Dream Theater self titled album discussion - [SPOILER FREE DISCUSSION ONLY]

[Whatsername]

AH, one of the Instagram comments and now I can't unsee it: "Capitalize the W in Caught In A Web or so help me." 

[YtseJamittaja]

Cartoon intro? Does this mean that Blob's unicycler in BITS intro or some new Mika Tyyskä's projection?

[The Stray Seed]

Guys this is all quite OT.

[BlobVanDam]

Cartoon intro? Does this mean that Blob's unicycler in BITS intro or some new Mika Tyyskä's projection?

Mika Tyyska had the intro video of the DT cartoon characters to the Inception Dream is Collapsing music.

But this should be in the Luna Park thread.

[liran95]

AH, one of the Instagram comments and now I can't unsee it: "Capitalize the W in Caught In A Web or so help me." 

Dammit. 

[YtseJamittaja]

Cartoon intro? Does this mean that Blob's unicycler in BITS intro or some new Mika Tyyskä's projection?

Mika Tyyska had the intro video of the DT cartoon characters to the Inception Dream is Collapsing music.

But this should be in the Luna Park thread.

Oh I see, I didn't catch this tour so I din't know that. Thanks!

[Kotowboy]

Glad there's way more extras on the Luna Park DVD than the "deluxe Edition" of Dream Theater.

[hefdaddy42]

Glad there's way more extras on the Luna Park DVD than the "deluxe Edition" of Dream Theater.

Me too.

[BlackInk]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

I'm curious as to what the "obvious flaws" are, that aren't based on your own opinion.

Everything I will ever think of as a "flaw" of any kind will without a single exception be based on my own opinion, so I don't really understand what you mean.

[theseoafs]

Would you rather have a medium amount of good pizza, or all you can eat of pretty good pizza?

Damn, nobody got the reference.

[wolven74]

In what friggin' universe is a 68 minute long album "short"?

This

[Systematik88]

In what friggin' universe is a 68 minute long album "short"?

Apparently the same universe where one of DT's most highly regarded albums, IaW, is only 57 minutes long.

I have to quote this again because it seems ridiculous people are worried about losing a few extra minutes compared to past DT albums. 

[aXygnus]

I actually like the snare sound of I&W. It's different.

[Ħ]

Would you rather have a medium amount of good pizza, or all you can eat of pretty good pizza?

Damn, nobody got the reference.

o/

[aprilethereal]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

I'm curious as to what the "obvious flaws" are, that aren't based on your own opinion.

The outro to Misunderstood comes to mind.

FTFM.

[emtee]

Looks like maybe another slow promo week??

[JPX]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

I'm curious as to what the "obvious flaws" are, that aren't based on your own opinion.

Everything I will ever think of as a "flaw" of any kind will without a single exception be based on my own opinion, so I don't really understand what you mean.

A flaw is something that is inherently wrong with something, so you may want to rephrase your comment if it's based on opinion.

[commanderbob]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

I'm curious as to what the "obvious flaws" are, that aren't based on your own opinion.

Everything I will ever think of as a "flaw" of any kind will without a single exception be based on my own opinion, so I don't really understand what you mean.

A flaw is something that is inherently wrong with something, so you may want to rephrase your comment if it's based on opinion.

I have always honestly been curious if people that make comments such this (and it happens all of the time all over the internet) actually do not know that people's opinions are opinions without the words "in my opinion" in each sentence or paragraph, or if they are putting on airs to make some sort of online argument power play to get the upper hand.  I lean towards the latter, since I'm pretty sure I've never met anyone who needed the words "ADVERTISEMENT" blinking on the screen during commercials.  Any enlightenment here?  And I'm actually curious, do they not know or are we playing word games here?

[TheGreatPretender]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

What I don't understand is why say "especially not DT's"? How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

[matte.braso]

Looks like maybe another slow promo week??

yeah, I think at that point we have to wait beginning of the second week of September to see something more interesting, almost some track by track review and interviews...I don't think we'll hear any snippet this time.

[robwebster]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

I'm curious as to what the "obvious flaws" are, that aren't based on your own opinion.

Everything I will ever think of as a "flaw" of any kind will without a single exception be based on my own opinion, so I don't really understand what you mean.

A flaw is something that is inherently wrong with something, so you may want to rephrase your comment if it's based on opinion.

I have always honestly been curious if people that make comments such this (and it happens all of the time all over the internet) actually do not know that people's opinions are opinions without the words "in my opinion" in each sentence or paragraph, or if they are putting on airs to make some sort of online argument power play to get the upper hand.  I lean towards the latter, since I'm pretty sure I've never met anyone who needed the words "ADVERTISEMENT" blinking on the screen during commercials.  Any enlightenment here?  And I'm actually curious, do they not know or are we playing word games here?

I'm not sure that an opinion's just an affirmative statement with the words "In my opinion" trailing out of its arse. They're very different forms of speech, and if you're writing in a facty way, "IMO" is only barely paper over the cracks. "The writing is terrible" and "The writing is terrible IMO" don't feel distinct at all, and are both pretty flatly confrontational. The way the sentence is structured, it's like you don't think the opinion needs substantiating, like it's self-evident. "The writing is terrible" and "I don't like the writing," on the other hand, are night and day. The first is an affirmative statement, aims to be the last word. The latter invites questions. It's perhaps part of a... discussion!

