Mike Portnoy - Systematic Chaos (8 of 8)

[jasondesante]

he was really thinking I'm fucking tired its been 20 years. Give me a break, then I'll see what lies ahead. 2 grueling albums later...

[penguinkitty19]

Ministry of Lost Souls \m/

[Kaplovsgab1]

I gotta say systematic chaos is an awesome album

Dream Theater is fuckin kickass<3

[Niekpas]

I think they closed a chapter after SFAM as well, as the music sounds very different. My dad and I listened to TDOEternity and after that, The Great Debate, and the first thing he noted was: Wow, this is still the same band right?

I think my favorite "pre SDOIT" album would be SFAM or Awake, my favorite "post SFAM" album would be SDOIT.

[Zoury]

@Niekpas i see what you mean about closing a chapter... but they actually started one. It's their first self-produced album. They had full control over the final product for the first time. \m/

[McDiddy99]

The Six Degrees Suite has to be their best suite and the song with their best closer.

[hellhounds64]

Everything Dream Theater writes is pretty much great. Just how they write their songs are amazing. Every song I've heard by Dream Theater I've liked. It's just a matter of how much I like it. wait, lemme rephrase every like to love.

[DMXP100]

Octavarium, the song, is the only musical piece in existence to be perfect. Godly. Heavenly. A perfect balance of technical skills, lyrical depth, and musical power, with too much epic tossed in to write about.

Dream Theater. Proof that there is still hope in the human race.

[ashdude6]

@DMXP100 never like that song as much as metropolis and home and as i am i guess my taste in DT is mor of the heavy and dark songs

[HLkiller2]

@DMXP100

The "Awakenings" part scares the shit out of me right now, seeing the movie with the same name and basic story I get scared shitless hearing those lyrics man!

I agree, the song is just awesome, BUT!

I think they, and some others can do EVEN BETTER. I hope they can because then awesomeness would reach a whole new level!

\m/

[Zoury]

@DMXP100 I'd throw in A Change of Seasons, The Great Debate, Surrounded and Learning To Live. They match the list of attributes you gave . :)

[JesusAlbertoPinto]

@DMXP100 I know music is about taste, but to me Octavarium (song) has no match. It has become my favorite all-time song because of many reasons. I have never heard something similar in terms of orchestration, epicness. Also, the song flows in a very unique way (which I think is a DT prominent characteristic), the sound is very clean yet so powerful.

I have never understood why the song became so underrated even in DT fan circles. Maybe my best word to describe the song is "Glorious"

[caralhotephoda]

i love every dream theater album from when dream and day unite to black clouds, but my, like top 3 Has to be Images & Words, Train Of Thought & Black Clouds (Every other album is a masterpiece though)

[persbol]

for me its a toss up between images and words nd scenes,,, octavariums up there to, and the song octavarium i think is dream theaters master piece, that song is everything a prog nerd could dream of, i actually think its almost as good as genesis' supper's ready

[Voxx321]

my fav is Images and Words, that album is the reason i play guitar. God bless this band

[BaronVonVascht]

Dream Theater 4 ever.

[grf0492]

I think I like Scenes most, it's close with Octavarium. But yes, they're all timeless masterpieces.

[madeinNorwayAM95]

Octavarium ! <3

[AngusKrueger]

Scenes from a Memory is a masterpiece, it is my Fav with Train of Thought. but who cares, every DT album is a fucking masterpiece!

[DreamTheaterPWNS]

Falling into Infinity is my fav, but not by much because all their albums are amazing.

[0oIronMaideno0]

Thats the first time iv ever heard anyone say that, they didnt get much creative control on that album and like 2 riffs are not in 4/4. I personally cannot pick a favourite as I luv the shit off Awake and Images and Words aswell as SDOIT and Systematic chaos etc

[DreamTheaterPWNS]

ya i never heard it before either. Its true though, they dont have too many odd time signatures in the album. However, it was songs like Take Away my Pain and Lines in the sand that really got me into Dream Theater, and I still cant stop listening to it (not that I stop listening to any abum).but like you said, it is difficult to pick a favorite and I'm right with you when it comes to the albums you mentioned.

[0oIronMaideno0]

Yeh those songs and hells kitchen are good but when u listen to the super prog stuff life Dance of Eternity and Erotomania then go and listen to something like Hollow Years it comes as a bit of a shock (though i do like that song)

[eviltube1111]

"Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From a Memory" is definitely DT's masterpiece. Some of their later albums fall short and become rather boring at points, while still having some obvious inspiration to pick it back up, like Octivarium's amazing title track.

[pogg101]

i like, ALL their albums :D

[Golbus92]

scenes from a memory is the best "album", but I think that Images and Words contains the best songs, it is more like a group of masterpieces.

