Dream Theater: The Astonishing (now with moment of betrayal!)

[Kotowboy]

Besides they've already done the Concept disc plus disc of songs *thang* once before as you said.

[wolven74]

Alright I found the Astonishing track list and Character page.

Who thinks Emperor Nefaryus is the main character? Bad guy, perhaps?

[ReaPsTA]

also a double album of middling music is way worse than a single disc of middling music

I do know what you mean in a sense. If the album sucks, wasting even more time listening to it just makes it worse.

But unlike a movie, which is a complete unit, or a TV show, where at this point the individual episodes don't stand on their own, a CD has multiple tracks that can be appreciated on their own. Even if the album as a whole isn't good, the fact it's double-sided means there's more possibilities for tracks that stand out. The odds are more in your favor.

[YouMakeMeSick]

What I wonder is that, if it turns out to be a double album with ~60 minutes of music per disc, the 180 vinyl is probably going to be a 5LP set, and that is going to be quite pricey, going with what DT LPs usually cost (and I will obviously buy anyway  ). I also wonder what kind of special editions the band are planning for this release.

[RoeDent]

I reckon each disc will be in the 50-60 minute range, similar to Spock's Beard's Snow. Total length somewhere between 100-110 minutes. I don't think we're in for a Flower Kings-esque 140-minute marathon here.

[manticore999]

Not being a fan of sci-fi books I gotta say - the story sounds really dumb.  Hopefully the music is good enough to stand on its own.  I mean Emperor Nefaryous?  That's almost as dumb as 'unobtanium'!

[jammindude]

What I wonder is that, if it turns out to be a double album with ~60 minutes of music per disc, the 180 vinyl is probably going to be a 5LP set, and that is going to be quite pricey, going with what DT LPs usually cost (and I will obviously buy anyway  ). I also wonder what kind of special editions the band are planning for this release.

I'm sure 4 LPs will cover it.   4LPs=8 sides= the potential for 20 min per side=160 minutes worth of music...and I don't think it will be *that* long.

[YouMakeMeSick]

What I wonder is that, if it turns out to be a double album with ~60 minutes of music per disc, the 180 vinyl is probably going to be a 5LP set, and that is going to be quite pricey, going with what DT LPs usually cost (and I will obviously buy anyway  ). I also wonder what kind of special editions the band are planning for this release.

I'm sure 4 LPs will cover it.   4LPs=8 sides= the potential for 20 min per side=160 minutes worth of music...and I don't think it will be *that* long.

I agree, looks like I miscalculated. Thanks!

[Kotowboy]

Not being a fan of sci-fi books I gotta say - the story sounds really dumb.  Hopefully the music is good enough to stand on its own.  I mean Emperor Nefaryous?  That's almost as dumb as 'unobtanium'!

[DragonAttack]

On a different band forum, there was a discussion of the best (favorite) double albums.

ELO's 'Out of the Blue' was listed with its time of a whole 63 minutes, while 'Scenes' clocks in at 77+, and doesn't qualify 'by the book'.

Expecting around 60+ per disc.  Like many, I hope that songs of 6-10 minutes aren't subject to overindulgences that needlessly drag them out to 10-15 minutes. 

[Vandalism]

Was just watching SDOIT on Score DVD and thought.....

I hope the 12 string makes an appearance in DT13 I guess maybe in The Gift of Music.

What do you guys think?

[Dublagent66]

Can we post our own suggestions for artwork here ?

https://i.imgur.com/DVemmGk.jpg

^ I really want something along these lines. I love the colours and composition.

Looks great.  Too bad the title completely ruins it.  Doesn't really fit does it?

[Kotowboy]

lolwut

[TioJorge]

I think it's actually supremely fitting. The stark contrast between the landscape and those technological orbs with freaking eyes...which I didn't notice till now. Super creepy. I like it a lot. I don't get how it 'doesn't fit', to each their own though. I could see what you mean if the title was something like "The Supernatural", and then has these random robots... "The Astonishing" could allude to a lot of different things though. *shrug*

[Kotowboy]

I don't hear it as open ended like " the Astonishing........."

