New Dream Theater album!

[GuerillaPete]

Yeah, new DT is kickin'. Haven't liked a DT record since Awake. Definitely worth checking out.

Funny thing, I watched the DVD that comes with the SpEd and there's very little of Myung on it. He might be camera shy.Oh well. well done DT. well done.

Pete

[Mikernaut2]

Fates Warning and DT are probably the 2 most influencial bands that made me want to take up guitar. I agree Ray has one of the best voices. I dont have problems with Fate's newer cd's I still think they are incredible and write songs with real feeling and their album have some variety. When I here James from DT sing he just annoys me and comes off too try hard.

Now if only Ray or even Geoff Tate in his prime were in DT, mmmmmmmmm.

[KevinDguitar]

Picked this up last week and can't stop listening to it. Heavy, but tons of various shades and textures, especially through headphones.

[Spivonious]

Ray Alder = best vocalist ever! Fates Warning has been putting out lame albums for quite awhile now, too. Maybe Jim Matheos will get on the ball and put out a great album, and maybe Ray will start hitting some high notes again and using his full potential. I'd love for Ray to sing for DT, though.

I'll assume you meant to say John Arch = best vocalist ever

Those first few Fates Warning albums are my favorite by them, especially The Spectre Within.

[toejam]

John was great, but Ray has always been a better singer than John, IMO. And No Exit, the first album with Ray, was their best album!

[iced_earth]

Ray Alder = best vocalist ever! Fates Warning has been putting out lame albums for quite awhile now, too. Maybe Jim Matheos will get on the ball and put out a great album, and maybe Ray will start hitting some high notes again and using his full potential. I'd love for Ray to sing for DT, though.

+1! I saw Fates Warning open for Dream Theater a few years ago and Ray blew the doors off of a more than half empty venue... Ray Alder + Dream Theater would be a dream come true for me.

[emperor_black]

ok, I am not afraid to say it anymore. I love Octavarium! I am just listening to "These walls" from the album and I think Petrucci's guitaring is very soulful and full of melody. the whole song is awesome. I have the same feeling about the entire album. There! I said it!

[nor]

I must consider myself one of DT's biggest fans ever, however I must admit, I am still absorbing previous albums. Anyone else here like me, where they dont move on to their idols' "new" album until you've taken in the whole thing, at your own "speed"?

That's how I've gotten into every DT since Awake. That being said - I FREAKING LOVE CONSTANT MOTION! First DT since Images and Words that has grabbed me right out of the sleeve. JP has gone back to Mark series amps, and the difference in tone is obvious (to me).

The only thing keeping this disk from being in continuous play - just picked up the new Symphony X last night...

Constant Motion =

[Chasbo]

The new album has gotten me fired up about DT for the 1st time since Awake. I have gone back and picked up FII, TOT, 6DOIT and Octavarium and just had a blast. There are a ton of AWESOME songs on those albums. I have been listening to alot of LTE as well and have to say that Petrucci is more of a monster than I ever gave him credit for.

chuck

[levantin]

I picked up the special edition CD/DVD on Thursday as well. I've listened to the album twice, and I really like it. The level of musicianship in Dream Theater just amazes me.

As much of a guitar freak as I am, I think one of the main reasons I like DT is Portnoy's skills on the drum kit. His playing really adds a cool dimension to their stuff.

Yes and yes. Love it, however...

With that noted, I think this is the BEST thing they've done since 6DOIT, especially after the disappointment that was Octavarium (I can't believe I just admitted that...). The CD just has EVERYTHING... great melodies (that are humable and stick in your head), huge, bombastic prog elements, killer heavy riffage, atmospheric elements... It's basically a amalgam of all the things that DT does well... And of course, ridiculously over-the-top playing (which I love). The only things I don't like are some of the distorted vocals (Dark Enternal Night), and possibly some of the lyrics.

I've heard a lot of folks compare it negatively w/ Images & Words or Awake. I think these folks should understand that DT has already made those CD's; There's no need to re-create them. You get this alot w/ King's X fans too; They (we) keep pining for them to go back to their 'style' from the first 2 albums... well..IMHO.. Artists grow and evolve, and to ask them to keep re-creating the same CD over and over is not really fair, and to be honest, would get pretty boring. It's OK for folks to not like the direction a band takes... opinion is what it is. But I, for one, get a real 'charge' out of what NEW STUFF my favorite bands come up with... knowing full well that I might be dissappointed. Though that's not the case here.

Of note: Anyone notice Petrucci's tone on the album? IMHO, it is LIGHTYEARS better than the last 2 CD's. He's back to using Mesa Mark series amps, as oppossed to the Road King amps he's been using since TOT. His tones are less 'barky', and 'cut' so much more! I love it! Can't wait to see them live this summer... for the 15th time!

-Kenn

And yes I agree. Nice melodies, crunching rhythms, out of this world solos.. but it's missing something. Awake is my fav DT album, mostly because it has great musicianship both in the level of the playing and the arranging and writing. Nothing that they have done since scenes from a memory really appealed to me. The albums look great on paper but IMHO they are missing that magic element. It sounds like they are resting on their technical abilities instead of basing a song on a stable basis and spicing them up with the prog elements. Of course there are exceptions and some good tunes on the later albums, but in general they sound more like filler than killer.

Don't get me wrong, I love early DT and still listen to the other albums once in a while. I thing that Petrucci and Portnoy should hire a good producer instead of doing it themselves. They are too self indulgent these days.

[toejam]

The song Forsaken could have come straight off Awake. Very melodic with some excellent guitar work in it.

Forsaken is my favorite song on the album, I could listen to it over and over again. The whole album is great, though.

[Endrik]

ok, I am not afraid to say it anymore. I love Octavarium! I am just listening to "These walls" from the album and I think Petrucci's guitaring is very soulful and full of melody. the whole song is awesome. I have the same feeling about the entire album. There! I said it!

these walls, by far the shittiest song they have ever made

[horns666]

Ray would be an improvement in the DT camp (get the new Redemption CD)..so would Russell Allen or Jorn Lande, DC Cooper, Lance King..or anyone for that matter. I don't like Labrie's nasily tone at all. I have DT's entire catalog and they pretty much bore me silly..some very GREAT moments..but the songs just wank and drag much too long for my liking..they get a good groove goin' and poof ..it's gone!

I'd much rather listen to Pagans Mind or Symphony X...along with MANY other great power prog bands!!

I'm a fan of Petrucci..he's great..and I like Mike Portnoy..they make that band IMO!

[akoch]

I don't know, I liked this album a lot. Though I admit I like DT in general. And I very much like Jame's vocals. Have not heard many better vocalists if at all.

[SouthernShred]

Forsaken is my favorite song on the album, I could listen to it over and over again. The whole album is great, though.

I like that one a lot and Prophets of War