Best...Album...EVER!

[smegolas]

I dont care about other people on this forum.  I want DT to make an album specifically for me.

[Priest of Syrinx]

I dont care about other people on this forum.  I want DT to make an album specifically for me.

How much $$ ya got?

[Ħ]

Let's see.

Scenes From a Memory
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Falling Into Infinity
Images and Words
Train of Thought

A Dramatic Turn of Events

Octavarium
Black Clouds and Silver Linings
Awake
Systematic Chaos
When Dream and Day Unite

[Jaffa]

I dont care about other people on this forum.  I want DT to make an album specifically for me.

Good luck with that.

[Nefyn]

I haven't listened to the album yet, is this bad?

[reneranucci]

I haven't listened to the album yet, is this bad?

No, it's not bad. You'll probably like it so I'd recommend you to listen to it.

[dongringo]

Don't get me wrong, I love the new album and listened to it beginning to end even yesterday, but it can't come close to the "trinity" of SDOIT/SFAM/IaW for me.
In time maybe it could be fourth on consistency, but to be honest I still prefer other albums over it.

I think people are getting a bit overexcited because it's their favourite DT album in a while, and because it's fresh, and it is their strongest album since SDOIT or ToT (hey, I really like ToT, ok?). But it's not DT's best album. But it is an amazing album.

Blob, you keep saying in various threads how some of us are overrating ADTOE and that it's definitively not DT's best album, etc. Why can't some of us believe it's DT's best album ever? What is so wrong with that? I have no problem with your opinion, but when you make it sound so definite, that's not cool.

I've never been able to listen to any DT album over 30 times straight and not have to shelve it...until now. ADTOE is, IMO, DT's best album ever. And that's not hysteria. 

[Hal Incandenza]

Right now I have ADToE 4th.  I think there's a good chance the new album will slip behind Scenes into 5th, but very little chance it would fall any farther.  I really like this album.

[BlobVanDam]

Don't get me wrong, I love the new album and listened to it beginning to end even yesterday, but it can't come close to the "trinity" of SDOIT/SFAM/IaW for me.
In time maybe it could be fourth on consistency, but to be honest I still prefer other albums over it.

I think people are getting a bit overexcited because it's their favourite DT album in a while, and because it's fresh, and it is their strongest album since SDOIT or ToT (hey, I really like ToT, ok?). But it's not DT's best album. But it is an amazing album.

Blob, you keep saying in various threads how some of us are overrating ADTOE and that it's definitively not DT's best album, etc. Why can't some of us believe it's DT's best album ever? What is so wrong with that? I have no problem with your opinion, but when you make it sound so definite, that's not cool.

I've never been able to listen to any DT album over 30 times straight and not have to shelve it...until now. ADTOE is, IMO, DT's best album ever. And that's not hysteria. 

You're welcome to think it's DT's best, and I think it's awesome that people are so enthusiastic about DT's new material, I really do.
I generally try to disclaimer my posts to make it clear that I'm only giving my own opinion, and not trying to make it sound like fact, so I'm sorry if that post came across that way (and I can see how the last bit might). I think the new album is great, so I can see why it gets praised so highly. It's just my opinion that DT's best eclipse it by a clear amount.

But as long as we're all loving the new album, I'm happy.

[Jamesman42]

Blob has had the new album for the last year or so, so his opinions don't count.


Current ranking:

SDOIT
TOT
8VM
IaW
ADTOE
Awake
(all of the above are excellent albums and hard to rank)


BCSL
FII
SFAM
SC
WDADU

[Major Thirteenth]

I agree with the OP. I have spent several days with this album, and it is, in my opinion, Dream Theater's best album ever. The mix is solid, James sounds great and you can actually hear nearly all the lyrics without any problem, the drumming is first class, just as good as MP if not better, the writing contains a mix of what we love combined with a suitable number of surprises. Lots of raw emotion. Lots of power. Lots of beauty. A commercial offering (the last cut) that should become a solid single, but is actually a "goosebumps" song even for non-ballad types. In fact, for my money it not their best "by a little bit", but by a good amount of real estate. It is just solid in every way, and I can't wait to hear it live. Usually my preference pre-concert after a new release is is that a couple of new cuts are OK, but stick to the older stuff I love. With this release, they could cover the whole damned album and I wouldn't be any the worse for wear. I will be attending Morristown, Philadelphia, New York, and Albany and I'm completely anticipating some great concerts.

