Got some live recordings with my kronos!

Bruce Lychee · Post by **Bruce Lychee** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:17 pm

Gribs wrote:
I also like Opeth but there are fewer keyboards in there. I am sorta tired of Dream Theater but still like their old stuff.

I never got into DT. Something about them just doesn't connect with me.

There is quite a a bit of keyboard work on Opeth's Ghost Reveries done by Per Wiberg. I don't listen to much metal, but a few of Opeth's albums make regular rotations on my playlist. I think they lost their drummer Martin Lopez after that album, but Ghost Reveries is pretty phenomenal across the board with great musicianship and riveting compositions.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:38 pm

Bruce Lychee wrote:
Gribs wrote:
I also like Opeth but there are fewer keyboards in there. I am sorta tired of Dream Theater but still like their old stuff.
I never got into DT. Something about them just doesn't connect with me.

Same here. Altough I consider Jordan Rudess as (one of) the best keyboardists ever, the most music from DT is too much like improvising and without really thinking about a song scheme.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:42 pm

Really? I feel almost the exact opposite about it. Way too arranged and powered by technical brilliance rather than improv and feelings from the moment itself.

EDIT:
Not to diss any of their brilliant musicians by the way, musical is all personal of course, and it just doesn't resonate with me at all.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 9:47 pm

Indeed. DT is as formulaic as prog can be. You can always expect intentional odd timesig changes where they should be flowing, and not being broken just for the fact that they should "sound prog". Forced, instead of flow. That's DT. Especially nowadays, when they rip off of bands that are younger than them (i.e. Muse - which are also absolutely GREAT musicians, and songwriters!).

For a proper song in which you can't guess at which meters it runs, but it FLOWS and still sounds awesome, check Pain Of Salvation, specifically Chain Sling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX1NXAQk8Hg

I don't mind DT at all (especially their early days with Moore and Sherinian, and first two albums with Rudess), but they're pretty boring today. All great players, but lacking soul. And soul is what Pain Of Salvation has TONS of.

Am just starting to get into Porcupine Tree. I am rather amazed at what mr. Barbieri does there. Excellent songwriting all around!

Bruce Lychee · Post by **Bruce Lychee** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:11 pm

Been following Muse since I saw them at the Wiltern in 04. I've seen them live 5 times and they always kill on stage. Porcupine Tree is also great live.
One of the few progressive bands I like.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:18 pm

SanderXpander wrote:Really? I feel almost the exact opposite about it. Way too arranged and powered by technical brilliance rather than improv and feelings from the moment itself.

Well everything is arranged, but the 'source' sounds like an improvisation to me. As if they just play something random (improvised) and record it immediately and being able to repeat it during gigs.

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:22 pm

They do have jam sessions, yes.

SanderXpander · Post by **SanderXpander** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:26 pm

I wonder how that goes, they're doing a nice groove and then the drummer decides to screw with everyone by alternating 13/8 with 11/16, then Petrucci can't follow it and just plays as many notes as he can, and so on. Record, check what actually happened, write down, go to the gig?

EvilDragon · Post by **EvilDragon** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:32 pm

They collaborate, feed ideas off of each other. A good example might be Making of Train Of Thought video, you can see the inception of Honor Thy Father intro and main riff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ovdzUj8h6o

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 11:19 pm

Sander: You are right, it cannot be just improvisational ... but I guess due to the absence of repeats of real chorus/verse and cramming a lot of notes it sounds improvisional but it is not.

Maybe the music is too difficult for me that I don't understand it or cannot follow it, but I don't hear much structure in their songs.

However, they all are reall good musicians and I know they CAN play structured.

Gribs · Post by **Gribs** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 2:31 am

michelkeijzers wrote:
Gribs wrote: Epica
I have seen Epica live 2 times and they are really good. The singer (female) is outstanding. However with the new guitarist it has become more grunge which is not my style.

Crap I didn't know he left the band. I saw them live in St Paul (Station 4) about a year ago with Jansen playing and he was definitely essential to the band's live presence. I expected Simone to steal the show but I was surprised to find how charismatic Jansen was in concert. He was the band member who really worked the audience. I wonder how his new band will fare... I need to check them out. Incidentally I was one of the oldest guys in the audience, but there were a few other older guys up there with me.

michelkeijzers · Post by **michelkeijzers** » Sat Aug 06, 2011 2:58 pm

Jansen is still in the band but they have a new guitarist. I don't know if the new guitarist caused the more harder influence, but I liked the slower songs better.