Dream Theater

Mixing is an art. And each one have their own "taste" for mixing. If you give a song to 5 guys, you´ll have 5 different mixings...Believe me!

Yes, I think the snare with a little bit much (lol...) treble. BTW, the whole mix is treble (what I ADORE).

This record is not a "raw" one, like ToT. It´s more "produced" than OV, even more produced than SFAM. I liked.......but I was hopping something a little bit better........well........"better" is not the word...something more "musical", concentrated in the musical arrangements, not in show how good musicians they are.

But, a DT album will always be a DT album........

7:43 to 8:43 in Outcry! MM is a master!

The best parts? . . . .

Everyone of them!

After watching alll the auditions, the live perfomances overseas and the interviews, he is the one person that can fit for the postition.

His capability is great. He really understands the TONE (have you heard him say this?) and what is being played.

In summary, the fit is perfect and DT has not missed a beat with this release. Pun intended.

Technically, none of them are "Mangini's" drum parts, they're Petrucci's.

And that was a let down for me on the album. I felt like the drum parts were just background, and Mangini didn't have enough room for creativity. Hopefully live and on the next album that will be improved though.

i think its just a case of time will tell, most drum parts were already written before MM arrived. He didnt really have the input we all would have expected from the times of MP, but the quality of playing is still flawless regardless of time. On the subject of mixing, I think that more work to bring MM into a good perspective should have been priority. As a drummer and a DT fan for 15 years I have come to expect a more robust and harder drum sound from the guys, and I agree with some of the posts on here that the drums on some occasions do sound flimsy and tinny at best.

HOWEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is early days for a very new family.......I didnt know what to expect and the "black clouds" of doubt came over me too. But what I heard was classic DT songcraft at its best and on first listen I was blown away, just as I have been for every release since Infinity.

So much respect to the boys......

I am not here to criticize MM's creation for this album. But I want to point out that to be critical of MM's creations, I would have to look at the fact that JP, JM, and JR's creations were more advanced, and intricate than any thing I have heard. MM's parts were absolutely perfect; he played those drums in a manner in which I haven't heard. MM's ability to keep time, while playing parts that the other members were playing, going from JP, to JR, to JM, within songs, was immaculate. I especially enjoy his rhythm sections with playing the same melody with JM, because its been a long time since I have listened to JM's wonderful bass riffs.

JP, JM, and JR created riffs that even MP wouldv'e had trouble with. Each note that is played by these three is without a doubt the most advanced, heartfelt sounds that I have ever heard.

Throughout the album, MM did a perfect job; his rolls were extraordinary, his keeping time is impeccable, and his ability to switch as quickly as he did with all the odd time signatures within odd time signatures kept all the elements together.

The most noticeable difference between this album and previous albums with regards to the drums, is the fact that the volume in this new album is in line with all the other instruments, and JP, really did an excellent job along with Mr. Northfield and others, in raising the volume up/down to highlight each instrument in a particular point in the movement. The entire album is a movement.

MP is a god, no doubt about that, and no question that his impact on DT is known. But now, MM is part of the DT, and I certainly embrace him, and thank him for his contribution in this album, and help shift the consciousness that is DT.

As a drummer, I can say Mangini did an excellent job. Is it like Portnoy's style no, but I can detect several subtle things here that are amazing. I really like the way he plays the hi hat on this is the life. It has a neat swing feel to it yet keeps in perfect time with the rest of the band. I can totally relate to the comments Jordan said about Mangini's style. The first listen through I was looking for the insane drumming fills and the cymbal stack rhythms in certain sections I am used to hearing. After a few times through the album I have noticed several neat fills and rhythms even in the same song. There is a lot of style going on here, Mangini did an excellent job and I personally rank this album in the top two of everything DT has done over the years.

Well done Mike can't wait to see you play live

Let's start with this...

NO ONE can play like Mangini. Whether you say he's a dull drummer in the album, or it's splishy splashy all the time, he is by far one of the greatest drummers of all time. I had him as an instructor 4 years ago when I went to Berklee for a summer percussion festival and he has a practice regimen unlike any other drummer in the world. The way he leads with his left hand when he feels like it is unbelievable.

On the album, his feel for each and every song is perfect. I'd agree to say he plays pretty straight on a couple of the songs but it seems to fit perfectly. Anything other than straight wouldn't be as great. In "On the Backs Of Angels", his rhythm hand keeping up with jordan's crazy keyboard part and his dissociation of his feet is something that is still giving me a hard time to even think about. (I hope all knows what I'm mentioning here. At the beginning of the song sort of)

Overall, One of my favorite albums of DT next to Octavarium.

He's a great drummer and I hope he grows onto the fans.

Portnoy spent 20 odd years with DT creating, what seems to be, hundreds of songs. Mangini learned them note for note in months.

To point out one section where I think MM is delivering magic is 4:27-4:52 Lost not Forgotten.

Just focus in on the hihat playing straight fourths and the groovy feel it has. While at the same time the other three limbs are kinda out of control chasing after something like a master with a three-way leash with young dogs going nuts. But they are perfectly following the rest of the band in the fills!

And especially 4:40 snare going into double time, still with the hihat doing the steady fourths... listening to that part always makes me feel like rollercoaster loopings.

And in the pre-verse setup he is flowing like a stream and his fill into the verse is a jewel of a cascade.

And it feels effortlessly.

This part was also in the snippet and it took my mind for a moment.

=Soulfire said:Technically, none of them are "Mangini's" drum parts, they're Petrucci's.

=Soulfire said:And that was a let down for me on the album. I felt like the drum parts were just background, and Mangini didn't have enough room for creativity. Hopefully live and on the next album that will be improved though.