The Flash
Dennis Wilcock did 9/11
Like the album itself, then.
terrell39
Ancient Mariner
Let me guess...complaining about no older material being played?
Even though I am going to fly to Denver to see the show, I (& most of the other DT fans) are quite aware of what the setlist is this time around. In fact, earlier on the thread, I posted a comment about the setlist (but put it in spoilers) and was told by Mosh not to bother with the spoiler tags.
So yes, I would be interested to read the review.
D
Deleted member 7164
Guest
I can't stand the drummer. I know he's like the best out there, technically, whatever.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Yes, but more.
Will translate!
(Should that have been in spoiler tags, or is it unnecessary? I don't know if people wish to not know the setlist in advance).
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SixesAlltheway
Ancient Mariner
Good times!
SixesAlltheway
Ancient Mariner
Emotional (listen lyrics) yet fucking kick ass....
JudasMyGuide
The resident reactionary recalcitrant
Small wonder. Even as a huge fan of the band (and of all their material so far, in fact) I don't really know whether I like or hate the album, the opinion changing roughly twice a day.
I am interested to read the review, though I won't attend the concert anyway and I usually don't like to read DT-bashing (I usually know what's going to be said and there's no middle ground - none of the sides is going to change their opinion, so...). But considering the album itself and the tour, with these being rather unique and prone to be controversial, I guess I should be interested this time.
Regarding the new album I actually for the first time agree with the naysayers yelling the "songs" are more of a ragtag bunch of ideas thrown together than proper songs. I never felt this way about DT before (it's prog, for crying out loud), but IMHO the Astonishing suffers from the "musical curse" - as it's trying to move the story forward, you get a cool riff/theme/chorus, but it's not repeated and the track just moves elsewhere, giving it a certain incoherent and disjointed feel. The Answer is beautiful, but it's more of a snippet. A New Beginning is great, but it's also a mess.
Or take Ravenskill - I like the song, but is it really a song?
I know many of the themes on the album are repeated throughout the 2 CDs, but it's pretty much impossible to say "this song rules". And taking it as a single work/song... for that it's much too overlong and slow.
Scenes did not do this.
Plus there's just too many f*cking ballads - and I like DT ballads. Funnily enough, though the second act is way heavier overall, it's also less distinctive and more boring for me so far.
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terrell39
Ancient Mariner
Mosh told me not to bother with the spoiler tags (in regards to current DT setlist)
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Here goes:
The Royal Theater Carré (Amsterdam) and Dream Theater: it could have been such a nice combination. But the Amsterdam Theater doesn't become a dream theatre, on Monday 22 February, even though Dream Theater pulls out all the stops (in Dutch: "pulls lots of things out of the closet"). During the first of three shows sitting concerts and progressive metal do not seem a good combination. And although "The Astonishing" is perhaps DT's least 'metal album', in spite of their technical brilliant playing the Americans can't seem to captivate for over two hours. In order to do that, by now, the band has become too static, and the comfortable red chairs also don't make for a jigging atmosphere. It's especially watching big, high, relatively small (in width) screens on which the story of "The Astonishing" enfolds and bandmembers constantly leaving and entering the stage. The podium dressing looks nice and the story projected on the screens can be followed well (for the connaisseurs), but all this isn't spectacular. Some films have even been finished in a clumsy manner; not just a mammoth job, but also a hasty job?
The concert experience gets more oppressing because of some sort of piccolo police who are walking around to make people not take photos and record films. They already bark at you when you want to look at your mobile phone to check the time or e-mails. More striking is next day's Twitter call: "Send us your concert photos!" Huh?! The secretly made films that appear online on the next day unveil the biggest deficiency: Way too many backing tracks were played during the show. And "The Astonishing" is too ambitious for James LaBrie -who did an excellent job on the album- to sing live. Earlier on the day James told me during an interview: "I'd like to see someone else sing six DT songs in a row, let alone a whole concert." And no, I and many other won't be able to do that, but that should not be an excuse. The show is exactly as announced: an integral performance of "The Astonishing" and nothing more. No old material. That's fine, because "The Astonishing" really has its moments live, e.g. the guitar solo from "A New Beginning". But when you exactly know what is about to happen, that takes away part of the tension and sensation. That the choirs and strings come out of a computer, just as a lot of backing vocals from LaBrie and Petrucci (who shamelessly playbacks them), that's the last straw that breaks the camel's back. To present this album in an optimal live setting, it all seems to be too ambitious. Definitely when you compare this with the recent concerts by Symphony X and TesseracT, who convince more, with lesser means. On record DT stays interesting, also because of "The Astonishing", But live? What a difference with experiences from the past. And of course it is ironic that an album about the power of acoustic music fighting digital music, is so dependent on computers and click tracks. That is exactly where the problem lies.