[smegolas]

I started this so I will give the definitive ranking.  Ive never even tried to rank the albums before, but here goes:

1.   SFAM
2.   ADTOE
3.   6DOIT
4.   I&W
Then there is a bit of a dropoff...
5.   8VE
6.   BCSL
7.   Awake
8.   FII
Another drop...
9.   TOT
10.   WDADU
11.   SC

OK – I'm still keeping SFAM in first despite the title of this thread, mainly because I need more time with ADTOE before I can truly call it the best.  I've probably already listened to ADTOE twice as many times as I've listened to SC. 

[lyfeternl]

Don't get me wrong, I love the new album and listened to it beginning to end even yesterday, but it can't come close to the "trinity" of SDOIT/SFAM/IaW for me.
In time maybe it could be fourth on consistency, but to be honest I still prefer other albums over it.

I think people are getting a bit overexcited because it's their favourite DT album in a while, and because it's fresh, and it is their strongest album since SDOIT or ToT (hey, I really like ToT, ok?). But it's not DT's best album. But it is an amazing album.

Blob, you keep saying in various threads how some of us are overrating ADTOE and that it's definitively not DT's best album, etc. Why can't some of us believe it's DT's best album ever? What is so wrong with that? I have no problem with your opinion, but when you make it sound so definite, that's not cool.

I've never been able to listen to any DT album over 30 times straight and not have to shelve it...until now. ADTOE is, IMO, DT's best album ever. And that's not hysteria. 

This.

Though, I don't feel ready to begin to rank it with the rest of the DT catalog just yet...but, I know it'll be high on the list due to it's sheer  and 

[coffees for closers]

"It's not perfect – and I do have my beefs, like the mind numbing double bass drumming during "Bridges".  I mean – how many times have we heard that before"

On my first and only listen because RR/Omega suck (only just got it) I noticed the double bass also and have never liked that. MP I always thought did such a great job at minimizing that and doing much more interesting double bass patterns. This may have had something to do with John a non drummer programming all the drums. I believe that when MM gets to do his own thing we won't hear that so much. Back to the point of the thread, on my first listen I am very excited and can't wait to get out of work to crank it all over again. Out Cry struck me so far as my fav, and I just heard Lost Not Forgotten on Sirus/xm radio how cool is that.

[Dream Team]

"It's not perfect – and I do have my beefs, like the mind numbing double bass drumming during "Bridges".  I mean – how many times have we heard that before"

On my first and only listen because RR/Omega suck (only just got it) I noticed the double bass also and have never liked that. MP I always thought did such a great job at minimizing that and doing much more interesting double bass patterns. This may have had something to do with John a non drummer programming all the drums. I believe that when MM gets to do his own thing we won't hear that so much. Back to the point of the thread, on my first listen I am very excited and can't wait to get out of work to crank it all over again. Out Cry struck me so far as my fav, and I just heard Lost Not Forgotten on Sirus/xm radio how cool is that.

I agree, there are so many other ways to accent a fast tempo than just hammering the bass drum in 16th notes all the time. Hopefully on DT12 MM will be totally in control of writing the drum parts.

[kiwiclapton]

This one. hands down. Epic /

Modern masterpiece .

[Peter Griffin]

prediction: this album will rank in my top 13 favorite DT albums.

[Kotowboy]

prediction: this album will rank in my top 13 favorite DT albums.

oh come on.

[54_diplomats]

Just went through it once. Initial thoughts are it's a decent album, but nothing particularly special. My opinion will probably change as I listen to it more but as of now I'd place it towards the bottom of my album rankings.

[Peter Griffin]

but seriously, for me, every album DT releases is the best since SFaM.

that said, i'm loving this.

[As I Am]

Well, if there weren't 8 DT albums better than The Astonishing, I'd have to agree with you!

[rab7]

I was so confused when I read the first post and he kept talking about ADTOE.

Then I realized this is not an Astonishing thread. It's a Necro'd thread from a time gone by

[Progmetty]

^ I'm glad someone else noticed, I was laughing my ass off here, check out the dates folks.
But ADToE is amazing and it's good to remember that