In terms of how technically impressive Petrucci and his bandmates are? Sure. I don't pick my music based on that. Also, Erez is fucking fantastic.
To be fair, I grew up listening to Infected Mushroom and liked a lot of their songs, but I can't looks past their kikiness these days. I hear them, and all I can think is "this is jew music". Also, they ruin a lot of their songs with stupid samples. Take Vicious Delicious for example: Killer track with one of the best buildups in EDM history, but the song is marred by that "PINGAS!, AAAOOH!" shit.
I can't lie either and say the fact they're Jews doesn't aggravate me a little bit, but there comes a point where you have to recognize talent. I can't say these guys are trying to subvert the culture. I guess you could make the argument trance/psy/EDM, it all is kind of subversive. Frankly, music is something I argue with myself about a lot. Morally, or whatever, it's a sticky zone.
I agree with you about the sampling.
No doubt about the talent. Their musicianship is outstanding and their tracks are well written and complex. Knowing what they are is distracting though. Still listen to psytrance and other forms lf EDM occasionally; I don't think they're inherently subversive, but the modern, watered-down club shit with pop/rap vocals certainly is.
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