Mike Mangini comments

My drums for DT15 are complete. This is a long post, but for those of you just like me who need positive inspiration more than ever, this is for you:

I’ve not played on an album this energetically unrelenting start to finish since Annihilator. But the wild thing is the amount of vintage DT melody weaved on to that kind of energy. I’ve never tapped into more advanced uses of my old and new chops in musical ways because of a monumentally collaborative effort of 5 like-minded, organic/evolving individuals. Is it from the forced lockdown like other music I’ve heard released? Maybe. Is it from nobody individually or collectively trying to do anything specific musically except just play and be a daring 19-year-old again? Probably. I never say that any new album is better than another. It never seems to be to me after reading, “this is our best blah blah blah.” What I’m communicating is exactly what it is about DT15 that sticks out as being significant and important to me. Better? That’s pointless given so many different tastes. Who cares.

However, it’s really cool that the band and individuals can keep progressing at this career stage. But we’re supposed to given how we’re defined. Accordingly, there’s all the “familiarity” one needs in this new music, but it’s definitely not the same old fills/chords/beats. Besides, what could be more boring than a defined “progressive” musician not being creative, dynamic, and growing physically and creatively from album to album? That would be kinda like a poker machine spitting out the same hands game after game, year after year.

Earning good mechanics is a great thing as it pertains to consistency and avoiding playing poorly. But A TRUE machine is a thing that doesn’t grow. That’s OK unless your thing, your claim, is to be a “progressive” musician. We strive to “complete” who we are even though nobody can fully “complete” everything. No creative growth truly defines and = a “BOT” so to speak. DT15 is no such thing and I’m excited to report back with so much joy. BTW: I took used items from the session for my store.

https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/posts/256323595857115

From 2 people to me: “I heard the new DT was really, really heavy!” And my reaction was, “what the heck are you talking about?” “Well, you said it was heavy in some article.” [Meanwhile, I am the guy in question being clear about what I said or not. And I still get, “but I read it.” ] Hello?

But of course! “News” copied my post from this FB page – and of course, that was copied and reposted with the proverbial “spin” on things. They all left out the same line btw.

And then commenters added their interpretations of the false interpretation and there you have it! The news of a new DT album that will be heavy and even thrash. Thrash? Seriously? I referred to Annihilator in a totally, completely different context than sound or genre and was dead clear and dead-on correct using the word “energy.” I was dead-on correct saying this album reminded me of that kind of feeling I had after an Annihilator album that had a top to bottom energy to it. That doesn’t mean tempo, style or heavy etc. Energy means what it is defined to mean, even with the melody aspect. Way different styles can have energy. I could’ve appropriately used albums like Purple Rain, or House of the Holy too how it plays from top to bottom. I used the Annihilator reference. Maybe because I played on it and I didn’t play on Houses of the Holy.

So now, I’m putting a stop to this as it will worsen because real history shows that’s exactly what happens with things like this. More people will be led astray. 100% for sure.