Stratovarius Community

I would have no problem giving I&W or SFAM 10/10. Awake won't get beacuse of "Innocence Faded".Grrrrr...

I think the main reason that I wouldn't give a new album 10/10 is that I need time. Some weeks or months. Good music anticipates "epoque" and it is easy to reject at some first few listenings. It refers to general not only DT.

pneumonia wrote:I would have no problem giving I&W or SFAM 10/10. Awake won't get beacuse of "Innocence Faded".Grrrrr...

I think the main reason that I wouldn't give a new album 10/10 is that I need time. Some weeks or months. Good music anticipates "epoque" and it is easy to reject at some first few listenings. It refers to general not only DT.

Awake is such a classic album! Maybe Dream Theater's greatest work along with Images&Words, and maybe SFAM.

The problem is that really really dumb sounding guy on "voices" who says the line "reality is iNmaterial". Such a grammatical fallacy!! What a broadside. AGAIN!

On a more serious note, I have listened through the whole album (twice).

The Bad

1. I can't tell if "Beneath the Surface" is a joke. I'm hoping it is.

2. The beginning of "Bridges in the Sky" really makes me want to take a dump.

3. James Labrie does not sound anywhere close to his best. Maybe a production issue.

Now that I got that out of the way, I actually really like this album. Nothing compared to the "glory days" of Dream Theater, but quite good.

I've always felt that John Petrucci is Dream Theater's strongest songwriter. Well, literally and figuratively! In spite of his often-atrocious lyrics, he has a knack for melodies. He should write more of the songs and keep JR away from the composing...

"Breaking All Illusions" is a masterpiece!

I think beneath the surface is a beautiful song.

And Labrie sounds more relaxed on this album

I'll relax my bowels on your chest.

CCCCCCCC wrote:I think beneath the surface is a beautiful song.

And Labrie sounds more relaxed on this album

Blaa. My favorite is "Breaking All Illusions".

I like the part where the singer goes wwowooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaooooooooaoa

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AAAAAAAAAA wrote:a more serious note

God have mercy! .. you can do better!

AGAG wrote:

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:a more serious note

God have mercy! .. you can do better!

The only god I acknowledge carries a stiff, 3 foot erection at all times. And he is NOT the god of mercy.

priapus

CCCCCCCC wrote:priapus

Remove your head from rectum before speaking. Until the STFU.

So, I finally finished my review for this, one of the more in depth reviews I've written, I try to be as fair as possible.

http://blackwindmetal.blogspot.com/2011 ... vents.html

It's a good, balanced review. I think you're talking a bit too much about the context, not CD, but ok

I still wait fot the delivery to say something...

ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ wrote:

CCCCCCCC wrote:priapus

Remove your head from rectum before speaking. Until the STFU.

You are a whore!!!!

CCCCCCCC wrote:

ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ wrote:

CCCCCCCC wrote:priapus

Remove your head from rectum before speaking. Until the STFU.

You are a whore!!!!

You get average grades.

Arnold Layne

Arnold Layne wrote:

CCCCCCCC wrote:

ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ wrote:Remove your head from rectum before speaking. Until the STFU.

You are a whore!!!!

You get average grades.

Arnold Layne

And you!!!!!! GET EAT SOME DAMN BROCCOLI YOU FAT BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!

CCCCCCCC wrote:

Arnold Layne wrote:

CCCCCCCC wrote: You are a whore!!!!

You get average grades.

Arnold Layne

And you!!!!!! GET EAT SOME DAMN BROCCOLI YOU FAT BASTARD!!!!!!!!!!

Ah Now I GET why you got some average grades!

But yes Arnold eat more vegetables you fatfuck!

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

Rebel wrote:So, I finally finished my review for this, one of the more in depth reviews I've written, I try to be as fair as possible.

http://blackwindmetal.blogspot.com/2011 ... vents.html

I liked that review bro, we disagreed so much in the past that im happy to agree with you for once, the rough vocals of mike were to upfront in the mix and ended destroying the song, 3.75 of 5 is too low in my opinion but in the end i find it fair enough.

adrian9 wrote:

Rebel wrote:So, I finally finished my review for this, one of the more in depth reviews I've written, I try to be as fair as possible.

http://blackwindmetal.blogspot.com/2011 ... vents.html

I liked that review bro, we disagreed so much in the past that im happy to agree with you for once, the rough vocals of mike were to upfront in the mix and ended destroying the song, 3.75 of 5 is too low in my opinion but in the end i find it fair enough.

I also read the review and liked it. I agree- well done!

I disagree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with C8 disagree!!!!!!!!!

adrian9 wrote:

Rebel wrote:So, I finally finished my review for this, one of the more in depth reviews I've written, I try to be as fair as possible.

http://blackwindmetal.blogspot.com/2011 ... vents.html

I liked that review bro, we disagreed so much in the past that im happy to agree with you for once, the rough vocals of mike were to upfront in the mix and ended destroying the song, 3.75 of 5 is too low in my opinion but in the end i find it fair enough.

