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

[Panar]

Fair enough.

[RMGadelha]

When do you think we can expect reviews to start coming up?

I would guess after 2016 arrives, lol.

[noxon]

Realistically, we'll see the first few reviews coming up in a couple of weeks time. Maybe sooner than that.

Me; I haven't even written a single word yet. Do not have a clue on how to approach this. I don't have the time to do a 8000 word track for track review like I did in 2013 due to a different project I'm working on.

[Another_Won]

Looks like we won't get any track over 10 minutes.  I really like the epics but I certainly understand in this case.  Time to make pie charts of other DT albums.

[chwik]

Realistically, we'll see the first few reviews coming up in a couple of weeks time. Maybe sooner than that.

Me; I haven't even written a single word yet. Do not have a clue on how to approach this. I don't have the time to do a 8000 word track for track review like I did in 2013 due to a different project I'm working on.

Send me the music and I will write it for you;-)  I do have time + plus I love writing.

[Thematt202]

As the track lengths are out there in pie chart form, how could it possibly be considered a leak to present the same data in a different format?

[Darkstarshades]

If you find out which of these is The Gift of Music, one can fairly easily calculate the remaining track lengths, as well as the full album length.

EDIT: Lies, you need full album length lol, which we can take as... 2 hours 10 mins? Otherwise you'd need to get how many degrees does it have, which can be a little confusing.

[Crow]

tbh i get the impression that he randomized the track order to make that pie chart 

[Enigmachine]

tbh i get the impression that he randomized the track order to make that pie chart 

The placement of the NOMAC tracks makes sense though as they would be the shortest tracks (which they are represented as on the chart). The rest (apart from TGoM) could be randomised for all we know though.

[Darkstarshades]

Still that doesn't prevent you from learning approximate track lengths, as long as you know which of these is TGOM, which could be any of these.

[MirrorMask]

Anyway, out of curiosity I went  and checked The Who's Tommy tracklist. There's a track called "Tommy Can You Hear Me", wonder if DT heard it as well 

[Panar]

It was fun indeed! Lots of music apparently..@noxon have you heard it in its entirety? I mean..from the beginning to the end at once?

[noxon]

Many times.

[Enigmachine]

Many times.

How does TGoM compare to the other full songs in terms of quality?

[noxon]

The Gift of Music makes sense to release as the first track - it's the safest track on the album, the one most like what they've done before whilst also showing off all the "new stuff" thats on the album (choir, brass, orchestra). But it's like the first chapter of a book. It's just a tease of what's to come. It (along with the overture) sets the mood and establishes the setting. Then, as we delve into the story itself, we also leave familiar DT territory. It's so emotional. So theatrical. So perfect. I can listen to all 2h10min of it in one sitting without feeling tired.

[Darkstarshades]

So I can safely masturbate to it 2 hours straight and not feel disappointed?
Good

[SuperTaco]

it's the safest track on the album

This is great news. I'm totally ready to tread new territory with Dream Theater.

Still a month away from album release though

[Enigmachine]

The Gift of Music makes sense to release as the first track - it's the safest track on the album, the one most like what they've done before whilst also showing off all the "new stuff" thats on the album (choir, brass, orchestra). But it's like the first chapter of a book. It's just a tease of what's to come. It (along with the overture) sets the mood and establishes the setting. Then, as we delve into the story itself, we also leave familiar DT territory. It's so emotional. So theatrical. So perfect. I can listen to all 2h10min of it in one sitting without feeling tired.

So, do you like the album? 

You do come off as very positive, but do you think the album has (or more appropriately, will have) a lasting impact?

[RMGadelha]

You probably can't answer this yet, but are there any songs with the Empire's point of view?

[CDrice]

Then, as we delve into the story itself, we also leave familiar DT territory. It's so emotional. So theatrical. So perfect. I can listen to all 2h10min of it in one sitting without feeling tired.

That's cool to hear but is it also so energy, power?

[RMGadelha]

Then, as we delve into the story itself, we also leave familiar DT territory. It's so emotional. So theatrical. So perfect. I can listen to all 2h10min of it in one sitting without feeling tired.

That's cool to hear but is it also so energy, power?

So heavy sound, yaaaah!

[Pax]

Based on the STD Noxon revealed, I calculated the following: there will be about 24 songs in the following interval: 2:00 and 5:30. The remaining 10 songs will be longer or shorter than that interval. Also, there might be one song shorter than 30 seconds, as well as one song longer than 7:30 (the longest on the album)
This is only an approximation, but it shouldn't be very far from the truth

[thosava]

The longest track is "A New Beginning", wich is a bit under double the length of "The Gift of Music" (a bit under 8 minutes in length).

(This is my guess)

[thosava]

The "Songs between" are supposed to mean songs between the nomac tracks.

[Pax]

Also, you can see those colours in the circle are based on visible light spectrum (increasing wavelength: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, red). You can clearly see the pattern being irregular at the 12 o clock, top of the circle. That's the point where album begins, I don't know if it should go clockwise or counterclockwise though
However, by looking at the track lengths, it's obvious it should go clockwise. Thosava's guess is probably right
Noxon, you're a genius, btw

[noxon]

You do come off as very positive, but do you think the album has (or more appropriately, will have) a lasting impact?

How could I possibly tell you that now? It's still "new DT!!" territory for me.

[thosava]

If you were to rank it as of how you feel about it right now, where would it go on your list?

[King Postwhore]

Because,  they all need to know.  In this day and age, no one can wait for the album release, multiple listens to form an opinion.  Opinions need to be heard without all the facts.

[thosava]

Because,  they all need to know.  In this day and age, no one can wait for the album release, multiple listens to form an opinion.  Opinions need to be heard without all the facts.

It is a way to build anticipation 
For once it doesn't seem like we'll be let down by high excpectations.

[TAC]

Because,  they all need to know.  In this day and age, no one can wait for the album release, multiple listens to form an opinion.  Opinions need to be heard without all the facts.

Let me guess. You and the Queen got Chinese tonight and this was in your fortune cookie?

[King Postwhore]

 

I was thinking of the days we only heard the single and had to wait for the days when we had the world premiere on the radio the weekend before but hey, I think you remember those days.

Also I'm making fried rice New Years eve sucka!

[Pax]

Yeah, I checked whole Thosava's list, it makes perfect sense (I'd bet 50$ that it's correct, therefore I'm almost sure). Guys, now we have the approximate track length for EVERY SONG, how cool is that?

Also, disc I around 80 mins, disc II around 55

[Enigmachine]

You do come off as very positive, but do you think the album has (or more appropriately, will have) a lasting impact?

How could I possibly tell you that now? It's still "new DT!!" territory for me.

Well, I know its still new for you but you say that you've listened to the album many times and I was just wondering whether the album still had the same impact as it did when you first listened to it and to be fair, you've made that clear in your enthusiasm. That enthusiasm is what is making me all hyped and a bit impatient, so I apologise if I'm confronting you on album-related stuff too much.

[Sacul]

So how does it compare to DT12? Do you think people who didn't like that album might like this one instead?

[Darkstarshades]

DT12 is the exact opposite of what TA appears to be.
DT12 isn't a bad album, it's good, but I think the issue that many people have with it is that it's too simple, and they expected much more from Mike Mangini's second album, at least that was the case with me.

TA appears to be one huge complete work where everyone simply exceeded their own limits, so I can safely say that people who disliked DT12 will like TA, even though I have not heard anything but TGOM (Noxon can elaborate on this?)
Many people who disliked DT12 are hardcore SFAM fans.