Off Topic: Black Clouds and Silver Linings

[Dante]

So far, I think it's excellent, and I like it more each time I listen. My two gripes are that the lyrics are often terrible and Mike Portnoy needs to quit doing raps and spoken word stuff. If they need a heavy voice, get Mike Akerfeldt to pitch in.

i will simply reiterate what i've already stated: James is sounding thin, john and mike need vocal coaches. period.


and yes, akerfeldt is god.

[MikeVt]

I don't know how much any of you guys use Amazon, but if you use it even somewhat frequently the Amazon Prime membership which costs $75.00 a year is really worth it. It provides you with free UPS 2 day shipping on virtually every item, and a $3.00 per item upgrade if you want UPS 1 day shipping. I also find that quite often the free 2 day shipments show up in one day anyway. I ordered the 3 disc set yesterday with the free 2 day shipping so I don't have to ever touch the Deluxe Box again and it arrived today. I figure I could have just burned it but I figure for $15.99 DT can have my money twice.

That way you always know what day to expect shipment, and always have a tracking number. They always leave the packages for me, so I never get a yellow slip and have to reschedule delivery or pickup. Though I do have a new driver now who's constantly complaining about how many packages I receive. I'd mention to him that he should be happy people are using UPS and helping keep him employed, but I fear my packages would not arrive in good condition anymore.

I've used it for three years now and it's easily paid for itself many times over, especially now that I'm ordering all this baby stuff almost every day.

+1

I signed up for a trial some time ago because I needed a computer part quickly. It really is easy to get used to knowing that you'll get your shipment in 2 days, for no additional shipping charges. I think mine has paid for itself too - and it's only been about 4 months...

Mike

[MikeVt]

Anyone else hear that "Bohemian Rhapsody" part of the Wither solo?

This album is up there, for me. I honestly think if A Rite of Passage wasn't on it, I'd like it more!

I noticed that riff as well. Do you think it's a coincidence that 'The Best of Times' has the feel of 'Funeral for a Friend'?

Overall, I am loving this album - but Rite of Passage is the weakest of the bunch. It's odd that they picked that one to release early. I didn't expect to like the album at all, especially after SC.

Mike

[bkrumme]

Overall, I am loving this album - but Rite of Passage is the weakest of the bunch. It's odd that they picked that one to release early. I didn't expect to like the album at all, especially after SC.

I agree, but I think it was a smart move to release it as the first single. It gets the non-musicians interested. Progressive metal only goes so far to sell records and Roadrunner is very well known for influencing album sales from their artists even if it means a slight compromise in style. The song is still very Dream Theater, just the least progressive of all the tracks.

[RocketRalf]

I found a way to get my hands on the CD, probably next week! It might take me more time to review it, I go trough a lot of emotions and changes of mind with every new DT album, but I'll review it as soon as I can. All the comments give me hope that I'll like this one.

[Dead-Eye]

The Shattered Fortress:
This is the song I expected so much more from. It's the conclusion of Mike Portnoy's Twelve Step suite and the expectation was high for me. The first 9 "steps" were inspired and had tiny hints of the others which made them seem like a contiguous entity. This one just seems to be a conglomeration of the other songs. The lyrics are slightly different, but the rhythms and melodies are almost spot on from the other songs in the suite. There's a lot of repetition in this one. MP seems to have revisited the other traditions in a reflective manner. I've yet to listen to the suite from start to finish, but I have it ready and will review the suite as well. I have the inclination to believe the intention was to summarize the entire suite with this one song. In doing this, though, MP and DT have left a bit to be desired. I was kind of hoping for an epic, awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping finale and that wasn't really delivered. The one saving grace for me is that the song shows a bit of MP's obsessive, erratic nature. So while it didn't quite stack up as the finale I was expecting, it does give a bit of a window into who MP is and why he does things the way he does.

Do listen to the suite as a whole. In context of the album I agree with you, it seems a bit out of place. But after having listened to the Twelve Step Suite it makes perfect sense. And I love the final lines of the lyrics.

I don't know what to think of The Count of Tuscany. Musically it's great, the final 9 minutes are epic, but some of the lyrics (especially the spoken bits) are just borderline silly. That's why as DT's epics go I don't think I'll ever like it as much as Change of Seasons, Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies.

[bkrumme]

Do listen to the suite as a whole. In context of the album I agree with you, it seems a bit out of place. But after having listened to the Twelve Step Suite it makes perfect sense. And I love the final lines of the lyrics.

I think you're right. I've listened to the entire suite a few times through now and it really does seem to fit with the rest of them. They could have easily made an album with the suite and it would have been brilliant, but they way they spread it out over the last 5 albums really made it what it is. They had time to grow throughout that time and it shows. That adds to the meaningful message that is the suite itself.

I don't know what to think of The Count of Tuscany. Musically it's great, the final 9 minutes are epic, but some of the lyrics (especially the spoken bits) are just borderline silly. That's why as DT's epics go I don't think I'll ever like it as much as Change of Seasons, Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies.