[diceMEass]

AWAKE is their best for me ^_^

[steininja]

think octavarium is my fav album..

but systematic chaos has the greatest title. it describes the band so perfect that it almost should be the band-name

[Brandon0828]

EVERY SINGLE ALBUM that this band has EVER created is the BEST! I seriously love this band to death cannot wait couple more days till new release and I have a Limited Edition $132 album coming to me that day. AND I'm seeing them in concert July 31st. I cannot fucking wait. Dream Theater is the BEST!

[thesilentcircus789]

i totally agree. and me too!! :D

[Brandon0828]

where your seats at?

[glacier2win]

YES

[DavetzWin]

Every member of Dream Theater has been Jesus at some point of time and space.

[metALLIca15091993]

LOL what an anti-climax for the end of the interview...

[mickybluice]

i have been a huge DT fan since I&W... I have never see them play live(sad i know)....but i will soon! I hope they play for the up coming woodstock 2009!

[vong1991]

the day u go heaven and u see God, God will tel u that he had created those drum beats way b4 mike portnoy discover it! =) he's good, but not as good as God =) jackal13333 is right!

[MyEggIsBoiled]

Nah. He's a god.

[mattgardner20]

yeah, he is a god, I know

[Conroy15]

Yeah, he is a god, you'll probably see Mike Portnoy when you go to heaven XDD Well, if you believe that is, luckily I don't...

[MyEggIsBoiled]

I'm not so big on the heaven thing... ANd I finally got my first Dream Theater CD: Systematic Chaos... I'm sorry, but I was not impressed. Maybe (I'm sure) it wasn't their best. But I expected so much more.

[Yojizu]

Get "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory". I promise you, that will NOT disappoint.

[MyEggIsBoiled]

Is it appreciative of all members, meaning you can actually hear John Myung at all times and what not?

[Yojizu]

he's not as strong as he deserves to be, but on the less quiet songs, he shines through really nicely. and he has a pretty nice little mini-solo in The Dance of Eternity.

[Ralhill]

Definitley not their best CD. Images and Words is my personal favorite, but it all depends on how much metal/ or prog you want- because they have albums with more/less of each

[orenwe]

My favorite is AWAKE

[Ralhill]

That one is great too.

[rylne]

you should get Train of thought its a good mix

[DGMRuadeil]

my alltime fave will allways be scenes from a memory

[lonewulf556]

definitly NOT there best check out Metropolis part 2. Its there best work.

[LastzResortz]

might not be there best album, but i can't get enough of Constant Motion

that song is like my 2nd favorite song ever

[67588wolf123]

hey me too! i love that song (constant motion) , my fav from the album!

[GeneralMiller92FIN]

Metropolis part 2 is like musical. And i like it!

[Daracon75]

God is God... Portnoy is the world's best drummer.

[DBOEvilCondomn]

not next chapter...

next book!

[FRETPICK]

1 to 8 brilliant.

[ferlotte]

100% right, it's like hockey players, and other guys that feel uncomfortable when they talk about what every already knows!

[MartiNDrum]

idiot... mike portnoy is a god like all the members from Dream Theater

you shouldnt talk!

[jackal13333]

no, he's not a god... just a drummer.

[farcunnard]

dont trust me but he is so goooooooood..........

[Analogger]

I think one of the band members is a Frisbeterian. They believe when you die your soul gets stuck up on the roof.

[mp5sd5]

LOL AWESOME!!

a fribeterian

i think its time for me to convert

[vanillachuck89]

HAHAHAHAHA

[Zoomakis]

Mike FTW

[Hokage2009]

c'mon we talk about music, and stop being so racist, world without racist who's agree ?

[jorgeestevez3]

I agree.

[sosaysthelegend]

So much misinformation...

[AirtonMontoya]

JR is jewish

[itsvoogle]

who cares what religion they are,, there amazing

[Nikkorea]

Great examples for musicians!After 23 yrs,they're getting heavier by the album..

[visinata]

All i know is that John petrucci is christian and he practice his religion and that's something amazing as i am i am christian and i practice it to.. I heard one time that john petrucci has a video of his first communion in the church on video that show that petrucci is a real catholic and love his religion .. Jesus save..

[Lifethread08]

There is but one religion... Dream Theater.

Check my tunes out btw.

[haggissmoker]

Dream-Theology xD.

[Lifethread08]

Hahaha, Great! :D

[fingerboy18]

They are gods, I may be tempted to conform to that religion. Haha.

[thedman61]

Actually, James LaBrie, John Petrucci, and John Myung are all Christians. Jordan Rudess is Jewish, as is Portnoy, though I read in an interview a while back that he had somewhat of a conversion experience while working with other artists and may have become more interested in Christianity at that time, though I don't think he's ever commented further.

