Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah they're so long you have trouble deciding if you want to watch an episode or listen to the song, jeez. This is why prog gets a bad name :P.

Album Rating: 3.5

I usually listen to a few prog rock songs here other songs there, because there are prog rock albums that can be really long. Some of those albums, however are incredible. I think the artist that makes massive time length a req is Tool (average album is about 75 minutes long.

Album Rating: 3.5

Roinne has some great guitar tones but the guitars are quite low in the mix compared to the keyboards except when there's a solo, that annoys me at times. Also he focuses a lot on soloing, can get very exhausting.

Album Rating: 3.5

"I think the artist that makes massive time length a req is Tool "



And Dream Theater

Album Rating: 3.5

Pretty much what you just filled in. It's rather amazing, the time length actually:

Lateralus: 78 minutes

Aenima: 75-77 minutes?

10,000 Days: 75-77 minutes?

Undertow: 69 minutes

That's Tool. I can never remember Dream Theater's total time length for any of their albums.

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah Dream Theater are usually around 75 minutes as well, but I only really started having a problem

with their lengths since Systematic Chaos. You see I used to be a fanboy. 70+ minutes is really

difficult in one sitting.



Love the acoustic ending of Atomic Prince

Album Rating: 3.5

Systematic Chaos was sort of a mess of troubles. they did recover with Black Clouds and Siilver Linings and fell again with ADTOE.



Love the acoustic ending of Atomic Prince[2]

Album Rating: 3.5

I didn't enjoy Black Clouds very much, was exhausted by their writing style by then.

Album Rating: 3.5

I really didn't pay much attention to the writing, though I know most of it was dominated by Portnoy and Petrucci.

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah and they were up in the mix. You fire your old keyboardist to get the guy you've had wet dreams about and then you drown him in the mix. Seriously wtf. Metropolis Pt2 had loads of fun elements from Jordan but they were ridiculously low. And then Jordan gets accused of wanking excessively.... Well thats because you don't pay much attention to the rest of his contributions in the song because the mix is dominated by guitars and drums.



I've had issues with their mixes and production for the longest time. Since they started self producing it's been pretty bad, with JM suffering a lot as well. Aaah well.

Album Rating: 3.5

Me, I beg to differ in certain areas. But with DT's leadership? There is barely any democracy there. And Petrucci still remains like a sort of a ruler even without his lost partner, Mike. All the other members pretty much do what they're told. Their leadership isn't appealing at all. Their musicianship is more favorable. The one only real reason I like DT so much is the fact that they are incredibly talented. That was how I ran for several years, which is why I quit the radio.

Self production? There were even times when they didn't have self production in their early life but sometimes there was still massive damage (Falling Into the Infinity doesn't rock and Dream and Day is just plain horrifying with the exception of Ytse Jam.) Oh well. I found out many bands end up just like them as well. It's the way the music industry works, you know.

Systematic Chaos was sort of a mess of troubles. they did recover with Black Clouds and Siilver Linings and fell again with ADTOE.

Album Rating: 3.5

It had some greatness to it since it wandered away from wankery. Though some of it was still there, it was more mature, refined, and was like a plate of pancakes.

Agreed. Shame about Portony's growls in A Nightmare To Remember though.

Album Rating: 3.5

Akerfeldt did a better job on it in a live performance. Most of Nightmare to Remember was memorable, otherwise.

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah Petruccis responsible for ADTOE. I think MP used to decide the direction and the guys were given a reasonable amount of freedom, I mean Jordan gets to do a lot (The song A stream of consciousness is practically carried by him), but there definitely is pressure to adhere to what MP, and now Jp, wants. I also fell in love with their musicianship, but then I started hearing other prog bands that had technical elements, but weren't necessarily defined by them. Those bands appealed to me quite a bit. One aspect I do love about DT's writing style is the way they really like bringing back certain melodies in different arrangements throughout the song, it really gives the song cohesion.



I was talking about the production and mix themselves, not how the songs on the album. I actually really like FII, and it's production is pretty good, the instruments sound great and mix wise there's definitely a reasonable balance. From SFAM the mix started having issues. And doesn't the distorted guitar on ToT make your ears hurt occasionally?



Well they're making big bucks off their albums, and even got nominated for a grammy (yippie -_-). Anyway Steven Wilson and Riverside have albums out early next year, looking forward to those.

@Nightmare: Yeah it's still a good song despite that. One of the highlights of BC&SL for me was Petrucci's solo in The Best of Times.

Album Rating: 3.5

I hated BCSLs production. So dull and muffled. I actually didn't mind SC that much, I don't really go back to it much though.

I actually really like FII

Album Rating: 3.5

"One of the highlights of BC&SL for me was Petrucci's solo in The Best of Times."



Yeah that was good. The novelty of the Count of tuscany solo section wore off pretty quickly. Plus the lyrics *cringe.



Waaah I have writers block