New Live Release: BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL discussion thread

[DreamerTV]

What is the "fourth wall" though?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_wall

[TheAtliator]

HOLY CRAP THIS IS AWESEEEOMMMMMMMMEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

IHGSDJHV Dream Theater is the greatest!! To come out with a release that is SO opposite of the direction of the last makes things so exciting and hopeful for the future. It's like, for any of the people who weren't on board with the approach of LALP, here's something you'll love. Doesn't mean every concert DVD from now on will be this way, but we do know we can expect things to be shaken up each and every time. 

We went from loud guitar, touched up vocals, and fancy video shots, to a more raw live- sounding but equal mix, with plain and slow panned camera angles covering large portions of the stage.

Still not happy? Well (you're stupid, but..) I'm sure next time we'll have something different again with new music!

Edit: OMG and I didn't even mention the timing! This time we're given an actual release DATE as the first information rather than an estimation with the trailer months in advance. Aside from the fact that it was delayed last time, which was a bummer, anyone may like one approach more than the other. But I think it's pretty awesome that this was made and flipped around so fast, and that they chose to its give us a song, a release date, a title, and a pre-order just a month before its release!!!

[RandalGraves]

After watching The Looking Glass video, I am so pumped. And the wait is only a little over a month away.  F*** yes.

[BlobVanDam]

Here's the bigger picture.

Am I the first one that got this? 

This sounds amazing and I like the classy cover, but I'm not too sure about the way the footage looks. Some of it looks like being shot from the audience by a fan for the purpose of being uploaded on youtube. Also, the guys at Eagle Rock still need to learn that the band has a bass player, for God's sake!

Nevertheless, I can't wait to get this. Being that I bought LALP beginning of January, I hope to get this by the end of the year - that would be two new DT video releases during the same year. 

I wouldn't judge video based on Youtube! Youtube has a pretty low bitrate, so even at 720p, it's not going to look as sharp as the final release.

And I'm amazed that some people didn't know what the fourth wall refers to.

[TheAtliator]

Yea I thought that was kinda funny too, maybe it's not a phrase that is used around the whole world, just certain countries?

[Mebert78]

I wonder who did the artwork.  It doesn't have a Hugh Syme feel to me at first glance.  It's probably him though.

[BlobVanDam]

Yea I thought that was kinda funny too, maybe it's not a phrase that is used around the whole world, just certain countries?

That's a strong possibility for other languages, but it's a well known term in the major English speaking countries.

[theseoafs]

Sounds great, looks great.  I've had my complaints about MM's drum sound on ADTOE and DT12 but he sounds really good here.  Love the title.

[dparrott]

I'm surprised it's coming out this quick.  Usually these things take many months to come out after they're announced. 

The digital bundle is mp3 format not flac?  Mp3's don't work well with live albums because of the gaps.

[?]

Yea I thought that was kinda funny too, maybe it's not a phrase that is used around the whole world, just certain countries?

I'm not a native speaker, but I already knew what "the fourth wall" is. I'm not surprised if someone hasn't come across the term, though.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I'm surprised it's coming out this quick.  Usually these things take many months to come out after they're announced. 

The digital bundle is mp3 format not flac?  Mp3's don't work well with live albums because of the gaps.

If you want lossless format, buy the CD and rip it.

[mikemangioy]

now THAT was a nice surprise.
Judging by the TLG video, this DVD is quite different soundwise and videowise. Cool 
I hope that the Enigma Machine cartoon, the youtube mix and the FAS intro are in the extras 

[King Postwhore]

Hot damn that looked and sounded great!

[nemonius]

This is greeeeaaat! So pre-ordered. Gonna be one long month but totally worth it 

[rumborak]

Looks great!!. And sounds a ton better than LALP. Will definitely buy.
And ....






... the solo was rerecorded. 3:50 is different from what JP plays.
EDIT: And I actually don't get why. I just listened to the bootleg, and the flub was totally fine.

[Jinx]

Where would one find the preoorder page? I clicked the link in the YT description and it took me to the DT12 page

[mikeyd23]

Where would one find the preoorder page? I clicked the link in the YT description and it took me to the DT12 page

RoadRunners webstore:

https://store.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/dream-theater.html?intcmp=140818%2Fdtheater%2Frr%2Fspl%2Fs_pr%2Fbut%2Fbdy%2Fus%2F4thwallpreorder_webstore

[dparrott]

I'm surprised it's coming out this quick.  Usually these things take many months to come out after they're announced. 

The digital bundle is mp3 format not flac?  Mp3's don't work well with live albums because of the gaps.

