Battle of the bands
I was going to wait until next week for this, but I decided to throw it out there now since there have been more people posting. Not quite as high profile bands as last month, but this month is a match-up between two of the top progressive metal bands of all time. This month it's:
Dream Theater vs. Queensryche
Both are considered progressive metal, but on different ends of the spectrum as Queensryche are more melodic and Dream Theater a bit more technical. I will probably be on the losing side again, but I definitely pick Dream Theater. They had three great albums between 92-95 and their debut and the albums that have come out over the last ten years have ranged from good to very good. Queensryche's best album is far and away Operation Mindcrime and it's very good, but not great. Most of their other albums range from fair to really good (the debut ep and the Warning). I think Dream Theater were one of the best metal bands of the 90's and they are certainly some of the most skilled metal musicians of the last 20 years.
So who do you pick and why?
Dream Theater vs. Queensryche
Both are considered progressive metal, but on different ends of the spectrum as Queensryche are more melodic and Dream Theater a bit more technical. I will probably be on the losing side again, but I definitely pick Dream Theater. They had three great albums between 92-95 and their debut and the albums that have come out over the last ten years have ranged from good to very good. Queensryche's best album is far and away Operation Mindcrime and it's very good, but not great. Most of their other albums range from fair to really good (the debut ep and the Warning). I think Dream Theater were one of the best metal bands of the 90's and they are certainly some of the most skilled metal musicians of the last 20 years.
So who do you pick and why?
posted by Metal Mark at
12:10 AM
14 Comments:
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You know who I pick... As a member of the Ryche Empire, I pick Geoff Tate and the boys. :)
fred- The release date for Mindcrime 2 is April 4th. So far it looks like a hockey score with Queensryche up 2-1. The voting will be open until Thursday night.
I don't think you can make any case whatsoever for either band being great or releasing a single great album. I've never liked Dream Theatre, but while I liked Queensryche a bit around Mindcrime I, a recent attempt at listening to that piece of crap (and I say attempt, because it was too crappy to finish) proved that its lustre is completely gone. It doesn't even come close to standing up over time. While I think both bands concentrate on the technical and forget to actually rock (a pitfall Iron Maiden never fell into despite being able to play at the same technical level), at least Dream Theatre isn't trying to relive their faded moment of fake glory. I vote for Dream Theatre!
Bob- I think Iron Maiden are in a class unto themselves, but let's not forget that they were not all that rockin' in the 1990's. I think Dream Theater do rock only they blend in different styles and at their best they do this well, Unfortunately I do think that their prime was over a decade ago which means they peaked early in their career.
I would only agree that Dream Theatre actually rocked if that is in comparison to Queensryche. Progressive rock in general suffers from too much focus on the technical chops and not enough on songwriting and emotion. It's like a flashy display of playing that doesn't have a point. It's kinda the musical equivilent of using a lot of words to say nothing. Even bands as good ELP and Yes fell into this trap.
Bob-I think it's a matter of taste and not everyone likes progressive music. It requires more patience than other styles at times. I think Dream Theater at their best show a lot of emotion in their music because I think that was as a big of a plus for them as their technical ability was. I think the biggest problem with progressive music is that when you hit a certain level then where do you from there? Unfortunately the top two choices seem to have been you lighten up and go commercial or you back track and do the same thing you did years ago. Both Queensryche and Dream Theater have been guilty of this as have Yes and Rush. However I think they have all had a peak and although it is not my favorite genre, I do enjoy it.
I will have to go with Dream Theatre. Although Queensryche seemed the more commercial band, Dream Theatre seemed to stand apart.
Now, I'm not as well-versed in Dream Theatre as you, but I've never heard anything with an ounce of emotion. I was just listening to a few random tracks earlier and they did nothing. King Crimson has a career spanning over 30 years and while they've had there ups and downs, they've always challenged and always created highly technical music that still recognizes that at its heart music conveys emotion. Their sound has changed but both the technical skill and the emotional level have been consistent. Of course, it may not be fair to compare the likes of Dream Theatre and Queensryche to King Crimson, because they can't compete on any level. But I'm not sure they even take an honest stab at it. And while they're rehashing the past, the future of prog rock is the Mars Volta.
I do agree that prog rock requires effort from the listener. King Crimson is once again the best example. They're not an easy listen, but it's worthwhile. With Dream Theatre and Queensryche, it's just a waste of time.
I have never heard King Crimson so I don't know about them. I still do and always have heard emotion in Dream Theater's work, not just playing but really bringing vibrant, beautiful images with their music. One of the few progessive bands that I have ever heard that from and their albums from the early to mid 90's still bring that to me so I think they have held up well. Maybe it's the progressive music fused with metal that you don't like as you admitted to not liking any progressive power metal bands. Dream Theater are influenced by prog bands like Yes and Rush, but also metal bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden as well as U2, Pink Floyd, Kansas and a lot of other bands.
Whether or not it is or is not a waste of time depends on what you are looking for. I first heard Images and words back in 92, I was expecting something like Queensryche and Fates Warning (because they were the top of progressive metal at that time). Instead Dream Theater a lost of different sounds together and most of the songs flowed well and completely kept and still keep my interest despite the legnth of the songs. Now I do admit that I think there last four albums don't come close to their second through fourth albums. I think they have ran out of directions to go and they are sounding like a shell of what they were 10-13 years ago. Still they accomplished a lot in the early to mid 90's.
Oh and after 11 posts, the score is Dream Theater with a slim 3-2 lead.
Sgt. Fluffy- You can vote neither. Progressive metal and doom metal are too genres that are maybe a little more difficult for people to listen. They are not for everybody and even some fans like myself can only take them in doses. Don't worry next month will be a match-up between two more traditional metal bands. I am not exactly sure who yet, but I have three possible sets in mind.
I'd have to go with Queensryche. Operation: Mindcrime is enough justification for me, although "Silent Lucidity" almost made me vote for Dream Theater.
Very close one, almost a draw. This is a tough call indeed.
The edge, however, goes to Dream Theater for their clear technical superiority. I mark them down a bit for their ocassional reliance on that dreaded interloper into metal music -- the keyboard player. It annoys me when a band with greats on drums, bass, and gutiar (see Rush) ends up piddling around with the keys ... and DT turns too much to this on most albums (Train of Thought being, overall, a welcome exception.)
Despite my vote for DT, I would rate both bands above 95% of the schlock that passes for hard rock music these days.
And Mark, you really need to check out early King Crimson. It's worth it: you really can see the roots of so much in 70s, 80s, and beyond rock music, from DT/Queensryche to classical Genesis.
-- david
The current score is:
Dream Theater-5
Queensryche-3
Neither one-1
You have until tonight to vote if you have not done so already.
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