Dream Theaters new album!

[jakeskylyr]

I'm a self-professed DT whore, as in I swear by all they've done. However, I do agree with you on this, as I feel that there was an energy Kevin Moore added to the band that left when he did. As much as I love all of their stuff, Awake will always be my favorite, and I do feel they had a "sound" on Awake and Images that was so unique, and they lost it. Yes arguably, Kevin was the weakest player of the bunch (not that he still wasn't absolutely amazing), but he added tons of character. Awake absolutely is the album that matches what I heard (and still do) in my head that I had always wanted to be able to accomplish musically.

 

[Drew]

Yeah but aren't those connected with a cable to the recording equipment rather than with a mic.

On the "Making of..." videos, they show petrucci recording with a pair of headphones.

I'm just curious about that and why some guitarists prefer to record with a microphone when direct recording ensures much higher-quality and no cut-off whatsoever.

Yeah, everyone records overdubs with headphones - it's so you can hear the rest of the instruments.

The reason people use mic'd amps as opposed to direct recording is because we're used to hearing the sound of an amp in a room - that "cut off" you refer to is part of the sound of an electric guitar, IMO. A properly mic'd amp is to my ears much more organic than any simulator currently on the market.

Jake - have you heard any of Kevin Moore's Chroma Key project? I agree completely on DT, that tey were never quite the same after he left, and while it's a RADICALLY different sound I think his debut "Dead Air For Radios" is better than virtually every CD Dream Theater has released since Awake. Hell, maybe ever. Give it a listen - you can stream it over at www.chromakey.com.

-D

 

[Vince]

Drew, Colorblind should've been a DT song. Fucking awesome stuff Kevin Moore does

 

[Drew]

"America The Video" also reminds me of Paris Hilton, for some reason, even though it was written half a decade before her little fiasco - "And I've got all of this on video... It just gets better with every episode. (America) I was blind but now I see, (america) right there in front of me... Lost my head in the hotel room when the ground shook, had to choose between the bible and the phone book. You're never home but that's ok, it's so much easier this way, I can't tell it to your face in real time anyway."

Fuckin' brilliant disc, one of my favorites to jam along to. I hear Kevim Moore just moved to Montreal and is preparing for a tour - if he needs a touring guitarist, I'm SO there.

-D

 

[Vince]

I'm a self-professed DT whore, as in I swear by all they've done. However, I do agree with you on this, as I feel that there was an energy Kevin Moore added to the band that left when he did. As much as I love all of their stuff, Awake will always be my favorite, and I do feel they had a "sound" on Awake and Images that was so unique, and they lost it. Yes arguably, Kevin was the weakest player of the bunch (not that he still wasn't absolutely amazing), but he added tons of character. Awake absolutely is the album that matches what I heard (and still do) in my head that I had always wanted to be able to accomplish musically.

I agree with all of this.

I will add one addendum. I thought their most unique sound was when they added Derek. I'm a big fan of the sounds he uses and the music he wrote with them. FII has some of the best songwriting, IMO, of any DT disc. Awake, as I stated before is right up there too.

I understand why they got rid of him though. The few experiences I've had with Derek.... how can I put this....he's like Yngwie.

 

[eaeolian]

Awake has arguably their best songwriting, production, emotion, and best use of the 7-string. The songwriting on this album is amazing. Scarred? Unfuckingbelievable!

Agreed 1000%. One of the reasons I've liked the band less and less is that they've seldom even ventured into the neighborhood of this quality of writing again, IMO - and when they have, it's been missing something. That "something" is Kev Moore.