It's not a particularly minor distinction - we're on the internet, words are all we've got! We don't know you, we have no idea what your intention is. People object to people phrasing opinions as facts because they can, at worst, make a post seem really rather arrogant and nasty - and, regrettably, since you're a stranger, we have no way of knowing that you're not! I'm sure you've posted what you've posted with all the best will in the world, but when you phrase things you know are opinions like they're facts, there's innately a disconnect between your version of what you're saying and our version of what we're reading.

We don't know you. Say the things you mean! It'd be nice to presume good faith, but... may I refer you back to, "we're on the internet!"

ETA: General "you," of course. "You, the citizens of the internet." Not, "You, commanderbob, CHANGE YOUR WAYS!"

[Podaar]

I'm not sure that an opinion's just an affirmative statement with the words "In my opinion" trailing out of its arse. They're very different forms of speech, and if you're writing in a facty way, "IMO" is only barely paper over the cracks. "The writing is terrible" and "The writing is terrible IMO" don't feel distinct at all, and are both pretty flatly confrontational. The way the sentence is structured, it's like you don't think the opinion needs substantiating, like it's self-evident. "The writing is terrible" and "I don't like the writing," on the other hand, are night and day. The first is an affirmative statement, aims to be the last word. The latter invites questions. It's perhaps part of a... discussion!

It's not a particularly minor distinction - we're on the internet, words are all we've got! We don't know you, we have no idea what your intention is. People object to people phrasing opinions as facts because they can, at worst, make a post seem really rather arrogant and nasty - and, regrettably, since you're a stranger, we have no way of knowing that you're not! I'm sure you've posted what you've posted with all the best will in the world, but when you phrase things you know are opinions like they're facts, there's innately a disconnect between your version of what you're saying and our version of what we're reading.

We don't know you. Say the things you mean! It'd be nice to presume good faith, but... may I refer you back to, "we're on the internet!"

ETA: General "you," of course. "You, the citizens of the internet." Not, "You, commanderbob, CHANGE YOUR WAYS!"

QFT!

Communication is always a collaboration. We authors should take at least partial responsibility when our message consistently falls short.

IMHO.

[BlackInk]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

By making music less good than other bands.

[Lucien]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

By making music less good than other bands.

[GasparXR]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

By making music less good than other bands.

They make less good music, because they make more great music.

[The Stray Seed]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

By making music less good than other bands.

Yeah, I guess you've just read robwebster's post very carefully.

[425]

By making music less good than other bands.

The only possible interpretation of that exchange, taken literally, is that Dream Theater is your least favorite band. Since no album is perfect, "especially" not Dream Theater albums, that must mean that Dream Theater albums are the most imperfect of all albums. It would then follow that Dream Theater is your least favorite band.

[Kotowboy]

"The writing is terrible" and "The writing is terrible IMO" don't feel distinct at all, and are both pretty flatly confrontational.

Agreed.

" The writing is terrible " hardly even needs IMO after it since it is obviously your opinion as you are the one saying it.

[FourthHorseman]

Am I the only one that thinks that it should be assumed that what people say on these forums is an opinion? Someone says something without explicitly stating that it is their opinion, and people think that it's said as fact. I don't get it.

[Jaffa]

Am I the only one that thinks that it should be assumed that what people say on these forums is an opinion?

No, I agree with you, so you aren't totally alone. 

I think people on the internet have a habit of getting a bit too hung up on semantics.  Don't get me wrong, I do understand the value of wording your thoughts clearly - this is the internet, after all, and, as rob so eloquently put it, words are all we have.  Words are the bridge we have to cross in order to come together on the internet.  But to me, the focus should be on coming together, not just analyzing the bridge.  When we get caught up in the semantics and argue with each other about how we should phrase our sentences, we're basically burning the bridges between us. 

I think I've taken that metaphor about as far as it can go, so let me speak plainly: words are important, yes, but people should also be able to speak freely.  The internet's no fun if you have to watch what you say all the time and be careful to word everything perfectly so that nobody takes anything you say the wrong way. 

[jsbru]

So according to you, every song with palm mutes and distorted guitar is heavy?

. . .

I don't get this. Do you think that normally, heavier songs can't be good songs?

. . .

Could you please tell me what kind of problem you have with palm muted E-strings

Palm mutes and distorted guitar are major factors of whether a song is heavy or not.  There are other factors, of course, but that's one of them.

I don't have a problem with heavy songs.  Some of my best friends are heavy songs.  I bought an Ibanez Universe 15 years ago so I could play songs like The Mirror, Lie, etc.  I think certain tracks from Train of Thought are among some of my favorites.

I just don't want then to rely so much on one single sound.  Awake and I&W have some very heavy parts, but there's a lot of songs and parts of songs on those albums driven more by synth, bass, or lighter guitar riffs, and a lot more parts of songs that have a minimalistic or mysterious feel, rather than just simply balls to the wall.  That's all.

[Jaffa]

Some of my best friends are heavy songs. 

I don't know if this was intentional or not, but either way, it's brilliant. 

[TheGreatPretender]

How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

By making music less good than other bands.

They make less good music, because they make more great music.

Amen!

[RMGadelha]

I approve. 

[hefdaddy42]

That's sadly not how I see any album ever. Especially not DT's. Six Degrees may be the closest but it has it's obvious flaws as well.

How does DT have more flaws than other bands?

By making music less good than other bands.

WTF