Dream Theater

[Mosh]

New Portnoy interview:

- There's a "master" setlist, which is confirmation of some rotation as that is the system MP used back in the day.

- "It's impossible to cover 16 albums," not sure if this is confirmation that they will be playing songs from the upcoming 16th album as it is still unclear when the album will be released.

- They will play Mangini era songs - MP has been working on that material. I think this has been confirmed in a few interviews already, but it's good to know.

 

[Mosh]

Moving this discussion from GMSC here since it has become a lot less relevant to that thread:

I agreed with that Mosh post, just maybe

with this I kinda disagree - it might be better than elsewhere, but I still find the phrasing somewhat awkward and struggling against the music (or maybe it's just the delivery?) I don't mind it, though.



I kinda both agree and disagree, I personally think the last truly great album (in a... say, musical reviewer meaning of that word) would be Octavarium, despite (or maybe even because of) its poppy inclinations, but despite me being the outlier in my love for SC, so I won't be pushing that point further, I'd say that both Black Clouds and especially ADTOE were amazing (ADTOE used to be in my top... 3? Maybe?).
It was only after when it went downhill, kinda, and not because of Mangini in particular - DT12 felt rushed and underbaked, The Astonishing was a questionable idea with an even more questionable execution, Velocity felt really insignificant, like a compilation of studio outtakes, nice, but forgettable and View was mostly good, but felt like jumping the shark for the Mangini era, with the musical/structural incohesiveness reaching an all time high and it all feeling like going through the motions by a somewhat spent band. I hope MP's return will rejuvenate them a bit, but I don't think they can return to the "freshness" of SDOIT or Octavarium or even just the compact punch of Black Clouds.


And yeah, hate me all you can, I know I'm alone in that, but I'd still take the bizarre wanderings of The Astonishing over the second half of Awake (cca after Silent Man) - which is still the most dreadful slog of a sequence DT have ever released. I don't get how Trucci could have something as excellent as Voices and something as dreadful as Scarred on the same album. But whatever, I know, 90s DT are the best, everybody tells me so.

I actually think Black Clouds is a realistic benchmark for them to shoot for. Funny to say because I have done a lot of eye rolling at people preemptively complaining that somehow the band is going to regress back to their 2009 sound now that Portnoy is back, as if the last 15 years and 5 albums didn’t happen, but the general direction of that album with a pretty even split of Metal and prog (maybe with slightly more emphasis on prog) is realistic based on where they’re at musically. It also felt like in the Mangini era they were alternating between more melodic proggy sounding albums and darker/heavier albums. If they continue that pattern we’re in for a darker sounding album.

The drive to experiment with different genres/sonic qualities that led to albums like Octavarium and Six Degrees is no longer there for either the core DT camp or MP IMO but maybe I am wrong.

 

[Mosh]

Btw I went digging through this thread because I wanted to see what reactions were like to the BCSL album and MP’s departure at the time, and found some comments from SMX apparently sourced from JP’s now defunct forum about how Dream Theater’s 11th album (what would become ADTOE) was basically already written by the time MP left. Does anyone know anything about this? I know Mangini wasn’t involved in the writing, but it also seems unusual that they would have had writing sessions without Portnoy while he was still in the band. I don’t doubt SMX’s posts, but also the links he pulled from are all dead.

 

[KidInTheDark666]

Btw I went digging through this thread because I wanted to see what reactions were like to the BCSL album and MP’s departure at the time, and found some comments from SMX apparently sourced from JP’s now defunct forum about how Dream Theater’s 11th album (what would become ADTOE) was basically already written by the time MP left. Does anyone know anything about this? I know Mangini wasn’t involved in the writing, but it also seems unusual that they would have had writing sessions without Portnoy while he was still in the band. I don’t doubt SMX’s posts, but also the links he pulled from are all dead.

Very interesting. I certainly haven't heard of this before.

 

[JudasMyGuide]

I don't recall if my source was this thread or elsewhere, but I remember having read something along that lines myself. I agree it's weird, that said, for some reason ADTOE is the most coherent and consistent (songwriting-wise) of the Mangini era; since that was the secret power of MP (it seems so in hindsight, definitely), I wouldn't be surprised if it was written still even partially with him, although where would that fit in the timeline, I don't know.

There might be an answer on the DT Forum, but I haven't been there in ages (wonder if I remember my login, even) and with the humongous amount of threads and general content, I wonder if it could even be found.


Oh, btw

I wanted to see what reactions were like to the BCSL album and MP’s departure at the time

This is still my favourite

Fuck him and his "constant motion".

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I actually think Black Clouds is a realistic benchmark for them to shoot for. Funny to say because I have done a lot of eye rolling at people preemptively complaining that somehow the band is going to regress back to their 2009 sound now that Portnoy is back, as if the last 15 years and 5 albums didn’t happen, but the general direction of that album with a pretty even split of Metal and prog (maybe with slightly more emphasis on prog) is realistic based on where they’re at musically. It also felt like in the Mangini era they were alternating between more melodic proggy sounding albums and darker/heavier albums. If they continue that pattern we’re in for a darker sounding album.

I’m really hoping for a light album, honestly. I want some major key songs. I want silly, wacky keyboard motifs that feel like Reading Rainbow on steroids. Their best moments in recent years have all been the more uplifting ones and this seems like a good time for some joyful music from the guys.

They’ve done dark to death and they aren’t gonna do dark well again. They’re too old, too complacent, too rich. Please just make a record that sounds like old friends having fun.

 

[Mosh]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was written still even partially with him

I very highly doubt that Portnoy, especially at that time, would have allowed material that he helped work on to be released by DT in any capacity especially without giving him a writer's credit. Also he made comments about ADTOE after it was released that clearly showed he had nothing to do with it. As far as timeline, the post in question is from September 2010, days after Portnoy's departure was announced. If my memory serves correctly, DT did a few headline shows after the Maiden tour and then MP immediately joined A7X for their US tour. The meeting where he left the band would have either been mid tour or immediately after wrapping up with A7X.

There is also an interview with MP somewhere where he said that he and JP had talked about doing a concept album after BCSL and doing Evening With shows where they play the whole album live in the first set and the 12 step suite in the second set, so we know there were discussions about the next album but it's unclear if any actual music was written. AFAIK DT stopped writing on the road in the 00s. Finally, I'm also pretty sure it's documented by several members that the meeting which led to Portnoy's departure was supposed to be getting the ball rolling for a new album. So it really just leaves the month of August for the DT guys to write the album without Portnoy, which just doesn't add up.

Honestly, I think JP was bullshitting and just wanted to project an image of the band in smooth sailing, which would line up with the general public posture of Dream Theater when JP took the lead as PR guy. There was no actual album written at the time. I might ask about it on DTF but it seems pretty well documented that the album was written in early 2011 and I don't really want to come in with an unsourced claim without having any actual sources to back it up (especially cause I'm not a fan of when that happens here).

Please just make a record that sounds like old friends having fun.

I mostly want this as well. I got that vibe from JP's solo album and LTE3 so I have faith that it will carry over to Dream Theater as well. I think there's going to be a similar energy to ADTOE in that everybody knows that fan expectations are high and they're going to want to deliver.

 

[Mosh]

New JLB interview:

Some highlights:

- JLB thinks it's possible the new album will drop in early 2025.

- NA tour in February. He says they will probably be touring for a year and a half.