I hear it as an event or Grand Occasion like " The Happening " or " The Ascension ".

Like the end of the story is when " The Astonishing " happens.

[King Postwhore]

Let's continue to nit pick over a back story we know little about.

[TAC]

I don't hear it as open ended like " the Astonishing........."

I hear it as an event or Grand Occasion like " The Happening " or " The Ascension ".

Like the end of the story is when " The Astonishing " happens.

That is exactly how I am taking it.

[BlackInk]

I don't hear it as open ended like " the Astonishing........."

I hear it as an event or Grand Occasion like " The Happening " or " The Ascension ".

Like the end of the story is when " The Astonishing " happens.

I think I remember having seen that explanation made four times now since the title was announced, myself being one of those who made it. People seem to be ignoring it. But yeah, that's obviously what it is.

[wolven74]

I don't hear it as open ended like " the Astonishing........."

I hear it as an event or Grand Occasion like " The Happening " or " The Ascension ".

Like the end of the story is when " The Astonishing " happens.

I think I remember having seen that explanation made four times now since the title was announced, myself being one of those who made it. People seem to be ignoring it. But yeah, that's obviously what it is.

Do you think that means there will be a song at or near the end called just The Astonishing? Or perhaps The Astonishing __________?

[Kotowboy]

The Astonishing Astonishing.

[BlackInk]

I think it's entirely possible that there will be a title track.

[Train of Naught]

Do you think that means there will be a song at or near the end called just The Astonishing? Or perhaps The Astonishing __________?

Pretty sure he means he interprets the title as if it's an event, at least that's how I do, like The Happening.

[hadi-persian]

DT wanna play concept album! but the good concept or bad concept album. story about the emperors?it must be the ascension thing to us. but i think they want(DT) play the game with us. they look our post and say together(Laugh)  fans talk about the future of astonishing.so we must w8 for realising album!

[Kotowboy]

Well release dates and stuff are planned out well in advance. That's just how Record Companies work .

Wouldn't say " let's push the release date back because it's funnier to see them guess ".

[TAC]

I think it's entirely possible that there will be a title track.

Yes it is.

[Crow]

also a double album of middling music is way worse than a single disc of middling music

Not sure I agree with that. Whenever a favorite album or song thread comes up, it's amazing to see how many people express polar opposites about so many different albums/songs. So while some songs may be considered drivel by one part of the fanbase, another part may love it. Having more material to enjoy increases the amount of chance that something is going to click and be enjoyable to each person. Sure, it also means that there's more of a chance for someone to hate more songs, but I'd rather have more material to pick from than less. There's always the skip button if I don't like something.

Amen, brother.

As with The Book Of Souls, I'm thinking if they cut song X and Song Y, they could've made a single CD, but of course that is always met with "No way bro, Song X and Song Y are awesome!" 

Exactly. I mean, taking it a step even further, why not just say "I don't want DT to put out any more music for fear that it's gonna suck"? I mean that's just silly, and stating "I don't want a double album just because some of the material will probably suck" is essentially the same thing.

okay a point was missed somewhere. I'd rather have 60 minutes of tightly-written music than 120 minutes of them throwing every single thing they wrote into a huge pile.

then again, DT12 was an underwritten mess and it was shorter
now imagine a DT12 twice as long with the same consistent quality
i probably wouldn't have bought a double-length DT12

[Enalya]

Lyrics to me is like the icing on the Cake... fantastic icing and terrible cake will not be touched, fantastic cake and terrible icing will be consumed ignoring the icing but when both are fantastic that is where the real pleasure lies...

Let's hope for an astonishing cake with astonishing icing..... they can do it

Best metaphor of 2016 already

[RaiseTheKnife]

Because it was deleted in the other thread, I'll go on record again that The Astonishing is a psychic power like "The Shining" that makes the Chosen One seem especially special among his people.

[TAC]

Because it was deleted in the other thread, I'll go on record again that The Astonishing is a psychic power like "The Shining" that makes the Chosen One seem especially special among his people.

Definitely plausible.

