He's not too bad when he's in the studio, but I can only listen to them live in very small doses. His voice it awful. Ahving said that, I really liked his singing on The Human Equation - when he uses his soft voice it sounds really good. I think he uses it a lot on the second CD on Six Degrees.

That's the only part of The Human Equation I didn't really like, his parts. I don't know, his voice and my ears just don't match, doesn't mean he's a bad singer, I just don't like him.

i agree with what most are saying, Dream Theater were my favourite band at one point but now i've moved on. 6DOIT was horrible.

Couldn't disagree with Greg more. Oh well, we all have our opinions. *shrug*

And Awake is my favorite DT album.

I just got into DT. I never really knew much or cared much about them in the past cuz the vocalist turned me off. Nothing against James but i just was'nt into that style of singing, even though I knew the rest of the band were amazing musicians.....

Anyways, when i finished my last drum session a couple weeks ago, I decided to buy some new music and give other bands a chance. I gave DT's "Train of Thought" a listen and really dug it, the singing did'nt bother me as much either. I thought it was a pretty cool album. I'm now checking out "Awake" (Dave form the DTB lent me) which I'm letting grow on me. They are definitely a musicians band, I've always been into Meshuggah for crazy musicianship but it's nice to hear a completely different style of music with awesome musicianship.

I think they are a pretty cool band, I really like "Train of Thought" and we'll see about the rest of their music...any suggestions of what I should check out after "Awake" ? Mike and Dave from the DTB are HUGE DT fans and have all their albums so I can borrow whatever ones I want.....

...any suggestions of what I should check out after "Awake" ?

IMO you should try with "Images And Words".

Once again... The Kevin Moore's era is the best!!

Scenes From a Memory is a really good album, and pretty accessible. I really like Falling Into Infinity - I've been listening to it today and even the early tracks are cool. Hell's Kitchen is one of those tracks that just sounds like you know it, even if you've never heard it before. And get the second CD from Six Degrees. I can't say enough good things about it - not very rock or metal, but is really good to listen to on your own on a nice day.

I know what people mean when they talk about cheese - prog metal isn't very cool, but really, when did we let that bother us? We listen to DT because sometimes you need to concentrate on your music a little bit.

i absolutely love dream theater... i'd say scenes from a memory is probably my fav

I think the biggest problem with DT, and why so many are losing interest, is that they couldn't possibly maintain the pioneers status they had since the early days. At the time of release of their debut and Images and Words, they truely set new standards and I think hardly anyone would get fed up with them that quickly. Pushing the boundaries that way for over 15 years would be nigh-on impossible...

They would regain a lot of respect from me if they would come up with some less "conventional" stuff. Why couldn't they ever do anything like a blastbeat part or anything just a bit "crazier"?

But that's a typical subjective opinion of someone who's been keeping an eye on them since When Dream and Day unite. I think in some respects they need to reinvent themselves.

But if you're only just really getting into them like Drumdude things may have a totally different effect.

My fave is Scenes from a memory.

I&W of course, with Awake being a close second, on all other albums there are the moments, but they're mainly a bit boring.

I&W by a mile. Learning to Live is an incredible climax to the album. Some DT songs really make me cringe, like the lyrics on SDOIT disc2 and the slower songs such as Goodnight Kiss

I still can't believe I paid 21 pounds for that mess of a double album! I also hate the fact they love to imitate other bands. Geez get your own style!

I wouldn't say they imitate other bands...influenced would be a better term. And most bands are influenced by proceeding bands or artists, even if they don't openly admit it. There isn't anything released nowadays that someone couldn't claim to have heard from some other past artist.

Dream Theater definitely has their own style.

Ryan, I'd listen to Images & Words next, then Scenes From A Memory.

I wouldn't say they imitate other bands...influenced would be a better term. And most bands are influenced by proceeding bands or artists, even if they don't openly admit it. There isn't anything released nowadays that someone couldn't claim to have heard from some other past artist.

Dream Theater definitely has their own style.

Ryan, I'd listen to Images & Words next, then Scenes From A Memory.

Cool....thanks Ms. Raja ! Good to see ya' around the boards, have'nt seen you here for a while....or maybe it's just me !

I think I'll check out Images and Words next.....

Images and Words is considered by many as their most melodic effort. Scenes from a Memory is very intense, a wild ride if it comes to their technical abilities. It's IMO also their most "daring" album. Which is why it's my favourite.

Anyways Ryan you can't really go wrong with either of those methinks.

I havent heard all the DT albums mainly Awake, Scenes from a Memory, and Six Degrees. Out of those i like Awake the best Space Dye Vest, and Voices are two great songs in imo. I like James Labrie's voice as well, but i've heard a little bit of James new solo album and I think he sounded like shit. He was great in Mullmuzzler.

Let it be known that cheese is a matter of opinion...unless of course you wrote the bible on this dairy product of sorts...

"you cannot touch the way I play or tell me what to say"

now that can be taken in a number of ways.

"His solos on that album are so fucking tasteless and stupid that I don't know why he even bothered"

"DT have gotten even worse, that last piece of crap they released was an utter dissapointment except for Vacant"

...who has gall?

How can cheese be a matter of opinion? Maybe the varying degrees of cheese, but not the fact that cheese is cheese. DT are just about the cheesiest band I've ever heard. Now don't get me wrong, I used to think that they were the greatest fucking thing I'd heard in ages.... But you CANNOT DENY how fucking cheesy they are! They are Kings of Cheese!!! I used to not let that bother me.... now I can't take it.

OK so I may have gall also, but for fuck's sake.... Just listen to those solos! He used to be a melodic player of some decency (the solos from the song Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence were gorgeous!) but on Train of Thought he regressed to being a boring show off. You may as well listen to Malmsteen or some shit, at least he varies his shredding a little.

I say Train of Thought was a dissapointment because it came after such a wonderful album. Six Degrees had so many new ideas, so much good stuff on it.... The song Six Degrees was a fucking great concept piece... It had so much going for it, then they went and did Train of Thought............

I can see how someone would like Train if it is the first DT thing they have ever heard.... But I would recommend Scenes From a Memory and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence above and beyond anything else. They may do carbon copy sections of other artists in Scenes (Yes, Zappa, Pink Floyd) but it is their most creative and varied.