it, but I don't - all that is ok If there's wankery, I love some melodic licks thrown in there amongst the wankery, like in the Best of Times solo when it really starts to heat up, oh man, that is the good stuff right there. Or that fast part of the solo in ITNOG. Makes me break a sweat just watching JP play that. I wonder if he'll do something that insane this time around 

[Bertielee]

New video update from Mike Mangini https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/videos/10155380122157181/

We knew this already, but he confirms he's writing music with them and by himself

Now, THAT is cool! Rock on, guys!

B.Lee

[mikeyd23]

New video update from Mike Mangini https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/videos/10155380122157181/

We knew this already, but he confirms he's writing music with them and by himself

Awesome update!

[TAC]

Awesome!!

[Setlist Scotty]

I was really hoping that spending so much time together in the cabin, they would be able to write so easily that they'd make too many songs, that they'd need to trim the fat and eventually we'd get some b-sides on top of a stellar album.

Perhaps with them writing in a rehearsal space, this will happen. But then again, I wouldn't expect it. Even when they wrote ToT, there was nothing extra that was recorded. Since FII, they have always just written enough for an album, and in a way, I understand, because otherwise there's a lot of extra time (and therefore money) spent in the recording studio for those extra songs.

Still, I do hope that there will be extras recorded for this album - maybe at least a few cover songs like they did for BCaSL. Or another thought would be to do alternate (and not just acoustic) versions of some of the songs, like they did with the piano version of Wither. Given the fact that they're now on Inside Out, maybe we'll see a deluxe version of the album and/or some B-sides. But I won't get my hopes up.

I wonder if the 7 songs they have are complete, or if they're just working on bits of each one. If they're complete, then damn! They're on a roll for sure!!

If it's same as the way they wrote when MP was in the band (which I believe is the case), then I would say that there are 7 songs they've completed already. Generally they would come up with different song ideas (sometimes out of jam sessions), which may or may not work with the song they are focusing on at the moment. If the part doesn't work for that song or any others, it gets set aside to perhaps be used later. In fact, there are tons of ideas that they come up with that never find a home (used in a song) that we never hear. Every great once in a while, an idea might even be resurrected from an earlier writing session if remembered, such as one of the riffs in TGP (starting at 1:44) which was written during the FII sessions, and most of (if not all of) IWBY which was written during the ToT sessions but discarded due to the fact that it didn't fit the heavy/dark feel they were going with for ToT.

[Herrick]

AFAIK, he did exactly that up until SDoIT.. From ToT onwards he's been there with the rest of the guys throughout the writing process..

The band themselves encouraged him to do that.. Otherwise... well, I'd think most here already know that story..

Which story?

When they (mainly MP) started to question if James was still the right singer for the band.. They had a big sit-down with him, which was almost like a shape-up or ship-out kind of meeting.. Of course JLB listened to theirs demands and since then he improved in almost all the aspects that he could (stage presence, vocal training, being a part of the writing process and stop crediting himself as a songwriter when he never was)..

LaBrie was taking credit for song writing?

[lucasembarbosa]

New video update from Mike Mangini https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/videos/10155380122157181/

We knew this already, but he confirms he's writing music with them and by himself

Exactly.  THAT is what I know many people wanted to hear, hence my post about looking forward to today's video.  I hope this makes a lot of people happy. 

But the question is: is MM writing on his own to a solo work or to DT14 as  a main composer for one or more songs? If it's the second option, SUPERB

[Renzo]

New video update from Mike Mangini https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/videos/10155380122157181/

We knew this already, but he confirms he's writing music with them and by himself

Exactly.  THAT is what I know many people wanted to hear, hence my post about looking forward to today's video.  I hope this makes a lot of people happy. 

But the question is: is MM writing on his own to a solo work or to DT14 as  a main composer for one or more songs? If it's the second option, SUPERB

Probably the second..

[wolven74]

Hey Guys and Gals... I know it's been quite a while. Been on an off phase with DT music for a while. I get that way in between releases sometimes. anyway... I saw what I would guess to be their first or second video with JP giving us the studio tour, and I was immensely surprised that Mangini is recording a DT album on a single bass drum kit. I know he's got a double bass pedal (and probably 5 or 6 more pedals besides.) Recording on a single bass kit makes sense I suppose, based on the size of the studio.

On another note... I really want to try Mangini's BBQ wings. They look absolutely delicious!

[SwedishGoose]

Hey Guys and Gals... I know it's been quite a while. Been on an off phase with DT music for a while. I get that way in between releases sometimes. anyway... I saw what I would guess to be their first or second video with JP giving us the studio tour, and I was immensely surprised that Mangini is recording a DT album on a single bass drum kit. I know he's got a double bass pedal (and probably 5 or 6 more pedals besides.) Recording on a single bass kit makes sense I suppose, based on the size of the studio.

On another note... I really want to try Mangini's BBQ wings. They look absolutely delicious!

They are writing and recording demos... the real recording will happen later.
At least that is how I have understood it.

[noxon]

They're not recording yet. It's just the writing phase. When they're done writing, they will move to a proper recording studio and record the album.

[Dream Team]

Sounds like if it's 8 songs, there's inevitably going to be some mindless wankery and sections that overstay their welcome. Wonderful. Oh well.

Good... that's Dream Theater!

^This, absolutely. 

And not to pick on you, but since we have heard absolutely zero percent of the album, presuming to know what it will be like is really pointless and silly.

I love how people say difficult wankery is "mindless" but boring stuff in stock 4/4 is the stuff of brilliance 

[pg1067]

If you don't like a bit of self indulgent wankery, are you even a fan of Dream Theater? It's part of their DNA, the unspoken 6th pillar of DT.

Dragonforce is one of my all-time favorite bands, I love self-indulgent wankery. Just not always, or when it comes out of nowhere like that run in Lost Not Forgotten early on. Some like it, but I don't - all that is ok If there's wankery, I love some melodic licks thrown in there amongst the wankery, like in the Best of Times solo when it really starts to heat up, oh man, that is the good stuff right there. Or that fast part of the solo in ITNOG. Makes me break a sweat just watching JP play that. I wonder if he'll do something that insane this time around 

I think everyone has a line.  On one side, the "wankery" is self-indulgent; on the other side, it's awesome.  My example of where DT crossed the line was at the beginning of In the Presence of Enemies.  I distinctly remember listening to the intro and really liking it, and then they went into that "Flight of the Bumblebee" section, and it all came crashing down.  For a lot of folks, on the other hand (although I doubt any are actually DT fans), the instrumental section in Metropolis might be considered self-indulgent wankery.

[KevShmev]

Remember when some said the band never gives us as much as Portnoy used to.  In just the last few weeks, they have blown that theory to smithereens.  I don't remember fans ever getting this many updates on the fly during the making of a DT record. 

[Anguyen92]

^^ Instead, now you're probably going to get some people posting "They are posting too much about the writing process.  Where's the mystic?  I like it in the old days where I don't hear any news about the band and I go to the record store, one day, and there's the album" and blah blah blah nostalgic speil.

For what it is worth, I do like it that they are keeping us updated on the album process after keeping us in the dark (rightfully so, given this big production undertaking) regarding The Astonishing (please, don't respond and quote this post about how they should keep us further in the dark and not release The Astonishing in the first place).

[Podaar]

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