New Album Title (A Dramatic Turn of Events) and Track Listing Revealed

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Probably the track I'm waiting for now the most is Beneath the Surface.

[SystematicThought]

Perfect song lengths if you ask me. That 4 minute song should be interesting. Overall though, I'm surprised that the last track is shorter than the one before it

[Benedettosoxfan]

Hi guys, long time lurker, first time poster.
So, with the track listings being revealed, I have to say that I'm really surprised with the majority of the lengths. It definitely doesn't seem like a typical album structure. Having said that, I'm not quite sure whether or not this made me more or less excited for the album. I think a lot of it will have to do with the decision to put Beneath the Surface as the closer. We all know that the closer is supposed to be the giant knockout punch that puts you in a musical coma until the next album, but at only 5:26, I'm not sure if it'll be able to do that. The only other closer in their discography if I'm not mistaken is Space Dye Vest, which was in my opinion by far their most unique song and an overall incredible tune. I'm gonna speculate that they're trying to make Beneath the Surface as kind of another SDV sort of song. Just the title "Beneath the Surface" sounds quite introspective and I'm confident they could come up with some really great lyrics and make it the best it can be.
As for some other songs, I'm not surprised that Breaking All Illusions is the longest one. I actually had a dream a while ago that it was the best and longest song on the album. I still think it will be the best just because it sounds like it would be an epic and it has the length to become one. I heard that this is the Myung song so that makes it even better. The man is 4 for 4 when it comes to making awesome songs and he's written 2 awesome closers. Not to mention, it's been 12 years since he's contributed a song. I'm sure that over the course of a dozen years he managed to think of a real doozy.
The Shaman's Bridge or whatever it's called this week I'm sure will be an awesome song. It's pretty much been confirmed that it's not an instrumental, which kind of bums me out as I really thought this album could use an instrumental. If for whatever reason one of the other songs is an instrumental, awesome. If not, the album will still rock.
Speaking of rock, I now have a very good feeling about Outcry. It sounds like a metal type song, and if it's over 11 minutes, I have high hopes for it.

[TheGreatPretender]

Perfect song lengths if you ask me. That 4 minute song should be interesting. Overall though, I'm surprised that the last track is shorter than the one before it

It's Awake all over again. Except probably better.

Four of the songs on Wiki don't have a listed lyricist. Are they instrumentals? Or is it simply unknown yet?

[Jirpo]

Very interesting! I like them!

[SystematicThought]

It's Awake all over again. Except probably better.

Four of the songs on Wiki don't have a listed lyricist. Are they instrumentals? Or is it simply unknown yet?

It's unknown right now. It's kind of like one big puzzle. We've pieced together the lyricists for those 5 songs through interviews and twitter updates. It's kind of fun to do actually.

[bosk1]

So assuming those track times are accurate and there isn't any intro buffering, etc., that means an album running time of 77:05.  Long album.  Me like.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

We all know that the closer is supposed to be the giant knockout punch that puts you in a musical coma until the next album, but at only 5:26, I'm not sure if it'll be able to do that.

I kindly disagree.

You know, I feel DT was already getting a little stale on this "LOL BIG AND GRAND ENDING" thing department (don't get me wrong, I love most of DT's last songs and I absolutely love The Count of Tuscany, I'm just looking at the bigger picture here). It's amazing they're trying something different for a change. I recall in one of the interviews (I think it was LaBrie's) that he was asked about the lyricists and he mentioned that Beneath the Surface is one of the most beautiful songs they've ever written. This reminds me a little of Disappear, which closes my favorite CD of music DT's ever done. It's a nice change of dynamics, all in all.

[SystematicThought]

I think that makes it DT's 4th longest album

[KevShmev]

I like them changing it up and not feeling the need to end an album with a big epic again.  Not that I don't like most of them, but this will be cool, something different and all.

[DejaVu]

Wow, I'm impressed with that! Quite a relief compared to the past few albums! I'm guessing Breaking All Illusions is going to feel like the true finish, but Beneath The Surface is going to calm it all down, possibly atmospheric sounding, I'm feeling some really strong emotional lyrics here!

I can't wait to hear it, going to be some huge surprises that's for sure!

[TL]

Really excited by those track lengths. I'm definitely glad to see some shorter songs, as well as some slightly longer songs that aren't full scale epics. I really like the epics, but they're not something that should be on every album.

