Dream Theater: The Astonishing (now with moment of betrayal!)

[Train of Naught]

Genres: Rock, Music, Hard Rock

Ah, music, my favorite genre, and iTunes picked it for the new Dream Theater album!

[Cedar redaC]

This is so cool. The bit where the choir comes in is just... AHHHH!
















Indeed, you could say it's... Astonishing.

[weezul]

Vocalists are perfectly capable of changing their pitch within the same note. In fact, if I drop my larynx while singing a word I get a somewhat similar result. It may sound weird and people may argue improper singing technique, but that would not be an editing error. I highly doubt this is a blatant autotune edit they just left in like this. Seems like a stylistic choice.

Exactly this.

No, it's definitely a MELODYNE edit mistake...not Auto-Tune!! Watch this video: https://youtu.be/aw5MHXQpsbk

If you tweak the notes to much...then you'll get that "timeeee" effect!! Trust me, I work/record/edit professionally...and there's no way you as a vocalist can naturally sound that way! If you actually can...then you're a living melodyne machine 😄😉

EXACTLY this. I also work in recording studios as an engineer/producer for a living, and have heard the effect countless times while working in melodyne. Sometimes you have to just battle a bit to make it work, cut the note differently, infact I get this sound when the note has been tracked at the wrong octave. Melodyne needs to hear the original pitch of the note to alter it, and sometimes it gets it wrong due to overtones in the vocal, and then the adjustment sounds very strange.

No one's complaining that the vocals are tuned. Yes, all vocals are tuned nowadays, at least 99 percent of sessions I am doing. The problem is it's the biggest band in the world with a lot of recording budget, the best ears in the business, and that pitch-bending ARTEFACT has made it through. No one stopped, and said 'hold on a minute mate, that word sounds a little off to me.... '  It's the same on Muse's Drones. There's some really bad bits. It's like people aren't even trying to tune vocals well any more. Melodyne is a very powerful and transparent tool when used well, but here something has definitely gone awry. Maybe it happened, and they decided to keep it. Fair enough. But I will assume otherwise until they say. I'd rather go on my years of experience working on tuning vocals than giving them the benefit of the doubt for such a sound on a vocal track.

[splent]

If I&W, SFAM, and 6DOIT had a threesome and somehow their music chromosomes combined to create a song, it would be The Gift of Music.

[YtseCullen]

https://itun.es/gb/aOuq_

Album is on iTunes for pre order.

Says January 29th.

I will buy the single tomorrow.

Damn its not on the Canadian iTunes yet. 

[Nomaniac]

Far in the distant future
Beyond the pages of our time
Cold-blooded wicked tyrants
Threatened the freedom of mankind

Corruption, lust, and greed
Define the new nobility
Changing the course of history

ARHYS:

I cross the vast North Empire
Most people struggle to survive
Living a meek existence
Where they're (secludedly oppressed [I really feel like this isn't it])

We are living day to day
Forced to bear the lion's share
People just don't have the time for music anymore
And no one seems to care

My friends have seen the Chosen One
Our quest for freedom has begun
He will be the answer to our prayers

There walks a god among us
Who's seen the writing on the wall
He is the revolution
He'll be the one to save us all

My brother Gabriel
Is all the hope we need
Shining like a beacon in the night

Shepherd of Ravenskill,
A reason to believe
Music is the gift he brings
The songbird stops to listen when he sings

I'll brb to listen along in 15 minutes, but it looks like we're making progress! Almost there!

Okay looks like you're right in that last stanza

It looks like all we need now is to figure out what that one bit we're not sure about is. Any ideas anyone?

Also if anyone hears this differently let us know

[dparrott]

Don't point out flaws to women.  You'll never get laid.

I wish I knew that in my 20's   

[James.v6]

Guys do you feel something is different then before?
The Astonishing will grow on us with every note ! I need album like this !

[GasparXR]

I almost feel like the previous track, Dystopian Overture, will end with the intro of The Gift of Music, it just seems like it flows in from somewhere. I also really like the sound of the intro so more of that stuff would be cool to hear. Either way, I'm super excited for this album.

