Guitar Gear Forum

They get a lot of hate around here but I don't care. Been a fan since Image and Words. The new one is definitely their best since IandW IMNSHO. Great song writing and they fee like a band again.

John Petrucci kills as always. He is definitely the main reason to listen to DT.

Jame LaBrie is James LaBrie. I don't mind him but, since it is prog, the vocals almost completely irrelevant, anyways.

Mike Mangini is brilliant. Not only is he insanely talented, his sense of "song" is superb. Love his creativity, too. Best of all, unlike his predecessor, he has a great sense of restraint. In other words, he doesn't feel the need to play every frickin' piece of his kit on every song.

John Myung has long been on of my favorite players but he is usually pretty buried in the mix. Not this time. His playing is loud and clear.

Jordan is still Jordan. I don't hate him as much on this record but half the time he turns the song into a Broadway musical or something from the circus.

I dig DTs music, but I seriously cannot handle Labrie's voice, it's just so goddamn awful definitely going to have to check this album out at some point though

I agree. Took one or two listens, but I really like this one.

I've only gotten to listen to it a couple times but I like it a lot.

The only album I'm able to listen to with a straight face is Scenes from a Memory, but I'll give this a listen.

So far it doesn't look good when the first track could be a bonus track from a Dimmu Borgir album.

I haven't yet heard the new stuff, just the one "single" off the album that keeps popping up on my youtube recommended feed. That song in particular I didn't care much for.

I love them as a band, the only thing I really dislike is Lebrie. I feel as though the rest of the members have evolved with the times and really progressed with their art. While James is still singing the same bullshit he did in 1991, but now he's fat so at least it's funny to look at.

That all said, having seen a lot of video's of the guys I believe I can say they're honestly straight up cool people...and that goes a long way for me liking a musical act.

I wasn't too good with the last few with Portnoy - I did kind of like A Dramatic Turn of Events just for Petrucci's playing and Mangini was kind of boxed on there.

This one on the other hand - very good. Mangini is really an upgrade over Portnoy. Again JP kills it but that's a given.

I still wish Petrucci would do some more solo stuff and Liquid Tension Experiment type things.

I've heard a couple of tracks, and I thought it was pretty cool. The new drummer has definately come into his own with the band.

Necrobump, but I finally got this album. I put it off for a long time as I wasn't a big fan of Dramatic Turn of Events (with the exception of Breaking All Illusions which is fucking awesome, the rest of the tracks were hit or miss) and I felt this would be more of the same. I'm glad I was wrong. It's a great album throughout and I truly enjoy everything on it. The Looking Glass might be one of my favorite songs they've ever done. The opening riff is straight up Rush and I'm perfectly OK with that (as Rush is my all time favorite band). So late to the party, yes, but whatever I wanted to share my thoughts.

greatmutah wrote:Necrobump, but I finally got this album. I put it off for a long time as I wasn't a big fan of Dramatic Turn of Events (with the exception of Breaking All Illusions which is fucking awesome, the rest of the tracks were hit or miss) and I felt this would be more of the same. I'm glad I was wrong. It's a great album throughout and I truly enjoy everything on it. The Looking Glass might be one of my favorite songs they've ever done. The opening riff is straight up Rush and I'm perfectly OK with that (as Rush is my all time favorite band). So late to the party, yes, but whatever I wanted to share my thoughts.

And the drumming is quantum leaps ahead of anything Portnoy ever did.

Maybe I'm crazy but Mangini gives off a Neil Peart like vibe to his playing. His texturing, his feel and his precision remind me of Neil Peart. That's not a bad thing either.