Dream Theater good?? seriously..

Prezatch

I'v been tempted to buy a dream theater album for months now partly because I'v never heard any of their stuff and partly of because I'm sick of people informing me of how great they seemingly are, especially with mike portney.

But what are they really like? If its in any way operatic metal like nightwish or stuff with corny guitar solos, i'm not interested. If not, could anyone reccommend a starter album?

Cheers

Karl Hungus

Um, how exactly would you define a "Corny" guitar solo?

Prezatch

Took me a while to find something cheesy enough but yea- Reckoning Day by Megadeth. 1st track of the awful Youthanasia. Or maybe some of the "epic" solos on Enisferum's self-titled album. I know people on the board were reccommending them already so i'll probably get a telling off for that comment heh

Karl Hungus

To be on the safe side, I'll just tell you not to bother with Dream Theater. Petrucci can be fairly long winded and lavish with his solos (And of course, that's what I love about them) so I'll just say no.

Lemming

To answer the original question, I've recently been pointed at two Dream Theater albums, and to be honest, I find it hard to stop listening to them.

Octavarium: (this is utterly f*cking musically superb), which is basically one long "rock opera" of sorts with each track following on from the last like 'acts' in a stage show. I know it's been done before, but it's really f*cking good. From a composition point of view this is classical compoisition meets rock/metal in a very competent and evocative manner.

Train of Thought: Nice n'heavy, that's all i can say about this album. Give your eardrums some decible

feylya

I didn't like Octavarium at all at all. Train Of Thought rocked. Images and Words is great too. But if you don't like long long solos, DT probably aren't for you!

Karl Hungus

Lemming, if you think Octavarium is a rock opera, go out and buy yourself Metropolis pt2: Scenes From A Memory, then you'll REALLY see what Dream Theater are capable of.

Crucifix

I freakin love them, but I agree if you aren't into long winded solos, and 'epic'ness, Dream theater might not be your thing.

Prezatch

Well I am into "epicness" but in a different way I guess. Enslaved - Eld is probably the most epic thing I know. That album is just feckin genius. Dissection- Storm of the light's bane or immortal stuff too. But then i guess thats black metal :rolleyes:

Opera albums with really clean vocals bodering on falsetto which are supposed to be a great fusion of genre's are definitly not for me

Baggio

I Dunno,,,,
Always amuses me in this country how so many folks keep asking about a band etc "should I buy this or that album?!!"".like their in danger of loosing a leg if they do?!. Just buy an album by them take it home and listen to it...and listen again and again...dont be like so many goons listen once.."dugh man aint my thing!"...too many music consumers buying loads of albums , instead of music lsteners actually buying less albums and listening to em thru in detail.
Dream Thearter ARE a good band and have a touch of class.....and why wouldnt they?...Rush influence all over them and Portnoy??,,super drummer who got into drumming because of 1 album and 1 band and 1 drummer - yeahh Neil Pearts drumming on Moving Pictures by Rush......amazes me still - so many here diving on so many bands of all sorts and some like Thearter are good..and yet they over look the Godfathers of em all???....man you guys who like and who play music are missing out huuugggeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

anyway rock on you amigos...ciao' ,,,Baggio..............

Doctor J

Baggio you crack me up, everything goes back to Rush

Good point though, just take a gamble, I reckon Train Of Thought is their finest (and most consistent) hour by a long way. That album gets my full attention from first note til last, a lot of the other albums (Octavarium included) just don't do it for me, I sometimes find them quite dull. Train Of Thought though, yes sir.

Perhaps get the Live At Budokan cd, you'll get an idea of exactly what they're about. Yes, there are loads of soloing but it's all good

Oral Slang

I got a ticket yesterday for my birthday for "An Evening with Dream Theater" on the 25th of October in Hammersmith Apollo.
Can't friggin wait - 1 classic album in its entirety. They're playing the night before too, which I'm contemplating going to & Lacuna Coil are on the night after!
Class - should be great!

IamMetaldave

Dream Theater are well worth checking out, Id agree with Dr J though that Train of thought is their most consistent, "This Dyinging Soul" being my favourite on the album. Even if the solos are a little long winded in places if you play guitar they are just fantastic to listen to. I saw them play in Vicar St a few years ago and after that I was sold on them, pure genius.

Baggio

Hey Doc,
...yeahh many things come back to the boys bud ..but that account of Portnoy getting into drumming because of Moving Pictures Peart and Rush etc,,is actually true.......so - A ll ya Dream Thearter lads bow down and thank Peart thru mee haahhahhaahha

ciao Baggio....

lee_baby_simms

Oral Slang wrote:

I got a ticket yesterday for my birthday for "An Evening with Dream Theater" on the 25th of October in Hammersmith Apollo.

funny. same day as 'an evening with roniie james dio' in TBMC.

Oral Slang

lee_baby_simms wrote:

funny. same day as 'an evening with roniie james dio' in TBMC.

Don't talk to me about that. Only hit me yesterday - gonna have to sell my ticket for Dio now!
He's playing London on the 22nd of October so I could go over there I guess, but my brother would really think I'm using him if all I do when I go visit is go to bands every night... Will have to think about this...

sei046

ye i gonna be at theater on Oct 25th london! cannot wait! They are my fave band at mo, they can get away with anythin no matter how cheesy because you know its DT and they kno its cheesy!Its brilliant. Everyone of them except for mayb james la brie is top notch in their field. Met Pt2 is absolutely top class

mp3guy

What the hell are people on about? Dream Theater aren't cheesy at all... DragonForce and Rhapsody, but definately not dream theater.

Doctor J

I Walk Beside You is pure cheddar. Kilmeaden were looking to wrap it and sell it.

nadir

I'm just kinda getting into them atm,

is_that_so

I am a non-fan ie no albums and not really my type of music but I've seen them live.Terrific live band. Found their music hard to get into with the monster tracks but I can see why people do get into them. Very good band if that's your type of music

mp3guy

Doctor J wrote:

I Walk Beside You is pure cheddar. Kilmeaden were looking to wrap it and sell it.

1 out of what? 300 songs?

Doctor J

Not at all. They have loads. That was the one that immediatlely sprang to mind of the recent crop. That whole thing with the psychiatrist on Live Scenes From New York, ouch, the way he sings that "just let me catch my breath" line in Take The Time, cripes!!! There are loads. Don't get me wrong, I like the band quite a lot but anyone who can't see the cheese there is just in a state of denial

Every band does it.

mp3guy

JoeyD wrote:

...people informing me of how great they seemingly are, especially with mike portney.

http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/mikeportnoysolomov.mov

Waltons

The keyboard thingy at the start of Take the Time sounds like something from a Megadrive game too! They're cheesy as hell but I still love em

kawaii

You should go for Awake if you want to escape the cheese (imo).

'tis a solid album

sei046

i love DT, they are my fave band at mo and most influential in writeing but they are cheesy sometimes, but they do whats right for the song and the song is better for it. They kno themselves, they arent blind to it

Phat Chance

I think DT are pretty good, a little cheesy but they have got skill!
Their best album IMHO is either Train Of Thought or Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory.