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

[devieira73]

This should be a VERY fun week.  Looking forward to it. 

I'm just guessing here, but this week I'm expecting a video of a song diferent from TGoM, because the band filmed a video and stated that TGoM is not a single, but a teaser of the album... and it's a double album with more than 2 hours! I don't believe the band will premiere only 4 min of it...

[Enigmachine]

This should be a VERY fun week.  Looking forward to it. 

I'm just guessing here, but this week I'm expecting a video of a song diferent from TGoM, because the band filmed a video and stated that TGoM is not a single, but a teaser of the album... and it's a double album with more than 2 hours! I don't believe the band will premiere only 4 min of it...

If the lyrics on other songs rely heavily on plot points though, they may leave TGoM as the only taste of the album before release. If they don't care though, we may get multiple new songs (maybe one from each act).

[Bertie_Wooster]

I wish Ammon Bundy would take this message board hostage until we get new DT music.

[Progmetty]

I genuinely can't hear any difference in sound between TGOM and anything on DT12, so why is the mix of DT12 criticised so much and yet TGOM has near-universal praise? Is it because everyone's an audiophile, so little differences are noticed more?

I hear the difference in how dynamic the new song is but I think I might not have noticed had audiophiles opinions hanging over my head.
I think if you go to a proctologist and they give you the form to fill before you see the doctor; one of the questions on it would be "Have you been an audiophile in the last 10 years?".

[Bertielee]

I genuinely can't hear any difference in sound between TGOM and anything on DT12, so why is the mix of DT12 criticised so much and yet TGOM has near-universal praise? Is it because everyone's an audiophile, so little differences are noticed more?

I hear the difference in how dynamic the new song is but I think I might not have noticed had audiophiles opinions hanging over my head.
I think if you go to a proctologist and they give you the form to fill before you see the doctor; one of the questions on it would be "Have you been an audiophile in the last 10 years?".

[liran95]

I haven't measured, but as I've stated elsewhere, the focus is on the story and the vocals first and foremost, so the ratio is probably the highest of any DT album to date. The ratio of acoustic instruments is probably also the highest of any DT album to date.

You gave me two boners with one post. Can't waiiiit!!!

(Actually, I CAN wait, I've already resolved myself to not hear anything, not even The Gift of Music before I'll buy it, but I want to hear iiiiiiit!!!!!)

I'm in the same boat.
Did it with DT12 too, but this time it's hard as fuck.
Can't wait for February (yeah, I know the release date is January 29th, but I'll probably get the delivery in February, sadly).

[bosk1]

I kinda wish I could get new DT albums completely spoiler-free.  Unfortunately, I am not in a position where I can do that.

[MirrorMask]

I kinda wish I could get new DT albums completely spoiler-free.  Unfortunately, I am not in a position where I can do that.

'cause you have to review it or, since you are offered to hear it beforehand, you simply just can't say "Nah, whatever, let someone else hear it, I'll buy it like everybody else"?

[bosk1]

Because I have to be aware of details in order to prevent leaks from being posted here.  I can't really do that if I don't know whether information or content is legit or fake.  So there is a certain amount of information I have to have in order to do my job here.  And even if I tried to completely stay away from official information and content, I have to monitor threads here, so I would still see things posted.

[MirrorMask]

Didn't think about it, even though I could have realized it myself... well, great power, great responsability, great spoliers 

[bosk1]

Indeed. 

[hefdaddy42]

You gave me two boners with one post. Can't waiiiit!!!

You have two boners?

[bosk1]

You can't?

[hefdaddy42]

You can't?

Never had any complaints from one. 

Never really saw the need for two.

[MirrorMask]

You gave me two boners with one post. Can't waiiiit!!!

You have two boners?

Got a boner for learning that James sings all over the thing. Then I got another boner learning of acoustic instruments. 

[Pax]

Great if this week is a good one, I'll have something to look forward to while studying maths, physics and chemistry every day (exams coming :/)

when you say it's a mixture between FII, SFAM, SDOIT and Octavarium, I kinda wish it's a mixture between Lines in the Sand, Beyond This Life, Blind Faith, The Glass Prison, SDOIT (song) and Octavarium (song) xD

[Prog Snob]

You gave me two boners with one post. Can't waiiiit!!!

You have two boners?

