This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.
And it is a fresh hello to my *cough* avid *cough* readers as I get back to my marathon blogging spree after this here little pit stop I just had. Yes sir. I’m back with renewed zeal to carry the proverbial torch and move up through the ranks, up along the slippery slopes (with all my tropes) of the one of its kind #TataZica marathon for bloggers, set up so very nicely, tantalizingly and invitingly for avid bloggers all over by the good people at that haven, that true home, for bloggers everywhere, IndiBlogger.
So, as the title suggests, I’m going to move ahead with my (read super, ultra, duper cool) version of my favorite (read best band) prog metal (read best genre) band, Dream Theater – the pioneers, founding fathers and now undisputed aristocrats of the prog metal genre.
So, when we last left the tale of our favorite prog metal Gods, we were looking at what the future held circa 2011.
In fact, other than a few closing words, I left it at “Following ‘Black Clouds and Silver Linings’, Mike Portnoy, drummer and founding member left the band amid controversy. After a marathon audition of some of the best in the business, Mike Mangini was named as his replacement.” I also pointed out how they had won a Grammy after Portnoy’s replacement – an achievement symbolic of mainstream acceptance that Portnoy had always sought to achieve for the band, despite all their proud maverick rejection of more overt popularity and their unflagging devotion to artistic integrity that make them such firm favorites among their following.
While their following is far to large for someone like me to have the nerve to describe them as being a “cult” band, but their fans do have an occult like bent, you know what I mean? And, if you ask me (which you’re kinda implicitly doing by reading this blog, if you get my drift), I think that has a lot to do with their artistic integrity – their sheer steadfastness in the face of a degrading and demeaning corporate culture fueled by short-sighted rewards spawned by blind greed.
But I digress.
What I was getting at (up back there, you know, about two paragraphs ago) is that I left a pretty big gaping hole. Or rather, I made slight out of a huge matter back there – bestowing only one sentence to the tragic, controversial (and subsequently) epic departure of founding member and prime creative force Mr. Mike Portnoy.
Not cool bruh.
And then there’s the not at all small matter of Mr. Mike Mangini’s “selection” (if you will). Considering DT made a “rocumentary” out of it, I think just one sentence to that is also a bit cheap.
So, stay tuned. There’s more to come!
mohanbhaskar 