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

[mike099]

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.

Great news Noxon!  Do you feel the new material would be enjoyable if not heard until live?  The last concert I attended was Rush40 in Atlanta and I was really glad that I did not know the set list until I heard it live.  Of course this would mean not hearing any of the new material until April 27th in Cincinnati.

[RoeDent]

Interesting. If this is correct (and it's certainly the most convincing theory I've seen so far), then there's a good chance that The Hovering Sojourn could be the shortest DT track ever, clocking in at less than 1 minute. Comparing that with the 4:08 of TGOM, it certainly looks less than a quarter of its size.

[Darkstarshades]

The shortest DT track ever is James Labrie's singing on IT

[Ben_Jamin]

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.

Like a summary of a book, or the insert part?

[MustActFastToCoverUp]

Watched 'Despicable Me' yesterday.
Dr. Nefario:

a relative to the emperor?

Is anybody else worried that this album turns out to be a big piece of cheese?
I hear choirs and orchestra, I hear emotional and theatrical, vocally driven, I see comparisons to Disney musicals.
Thats not the stuff why I'm listening to DT, you know. I like the complex stuff, odd time signatures, changing keys, uncommon song structures (looks like we're having those at least) and, yes, a high ratio of notes per minute, and I do appreciate some heavyness from time to time.
So I'm not as hyped as some of you are, but curious as hell how this turns out. And I remain open minded; I like a lot of different types of music, and in the end it's still DT.

[MirrorMask]

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.

Lately anything you post gives me a (musical) hard on.

[AboutToCrash]

It seems the very few people that have had the fantastic opportunity of listening to the album already have given it a lot of praise. This makes me confident that this will be one of the most memorable albums yet, I would love nothing more than a band 30 odd years into their career releasing a masterpiece and one of their best works... It's rarely ever happened before as most bands play it safe as they get older, it's refreshing (A lot of people dislike Nostradamus by Judas Priest but I think that's a masterpiece so i get a similar sort of excitement). I loved DT12 but you have to give Kudos to the guys for breaking the mould and doing something completely different whatever your opinion may be upon final release, it'll be one hell of a statement though if this turns out to be one of their best works and I really hope this goes down well. They probably thought (as amazingly they're still near their technical prime) that now was the time to create something this ambitious.

[home]

Best pie I had recently, tastes great!

[RoeDent]

Is anybody else worried that this album turns out to be a big piece of cheese?

Embrace the cheese, people! 

[DragonAttack]

"Is anybody else worried that this album turns out to be a big piece of cheese?
I hear choirs and orchestra, I hear emotional and theatrical, vocally driven"

If this means 'Scenes From A Memory', 'disc 2 of 'Six Degrees', and 'Octavarium' all rolled into one.......count me in as one very excited and anticipatory rodent.

[The Astonished]

It seems that "Ravenskill" is one of the longest songs on TA, which makes me happy!

[MustActFastToCoverUp]

"Is anybody else worried that this album turns out to be a big piece of cheese?
I hear choirs and orchestra, I hear emotional and theatrical, vocally driven"

If this means 'Scenes From A Memory', 'disc 2 of 'Six Degrees', and 'Octavarium' all rolled into one.......count me in as one very excited and anticipatory rodent.

That'd work for me, too, in fact it's like the definition of a perfect album . But remember, Mr Noxon said its gonna be different.

[Bertielee]

"Is anybody else worried that this album turns out to be a big piece of cheese?
I hear choirs and orchestra, I hear emotional and theatrical, vocally driven"

If this means 'Scenes From A Memory', 'disc 2 of 'Six Degrees', and 'Octavarium' all rolled into one.......count me in as one very excited and anticipatory rodent.

That'd work for me, too, in fact it's like the definition of a perfect album . But remember, Mr Noxon said its gonna be different.

What had me excited the most is Noxon's definition of the album as not BY DT but WITH DT music behind (if I remember it well). We're gonna be in for a fucking ride, guys!!!

B.Lee

[YouMakeMeSick]

All this talk about the album containing "unconventional" instruments, brass, bagpipes and tango makes me think that this might be the time we get the closest to that "world music" album we almost got instead of SDOIT. Music is a major plot point in the story, it'd fit in nicely.

[TAC]

It seems that "Ravenskill" is one of the longest songs on TA, which makes me happy!

Why does it seem that? Did I miss something?

[Pax]

It seems that "Ravenskill" is one of the longest songs on TA, which makes me happy!

Why does it seem that? Did I miss something?

Just check the page before this (or maybe two)

[TAC]

It seems that "Ravenskill" is one of the longest songs on TA, which makes me happy!

Why does it seem that? Did I miss something?

Just check the page before this (or maybe two)

Oh, the pie chart? I didn't take that seriously.

[Randaran]

Colors and order bears no significance. The pie chart may not even be real.

We can estimate song lengths, but not assign times to specific tracks. You guys are reading too much into the pie chart. Though, it wouldn't be DTF otherwise. 

[thosava]

I doubt that a pie chart with a perfect fit regarding the short Nomac tracks is not real info.

