Tick Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 After about 10 full listens to this album I now have a true feeling on it...I would say its boring, predictable, rushed, cookie cutter, formulaic. Average at best.It sounds like something written in a 24 hour period. Derrick's keyboards are very uninventive here. Sounds like he uses a lot of pre made samples as well. (The opening of God of the Sun)The same ones I used on my 1995 CD. This is my first experience listening to Jeff Scott Sotto and I'm not all that impressed. He flats a lot on this record.Example...Stare at the wallPray for reflectionTry to recallBeg for "redemption" <------ Very flat!and how many times can you accentuate a part of song with, "YEAH!" The guitar, bass, and drum work is fine, but as I said the songs are very forgettable. Lastly, the lyrics are really bad at times. "Wastin' timeLost in oblivionI'm leaving tomorrow" Leaving for where? Cheese.... I am a big fan of MP but this is the weakest project of anything I've heard from him. I'd say focus on Winery Dogs, Flying Colors, Neal Morse, and a Transatlantic reunion. I am just giving my honest assessment. I wanted to like it but its just not great. That being said, if they played close to me I'd go (if the tickets were cheap)just because the musicians are great and hopefully it would be better live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoopid Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Most of Portnoy's post-DT projects are mediocre to my ears. Really only The Similitude of a Dream struck a chord with me and even then it's only an occasional play. Thankfully for me I always try-before-I-buy ;) , so no loss to my wallet but no gain to theirs either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 This record may well be the worst of all Portnoy's projects. dull hook-less. longest 57 minuses of my life. sorry mike. no "glorious return" here. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 After about 10 full listens to this album I now have a true feeling on it...I would say its boring, predictable, rushed, cookie cutter, formulaic. Average at best.It sounds like something written in a 24 hour period. Derrick's keyboards are very uninventive here. Sounds like he uses a lot of pre made samples as well. (The opening of God of the Sun)The same ones I used on my 1995 CD. This is my first experience listening to Jeff Scott Sotto and I'm not all that impressed. He flats a lot on this record.Example...Stare at the wallPray for reflectionTry to recallBeg for "redemption" <------ Very flat!and how many times can you accentuate a part of song with, "YEAH!" The guitar, bass, and drum work is fine, but as I said the songs are very forgettable. Lastly, the lyrics are really bad at times. "Wastin' timeLost in oblivionI'm leaving tomorrow" Leaving for where? Cheese.... I am a big fan of MP but this is the weakest project of anything I've heard from him. I'd say focus on Winery Dogs, Flying Colors, Neal Morse, and a Transatlantic reunion. I am just giving my honest assessment. I wanted to like it but its just not great. That being said, if they played close to me I'd go (if the tickets were cheap)just because the musicians are great and hopefully it would be better live.Get the new Priest album instead Tick! This is where it's at! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segue Myles Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 After about 10 full listens to this album I now have a true feeling on it...I would say its boring, predictable, rushed, cookie cutter, formulaic. Average at best.It sounds like something written in a 24 hour period. Derrick's keyboards are very uninventive here. Sounds like he uses a lot of pre made samples as well. (The opening of God of the Sun)The same ones I used on my 1995 CD. This is my first experience listening to Jeff Scott Sotto and I'm not all that impressed. He flats a lot on this record.Example...Stare at the wallPray for reflectionTry to recallBeg for "redemption" <------ Very flat!and how many times can you accentuate a part of song with, "YEAH!" The guitar, bass, and drum work is fine, but as I said the songs are very forgettable. Lastly, the lyrics are really bad at times. "Wastin' timeLost in oblivionI'm leaving tomorrow" Leaving for where? Cheese.... I am a big fan of MP but this is the weakest project of anything I've heard from him. I'd say focus on Winery Dogs, Flying Colors, Neal Morse, and a Transatlantic reunion. I am just giving my honest assessment. I wanted to like it but its just not great. That being said, if they played close to me I'd go (if the tickets were cheap)just because the musicians are great and hopefully it would be better live.Get the new Priest album instead Tick! This is where it's at! I think I will enjoy this album. It will likely be my first Priest purchase, and it makes up for what I predict to be a disappointing Machine Head album. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 I'm listening to Al Di Meola's Casino album right now and surely this is one of the places where Portnoy got his ideas from for this band! :o 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangy Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Yeah. What i have heard is ok. I do love me some sherinian. They are playing 3 hours away in a venue that holds 750. I doubt i go but for $25 that is a sick group of players. