Illumination Theory Outro/Easter Egg/Secret Ending Thoughts

[jjfumbly]

I think that this is one of the greatest things made by the band. So calm and spacey. Probably my favorite part of DT12 

I liked how they used it at the end of their concerts on the "Evening With" tour.

Any other opinions?

[fischermasamune]

The question is whether the theme will reappear in TA.

[RoeDent]

I love this piece. If False Awakening Suite is a cinematic album/concert opener, then the Easter Egg is the music for the closing credits. I doubt it will be used in TA, because it doesn't feel like a fragment. It feels 'complete', despite its brevity and simplicity.

I don't consider it to be part of Illumination Theory though. IT comes to a definite end around 19:15, then there's 30 seconds of silence, then the Easter Egg begins.

[bosk1]

The question is whether the theme will reappear in TA.

No, that's actually not a question at all.  There is no reason for it to be on another album than the one it was originally on.

[chaossystem]

I hate to be vague, but a few months ago I found a video that I THINK was on YouTube of an older (live) performance by DT, and they played this same piece of music, or something very similar. I think Portnoy was still with them, and I'm not even sure it was Jordan playing the keyboards. So unfortunately, I don't remember what the title of the video was, or what period of time it was from, but I could swear that it was an earlier live performance of the "Easter egg..."

[Rodni Demental]

I dunno, if I'm honest I find it pretty boring, more or less just 3 chords over and over. Which is probably why it doesn't sound particularly unique. It's nice, but fairly basic and not exactly mindblowing. - It may work perfectly as a closer to a show/song/album but certainly nothing spectacular on it's own. For any of those crazy people that think it's the best thing on DT12, I honestly don't know how anyone could think that but fair enough.   

[JMSE]

I hope this is a new age puppies on acid. It'd make for a killer experimental instrumental

[jsbru]

The question is whether the theme will reappear in TA.

I want it to, but in all honesty I really doubt it will be.  It does kind of make perfect sense on DT12 as kind of an "ending credits" compliment to FAS.

The thing is, when asked about this on the DTF video chat two years ago, they didn't give a straight answer, and JP pretended he didn't know what it even was.  They were mostly just goofing around, though, so it's hard to glean anything from that video.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I dunno, if I'm honest I find it pretty boring, more or less just 3 chords over and over. Which is probably why it doesn't sound particularly unique. It's nice, but fairly basic and not exactly mindblowing. - It may work perfectly as a closer to a show/song/album but certainly nothing spectacular on it's own. For any of those crazy people that think it's the best thing on DT12, I honestly don't know how anyone could think that but fair enough.   

That's pretty convenient because that's exactly what it is.

[Train of Naught]

I dunno, if I'm honest I find it pretty boring, more or less just 3 chords over and over. Which is probably why it doesn't sound particularly unique. It's nice, but fairly basic and not exactly mindblowing. - It may work perfectly as a closer to a show/song/album but certainly nothing spectacular on it's own. For any of those crazy people that think it's the best thing on DT12, I honestly don't know how anyone could think that but fair enough.   

Don't get this either, I always skip that part because it's just the same thing over and over.

[James.v6]

I hope because its my favorite part from DT12 and IT.. It will be start from The Astonishing 

[Train of Naught]

I'd be pretty shocked if "Descent of the NOMACS" was some repeating isolated piano tune but I know the chances of that are 0% so I'm not worried.

[krands85]

I dunno, if I'm honest I find it pretty boring, more or less just 3 chords over and over. Which is probably why it doesn't sound particularly unique. It's nice, but fairly basic and not exactly mindblowing. - It may work perfectly as a closer to a show/song/album but certainly nothing spectacular on it's own.

Yeah that's kinda how I've always felt about it. Pleasant enough but I don't really see what all the fuss is about.

[Kotowboy]

The question is whether the theme will reappear in TA.

No, that's actually not a question at all.  There is no reason for it to be on another album than the one it was originally on.

But they linkd albums B4 - there4 they will do it agains!!!1111 Because this new album is le Tropoplis part 3333333333333333333

[Kotowboy]

I'd be pretty shocked if "Descent of the NOMACS" was some repeating isolated piano tune but I know the chances of that are 0% so I'm not worried.

In my head - Descent of the NOMACs will be a bit like False Awakening Suite.

Not musically. But if it's music - it will have that same powerful urgency to it.

Or it might just be a track of Noise because NOise MAChines.

[Train of Naught]

The question is whether the theme will reappear in TA.

No, that's actually not a question at all.  There is no reason for it to be on another album than the one it was originally on.

But they linkd albums B4 - there4 they will do it agains!!!1111 Because this new album is le Tropoplis part 3333333333333333333

Can't argue with an official 4 stars DTF.org Alumni so I guess you're right.