I am very strict with my scores. I don't give something a 4 unless I think it's really extraordinary. The best pure prog metal album I've reviewed this year was the new Sun Caged.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1msR5-oBLs

As far as focusing on context, with more famous bands, I tend to do that because I assume people are familiar with the band, so it's a lot easier to just explain it in context with earlier albums (Unless bands do a complete stylistic change)

There's probably a lot more I could say about the loss of Portnoy. Because Heavy Portnoy was very hit or miss. I feel like his hand was big in songs like "Beyond This Life", and "Home", which was awesome. But "The Shattered Fortress" was his fault too.

Seriously. DT. 6 minutes MAXIMUM on the ballads.

If I never hear another 10+ minute ballad from Dream Theater, it will be too soon.

review gets 0/5 for this among other things. the review may have some trashy sleazeball entertainment value, but it does not have substance.

CCCCCCCC wrote:

ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ wrote:

CCCCCCCC wrote:priapus

Remove your head from rectum before speaking. Until the STFU.

You are a whore!!!!

What the weird uncivilized speech!!!

icecab21 wrote:

If I never hear another 10+ minute ballad from Dream Theater, it will be too soon.

review gets 0/5 for this among other things. the review may have some trashy sleazeball entertainment value, but it does not have substance.

But how can you say that? Reviews are subjective just like music, if the reader got what they needed to hear out of this review, who are you to judge?

Also, I was only ever able to stomach listening to "The Ministry of Lost Souls" once. That song was absolutely terrible. The Best of Times was alright, but more than twice as long as it needed to be. Part of being able to extend a song past 10 minutes, is knowing when NOT to

Ministry of Lost Souls is my favourite song from SC. It is an epic song, not a ballad. A 'ballad" is Repentance.

And Shattered Fortress is IHMO far better than Best of Time (the main melody is so... naive).

I disagree with a lot of people that say the 3 last album was tragic. I didn't like Train of Thought (except Endless Sacrifice) which was a classic metal album and after ToT Octavarium was wonderful. Of course they came with ideas from other bands (Pink Floyd, Muse), but... it is so groovy and a lot of classics (Scarified Sons, Panic Attack, Root of all Evil).

And about older CDs, 6DOIT would be perfect CD (with 10/10) if it doesn't have the second CD which is so cheesy.

SC is too technical for me, but it has some cool riffs and songs and finally BC&SL is much more better than SC. Ok, the songs are long, but I wouldn't pick up anything from Count of Tuscany.

The last two CD are unfortunately overcompressed and the mix is not perfect.

it depends on what kinds of review a person wants to write or read. yes they are subjective, but there can be higher quality reviews than spewing garbage about the band and tapping into every cliche flame people have been flinging at the band for years.

it's not talking about content when you say you don't want to hear the band write a certain length song. if you said you would like them to approach the longer ballad a different way that would be one thing, but to say that no matter what they wrote you would not want to hear it is closed off and not thinking at all about the music.

your review also seems boastful about a lack of comprehension about the lyrics. yes there is subjectivity behind this, but a review should at lest have some quality's that the reviewer is judging for and against and not such a confident disregard for trying to understand the material.

icecab21 wrote:it depends on what kinds of review a person wants to write or read. yes they are subjective, but there can be higher quality reviews than spewing garbage about the band and tapping into every cliche flame people have been flinging at the band for years.

it's not talking about content when you say you don't want to hear the band write a certain length song. if you said you would like them to approach the longer ballad a different way that would be one thing, but to say that no matter what they wrote you would not want to hear it is closed off and not thinking at all about the music.

your review also seems boastful about a lack of comprehension about the lyrics. yes there is subjectivity behind this, but a review should at lest have some quality's that the reviewer is judging for and against and not such a confident disregard for trying to understand the material.

What I am saying about the lyrics, is that in recent years (With ITPOE being a HUGE exception), Dream Theater has written tremendously stupid and forceful lyrics. I can't listen to "A Nightmare to Remember", a song I enjoy quite a bit, without being constantly reminded that it's a 16 minute epic to... a scary car crash that everyone got out of fine. The fact that Dream Theater has toned down that aspect of their lyrics is a good thing, because it allows me to enjoy the music more.

Dream Theater (Like Stratovarius) is not particularly well noted for writing good ballads. As popular as these things are in metal, there's only a few bands that I think can really do them right. So while I'm willing to usually tolerate a band wasting 3-5 minutes of an album on some sappy bullshit, going past 10 minutes is quite frankly a waste of my time. Again, Dream Theater actually figured this out and toned down the length of their ballads, and so that's a GOOD THING. What I took points off were because the album did lack some of the heaviness that I enjoyed from previous albums, and the more prog parts of the music still weren't groundbreaking. 3.75 is a pretty high score, but I think compared to the albums I've given 4+ to this year (Jolly, Merging Flare, Sun Caged, Beardfish, and Vargton Projekt) each of them either had something new and unique to offer, or some specific type of music (that I enjoyed) that they did EXTREMELY well. Dream Theater's album was neither of those, so I left it at 3.75, a score I also have given to excellent releases from In Legend, Artizan, In Flames and Divinefire.

Does assigning albums numerical scores give you some sense of power?

Arnold Layne