22-06-2014, 19:00
I've been listening to DT's new album for a few months, and was kind of sitting on the fence about it, but for some reason this week something kicked in and I'm really liking it a lot. (it could be that I've reached my maximum density of ambient pop... *laughs*)
Some critics have labeled it a disappointment. I think the best article about why this is came from Dan Lawrence on Invisible Oranges http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2013/11/31671/ who said that there wasn't anything *new* about this album, and while that might be true (I'm not arguing with music critics about what constitutes "new" for a progressive metal band that has set the standard for over two decades), I think the real reason a lot of people found the album disappointing is because the last album was so amazing! What struck me as salient about this album is that it's almost as if they turned course and headed back to whence they came (e.g. Rush). Listening to The Looking Glass immediately made me think of Rush - with a DT twist.
I think the other reason fans were disappointed by this album is because Mike Portnoy's absence is really being felt. Not because Mike Mangini isn't good enough (goodness gracious, the guy can drum like no other person on the planet!), but because fans long for a united DT and a golden past that seems so much more...DT. What they forget is that it came at a price, and that Portnoy made a choice to leave (whether of his own volition or because he was pushed) and the choice *is* the catalyst for new sound. The exciting thing is that DT has survived...and THRIVED. The guys are all exploring new avenues, and Jordan Rudess' technological creations have opened new windows for musicians and there's a whole new generation of Petrucci-ites out there (if you haven't listened to Sean Ashe and his guitar piece Hemispheres...well, take 4 minutes out of your day https://soundcloud.com/seanashe/hemisphe...ean-ashe-1).
I like the new album. Not as much as I like Awake or Dramatic Turn of Events, but I'm not disappointed in them because they're doing what they - and I - love!
Some critics have labeled it a disappointment. I think the best article about why this is came from Dan Lawrence on Invisible Oranges http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2013/11/31671/ who said that there wasn't anything *new* about this album, and while that might be true (I'm not arguing with music critics about what constitutes "new" for a progressive metal band that has set the standard for over two decades), I think the real reason a lot of people found the album disappointing is because the last album was so amazing! What struck me as salient about this album is that it's almost as if they turned course and headed back to whence they came (e.g. Rush). Listening to The Looking Glass immediately made me think of Rush - with a DT twist.
I think the other reason fans were disappointed by this album is because Mike Portnoy's absence is really being felt. Not because Mike Mangini isn't good enough (goodness gracious, the guy can drum like no other person on the planet!), but because fans long for a united DT and a golden past that seems so much more...DT. What they forget is that it came at a price, and that Portnoy made a choice to leave (whether of his own volition or because he was pushed) and the choice *is* the catalyst for new sound. The exciting thing is that DT has survived...and THRIVED. The guys are all exploring new avenues, and Jordan Rudess' technological creations have opened new windows for musicians and there's a whole new generation of Petrucci-ites out there (if you haven't listened to Sean Ashe and his guitar piece Hemispheres...well, take 4 minutes out of your day https://soundcloud.com/seanashe/hemisphe...ean-ashe-1).
I like the new album. Not as much as I like Awake or Dramatic Turn of Events, but I'm not disappointed in them because they're doing what they - and I - love!
Everyone has an Angel: a Guardian who watches over us. We can't know what form they'll take. One day, old man. Next day, little girl. But don't let appearances fool you, they can be as fierce as any dragon. Yet they're not here to fight our battles, but to whisper from our heart. Reminding that it's us: it's everyone of us who holds power over the world we create. -Sweet Pea