[home]

I doubt that a pie chart with a perfect fit regarding the short Nomac tracks is not real info.

We could be discussing something that is complete nonsense then. O.o

[millahh]

I doubt that a pie chart with a perfect fit regarding the short Nomac tracks is not real info.

We could be discussing something that is complete nonsense then. O.o

This very nicely encapsulates about 90% of this thread.   

[BlobVanDam]

I doubt that a pie chart with a perfect fit regarding the short Nomac tracks is not real info.

We could be discussing something that is complete nonsense then. O.o

This very nicely encapsulates about 90% of this thread.   

That's a somewhat generous estimate.

[palmeiras]

Noxon and about the technical aspects. I love super technical solos

[TH1RT3EN]

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.

Well, this is definitely interesting. I really have no idea what to expect now.

[EraVulgaris]

If this is legit, we can approximate the full thing. The angle of "The Gift of Music" is ~11,19°, which equals 4:08, or 248 s. Therefore, approx. 22,16 s equal 1°.
Thus, the whole album would be 22,16*360=7977,6s=132,96min (more commonly 132:58, so 2 seconds short of 133 minutes) long, which is not exactly 2h10min, but fairly close. If you measure each angle, you can convert them into seconds by multiplying 22,16 with that angle. Divide that by 60, and you got your minutes. For example, "Astonishing" is 16,18° and would be 16,18*22,16=358,55s long, which is 358,55/60=5,98 minutes (which is 5:59 as timestamp, so just a second short of 6 minutes). I don't feel like measuring every angle right now though.

"A New Beginning" seems to be the longest song and would be 7,86 minutes (= 7:52) long.
"The Hovering Sojourn" would be the shortest song with just 30,36 s (= 0:30)

Edit: units

[ResultsMayVary]

That's a hell of a good start, though.

I honestly expected to check the thread this morning and for someone to have gone through that chart, real info or not, and measured every angle to determine the supposed lengths of pie sections and guessing which songs they belonged to.

[noxon]

You have way to much time on your hands.

Instead of wasting it on that, why don't you help me with my new project and come answer some DT FAQ for me. I need this website I'm working on to be ready before the 14th. Gotta collect and gather a ton of DT information. Any help would be immensly useful to me.

[ResultsMayVary]

You have way to much time on your hands.

Instead of wasting it on that, why don't you help me with my new project and come answer some DT FAQ for me. I need this website I'm working on to be ready before the 14th. Gotta collect and gather a ton of DT information. Any help would be immensly useful to me.

I have some time to help today considering I'm snowed in and can't go to work. I'm doing some other stuff I've needed to do the past few days, but I may be able to squeeze something in.

[Prog Snob]

You have way to much time on your hands.

Instead of wasting it on that, why don't you help me with my new project and come answer some DT FAQ for me. I need this website I'm working on to be ready before the 14th. Gotta collect and gather a ton of DT information. Any help would be immensly useful to me.

Such as...

[CodyWanKenobi]

If this is legit, we can approximate the full thing. The angle of "The Gift of Music" is ~11,19°, which equals 4:08, or 248 s. Therefore, approx. 22,16 s equal 1°.
Thus, the whole album would be 22,16*360=7977,6s=132,96min (more commonly 132:58, so 2 seconds short of 133 minutes) long, which is not exactly 2h10min, but fairly close. If you measure each angle, you can convert them into seconds by multiplying 22,16 with that angle. Divide that by 60, and you got your minutes. For example, "Astonishing" is 16,18° and would be 16,18*22,16=358,55s long, which is 358,55/60=5,98 minutes (which is 5:59 as timestamp, so just a second short of 6 minutes). I don't feel like measuring every angle right now though.

"A New Beginning" seems to be the longest song and would be 7,86 minutes (= 7:52) long.
"The Hovering Sojourn" would be the shortest song with just 30,36 s (= 0:30)

Edit: units

Are you a math or science teacher by chance?

[The Nameless One]

I don't know about y'all but, I am totally psyched for this album! Its the only thing I'm looking forward to right now ...

[Train of Naught]

Yeh New Years Eve suckz I only want DT in ma life

[MirrorMask]

I can imagine Noxon now.

"Mh, they want info but I can't blatantly spoil something, let's see what I can do... mh, ok, I'll do a pie chart of track lengths, that won't give away anything while still illustrating the overall layout of the record"

*20 minutes later people have already figured out the track length and order and the exact running time*

"What the..... I'll get myself banned next time I receive an advance copy"

[thosava]

DT fans are thorough  Even the vaguest pieces of information will be analyzed until there is nothing left

[MirrorMask]

DT fans are thorough  Even the vaguest pieces of information will be analyzed until there is nothing left

Seriously, there's an irish rock band I follow, a local act, and they posted a chart of the songs they are recording for their second album. The first thing that came into my mind upon seeing it was how DT fans would react to see so many info laid out in plain sight, and how lucky are the other bands to not have to blur all their photos (Didn't Jordan do it once?) for fear that from a background distant shot of the desk mix people figure out the entire album