[Prog Snob]

The question is whether the theme will reappear in TA.

No, that's actually not a question at all.  There is no reason for it to be on another album than the one it was originally on.

Yeah, pretty much. I think it was just an easter egg and nothing more. It wasn't the link creating another metasong.

[hefdaddy42]

It might happen.

It might not.

[ZirconBlue]

It might happen.

It might not.

It might have not already have happened.

[As I Am]

I hate the boring middle part. Edited out............

Moving on

[hefdaddy42]

It might happen.

It might not.

It might have not already have happened.

Perhaps.

[Progmetty]

My favorite thing about the piano part is that Rudess and Petrucci had no idea it was "secret" or "Easter egg" when we did that live chat with them a couple of years ago, cause I always felt like fans build their own worlds in their heads and live there when it comes to what they call nuggets and shit like that and I never thought the band purposely did anything of the sort.

[BlobVanDam]

My favorite thing about the piano part is that Rudess and Petrucci had no idea it was "secret" or "Easter egg" when we did that live chat with them a couple of years ago, cause I always felt like fans build their own worlds in their heads and live there when it comes to what they call nuggets and shit like that and I never thought the band purposely did anything of the sort.

I think I know the one you're thinking of, and I got the impression they were just being coy when asked about it.

[JediKnight1969]

That tune sounds like a warm up exercise. It's SO overrated.

That's my opinion.

[pcs90]

I wish they would have extended it into a full instrumental jam or something. It's great as is, but there's a lot that could be done with it too.

[hefdaddy42]

My favorite thing about the piano part is that Rudess and Petrucci had no idea it was "secret" or "Easter egg" when we did that live chat with them a couple of years ago, cause I always felt like fans build their own worlds in their heads and live there when it comes to what they call nuggets and shit like that and I never thought the band purposely did anything of the sort.

I think I know the one you're thinking of, and I got the impression they were just being coy when asked about it.

This exactly.

[wideworldofmike]

My favorite thing about the piano part is that Rudess and Petrucci had no idea it was "secret" or "Easter egg" when we did that live chat with them a couple of years ago, cause I always felt like fans build their own worlds in their heads and live there when it comes to what they call nuggets and shit like that and I never thought the band purposely did anything of the sort.

I think I know the one you're thinking of, and I got the impression they were just being coy when asked about it.

This exactly.

Right, wasn't his response something like it would be part of the show but I'm not saying how yet. Then it was the ending credits?

[Podaar]

If memory serves, didn't the band themselves name that bit "Easter egg" on a studio blackboard?

Us fans can be blamed for a lot of speculative nonsense but not in this instance.

[CDrice]

My favorite thing about the piano part is that Rudess and Petrucci had no idea it was "secret" or "Easter egg" when we did that live chat with them a couple of years ago, cause I always felt like fans build their own worlds in their heads and live there when it comes to what they call nuggets and shit like that and I never thought the band purposely did anything of the sort.

I think I know the one you're thinking of, and I got the impression they were just being coy when asked about it.

This exactly.

Yeah, and if memory serves me well, Jordan even played it on his keyboard while John was pretending to not know there was an Easter Egg.

[Another_Won]

My favorite thing about the piano part is that Rudess and Petrucci had no idea it was "secret" or "Easter egg" when we did that live chat with them a couple of years ago, cause I always felt like fans build their own worlds in their heads and live there when it comes to what they call nuggets and shit like that and I never thought the band purposely did anything of the sort.

I think I know the one you're thinking of, and I got the impression they were just being coy when asked about it.

This exactly.

Yeah, and if memory serves me well, Jordan even played it on his keyboard while John was pretending to not know there was an Easter Egg.

I just watched it the other day because of this thread.  That part was pretty funny - JR stops abruptly, yeah what Easter egg? Ha Ha

[DeanTheater]

Yeah, they were definately playing Coy.  I also doubt any link to the new album.  But, you never  know.........

[bosk1]

If memory serves, didn't the band themselves name that bit "Easter egg" on a studio blackboard?

Us fans can be blamed for a lot of speculative nonsense but not in this instance.

Correct.

[wideworldofmike]

I also just stumbled on an interview with JP in ultimateguitar and he also specifically refers to the Easter Egg.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/dream_theaters_john_petrucci_you_dont_have_to_be_afraid.html

"The outro of "Illumination Theory" had that feeling of a man standing on a mountaintop with those guitars swelling.  Are you talking about after all the silence at the very end?   Exactly.  Yeah, that's like a little Easter egg we stuck in there. Yeah, that's volume swells with delay on it. But yeah, it has a very string kind of sound to it."