The last three DT albums haven't aged well for me, but The Astonishing is the only one where I noticed that reception wasn't great right away. I do think the majority of fans still like it, but it feels like their most divisive yet. On Rateyourmusic, which is a pretty well-trafficked site, it only has a 2.7/5 despite having 800 votes. On Amazon (which is generally higher), it has only 3.5 stars out of 400 reviews. Both these scores are pretty low compared to what DT usually get on those sites.
As pointed out, I think
all reviews, but especially those at RYM, need to be taken with a grain of salt. But that said, I think I agree with you. TA is most definitely a very divisive album. No question about it.
Someone unrelated question: I feel mostly on DT's side with the MP breakup, though I would like to see MP play with the band again.
You know, I've kinda felt this way from the beginning: I'm not on either "side" about the breakup, because I don't think there really are sides on that issue. They were at sort of an impasse in that each "side" wanted different things that were not compatible. Mike was the one who
voiced that he was leaving, but when you step back from it, I think it is best viewed as a mutual decision. The band was going forward no matter what. They didn't say Mike needed to leave. But if he couldn't go forward with the next album as scheduled, they were going forward without him. So he voluntarily stepped aside. It just is what it is. I don't see that there are "sides" to that issue.
That said, in terms of what happened
afterward, I think Mike acted inappropriately and continues to do so. And while I understand him feeling the way he does, the problem is how he has handled himself in the public eye. We don't and can't know all the behind-the-scenes stuff, so I don't take a side on that. But in terms of what has been done in the public eye, Mike is clearly in the wrong IMO.
As far as Queensrych go, clearly the band were in the right, and Tate is a total headcase.
Clearly.
What about Nightwish, though? That letter makes Tarja sound like a terrible person.
It has been a LONG time since I read through all that stuff. But as I recall from the statement she and her husband put out, I don't think they denied most of the facts. My general recollection is that they just had a different spin on those facts. What I took away from it all after reading both sides is that there were basically four separate "entities" in the conflict: Tarja, Marcelo (her husband), the rest of the band, and management. It seems as though all four parties were stoking the fire and contributing to the division. I don't think any should be off the hook for what happened. The situation seems like it had become so toxic that I don't know how they could possibly have continued on together. And Tarja had already said she was going to leave as of the next album anyway, so all the band ultimately did was cut her loose one album cycle early. But given how toxic the relationship had already become, I don't see how they could have done another tour together anyway. What I will say is that, even though I remained a fan after the split, I think the band publishing an "open letter" and handling the split the way they did was really tacky and in poor taste. But again, as to the entire situation, it looked to me like there was plenty of blame to go around on all four sides.
Topic: All these feels (Read 9026 times)