The Royal Theater Carré (Amsterdam) and Dream Theater: it could have been such a nice combination. But the Amsterdam Theater doesn't become a dream theatre, on Monday 22 February, even though Dream Theater pulls out all the stops (in Dutch: "pulls lots of things out of the closet"). During the first of three shows sitting concerts and progressive metal do not seem a good combination. And although "The Astonishing" is perhaps DT's least 'metal album', in spite of their technical brilliant playing the Americans can't seem to captivate for over two hours. In order to do that, by now, the band has become too static, and the comfortable red chairs also don't make for a jigging atmosphere. It's especially watching big, high, relatively small (in width) screens on which the story of "The Astonishing" enfolds and bandmembers constantly leaving and entering the stage. The podium dressing looks nice and the story projected on the screens can be followed well (for the connaisseurs), but all this isn't spectacular. Some films have even been finished in a clumsy manner; not just a mammoth job, but also a hasty job?
The concert experience gets more oppressing because of some sort of piccolo police who are walking around to make people not take photos and record films. They already bark at you when you want to look at your mobile phone to check the time or e-mails. More striking is next day's Twitter call: "Send us your concert photos!" Huh?! The secretly made films that appear online on the next day unveil the biggest deficiency: Way too many backing tracks were played during the show. And "The Astonishing" is too ambitious for James LaBrie -who did an excellent job on the album- to sing live. Earlier on the day James told me during an interview: "I'd like to see someone else sing six DT songs in a row, let alone a whole concert." And no, I and many other won't be able to do that, but that should not be an excuse. The show is exactly as announced: an integral performance of "The Astonishing" and nothing more. No old material. That's fine, because "The Astonishing" really has its moments live, e.g. the guitar solo from "A New Beginning". But when you exactly know what is about to happen, that takes away part of the tension and sensation. That the choirs and strings come out of a computer, just as a lot of backing vocals from LaBrie and Petrucci (who shamelessly playbacks them), that's the last straw that breaks the camel's back. To present this album in an optimal live setting, it all seems to be too ambitious. Definitely when you compare this with the recent concerts by Symphony X and TesseracT, who convince more, with lesser means. On record DT stays interesting, also because of "The Astonishing", But live? What a difference with experiences from the past. And of course it is ironic that an album about the power of acoustic music fighting digital music, is so dependent on computers and click tracks. That is exactly where the problem lies.
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Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Playbacking backing vocals?
And this..
I am also not charmed by LaBrie's excuses.
And this..
.. is a great critic. It hits the nail on the head.
I am also not charmed by LaBrie's excuses.
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I don't like him either.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
2 out of the 3 major gripes in that article are nitpicking and not understanding what the concert is. This reviewer is upset that it's not at a "metal enough" venue, which is ludicrous for the material. As for the "baton police" that must be the venue because I've never experienced anything like that here in the States.
That third thing, though, rings very true.
Indeed. LaBrie sounds like a douche. Unfortunately, I don't see any other way they could do this album live without bringing a choir around with them to every performance.
DT lost their best backup singer when Portnoy left and even he was merely adequate.
At the end of the day I'd rather have backing tracks then bad backup vocals, I guess.
EDIT: The reviewer's mention of Symphony X as being more straight forward is pretty odd considering they have been shamelessly using backing tracks forever.
That third thing, though, rings very true.
Indeed. LaBrie sounds like a douche. Unfortunately, I don't see any other way they could do this album live without bringing a choir around with them to every performance.
DT lost their best backup singer when Portnoy left and even he was merely adequate.
At the end of the day I'd rather have backing tracks then bad backup vocals, I guess.
EDIT: The reviewer's mention of Symphony X as being more straight forward is pretty odd considering they have been shamelessly using backing tracks forever.
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MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Also, I love Mangini, but I wish Portnoy would come back just so Dream Theater fans would STFU about who is better. It's impossible to have a DT conversation any more without hearing about it. I've never been so bored by a musician topic.
Forostar
Ancient Mariner
Never say never. I understood it as if DT were responsible, not the people from the venue.
They used another way: backing tracks.
And you also do not mind Petrucci's playbacking?
Ridiculous. FAKE.
SixesAlltheway
Ancient Mariner
I don't think I've ever pointed fingers at Mangini....but he didn't/doesn't have the say-so that Mike had...and frankly the path that DT has taken now that Mike isn't there to is IMO...pretty horrible...That's without putting a finger on Mangini's playing but he's not a vital part of the discussion table I don't think when it comes to new music....DT lots a little bit of edge when they ditched Mike..