[CoT67]

The songbird stops to listen when he sings

Bioshock Infinite concept confirmed

[porcacultor]

https://itun.es/gb/aOuq_

Album is on iTunes for pre order.

Says January 29th.

I will buy the single tomorrow.

Damn its not on the Canadian iTunes yet. 

Fill in that gap with... the canadian rap 

I kid, I can't listen to any music til I finish some work (few hours at least) but I've read the reactions and I'm pumped!!

[RMGadelha]

The songbird stops to listen when he sings

Bioshock Infinite concept confirmed

My thoughts exactly. Hey, I loved that game, so why not? 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Don't point out flaws to women.  You'll never get laid.

Listen to this good man.

[DragonAttack]

<deleted>

[jdprsaga]

From that article in RollingStones it seems like David Campbell had a very important role in the album, he's role as composer seems the role of a producer in some songs, they were open to his opinion etc.

I'm really impressed with the whole article

[wideworldofmike]

The instrumental-end is making me so happy. So intense, this is just 4 mins of 2 hrs 10 mins. Holy sh-t holy sh-t holy sh-t!!!!

[SuperTaco]

Just the thought of adding real choirs and orchestra to the DT sound gives me that really excited feeling. Now that I've had a snack of it, I want the whole kitchen But I shall wait patiently until January 29th.

[fischermasamune]

At the first five listens I thought the lyrics were too straightforward at the start, and couldn't understand a big chunk of them (not a native English speaker), but liked the instrumental.

Now that some people figured the lyrics out (thanks guys!!) and that it's Arhys singing about his brotha, it became poetry! Lyrics of highest quality! I'm excited as hell with this song. It will make to the first division of DT League.

Can't wait for the rest of the album!!

[jsbru]

I've been hearing this track for weeks now. And I didn't even once bat my eye on Labries singing. Until you made me listen for the flaw. Now I can't unhear it. Damn you!

I listened to that time stamp a few times, and I still don't hear it. 

Some people just love to criticise !

If there is a legitimate editing error, I have no problem passing it along to let them know, because it might just be one of those things where it isn't obvious unless you are listening for it, but once you are aware it is glaring.  That happens.  Bands release albums all the time with things like that.  But in this case, even knowing right where it supposedly is, I just don't hear it.

I also don't hear it at all.  I have no idea how people can hear this stuff.  But I also don't really get all the commotion about the production in general.  DT12 just sounded really tight and clean to me.

Production is like a grand total of 1% of the music listening experience to me.  The only DT album that could benefit from a re-master IMO is WDADU.

[Laughingplace56]

https://itun.es/gb/aOuq_

Album is on iTunes for pre order.

Says January 29th.

I will buy the single tomorrow.

Damn its not on the Canadian iTunes yet. 

Same with the U.S. I'm assuming it will go live in everyone's respective regions when it's midnight, as in Friday, as it's already past 12 in the UK.

[Gpals71]

You can get the single on Spotify too.

[jsbru]

Epic teaser that really leaves you wanting more!  To me, the snare sounds like I&W...better than last time for sure (felt distracting to me on DT12). Overall mix feels much more open than DT12.  My favorite part is when the dirty organ comes out to play, leading into the orchestra that slowly creeps into the guitar riff.   Quality stuff!  Choir sounds great as well.  Also have mention I love Myung on this song! Pretty clean and in your face bass sound.

Mine too.  I've been really missing this sound out of the band.  Strings and piano are fine, but that distorted rock organ needs to be thrown into the mix a lot more.  The absolute best in this regard is the Child in Time - Deep Purple organ.

I'm also excited to here that massive pipe organ sound on whatever track it's used in.

Overall,  I like the sounds used in this track a lot better than anything recently, including the effects.  The overall composition, though, I find is somewhat color-by-numbers Dream Theater.  It has a good energy and a somewhat positive sound, which I have wanted to hear more of.  But there's nothing new in here that's going to appeal to non DT fans.  For a single (not that DT's singles are ever typical singles, nor should they be), it lacks both the musical and vocal hooks to appeal to a wider audience, and it's similarly lacking in atmosphere given my expectations for this album (but I find most post Kevin Moore DT lacking in atmosphere, with a few exceptions like Octavarium the song, Bridges in the Sky, TCOT, and a few others).

