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User
Reviews 34
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Last Active 02-03-21 2:03 am
Joined 01-27-12
Review Comments 17,609
| Fates Warning vs Dream Theater band member Cf
I did this once before because I found it intriguing. This is a battle of sorts between the members of both bands with their respective instruments and I've selected which ones I prefer. Both bands have had an integral impact on my music vernacular and taste for the better part of 15 years, and I love & respect both of them for that reason. This isn't a diss on either band. For this comparison I've considered every band member from each bands history (past and present) | | 1 |  | Fates Warning
A Pleasant Shade of Gray
VOCALS (Ray Alder vs James LaBrie): Its fair to say that both vocalists have a unique timbre that makes their voices instantly recognisable. In the earlier years James LaBrie felt more uninhibited, thus his melodies were quite creative and complemented the versatility of the compositions perfectly. He used his full range, however he eventually suffered from the same tunnel vision that plagued the band as a whole, and thus became less interesting with time for me. Ray on the other hand has always held my admiration. In his youth his range was one of the genre standouts, and he made full use of it on albums like Parallels and APSOG. The difference is that Ray has consistently adapted his vocal compositions in accordance with his vocal capacity. His range has diminished with time, yet his voice sounds as good as ever. He's come up with countless memorable vocal lines and relatable lyrics that complement the music. He, like FW, continues to go from strength to strength.
WINNER: RAY ALDER | | 2 |  | Fates Warning
Theories of Flight
"PRIMARY" INSTRUMENT - GUITARS (Jim Matheos vs John Petrucci): Back in the day I could confidently claim DT to be my undisputed favourite band from any genre. It was my gateway band which introduced me to other music of the highest quality. John Petrucci's guitar playing was a huge reason for this. He could do no wrong in my eyes whether it be in terms of riffs, leads, or songwriting. Jim Matheos on the other hand has been overlooked his entire career if you consider his contributions to metal in general. While John is certainly more technically adept, Jim is no slouch at all. He has a knack for coming up with jagged and inventive riffs that still have a sense of groove and melody. And his melodic playing is stellar, whether it be for leads or harmonies. John is extremely versatile, however he has sadly not explored some of his obscure influences often over the past decade or so. Jim on the other hand still remains adventurous and fresh.
WINNER: JIM MATHEOS | | 3 |  | Dream Theater
Awake
"SUPPORTING" INSTRUMENT - KEYBOARDS/SUPPORTING GUITARS (Kevin Moore vs Frank Aresti): I know this isn't really a direct comparison, but imo both count as "supporting" instruments & that's how I compared them. In my ideal band there will be keyboards, so almost by default the keyboardist could have won, however Fates Warning is a band that excels in the usage of two guitarists to present diverse and varied textures. Their music is layered and Frank Aresti's contributions are integral to the albums he's present on, from a purely performance perspective but also from a songwriting one. However my love for keyboards makes Kevin the winner. His use of a wide palette of organic tones and creative melodies are what helped shape prog metal as we see it today. Kevin's contributions added character that enhanced the music, and his versatility is evident; I&W had a spectrum of "brighter" patches, while Awake was a much darker and mature undertaking. Two genre milestones.
WINNER: KEVIN MOORE | | 4 |  | Dream Theater
Images and Words
BASS (John Myung vs Joey Vera): I chose Joey instead of Joe for this comp since I prefer his tone as well as playing style. Joey is a metal veteran, and the fact that his playing is still memorable is hugely admirable. His playing on the earlier albums made him and Mark one of the best rhythm sections in metal. His tones are punchy and warm, which is the sweet spot for me personally. Technically capable, yet focusing on melodiousness, which every musician should aim to do imo. John is also a supremely gifted player. His near superhuman abilities have been on full display throughout his career, even if at times to a fault, but he has utilised his skill to compose both technical and melodic parts. His understanding of harmonies and grooves is second to none. Even if for the better past of the last 15 years DT's music has pigeonholed his playing, his influence on me as a listener, and bassists around the world can't be understated. One of the titans of the genre.
WINNER: JOHN MYUNG | | 5 |  | Fates Warning
Perfect Symmetry
DRUMS (Mark Zonder vs Mike Portnoy): This is another one where my opinion evolved with time (similar to the case with Matheos vs Petrucci). Mike embodied a lot of what enticed me about DT. He's technically adept and infused all facets of his skill into the compositions, with his signature sound leaving its stamp on the music. Plus it helped that he was goofy like me. Mark on the other had the aura of being a consummate professional. He's one of the most unique and elegant sounding drummers I've ever heard. A natural talent in terms of inventiveness and originality, whether it be via a drum pattern, fill, or groove. His focus on subtleties and nuances made his playing an intrinsic part of the compositions, almost feeling like a lead instrument at times. He never got self indulgent, which Mike could often, and composed parts that effortlessly fit the songs. Both huge talents, but Mark is more original and inventive imo, and thats what I enjoy more nowadays.
