New single, Night Terror. Discuss.

[Cool Chris]

I couldn't keep up with this thread today at work and not backtracking now, but while skimming I kept seeing references to BC&SL. This song is miles better than 96% of that album.

In my opinion DT dug themselves a bit of a hole coming out of ADToE, and have been constantly digging themselves out since. This song is an extension of that. I like the vibe, the music, the vocals, Jordan (which I don't say often), most everything (except the 2nd guitar spot. I just don't know how much I like the song.

The vocal melodies after two listens are just not really there.

Are you new to DT?

[TAC]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the style at all, I love it.  It just seems it was becoming a bit of a safe fallback option for JP in a number of songs, mainly verses to fill the gaps a little.

I guess. I suppose there's only so many ways to play a verse.

[wolfking]

I guess. I suppose there's only so many ways to play a verse.

I didn't mean that as a criticism, I just think with the later DT style it fits the bill more often than not.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the style at all, I love it.  It just seems it was becoming a bit of a safe fallback option for JP in a number of songs, mainly verses to fill the gaps a little.

It's tough because chugga chugga is actually a staple of metal music so you'd kind of expect the heavier the band gets the more you'd hear those types of riffs. I was a bit critical of it on View but it's ultimately a tricky balance.

[wolfking]

Are you new to DT?

Since I hated A View at the start (warmed to it now a little), yeah it's no surprise.  I guess even though this single is what was expected, I still maybe expected a little more variety in a few different areas with MP returning.  Still, it's only one song, I think it's decent.  Way better than IM IMO which a lot are comparing it to.

[wolfking]

It's tough because chugga chugga is actually a staple of metal music so you'd kind of expect the heavier the band gets the more you'd hear those types of riffs. I was a bit critical of it on View but it's ultimately a tricky balance.

Yeah, I posted above wasn't meant as a dig, it's metal and fits the bill.  No real issues, just nice to hear a little difference in the riff here.

[Dream Team]

Many great metal bands don't rely on constant chugga-chugga. Maiden anyone?

[Cool Chris]

Since I hated A View at the start (warmed to it now a little), yeah it's no surprise.  I guess even though this single is what was expected, I still maybe expected a little more variety in a few different areas with MP returning.  Still, it's only one song, I think it's decent.  Way better than IM IMO which a lot are comparing it to.

The joke was that vocal melodies haven't been their strong suit since the early 90s. If it wasn't obvious. Which maybe it wasn't. 

[wolfking]

The joke was that vocal melodies haven't been their strong suit since the early 90s. If it wasn't obvious. Which maybe it wasn't. 

No no I got that, but I just thought you might have meant the last few albums, not all the way back to the 90's. 

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Many great metal bands don't rely on constant chugga-chugga. Maiden anyone?

John does not rely on constant chugga chugga either. Many many great DT riffs that are not that.

[wolfking]

John does not rely on constant chugga chugga either. Many many great DT riffs that are not that.

I didn't mean he relies on them, just I think they were creeping in more and more in modern day DT. 

[wolfking]

I just listened to the edited version and wow, my opinion has changed, put me in the camp that prefers that version.  So much better than the album version.  This version actually has me now quite optimistic for the album.

[ReaperKK]

I mean, Metropolis Pt.3 doesn't sound that bad now does it? I'd prefer it to BC&SL Pt.2.

Damn, you're kinda right TAC.

[Parasomnia]

There's a Slipknot song with a similar riff as the 12 fret one in Night Terror but I can't think what, something uncanny about it.
Not sure, going through it to work out what. AOV was one thing I thought but doesn't seem to be it.

[Puppies_On_Acid]

I mean, Metropolis Pt.3 doesn't sound that bad now does it? I'd prefer it to BC&SL Pt.2.

Maybe I need to listen to the song again, but I don't hear Black Clouds and Silver Linings at all.