[425]

I think it's entirely possible that there will be a title track.

Yes it is.

You know what's pretty incredible about that? DT hasn't had a title song since 2005. And they only have two title songs in their whole discography.

[hefdaddy42]

Not to say that 6DOIT is a bad album, but essentially it's a double album with a single disc being the concept and a single disc of non concept songs.

No it's not.  There is no concept component with that album.

Disc 1 has 5 unrelated songs.

Disc 2 has 1 42 minute song divided into 8 tracks.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I think it's entirely possible that there will be a title track.

Yes it is.

You know what's pretty incredible about that? DT hasn't had a title song since 2005. And they only have two title songs in their whole discography.

A Change of Seasons says hi...

[Rodni Demental]

also a double album of middling music is way worse than a single disc of middling music

Not sure I agree with that. Whenever a favorite album or song thread comes up, it's amazing to see how many people express polar opposites about so many different albums/songs. So while some songs may be considered drivel by one part of the fanbase, another part may love it. Having more material to enjoy increases the amount of chance that something is going to click and be enjoyable to each person. Sure, it also means that there's more of a chance for someone to hate more songs, but I'd rather have more material to pick from than less. There's always the skip button if I don't like something.

Amen, brother.

As with The Book Of Souls, I'm thinking if they cut song X and Song Y, they could've made a single CD, but of course that is always met with "No way bro, Song X and Song Y are awesome!" 

Exactly. I mean, taking it a step even further, why not just say "I don't want DT to put out any more music for fear that it's gonna suck"? I mean that's just silly, and stating "I don't want a double album just because some of the material will probably suck" is essentially the same thing.

okay a point was missed somewhere. I'd rather have 60 minutes of tightly-written music than 120 minutes of them throwing every single thing they wrote into a huge pile.

then again, DT12 was an underwritten mess and it was shorter
now imagine a DT12 twice as long with the same consistent quality
i probably wouldn't have bought a double-length DT12

That's it though, how do you know a double-length DT12 would have had the same consistent quality? Obviously talking about songwriting. Why assume that the quality would be consistent with completely new songs that you haven't heard before? If you don't like it now, if it were double length there's just as much chance that you'll find songs you might like more, as much as there's a chance you also won't like them right? I'm just not sure why you'd assume one way over the other.

I see where you're coming from but I'm inclined to agree with Scotty and TAC here, opinions are too divided amongst the fanbase as it is (and considering how our personal preferences change all the time), to the point where you can't really make any claims without invalidating a lot of other people's experiences. So therefore it's all opinions (I think we're all aware of this). But you know, this might be taking it too far but I would liken it to when people say Rush should've stopped after Moving Pictures, or Metallica Should have stopped after ...And Justice. But then the people that believe this can't even agree, others will say Rush/Metallica should've stopped after Power Windows or Black Album respectively. In fact, why didn't DT just stop after MP left? I know there are people out there that believe DT should've stopped after KM left!

Way I see it, there's too much potential to limit with my tiny preconceptions. 

[rumborak]

I just hope they don't lay on the Jesus analogies too thick with the "Chosen One" plot. The Matrix went down that route and suffered from it, greatly.

[TioJorge]

Let's continue to nit pick over a back story we know little about.

Have you forgotten where you are, King? This is what DTF is. This is what we do. YA HURD!?

DT wanna play concept album! but the good concept or bad concept album. story about the emperors?it must be the ascension thing to us. but i think they want(DT) play the game with us. they look our post and say together(Laugh)  fans talk about the future of astonishing.so we must w8 for realising album!

Also yes. So much yes!!! 

Like Dave said, and I said the same thing in the previous thread, I take the title as an even of sorts. I did however refrain from using the words 'happening' and 'the' because I didn't want any horrible memories of that dreadful, torturous movie or any comparisons to it.  But I do really like it in that regard. I can only imagine how horrible it'd sound in your head if one is thinking it's not alluding to anything and is an actual broken statement.  But I do love the comparison to some kind of psychic power or aptitude, that's cool. I do think it'll end up being the 'name' of an event though. A kind of label for something no one can describe.