Album Rating: 3.5

1, 2, 3 and 8 for me. I feel like I'm soon gonna bump my rating down.

Album Rating: 3.5

Also, I wonder if there's a message behind the more ''sober'' drum playing of Mangini (both drummers are obv in the same league) to demonstrate to mr Portnoy that it's not necessary to take all the floor to shine, or something.

reminds me a bit of the latest RHCP album. It's solid and a fun listen... but nothing mind blowing.

I doubt that was it since none of the other members seem to have a problem with flexing their stuff.

Album Rating: 3.5

Yeah it sounds more like a teamwork than a wank fest this time. Shame the album suffers from a serious lack of both consistency and inspiration.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Call me crazy but the Build Me Up intro was great. It reminds me of LaBrie's stuff.

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Labrie does some sweet throat singing on Bridges in the Sky

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

"Yeah it sounds more like a teamwork than a wank fest this time. Shame the album suffers from a serious lack of both consistency and inspiration."



I actually feel this is a very consistent album in terms of quality but there's not enough high points.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Dream Theater fans pay up for Ed hardy bikini's

Album Rating: 3.0

I am not about to skim through all of these post but there was an interview not too long ago pretty much saying Mangini wasn't too involved in the creative process for this album. Not totally his fault the drums are so 'bland'



http://loudwire.com/dream-theater-james-labrie-interview-with-full-metal-jackie/



Wonder what was that's all about!?

Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off

Even if it wasn't all his fault, that doesn't change the fact that they don't sound as good as they probably could have. Plus there was an interview with John Petrucci where he stated that he gave Mangini an outline and pretty much bounced ideas back and forth with him in addition to giving him a lot of freedom with where he wanted to take the parts in the song.

Album Rating: 3.2

I am not about to skim through all of these post but there was an interview not too long ago pretty much saying Mangini wasn't too involved in the creative process for this album. Not totally his fault the drums are so 'bland'

For all you Mike Mangini apologists/defenders:





Once we were sure that we had a song idea down and a song beginning to end, what would happen in the studio is that John Petrucci would do the drum programs, we did this through a computer, so he would program the drums and then we would send that song to, completed with drums on there, via synthetic drummer, we would send to Mike Mangini and then he would take it from there. He would craft it into what he felt was necessary in the way that the drums would unfold on each and every song and that’s how the whole process is done.



By the time that Mike Mangini came into the studio to do his tracks he was very sure of where he wanted to go; that being said, too, him and John Petrucci were bouncing ideas throughout each and every song, trying new things or trying something that might even make it much more strong or powerful. So that’s kind of the way it came up but we did give Mike Mangini absolute freedom in the kind of drummer that he is, his style is very apparent; he’s very intuitive, he’s very musical. He’s proven himself over many years that he is world class and he is unique in the way that he plays drums, so we wanted to capture that, we didn’t want to suffocate any of those elements that make him truly a gem as a drummer. So, we did allow a lot of liberty from him as far as how he wanted to express himself.





That's right, bitches, I'm not editing shit ;)



http://loudwire.com/dream-theater-james-labrie-interview-with-full-metal-jackie/

What in the world is the opening noise of Bridges in the Sky...? Gave me a good laugh...

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

Way too much filler crap in the songs

Album Rating: 3.0

What ever. I give in.

Album Rating: 2.5 | Sound Off

it's not bad, still an incredible album. I love lost not forgotten

Not bad, but way too safe. I guess it makes sense with the change of direction. Indication that the next release should be pretty good, since this is still rather solid.

Album Rating: 3.0

gota check this

Me too.

Album Rating: 3.2

What ever. I give in.

The important thing to stress, however, is that John didn't program all the drum parts that I would play, and I didn't play them note-for-note. He created outlines for me. Some things I played as they were, other things I changed, and in some cases he and I tried something totally different. I welcomed working that way.