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tick Posted January 18, 2018 Author Share Posted January 18, 2018 (edited) Yeah. What i have heard is ok. I do love me some sherinian. They are playing 3 hours away in a venue that holds 750. I doubt i go but for $25 that is a sick group of players.Killer musicians but no leadership skills. Someone to take the reigns and critique the places they went wrong. Like Jeff Scott Sotto singing "YEAH!" like 3 times in every song. Its a bit much.Also, I have never heard him sing before so I have no point of reference but to me he is a journeyman singer. Like a utility man in baseball, or a boxer who is good but is used as a stepping stone opponent for up and coming boxers.He is flat a lot, and his voice does not impress me. Edited January 18, 2018 by Tick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted January 18, 2018 Share Posted January 18, 2018 Played this once more. i don't think i'll bother again. Mick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Tick, I liked this album a lot! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tick Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 I know you did Rod and that’s cool. But for reasons I stated it is falling flat for me. I tried. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Yeah. What i have heard is ok. I do love me some sherinian. They are playing 3 hours away in a venue that holds 750. I doubt i go but for $25 that is a sick group of players.Killer musicians but no leadership skills. Someone to take the reigns and critique the places they went wrong. Like Jeff Scott Sotto singing "YEAH!" like 3 times in every song. Its a bit much.Also, I have never heard him sing before so I have no point of reference but to me he is a journeyman singer. Like a utility man in baseball, or a boxer who is good but is used as a stepping stone opponent for up and coming boxers.He is flat a lot, and his voice does not impress me.YEAH! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 I know you did Rod and that’s cool. But for reasons I stated it is falling flat for me. I tried.Tick you'll get over this, things are going to get brighter. You'll see. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide - an instrumental concept album, believe it or not. It sounds EXACTLY like Dream Theater from the early 2000´s, but with no vocals. The main man behind this album is called Zack Zalon, and I´ll be interviewing him for my blog tomorrow. Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Here´s a sample: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoopid Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P For me it is, lol Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoopid Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 (edited) On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P For me it is, lol MickI was ASKING ROD! Edited January 19, 2018 by stoopid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P For me it is, lol MickI was ASKING ROD! lol. I was feeling chatty. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segue Myles Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P For me it is, lol MickI was ASKING ROD! lol. I was feeling chatty. Mick BOOBS! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefox4000 Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P For me it is, lol MickI was ASKING ROD! lol. I was feeling chatty. Mick BOOBS! Poor Debbie :laughing guy: Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Segue Myles Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P For me it is, lol MickI was ASKING ROD! lol. I was feeling chatty. Mick BOOBS! Poor Debbie :laughing guy: Mick She dead 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ytserush Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Yeah. What i have heard is ok. I do love me some sherinian. They are playing 3 hours away in a venue that holds 750. I doubt i go but for $25 that is a sick group of players. Planet X runs circles around this stuff. Much prefer pulling those albums out more than Sons Of Apollo. The instrumental disc isn't much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod in Toronto Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 On the positive side of things, I just heard an album called Into the Great Divide... Oh, and Mike Mangini plays drums on the whole album. Is that supposed to be a selling point? :P Mangini sounds WAAAAY better in this album than he does in DT. I asked Zack about Mangini´s role in this album, he said he came into the studio with not one, not two or three, but FIVE different options for each fill in the album. He said he´s super prepared, and the drum parts ended up being a joint decision between MAngini and him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirteen Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 My review: Not as good a The Winery Dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoopid Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 (edited) Not as good a The Winery Dogs. Which isn't as good as just about anything else in the hard rock/prog genre released in the past few years. It's just a big pile of "meh" coming from the Portnoy camp. I get a sense he really knows this, as he hops from project to project trying to strike gold. He can't or won't admit it publicly of course, as he's always hoping something will catch and doesn't want to doom it before it even reaches our ears. [i suppose it's also possible he's utterly incapable of viewing his art subjectively, but let's give him the benefit of the doubt until we know otherwise] Edited January 20, 2018 by stoopid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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