If you want lossless format, buy the CD and rip it.

I don't, I want a seamless transition between songs.  If you're going to offer a digital download of a live album, don't make it a format with gaps for the sake of file size.  And not everyone has the kind of money to afford the CD set.

[bosk1]

Wow, at least 4 different packages they are releasing, and still complaints about how none of them fits a particular person's specific tastes.  Must be Dream Theater release time. 

[rumborak]

The digital bundle is mp3 format not flac?  Mp3's don't work well with live albums because of the gaps.

Methinks you need a better MP3 player.

[SuperTaco]

I couldn't help but notice something. During the final run of that solo at around 3:55, it's clear that an overdub is being used there. This is disappointing... I know a lot of bands do it, and DT has done it in the past but wow, is it ever obvious in this moment.

I'm still gonna buy it because it sounds better than LALP and that artwork is very striking.

[rumborak]

I couldn't help but notice something. During the final run of that solo at around 3:55, it's clear that an overdub is being used there. This is disappointing... I know a lot of bands do it, and DT has done it in the past but wow, is it ever obvious in this moment.

I mentioned the same thing above, yeah.

It's weird, because on the bootleg you can hear a slight flub, but it's super-subtle and honestly, it shows that JP is human. They should have left it, because of course this overdub really stands out when they show JP's playing so clode.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

*crosses fingers for extensive tour documentary a'la Chaos in Motion or Riding the Train of Thought*

Also, the filmography is beautiful. It reminds me somewhat of Live at Budokan, where you could really taste the light show.

[Zydar]

*crosses fingers for audio commentary track*

[genome]

Dat snare tho

[mikeyd23]

*crosses fingers for audio commentary track*

*crosses fingers in agreement*

[King Postwhore]

*crosses Zydar's bitches legs*

[Mosh]

Wow JLB sounds great!  If he sounds like that for the entire show, this could rival Score for vocal performance. It's damn near perfect. He was great at the show I saw too, he's almost better than ever right now.

For people at the show: Are these vocals touched up or did he really sound that great that night?

[genome]

La Brie sounding awesome, by the way. The only criticism is I think JP's guitars could sound wider.

[IdoSC]

Funny how some people aren't familiar with the "fourth wall" thing. I assume it's because that's an expression which comes from the theater (the "wall" between you and your audience), and the album is named Dream Theater. Wink wink nudge nudge.

Too bad they didn't refer to Awake or SFAM in the DVD's name And I can't wait for it, my only problem is the tiny sync mistakes but otherwise it's stunning.

[Podaar]

There's something odd going on with the audio for that YT video. The instant gratification MP3 when you pre-order sounds different. More crowd noise (awesome), lower volume guitar, and the (so called) JP flub-up is intact.

The only criticism is I think JP's guitars could sound wider.

Which it does in the above mentioned MP3.

Different audio between DVD and CD?

[Milzinga]

You can just barely see the back of my head in the video!!  The video looks and sounds great, and MM sounds lightyears ahead of what he has on his previous DT releases. The overdubbing is disappointing, but hopefully it'll just be quite minor. I love the title and artwork as well!!!

[rumborak]

There's something odd going on with the audio for that YT video. The instant gratification MP3 when you pre-order sounds different. More crowd noise (awesome), lower volume guitar, and the (so called) JP flub-up is intact.

Different audio between DVD and CD?

That would be so weird. Isn't that twice the editing effort?

[BlobVanDam]

There's something odd going on with the audio for that YT video. The instant gratification MP3 when you pre-order sounds different. More crowd noise (awesome), lower volume guitar, and the (so called) JP flub-up is intact.

Different audio between DVD and CD?

That would be so weird. Isn't that twice the editing effort?

Maybe the pre-order MP3 came from an earlier mix?

[TheAtliator]

Wow JLB sounds great!  If he sounds like that for the entire show, this could rival Score for vocal performance. It's damn near perfect. He was great at the show I saw too, he's almost better than ever right now.

For people at the show: Are these vocals touched up or did he really sound that great that night?

I agree. I really love the way he sounds nowadays. I wasn't there but I'm pretty good at being able to tell with him when there's overdubs, and I think it was only on the word "gold" in "gold mine" because if you on look at his mouth and other videos from the tour, he always says "goowwwld". Also maybe "digging" since he usually opens that up maybe a bit more too. But all in all, I think I will be WAY happier with the vocal rawness on this DVD than the last. It looks like maybe one or two words per song at most, which is awesome.

edit: I'll take that back for "digging", that actually sounds natural. Which is even more awesome