[willtolive]

Ok, hold the phone...NONE of them, save Petrucci saying he was raised Catholic, has ever said anything in the ballpark of being "Christian." I Love JESUS, and would love them to pursue Him too, but just because Portnoy says he thanks "god" means NOTHING as it pertains to Christianity..."god" these days typically refers to that "santa-like" being out there that help[s people score touchdowns or win golf tournaments.lol

[import2nr15]

Petrucci doesn't have to pursue Jesus because he is Jesus.

[Allmanfan456]

he pretty much is. I found a picture of Petrucci once where he had the long hair, the beard and a light shining down on him. My first thought was... HES JESUS!

[import2nr15]

Yeah I love that picture. I remember the first time I saw it while I was just scrolling down on some web page and I really thought it was a picture of Jesus at first. Then I looked closer at it and realized that it was Petrucci.

[Nubnut]

As said above, Myung and Labrie are christian, while Petrucci is a very devout Christian.

While Portnoy and Rudess are both very devout Jews (if you've watched the live at budokan dvd, the fact that they're speaking fluent hebrew before the show and making jewish jokes about unleavend bread should be enough to tell ya...)

[CKjuao]

Petrucci is Jeasus!

[themusicman106]

I heard that Petrucci was Catholic....

[rocker700]

he is catholic

[rocker700]

I don't think LaBrie is Christian, He sounds Liberal, because he's from canada, and he wrote a song that protested the war. If ne thing, LaBrie is a Red Letter Christian. Petrucci is Catholic, christians are different and more broad, they were the Eastern Orthodox church back in Roman times which was roughly 40% while the rest were Roman Catholic.

[metabog]

Why do you have to separate people into categories conforming to their political standing? Not everyone identifies with anything in particular. LaBrie has an amorphic, deist perspective, and has said so before.

[AkashVasisht290]

So? Who cares?

[DTfanforever]

there are some fairly liberal christians you know

[rocker700]

yes, i know there ate, but most of them are red letter Christians.

[dpsantos1994]

you racist bastard >:( lol jk

[fingerboy18]

Myung is very spiritual. He said his main influence is Jesus. Very interesting and spectacular guy.

I could never get my head around religion. I don't believe anything in that sense.

[P0mt3]

Well, religion is just a man-made ritual that many believers seem to follow, but believe in a higher power is a completely different thing. To speak about the two as if they are the same is in reality not give spirituality that much credit.

[5y5tem]

very very well said :)

[fingerboy18]

That is true. Religion is organized faith. You can believe without affiliation.

[MyEggIsBoiled]

Agreed.

Myung is an amazing musician, but he needs to get a personality, haha.

[fingerboy18]

I like the fact that his personality is kind of like mine.

[Analogger]

I want Santa to bring me a plastic "Touchdown Jesus!"

[ARisenServant]

That's great that their christians!

If people don't care about their religious beliefs,thats cool.Their here to make music.But just because their msuic doesn't clearly say anything about God or jesus...doesn't mean the songs aren't somewhat christian like in meaning.But also (Portnoy) himself said He thanks God everyday for his blessings and success.He's not scared to say in believes in God! and has a relationship with him.

[mickaellenel]

nice interview!!!!!!!!!!

[bigDandtheSkaKid]

badass.

[Landarez]

Dream Theater is one of a kind, when they retire..... the world will miss them and remember the awesome music they created.

[fingerboy18]

Don't think like that. The sooner you think about the end, the faster it comes.

Let's enjoy another 20 years!!

[SolarFalre]

these guys are fantastic,  and Christians as as well. Great role models.

[petra07]

who cares about their confession?? screw religion xD but yeah, they are great role models^^

[octavarium23]

The reason the church has lost its power is because their faith has turned into a religion

[petra07]

???? where is the context to my comment??

[chappers90]

petrucci is cathloic, myungs a christian

apart from that they're either jewish or atheistic

[Zeus1700]

Portnoy's Christian, James LaBrie is Christian or Spiritualistic.

The only one who isn't Christian is Jordan Rudess, who's Jewish.

[japeto1]

Yeah right on,i always thought that about them as well. :)

[AkilesJose]

My intentions are far from creating an argue here dude... but i think that they'r music needs to be far from the fact that they have some "Religious Beliefs".

And agree with the role models part, you dont need drugs or other exceeds to fullfil your life and acomplish your goals.

[iloverobynlargent]

I want Mike Portnoy inside of me.

[keystop]

yuck

[OrnyP92]

in which sense you want mike inside you?

[axlkurt]

hey relax Oo lol

[Mjws2907]

I you watch the rest of the interview, you might find out that he's happily married and has kids, I don't think he's very interested.

[metroshant]

thank you Mike, thank you Dream Theater

[aftertimehaspassed]

excellent. you cant ask for a better band and nicer folks all in one..doesnt happen.