[fuzydice]

I was really looking forward to FIF coming out, but a bit cautious due to it being the first full album with Derek. In short, I was let down at the time. Saw them live on that tour (at the maritime hall, SF) and eventually some stand out tracks from that album grew on me: "New Millennium" is one of my favorite DT songs, and then "You Not Me," "Peruvian Skies," "Hell's Kitchen," "Lines In The Sand" are all really good, while "Trial Of Tears" is probably the most traditionally "DT" sounding (for dt up to that point, coming from their sound on ACOS & Awake) song on the album; definitely has a bit of I&W feeling to it in parts. All that said, there are some severe weak points on this album as they tried hard to go commercial, and their ballads got super sappy.

Derek definitely swayed them a bit toward a different sound with FIF, no doubt about it.

As for their newer albums, after Scenes From A Memory they just seemed like a very different band and I stopped following their album releases very closely. Only recently did I bother to pick up 6DOIT. Their last two albums show them going in directions that I'm not all that crazy about.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

I'd say Scenes by a hair over Images and Words. IaW would have been the king if it had included "A Change of Seasons" as was originally intended, with bonus point if the production had been better (yes those triggered drums need to go). I never fail to be amazed when I listen to either album, but the intertwined nature of the songs on Scenes, along with the non-disctracting production put it over the top.

Awake and Train of Thought are on the next tier for me, with ^ Degrees just behind. In that order, they each have just a little greater section that seems out of place to me. I could live without a good section of both "The Great Debate" and "Misunderstood". The news blurbs in the former really date the song, and not in a good way, especially as the issue in question turned out to be an overblown, manufactured issue that blew over pretty quickly.

FII has several simply amazing songs, but also a few I could never hear again and be the happier for. However, those high points keep it quite far ahead of their most recent two albums, which have mostly sounded dull, uninspired, and overly "influenced." I almost never get the feeling that I want to listen to either, and considering how much I love a great deal of DT's music, that is a sad thing indeed.

 

[Gazza]

I'll rank the albums I own:

Train of Thought
Falling into Infinity
Images & Words
Scenes From a Memory
Octavarium

 

[catscratch]

Awake. In fact, it's the only DT album I really like. Images & Words was cheesy 80s hair metal turned prog, but it was very well done. I like it, but it's the cream of the crop for a genre that I never found very attractive in the first place. Awake, though was pure inspiration (and some sonic theft from Watchtower... OK, a lot of sonic theft from Watchtower, but still).

Then, Kevin Moore left, and all of DT's melodic talent went with him. Rudess is a pretty good performer but a lousy creator, and nobody else on the team has any melodic talent either. They do come up with good songs every once in a while, but a lot of the newer material is just shocking. Really, really overblown, bombastic, and appallingly bad. That's not something that could ever be said of the "Awake" era DT. They should leave writing classical music to classical composers that know what they're doing, and stick to their guns - prog metal.

Note, though, that I stopped listening after "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence," I just couldn't take it anymore. It's possible that they've improved since then, but I don't feel like paying for another DT album, and I don't usually "download" my music.

 

[TheGhostWhoWalks]

In order:

6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Awake
Images and Words
Train of Thought
Scenes from a Memory
Systematic Chaos
Octavarium
Falling Into Infinity
When Dream and Day Unite

I leave out A Change of Seasons since it's basically an EP extended with cover songs.

 

[bungle]

I'm glad to see some love for Train of Thought here - I thought maybe I was the only one. It's clearly my favorite of what I've heard. I like Scenes a lot, and Awake is good. I haven't heard Octavarium and Chaos enough yet, but I'll probably like them. I didn't like Images and Words much at all (granted only a few listens). DT is big enough that they're a good commonality for people, but their work is varied enough that I'm not sure they're a good launching pad for recommendations unless you are looking at a specific album or "era".

 

[10068]

Actually, I think after TOT (1st pick) and SFOM (2nd pick) for me, Awake would be 3rd. I just pulled it up in Foobar and I had forgotten how many rocking tracks are on this album! I have it playing now

EDIT: By the way, does anyone besides me feel that 6:00 has the coolest intro of any DT song ever? I think it's one of the better Rock/Prog song intros around. That's my fave part of the song

Quote:

Originally Posted by PWilson /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll have a good listen to Stream of Conciousness.

Do it! Great song. I'm definitely a fan of DT"s instrumental stuff. When I started listening to ToT, I avoiding a few tracks like the plague, playing 1 or 2 over and over, but I think once you've listened to it for a while, the album begins to grow on you. Or at least it did for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by PWilson /img/forum/go_quote.gif [snip]but overall I really like the changeups and tempos on Oct. I found Systematic Chaos a lot weaker overall.

Yes, that is a good point. Overall I prefer other albums over Octavarium and it doesn't get much play time, but, if I had to choose between that and Systematic Chaos i'd choose the former. I think Oct is a much more cohesive album, and while it's not really "to my taste" at times, I really like Panic Attack and a few others. I'm not a huge of the title track.. I always end up comparing it to their other long epic song, Change Of Seasons, which to me is better in every way. I don't think it's that Oct (the song) is bad, i've just heard other older epic songs from DT and I think they're better technically and musically

Quote:

Originally Posted by PWilson /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love the entirity of Overture 1928, and bits of it are repeated throughout the album to tie it all together.

