How do you feel about the Illumination Theory strings session?

[ZirconBlue]

I quite like the string section, but do wish they'd transitioned into it differently.

[Dublagent66]

It's just ok.  By far, not the best thing JR has ever done.  SDOIT is the best.  I would probably like it more if I actually liked the song but it doesn't fit and the song doesn't work as a closer either.  I took a bathroom break during this part of the song at the concert 2 weeks ago. 

[In The Name Of Rudess]

I'm a bit torn on this one: On the one hand the build-up and voicings are quite tastefully constructed as is the harmony. On the other hand, the piece derives a bit too much from Elgar IMO and the fact that the strings were recorded in a studio means the sound misses the "space" I'm used to from classical music recordings, it sounds kind of dry. The phrasing could also have been a bit more dramatic and with more rubato; I think that when you have a monody like this, it can get a bit stale when the tempo proceeds in a metronome-like fashion (something I also dislike in some Elgar recordings). Overall I think it does contribute a lot to the song by bringing some "air" into the song: especially with the type of compressed production they went for it can be a bit heavy on the ears to have the whole band rumbling for 20 minutes at a time.

[hefdaddy42]

I think some of the instrumental wank fests they have in some songs kill the momentum and mood of a song wayyyyy more than this.

No shit.

[Kotowboy]

They need to not do another .. * song fades out * ... * ambient section enters *...* song returns minutes later*

kind of arrangement again. Twice is enough.

[robwebster]

Yeah, can't say I entirely disagree. More new structures are always a good idea.

In fairness to them, the ambient section in The Count of Tuscany is the moment the entire song slows down - the laid back vibe is permanent, which isn't true of Illumination Theory. The Count of Tuscany builds back up, it becomes rousing and uplifting and swirls around, but it's all acoustics, clean guitars, and orchestral keys; it lands somewhere closer to Beneath the Surface than the intensity The Embracing Circle gives way to.

I do still think it threatens to look repetitive - there's a similarity in the tone and especially in the placement of the ambient section - but I think Illumination Theory does the comedown in a better and more interesting way than The Count of Tuscany. While I think there's a lot of great music in there, TCoT feels like a short song that happened to accrete more and more substance, whereas every moment of Illumination Theory is distinct, but coherent, and crucial to the momentum. So I'm glad they did another song in that shape, because they clearly had more to say with it - but I'd like it if their next feature length song moved away from the rocker-with-an-intermission format.

[Kotowboy]

Can they do another near perfect epic like Octavarium again ?

One that builds for the entire song and reaches an epic conclusion rather than building and falling and building and falling ?

[robwebster]

Not sure one structure's necessarily more perfect than the other. Octavarium's the most linear, certainly.

[Nefarius]

I'm sorry but I consider it to be criminally overrated (much like the rest of the song) and hopelessly schmaltzy.

Greetings...
Nef