[geeeemo]

In the hallway where James is singing, there is a statue. It looks like James. First a profile. He has a very distinctive nose. And then a veiw from the front. He is in a pose James has a lot when standing at the mic. His legs are the same. Its weird and cool.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

Dear dudes,

I have to issue a sincere apology to Mike Portnoy    I had the        that I promised in the Parasomnia timeline thread. A whiskey in conjunction, a comfortable spot on the deck - I cranked the single on the good headphones. I have been grinning for 20 minutes and it's been 10 since the song stopped playing.

Now, this isn't a scientific test per se, but... that shit goes HARD AS FUCK. I know, I know - I was complaining about "sloppy" and everything earlier, and I'm not going to directly contradict myself entirely about that, buuuuut - I am hooked on some Mike Portnoy Dream Theater in 2024. In my heart of hearts, I deeply emulate how much fun that man is having on this massive-ass banger. I'm having fun by extension.

I've been saving this radio edit. I'll be back later     


P.S. listening to AVFTT earlier - absolute beast of an album. I've always ranked it high, but now I'm appreciating the MM era for what it was even more fully. Life is good. I'm gonna wind up in the Six Degrees institution before this album drops in Feb though.

[HOF]

Night terr-ah
Hysteria
Nocturnal trial by fi-yah

Wild stuff.

I do like the kind of Lifeson-esque solo near the end of the instrumental section. And the organ patch is the best sound JR gets in the whole song.

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

Spidah seeking sheltah. I'm here for it. Hit me

[AncientMarinater]

I guess this is the thread for opinions and Im more of a lurker here since 2007 but want to share mine too.

#1 Love seeing them back together with MP and hearing them for first with MP after so many years! I missed his sound with the guys. MM was and is awesome in every way but being an old-school DT fan from 1992 there was an element that I missed which is back now.

#2 For me this takes me back to the classic DT sound of 1999 SFAM era. In a good way! It's the same but different.

#3 I see the comments bout AI artwork but it doesn't bother me at all. They could have spit koolaid on a t-shirt for all I care because what matters to me most is the music but still I like really the artwork as it is.

#4 Musically instrumentally the band is totally killing it and I love the sound overall! And kind of already expected that they'd bring their A game. But what surprised me is how much James seems to reprise his younger voice with energy and seems without excessive processing.

#5 Most excited about a DT release I've been in a lonnnngggg time! This is as close to the DT I loved as I've heard in years.

Not into nitpicking predictions myself. To me this is just a huge positive on every level.

Brothers reunited and delivering the stuff that made me a fan 30 years ago. How many bands and fans get that before a band completely Disappears from the map?

I dub this an Exciting Turn of Events!

But that's just my humble opinion. Looking forward to the whole album!!!!!!! 
 

[AncientMarinater]

I do like the kind of Lifeson-esque solo near the end of the instrumental section.

I didn't catch that at first listen until you pointed it out and I listened again! Right here https://youtu.be/2IPT60hvGw4?si=qLKM2EUMPc_kZQyq&t=478 that's almost like a nod to Alex in Red Barchetta very nice!

[DreamerTV]

It's always nice to have new music from DT.
I must say that the familiarity of Mike's playing is so blatant that it seems deliberately intentional but somewhat excessive.
The track itself certainly won't be one I'll carry with me over the years, but it definitely doesn't change my curiosity and enthusiasm for the new album.

(In the end, Untethered Angel gave me the same impression, yet D/T is an album I really like, where I found at least a couple of songs that I think are fantastic. So there's no reason to rule out that the same could happen again)

[jammindude]

Ok...so this morning I was at work when it dropped and I could only listen through the first chorus. Now I've just heard the entire thing front to back for the first time. Thoughts:

Love LOVE LOVE the actual riffs. The first breakdown reminds me a bit of the off-time breakdown from The Glass Prison....which is one of my all time favorites.

I do understand the criticisms that it lacks a hook...but I remember we all felt that way about most of A View at first, and that ended up being a very strong album after several spins. But it is a valid observation.

I feel like James is being pushed more into the background. And it could honestly be by mutual agreement. James just doesn't have the pipes or the stamina anymore, so by mutual agreement they are keeping him on in a much smaller role. IIRC they once very early on briefly considered being an instrumental band...and even after they decided that wasn't practical, they still viewed themselves as primarily an instrumental band that happened to have a singer.  I think they are drifting more into that territory.