[Gorille85]

Anyone else feel that DT's albums are too long?

[SystematicThought]

Anyone else feel that DT's albums are too long?

I don't think so at all really. They never feel like they are an hour and 20 minutes at least

[ResultsMayVary]

Anyone else feel that DT's albums are too long?

They're not long enough.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Anyone else feel that DT's albums are too long?

They feel too long if there are parts that feel unnecessary.

If there are not some of those parts, then great.

[petrucci07]

Well, damn, I'm surprised. I was POSITIVE Beneath the Surface was going to be 18 minutes-ish, but they've really done something different here, structurally. Cool, excited

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Awesome choice ending with a shorter song. Album is a little long for my tastes, but oh well.

[bosk1]

Anyone else feel that DT's albums are too long?

No.  I don't think I have ever felt that an album by anyone is "too long."  I can't imagine why I would ever feel that way.

[TL]

I've never understood thinking an album is 'too long' unless it has extremely obvious filler. As long as all of the songs are good, I'll take as much as I can get.

[ReaPsTA]

Oh wow, that's really cool.  Nice to see that the JM song is the longest one.  Hopefully it's in the tradition of LTL and ToT!

Also, the way the track lengths turned out is nice in general.  It's not like BCSL where it's like "IT'S A LONG ALBUM WITH LONGER SONGS!"  And then I listen and think later "eh, you could have trimmed enough minutes off all the songs to add another one."  Or Train of Thought.  It's a whole album full of shorter songs that ends up being long in totality, which is totally fine by me as long as the music is good.  It's long because the material's dense, not because the material's drawn out.

[Gorille85]

I guess I'm in the minority then.

[Jaffa]

My only problem with long albums is that it's harder to find time to listen to the entire album straight through. 

[Lumiukko]

Surprised about the track-lengths. Thought they would do another epic, but I prefer the way it is. Just by seeing the lengths you can tell they aimed towards a more classic DT album. Can't wait to hear this album.

[Tomislav95]

Perfect track durations. I'm tired of epics.

[Chrissalix]

I like that there's no epic. Shorter track lengths reminiscent of Images and Words/Awake/FII era. That's where this album is going.

If Far From Heaven isn't a short instrumental (like Hell's Kitchen) or an "intro track" to Breaking All Illusions, I'll eat my socks.

[lordxizor]

Perfect track durations. I'm tired of epics.

I agree.

[Vajra]

Hey Bosk, I pm'd you. I think you should add the track lengths to th first page of this thread, just so people know it has been updated with the news.

[bosk1]

It's also listed right up front in the first post in the official news thread:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=22350.msg854080#msg854080

[Vajra]

A few comments I have about the track lengths

- I love that we are getting so many long songs, but I hope they are structured in a more interesting way than their overused: First 5 minutes=Verse/Chorus, Last 5 Minutes = Instrumental section. I think they have repeated that pattern to death, and frankly I'm not much of a fan when it comes to instrumentals. I would like long songs that cary some vocal weight through the entirety of the song.

-I absolutely love that The Shaman's Trance is going to be a huge song. I really hope it's as epic as I feel it may be.

-I'm also very, very interested in Beneath The Surface now, more so than before. The only times DT have closed an album with short songs were with "Losing Time" and "Only A Matter of Time" which were two amazing, beautiful songs (also SDV, if you consider it short). DT must have really felt that BTS is a very damn good song if they are using it to close the album. I can't wait.

-And it's great to see that Myung will be given a lot of room for him to strech his lyrical legs. A 10+ min song of JM lyrics sounds fantastic.

It's also listed right up front in the first post in the official news thread:  https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=22350.msg854080#msg854080

Thanks again, I had no idea that thread even existed...  

[phentalmyst]

you forgot SDV 

[Vajra]

you forgot SDV  

Well, Space Dye Vest is about 7:30, so I don't consider that a short song... but I guess it's short in terms of closing tracks.

[Nick]

I know that Petrucci did On the Backs of Angels and the song formerly known as The Shaman's Trance, what other three did we find out and where?

[TL]

I know that Petrucci did On the Backs of Angels and the song formerly known as The Shaman's Trance, what other three did we find out and where?

There was an interview where it was revealed that JMX wrote the lyrics to Breaking All Illusions.

[tedy]

Wow, track lengths are very interesting!
I really have a good feeling for this album, hoping that it might be the best one since SFAM and SDOIT!