I can see where you're coming from with this comment. ACOS is the one song most of us use as a comparison for tracks like this and it was a masterpiece. The lyrical content left us to interpret the meaning ourselves. The Count Of Tuscany definitely does NOT do this. It's like the rest of the album in that it is very straightforward and the story being told is understood. This is part of the reason it evokes such an emotion in me because I can immediately personalize what JP was trying to convey.

I agree, but disagree at the same time. I like having something to interpret, but that takes away from the emotion in the piece. I think this story may have been better served as the background for another concept album in the vein of SFAM or 6DOIT.

[MikeVt]

Do listen to the suite as a whole. In context of the album I agree with you, it seems a bit out of place. But after having listened to the Twelve Step Suite it makes perfect sense. And I love the final lines of the lyrics.

I don't know what to think of The Count of Tuscany. Musically it's great, the final 9 minutes are epic, but some of the lyrics (especially the spoken bits) are just borderline silly. That's why as DT's epics go I don't think I'll ever like it as much as Change of Seasons, Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies.

Guys - help me out here. Maybe it's buried in the thread and I missed it, but what is the 5th song in the suite? I can connect The Glass Prison, This Dying Soul, The Root of All Evil, and The Shattered Fortress. What was the other one?

Mike

[Dead-Eye]

Repentance

[MikeVt]

Cool - thanks. That would explain why I missed it. Didn't care for SC...

Mike

[73h Nils]

i will simply reiterate what i've already stated: James is sounding thin, john and mike need vocal coaches. period.


and yes, akerfeldt is god.

I personally don't think James sounds thin at all, especially on this album.

John's backing vocals are pretty cool for a lot of songs, too; I Walk Beside You and Raise the Knife, for example.

I never minded Mike's vocals, really. Gives the songs another dimension (oh, LTE pun )

Oh well, to each his own.

[Dante]

i'd like to resurect a 100 post long dead thread with the following bit of information:

JUL 01.09DREAM THEATER DEBUTS @ #6, HIGHEST CHART EVER!

originally here: DREAM THEATER DEBUTS @ #6, HIGHEST CHART EVER! | Roadunner Records News

Legendary progressive metal masters Dream Theater’s latest album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings has taken the band to new heights. The album debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart, with first week sales totaling 40,285. Both numbers mark the highest ever first week figures for the band, who are enjoying the greatest success of their 25 year career. 12% of the week’s sales were digital, ranking Black Clouds & Silver Linings at #21 on the Digital Albums chart.

Drummer Mike Portnoy had this to say, “This is truly amazing. After almost 25 years together, Dream Theater is still growing and progressing and doing bigger and better than ever. I can't think of many bands that can claim that. We are truly thankful to have this incredible support from fans who believe in the band as a musical force.”

Such a monumental debut places Dream Theater, a band known for lengthy epics and the true “album” format, in the cozy Top 10 company of Jonas Brothers, Black Eyed Peas and Regina Spektor, a truly remarkable feat. Portnoy continues, “An album with four songs over 12 minutes in the US Top 10? Hell must've frozen over! This is one small step for Dream Theater, and one giant leap for music in general.”

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the band’s tenth studio album and follow up to the band’s 2007 Roadrunner Records debut, Systematic Chaos. In addition to the standard version CD, the album is also available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc Special Edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs. A limited deluxe collector’s edition boxed set is also available. “This is as smart and well played as metal and hard rock gets, an album just humming with live possibilities and headphone trips waiting to happen,” wrote Dennis Cook in is 6/23/2009 review at Jambase.com, while Shawn S. Lealos said in his 6/16/09 review at 411Mania.com: “Dream Theater has created their masterpiece.”

Dream Theater is currently breaking records in Europe, playing to festival crowds of over 80,000 adoring fans. The band made their debut appearance in Israel last month, rocking a crowd 10,000 strong to their knees. The band’s own Progressive Nation tour returns stateside on July 24 in Miami, and will feature Dream Theater as headliner, Zappa Plays Zappa, Bigelf and Scale The Summit. The tour—which marks the second incarnation of Progressive Nation--wraps on August 29th in Los Angeles.

As only the 10th Top 10 debut in Roadrunner’s 30 year history, Black Clouds & Silver Linings is landmark album for the label as well.

[73h Nils]

I still can't wrap my head around that :s

[ScoobySteve]

Congrats to DT. I'm really digging this new album.

I realized after a week of comparing it to other DT albums, the musical composition, and scruntinizing every instrumental solo on the album, that I just really enjoy the way this album sounds. Tons of homages everywhere, from Rush to earlier DT albums, but plain and simple it just sounds great to my ears.

And though as a musician I love the indrecible amount of coordination and hard work that went into the musical integrity of this album, I love this album cause it just pours of rocking tunes, which is why I got into them in the first place.

[MikeVt]

I went looking for that top 200 list, and I couldn't help but laugh at the top 10. They lost to The Black Eyed Peas, the Jonas Brothers, Dave Matthews and Eminem. At least they beat out Lady Gaga (whatever the heck that is), the Transformers soundtrack and Hannah Montana.

It's just funny seeing DT in a list like that.
Mike