Doubling down that it feels like a cross between A View, and BCSL on caffeine.

My overall review is positive, and anything in this post that appears critical isn't really meant that way. Just more of a "reality of age" observation. I love the new song on first listen. I actually went in a bit skeptical, and couldn't help but grin like a schoolboy when Mike did his little "tiny splash cymbal run" in the opening.

[Whitefish]

The YouTube comments on the video are very positive. It feels to me like the band have written a song that showcases classic Portnoy drumming and a familiar heavy DT sound. For more casual fans (like me) who have come back to DT because we are are hyped up about MP's return, this is really an excellent single. I can understand why more dedicated fans might have been looking for more. But I am heading to the London show in two weeks and am now getting really excited about them opening the concert with this song. Also, the way the song ends I am fully expecting them to launch straight into something like Panic Attack or TDS as the second song.

[nobloodyname]

I really rather like the song, both versions. But I'll be so disappointed (relatively speaking!) if they open with it a week on Sunday.

[erciccio]

I am one of the few that will refrain from listing to the song as long as possible, ideally until February 7th, so I will be a bit disappointed if they will play it during the upcoming tour...but I fear they are going to do it, the release date of the single was not by chance.

So far I can only comment the Album cover, and I have to confess that this is the first cover that I really don't like...all the previous covers had at least a good inspiration behind, even though sometimes the actual "execution" was poor...in this case both the idea and the execution are really inispired and "cheap"...

By the way, what is this "AI" that everybody is talking about? Is is what the almost-boomers like me used to call "photoshopping"? 

[MirrorMask]

By the way, what is this "AI" that everybody is talking about? Is is what the almost-boomers like me used to call "photoshopping"? 

The TL;DR version of it is that there are tools to create an image by just writing a prompt, some are even free like Bing Image Creator. You describe with accurancy what you want, as "dark, broody, unsettling image of a girl sleepwalking in an ancient room of a manor with a bed in the middle of it, spooky atmosphere, desaturated colors" and the system generates it.

Now, this is REALLY the TL;DR version of it; there are various tools, various ways to merge AI prompts with actual art etc etc and no one is saying that Syme only "typed a prompt" to get a cover - there are ways to get some help from a computer while still producing the actual artwork yourself. But this is the gist of it when you hear people complain about AI art.

[Whitefish]

I really rather like the song, both versions. But I'll be so disappointed (relatively speaking!) if they open with it a week on Sunday.

I would prefer them to open with something else, as it would feel more fitting for the first show of MP's return to begin with a classic track. But having heard Night Terror, I would not mind if they did open with it.

[illusionist]

I am one of the few that will refrain from listing to the song as long as possible, ideally until February 7th, so I will be a bit disappointed if they will play it during the upcoming tour...but I fear they are going to do it, the release date of the single was not by chance.

I won't listen to it until February either.
But if i HAD to listen to it, i would prefer that it was a live environment for the first time.
You would get more excited about it after this live experience, at least that's what i would be.

[MirrorMask]

I did listen to the song but I don't plan to get acquainted to it. I guess I'll have the curiosity of listening to it every now and then but I'll try to forget about it until release date.

[NunoBadmintoncourt]

I dig it. This is their best-looking video by a million miles. Petrucci's solo at 8:14. Glorious, just glorious.

[Zydar]

I've spun it 3-4 times, I think I'll hold off listening to it any more until album release time. I usually do that with pre-album singles.

[Lax]

Since it's apparently the second song of the album, it may be the worst one...
Working on relieving myself lol

[wolfking]

After two listens, a listen to the edit and watching the vid, my initial assessment may have been a little harsh.  While this is DT by numbers and really a mix of modern DT with a splash of BC/SC, I think this is a bloody decent tune.  You certainly can feel that bit of extra flair, energy and excitement in there.

The riff is just excellent too.

[Awaken]

Radio Edit for the win