One of his own but he has another in his pooper.

[hadi-persian]

the left red eye on the nomacs show  us the ACT 1 tracklist for listening streaming & right red eye on the nomacs show ACT 2 track list for listening streaming on 29th january! what you think?

[Kotowboy]

TIME will tell.

[mikemangioy]

the left red eye on the nomacs show  us the ACT 1 tracklist for listening streaming & right red eye on the nomacs show ACT 2 track list for listening streaming on 29th january! what you think?

I'm buying this

[Train of Naught]

the left red eye on the nomacs show  us the ACT 1 tracklist for listening streaming & right red eye on the nomacs show ACT 2 track list for listening streaming on 29th january! what you think?

Streaming the full album on the release day, that's a fantastic idea!

[Kotowboy]

the left red eye on the nomacs show  us the ACT 1 tracklist for listening streaming & right red eye on the nomacs show ACT 2 track list for listening streaming on 29th january! what you think?

Streaming the full album on the release day, that's a fantastic idea!

Well there's no music shops left to go buy it anymore . You have to wait for it to arrive in the post.

[jsbru]

All these hints really make me think I'm going to love this album.  Some of my favorite DT songs are on the longer side (Trial of Tears, Scarred, Learning to Live, Vacant/Stream of Consciousness, etc.), but lately their long songs seem to drag on for no reason other than to be long.  Instead of dynamically developing a musical concept and adding depth, direction, mood, etc., they can get caught up in too much jamming that doesn't really have a place in the song and/or isn't really catchy.

I think the shorter tracks and focus on voice, mood, and narrative (as well as Campbell's presence) will help keep this album grounded, and more focused on melodies and symphonics.  And the focus on acoustic instruments will create a diverse array of sounds.  The one thing I still worry about is that when DT goes "soft," sometimes their ballads can sound sappy and a bit color-by-numbers.  As much as I like This is the Life, Along for the Ride, I Walk Beside You, Hollow Years, Take Away my Pain and a few others, they can border on this category.  I think back to the early days, and the more ballad-ish songs like Wait for Sleep, Surrounded, The Silent Man, Lifting Shadows, and Space Dye-Vest, the band managed to be soft but yet not cliché at the same time.

[MustActFastToCoverUp]

The one thing I still worry about is that when DT goes "soft," sometimes their ballads can sound sappy and a bit color-by-numbers.

This.
If the album turns out to be two hours of TITL meets AFTR, I'll be disappointed.
(Nonetheless preordered and got a ticket, I have Faythe that this is going to be good.)

[BlobVanDam]

The one thing I still worry about is that when DT goes "soft," sometimes their ballads can sound sappy and a bit color-by-numbers.

This.
If the album turns out to be two hours of TITL meets AFTR, I'll be disappointed.
(Nonetheless preordered and got a ticket, I have Faythe that this is going to be good.)

I wouldn't worry about that.

[RoeDent]

Most rock operas have long sections that play continuously, with very little, or no silence between tracks. So there will be no difference between this and the "epics". It'll be a hyper-epic!

[Thematt202]

Except, someone's already mentioned that all the tracks are standalone entities (apart from a single exception).

[Darkstarshades]

Oh why am I even hoping for an encore when they haven't said anything about the rest of the world outside USA and Europe.

[RoeDent]

Except, someone's already mentioned that all the tracks are standalone entities (apart from a single exception).

It shouldn't matter anyway. JR said the universal flow would change with this album. He obviously meant lots of shorter songs instead of the long-form compositions.

[BlobVanDam]

It's all good. Songs don't need to be long or contain long instrumental songs to sound epic. Epicness can come from beautiful melodies / harmonies, interesting chord progressions, and the majesty of the orchestration.

[Train of Naught]

Indeed, the orchestra section in TGOM felt pretty epic to me, and that was like 2-3 minutes into the song and didn't feel rushed at all.

[lucasembarbosa]

Bring The Boys Back Home from PF has what? 1-2 minutes? And it's pretty fu***** epic!!!11

[noxon]

funny you should mention that track...

[lucasembarbosa]

funny you should mention that track...

TEASE US MOAR NOXON

Edit: ...AND BOSK AND WHOEVER ELSE

[Mladen]

funny you should mention that track...

You're driving us crazy. I mean, in the most positive way.