[Enverxis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan Since it seems you enjoy music that is almost polar opposite to the music I enjoy, I took that comment as a recommendation. I just scored Wolverine 'Cold Light Of Monday' and 'Window Purpose'. WOW what a great band, and what a great couple of albums! For the record, I think the vocals are pretty damn amazing. Are there any other highly talented prog-like bands bands that you don't like, so I can check them out as well?!?

There's been a few already mentioned in this thread, Riverside, Fates Warning, Pain of Salvation ... if you've got some kind of list of the bands that you already have via PM, I can give you a few recommendations for ones you don't have (seems the simplest way to do things)

It's good to see someone that thinks wisely enough to consider that, whereas most will just disdain me for not liking "good vocals".

Bruce Dickinson is about the only singer that can go right up there (high registers) that I can enjoy, and the wankiest vocalist I like is Roy Khan.

We do seem to enjoy some of the same music though, you might enjoy the band Atrox.

 

[asmox]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enverxis There's been a few already mentioned in this thread, Riverside, Fates Warning, Pain of Salvation

You don't like Daniel Gildenlow?

One of the greatest vocalists of our time, IMO.

 

[Enverxis]

Nah, no dispute for him being an excellent vocalist, I'm just not into that style of singing, I'll take someone like Layne Staley instead

 

[seanohue]

i think that Images and Words, Awake, and A Change of Seasons are their best albums. Dream Theater, I think, exists to fill the gap between Nu-Metal and power metal. James LaBrie has an excellent vocal range. Portnoy has got to be one of the best drummers. But Petrucci is a great guitarist when he wants to be. I was disappointed with the lack of guitar work in Octavarium. The album itself was way too Nu-metal. It was the first let down album of the year (the second being the new Stratovarius album).

And ShaftedTwice, Symphony X has begun recording on their next album if you havent heard

 

[aerius]

I've owned it for a few years now and it has yet to grow on me. For whatever reason I can't get though more than 2-3 tracks before I get bored, frustrated, or otherwise distracted, and end up putting it away for a few more months before repeating the process. Maybe it'll work out next time, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Xakepa]

Lately, I'm starting to think that my favorite DT piece is "Stream of Consciousness" from TT - no vocals, excellent synergy, blistering solos...just perfect.

 

[catscratch]

Yes, Awake is DT's best, and no, they really haven't done anything like it before or after. They were far closer to their Cynic/Watchtower roots on Awake than they were on any other album, and they were able to shed their hair metal stylings from I&W while still not having adapted a more generic prog-rock approach that they would follow on SFaM. It was a very nice balance between tonal and atonal approaches, and the syncopated rhythms gave the music a degree of tension that their other albums couldn't match. Kevin Moore has a superb sense of surreal melody, and TBH, I liked LaBrie's vocals on Awake more than on any of their other albums - which is to say, I actually liked them and didn't hate them as usual. I guess I'm into the whole raspy high-pitched vocal thing, if it's done well and with style.

I'd recommend Watchtower's "Control and Resistance" if you really like Awake more than the rest of DT's catalog. There's definitely a similar vibe going on, though C&R takes it a step further (or rather, Awake took it a step back).

P.S. Petrucci is amazing. Portnoy is not bad, but overrated.

 

[Xakepa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by catscratch P.S. Petrucci is amazing. Portnoy is not bad, but overrated.

Second that.

 

[Big G]

Just purchased this at lunch time, on sale for 10 bucks. My first DT album.

So far, not digging the vocals but the musicianship and recording / production are wonderfull.

Will see if I can get into the vocals in time.

 

[Iron_Dreamer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big G Just purchased this at lunch time, on sale for 10 bucks. My first DT album. So far, not digging the vocals but the musicianship and recording / production are wonderfull. Will see if I can get into the vocals in time.

If you end up not liking the vocals, just get the two Liquid Tension Experiment CD's, it's more or less DT without the vocals.

 

[SLCanhead]

#1 - Awake: this was the album I didn't like at first, then grew into...and became my fav
#2 - Images and Words: this was the one that got me started on them...saw them on tour to support this album...great show!
#3 - When Dream and Day Unite: pre Kevin LaBrie...Charlie Dominici on vocals...a bit raw/cheesy but "A Fortune in Lies" and "The Killing Hand" may be 2 of the best songs that they wrote, pre Awake!
#3a - A Change of Seasons: Pretty good EP...quite enjoyable, actually

After Scenes from a Memory (mediocre), I really stopped listening to them. I don't know that I have the "ear" for them, anymore...I guess I could give them another shot

Kevin's vocals live were really like the old Memorex commercial (where the guy gets blown out of the chair)...incredible!

Remember the Napalm Death shirt Kevin wore in the "Pull Me Under" video??? Classic...

Fates Warning was another band I liked quite a bit...