With that said, it's only 4 out of apparently 130 minutes of music.  It's not bad.  Just nothing groundbreaking.  I'm betting this only scratches the surface.

[TempusVox]

Excellent! Love the concept and the song.

[bosk1]

About the perception that a few of you think you are hearing a melodyne artifact:  I asked the band, and there is NO melodyne or other effects on that part of the song.  That is purely how James sang the line.  I have this confirmed directly from the band.  They also said they appreciate that the fans dig so deep and analyze the music on such a deep level as that.  But no melodyne. 

One other misconception to clear up:  I have noticed a few people refer to the song as the first "single."  It isn't really a "single."  It is a preview for us to get a sampling of the album. 

[KevShmev]

About the perception that a few of you think you are hearing a melodyne artifact:  I asked the band, and there is NO melodyne or other effects on that part of the song.  That is purely how James sang the line.  I have this confirmed directly from the band.  They also said they appreciate that the fans dig so deep and analyze the music on such a deep level as that.  But no melodyne. 

Cool.

Sadly, the song isn't even a day old to us yet and people are already beating that drum to death.  Ugh.

DTF: where we love to pick nits!

[ResultsMayVary]

It's DTF. The 'under the microscope' analysis is going to happen.

Thanks, Bosk, for getting the info directly from the band.

[CodyWanKenobi]

"Songbirds stop to listen when he sings" is such a great line.

[Flacracker]

About the perception that a few of you think you are hearing a melodyne artifact:  I asked the band, and there is NO melodyne or other effects on that part of the song.  That is purely how James sang the line.  I have this confirmed directly from the band.  They also said they appreciate that the fans dig so deep and analyze the music on such a deep level as that.  But no melodyne. 

One other misconception to clear up:  I have noticed a few people refer to the song as the first "single."  It isn't really a "single."  It is a preview for us to get a sampling of the album.

I mean what else are they going to say though?

[CodyWanKenobi]

Hey Bosk, do you know if JP wrote all the lyrics himself After reading the Rolling Stone article, it sure seems that way. I seem to remember him saying in an interview that that's something he's always wanted to do.

[noxon]

Okay, I stand corrected! I have no reason to doubt that James makes that sound - but it does sound quite similar to the correction. As I said - I didn't notice it in weeks, so it's not like it leaps out at you.

Leave it to DT fans everywhere to nitpick and be besserwissers

[Onno]

So after ADTOE (which I thought was an ok album) and DT12 (which I didn't really like) I wasn't expecting to get blown away by any new song or even get hyped for the album. But the first time I heard The Gift of Music it just clicked. THIS is what I missed on ADTOE and DT12. I am so stoked right now.

And the mix. Holy shit, the mix. It sounds really, really amazing.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

About the perception that a few of you think you are hearing a melodyne artifact:  I asked the band, and there is NO melodyne or other effects on that part of the song.  That is purely how James sang the line.  I have this confirmed directly from the band.  They also said they appreciate that the fans dig so deep and analyze the music on such a deep level as that.  But no melodyne. 

One other misconception to clear up:  I have noticed a few people refer to the song as the first "single."  It isn't really a "single."  It is a preview for us to get a sampling of the album.

So it really came to that, bosk asking the band if they used pitch-correction software  Prog metal fans, indeed!

[BlobVanDam]

I don't hear blatant pitch correction there, and I'm the complainiest about pitch correction artifacts.
Maybe it is tweaked, and noticeable if you work with the software, but it doesn't sound unnatural to me, especially to the point that it will ever bother me, and pitch correction regularly bothers me on modern albums.

Production wise, I'm happy with this all around.

[adastra]

I didn't like OTBOA and TEI  , but this one I like    Happy and positive sounding melodic song!  But I have to say that IMO  the drums sound like shit.
Very excited to hear the rest of the album!

edit:  Oh, and Petrucci's playing sounds somehow fresh! Nice riffs.

[BlackInk]

As I said, I don't know what melodyne is, so if the band says that there isn't any, then fine. But it does not sound natural, and I do not believe that that vocal line isn't tinkered with in some way.