WINNER: MARK ZONDER | |
OmairSh
05.21.20 | I had a 6th item (a band comparison) but it got deleted when I tried to submit for some reason ughhh. I'll see if I want to put the effort to retype it
How would your comparisons go? | Source
05.21.20 | feature? | bludngorevidal
05.21.20 | Damn don't let Petrooch see this one | Source
05.21.20 | he grovels at jim's feet | Titan
05.21.20 | Alder
Tie
Moore
Myung
Portnoy | ElioG
05.21.20 | Man, great list, rich and tasty! I don't even know how to compare those 2 bands... Sentiments are floating lol. The only thing I can say is that Labrie needs more respect for his effort and loyalty, I wouldn't change a thing on that magnificent Awake performance. | OmairSh
05.21.20 | Whoa damn, thanks to whoever requested the feature! (Source? :-D)
Honestly its realistically a tie between Petrucci and Matheos like titan said, but over the course of their careers I'd say Jim's overall music has been of a slightly higher quality as a whole.
@Elio: Yeah I know what you mean, it wasn't an easy comparison, and my opinion has evolved a lot with time. But I feel kind of settled with my feelings on both bands atm. Yeah LaBrie was great on the older stuff and I still admire him. Its just that he's not as interesting on the later stuff :-/ | Source
05.21.20 | for some reason i can't make forum posts anymore or i would've asked for the feature | Titan
05.21.20 | Matheos rhythms and riffs harder, but Petrucci has better solos, licks, and atmosphere | OmairSh
05.22.20 | I think that's a fair breakdown. Petrucci's a beast at rhythm playing as well, but Jims riffs are more sinister and not as rehashed. Jim's solos are amazing since they're all melodic, but the sheer quantity of John's solos and his technique means overall I'd agree he's a better lead player (even if I don't really enjoy a lot of the wanky and overly technical ones as much anymore). Matheos is a great lead player himself, always focusing on phrasing and melodies
They might be tied on the atmosphere part as well | wildinferno2010
05.23.20 | This is a really interesting write-up. Not familiar enough with Fates Warning to compare yet, but I'm surprised to see them come out on top more than DT, especially Matheos > Petrucci. | Titan
05.23.20 | Inferno dude Matheos is Fates' most valuable component.
I will say, in fairness to DT, we have a few Fates fanboys on this thread... | Source
05.23.20 | where's willie | Titan
05.23.20 | Yeah add more fuel to this fire | Emim
05.23.20 | As a drummer, it's Portnoy all day. Even if he's a tool. | wildinferno2010
05.23.20 | Dream Theater was never the same after Portnoy. Mangini's just as, if not more talented, but his playing feels bland in comparison.
@Titan yeah. Matheos' style of riffing is defnitely cool. But from what little I've heard, I feel like Petrucci can do it just as well, plus his solos are just godly | ElioG
05.23.20 | Imo, DT has been drowning in a sea of mediocrity long before Portnoy's departure. | wildinferno2010
05.23.20 | Come on, Black Clouds had some of their best songs on it | AlexKzillion
05.23.20 | "Dream Theater was never the same after Portnoy. Mangini's just as, if not more talented, but his playing feels bland in comparison."
Mangini is just a glorified session musician in DT. There's no other explanation for how much he holds back on their albums relative to what we all know he's capable of. | OmairSh
05.23.20 | @wild: Yep my opinions tend to veer away from the norm haha. Bear in mind that this is after around 14 years of being with these bands (on and off), and my opinions have evolved with time. I feel I connect more with Fates music nowadays vs DT (which I connected way more to back in the day)
@titan: Haha guess you know Willie wouldn't help your DT case :D. You know I love DT but they've released some duds in the past 10 years imo. Plus I find some of the lengthy instrumental sections exhausting now.
@Emim: His personality doesn't affect my opinion of his drumming, but overall I'd say Mark is slightly more tasteful and inventive. Portnoy's still a beast though, especially if you want intensity and drive | wildinferno2010
05.23.20 | "Mangini is just a glorified session musician in DT."
Ugh. This is true and it sucks. | PistolPete
05.25.20 | This is a great list idea done by arguably one of the biggest fans on the site for these bands. Really great write-ups!
Yeah I religiously type most of my list stuff in MS Word now because I've been burned too many times by this site's list creator bugging out or timing out on me. The timing out is the one I fall victim to the most lmao. | ElioG
05.25.20 | I remember someone somewhere giving the tip that if you are processing a list you can have a second tab with Sput open on your browser on which you rate albums or post comments every now and then and thus your first session never times out. | OmairSh
05.25.20 | I always write my reviews on Word before posting here, but yeah I should start doing the same for lengthy lists I guess. Duly noted
@Pistol: Thanks dude! Glad you enjoyed the write up :-). It was a difficult comparison, but I was intrigued with the notion of comparing members as opposed to the bands as a whole. It gets more nuanced and interesting then | Ocean of Noise
05.26.20 | List is pretty much objectively correct
I wish Moore were still in FW | OmairSh
05.26.20 | I wouldn't mind Kevin featuring as a guest on future albums, even though I think Jim in an interview said his collaborations with Kevin will primarily be in OSI. You never know though
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