That's the same cool thing about SDOIT as well, for sure!
Quote:

Originally Posted by PWilson /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's got some great mixes of heavy and soft, esp in songs like Home. And then just like RationalGaze said, I still get goosebumps when I'm in the zone listening to the ending of that album.

I as well. I actually don't have that album ripped right now (lost my HDD a while ago). I need to rip it again!!!


Quote:

Originally Posted by RationalGaze /img/forum/go_quote.gif Peruvian Sky, Hells Kitchen and Lines in the sand

Yeah, I like the latter two quite a bit. The problem for me is that all the other tracks make me go "eh." I guess my feeling with this album is that it just sounds cheesy. Take that as what you will, I don't know how to articulate it better than that. Anyway, yes those are the tracks I do listen to from it.


Quote:

Originally Posted by elliot42 /img/forum/go_quote.gif [snip]the Live albums don't get so much time

What?? You should try again. Most metal and prog bands do a lot of cool stuff and/or additions live. I really like Stream of Consciousness live, amongst others. You should give Live Scenes From New York and Live From Budokan another shot. Yes, Labrie's voice start giving out on some live tracks, but I think the added energy and DT-awesomeness is worth it (well on at least most of them)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurck /img/forum/go_quote.gif [snip]but there are also some religious and political themes in those middle albums[snip]

Isn't Prophets Of War a policital/religious track? Sorry i'm not trying to call you out. I really like that track but it surprises me that it doesn't bother you like (for example) Great Debate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurck /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want specifics you'll have to give me a few days to go over those albums, I've really only listened to each a few times.

If you're willing to that would be cool. While my opinions may not change, it's always good to hear others' and get new feedback

And again, i'm not ragging on you. Sorry if it seemed that way.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I could live without a good section of both "The Great Debate" and "Misunderstood".

I do have to agree here unfortunately. I like both of these songs, but some of the songs on CD2 from SDOIT have slower points that feel uninspired. Which sucks, because I think that whole 2nd CD had the potential to be very strong and rocking.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iron_Dreamer /img/forum/go_quote.gif [snip]However, those high points keep it quite far ahead of their most recent two albums, which have mostly sounded dull, uninspired, and overly "influenced."

Yes

BTW, it's good to see you in one of my threads. Hi and hope you're doing well

 

[PWilson]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, I think after TOT (1st pick) and SFOM (2nd pick) for me, Awake would be 3rd. I just pulled it up in Foobar and I had forgotten how many rocking tracks are on this album! I have it playing now

I forgot about Awake and Images & Words for ages. Only pulled them back up fairly recently and remembered again how good they were. I have to agree that they generally do better when they're not trying to be too heavy (as the last albums have been) - but with the exception of ToT

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do it! Great song. I'm definitely a fan of DT"s instrumental stuff. When I started listening to ToT, I avoiding a few tracks like the plague, playing 1 or 2 over and over, but I think once you've listened to it for a while, the album begins to grow on you. Or at least it did for me

Will do... I've just gotta get around to converting my FLACs to MP3 so that I can cram more stuff on the portable >_<. Had to lose DT to fit some new stuff on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...I think Oct is a much more cohesive album, and while it's not really "to my taste" at times, I really like Panic Attack and a few others. I'm not a huge of the title track.. I always end up comparing it to their other long epic song, Change Of Seasons, which to me is better in every way.

Yeah, the title track is vastly overrated if people are naming it the best DT song. It's a decent enough song... but it really doesn't go anywhere for its 20 minutes, and the music on it isn't as strong as most of their other stuff.
I recommend another listen to These Walls. I reckon with Panic Attack, it's a real strong point, and then stuff like Root of All Evil just sorta help round out the album.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sduibek /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's the same cool thing about SDOIT as well, for sure!

The only studio album I don't have!! I really, really want to hear it, as the descriptions sound right up my alley, and a whole disc taken up by a single song is too opulent not to love (assuming it's up to scratch). It's not often stocked where I get CD's though.

 

[10068]

Falling Into Infinity update: I'm listening to DT at work, and just finished this CD in my playlist. I discovered that most of the tracks still make me go "Eh", however, I really like Just Let Me Breathe and Anna Lee. I didn't remember that! Not a big fan of any other tracks on this CD.

EDIT: Well and Trial of Tears is good too, of course.

 

[TheGhostWhoWalks]

Falling Into Infinity is one of those albums that sounds good while it's playing, but doesn't really stick in the mind when it's over. There's nothing on there, except maybe Lines in the Sand, that matches up with their best stuff IMO. Though I do like the instrumentals and the two pop ballads are kinda guilty pleasures.

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Studio: Awake
Live: Budokan

 

[10068]

No love for When Dream and Day Unite? I haven't even heard that one yet.

 

[outmatch]

For me, it would still be "Images & Words". "Awake" comes second.

 

[rogue]

1) Awake
2) Images & Words
3) Scenes from a Memory

I agree 100% with catscratch that their melodic talent went out the window after Kevin Moore left. Thus, while their musicianship is still excellent, their song composition leaves a lot to be desired..too many pointless riffs and bombastic solos that lead nowhere...personally, I think their newer stuff is rubbish.

I've tried listening to their live albums (Budokan mainly) but the quality of the recordings seems to be really below average (or maybe I'm just too picky).

 

[10068]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogue /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've tried listening to their live albums (Budokan mainly) but the quality of the recordings seems to be really below average (or maybe I'm just too picky).

Yes.