*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[RoeDent]

I cannot pick a single favourite individual track. There are so many. I've lost track of how many times I've got goosebumps over the last 2 hours or so. Dream Theater have done it again.

[Shadow2222]

I cannot pick a single favourite individual track. There are so many. I've lost track of how many times I've got goosebumps over the last 2 hours or so. Dream Theater have done it again.

It is really tough to choose. Yeah, the goosebumps were aplenty on my first 2-3 listens.

[ariich]

One thing I'm really digging about the album is the effort they put into making the music fit the narrative. Fantastic example being the start of A Tempting Offer: it starts with a sweet, innocent piano melody to signify X walking along unknowingly, and then kicks into the same motif in a really dark riff to signify Daryus following behind. Really nicely done, and there are a bunch of moments like that.

[Kotowboy]

I cannot pick a single favourite individual track. There are so many. I've lost track of how many times I've got goosebumps over the last 2 hours or so. Dream Theater have done it again.

I was in floods for moments of it. How did they manage this when DT12 was not that great ?

If anything this album should have been Dream Theater.

So happy with the production as well. Another dry , hot album would have ruined it.

[Shadow2222]

One thing I'm really digging about the album is the effort they put into making the music fit the narrative. Fantastic example being the start of A Tempting Offer: it starts with a sweet, innocent piano melody to signify X walking along unknowingly, and then kicks into the same motif in a really dark riff to signify Daryus following behind. Really nicely done, and there are a bunch of moments like that.

That might be my favorite thing about it. I know I keep seeing it get thrown around as both a positive and negative criticism, but I love how it transpires just like a musical.

[Viking of the Sagas]

Moment of Betrayal has really grown on me. I love it.

Man, too many great tracks to name them all.

[Kotowboy]

Also - albums that you love all the way through instantly - you normally get bored of them.

I can see The Astonishing having longevity not only due to it's length but also certain songs will take time to reveal themselves.

My dad told me a long time ago " the songs you love straight away are the songs you get sick of first. "

Which was certainly true in the past...

[Kotowboy]

One thing I'm really digging about the album is the effort they put into making the music fit the narrative. Fantastic example being the start of A Tempting Offer: it starts with a sweet, innocent piano melody to signify X walking along unknowingly, and then kicks into the same motif in a really dark riff to signify Daryus following behind. Really nicely done, and there are a bunch of moments like that.

That might be my favorite thing about it. I know I keep seeing it get thrown around as both a positive and negative criticism, but I love how it transpires just like a musical.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest that it's not a traditional "album" per se.

I don't know how well received it will be with Joe Public - but i hope it does well for the band. I'd hate for it to die on it's arse sales wise.

[mike099]

Trivial, but I encountered a 'hiccup' when transferring the download to disc:  Act 1 would not fit ?!?!?   I checked for errors on my part, compared the times, and then used Excel to total the time.  Well, it is not 78:59, but 79:59.  I had to go back through and remove little bits of silence at the end of various tracks.  Then breathed a sigh of relief.  Wish I was younger, I'd have lit one up for the listen.

    If I was in Colorado I probably would light one up and legally.

[Shooters1221]

I'm digging that I'm finally putting  Dystopian Overture together with each track...It took a couple of spins.

[Shadow2222]

One thing I'm really digging about the album is the effort they put into making the music fit the narrative. Fantastic example being the start of A Tempting Offer: it starts with a sweet, innocent piano melody to signify X walking along unknowingly, and then kicks into the same motif in a really dark riff to signify Daryus following behind. Really nicely done, and there are a bunch of moments like that.

That might be my favorite thing about it. I know I keep seeing it get thrown around as both a positive and negative criticism, but I love how it transpires just like a musical.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest that it's not a traditional "album" per se.

I don't know how well received it will be with Joe Public - but i hope it does well for the band. I'd hate for it to die on it's arse sales wise.

That's where I stand. I mean, a band like DT doesn't really rely on album sales anyways, so it isn't like I expect the world to come crashing down and them cancel the tour, but I won't lie when I say that I'm glad that the concerts have been on sale for quite awhile before people heard the album.

[haceeb]

Whoa! I'm Astonished. Thank you masters for this proggy cinematic experience.

[BFRedrocks]

Getting through it for the first time...now on Hymn of a Thousand Voices and I have to say that I like it.  I'm definitely more into the metal'er side of music, but DT did such a good job "preparing" me for what was to come that I wasn't expecting ToT.  There are some songs that are just okay, but I haven't really found one I absolutely don't like.  Great riffs, good and appropriate solos (yeah, too bad the fade out on JP's solo in Act 1), and I love how everything just fits in the context of the story.  One listen and I'm liking it, so I'm sure it will grow on me even more with more listens.

I'm really excited to hear Our New World for the first time as a lot of folks have already commented what a great song that one is!

EDIT:  Our New World!!!!!   

[Hanz Gruber]

Our new World reminds me a lot of Rush, more so than any other single DT song. I'm surprised that nobody made that remark yet.

No way, not as much as The Best of Times or The Looking Glass.

I was going to say "Don't Look Past Me" and"The Looking Glass"

[CDrice]

Perfect!  Thanks.  Do we have higher res pictures of the characters and places too?

You can find them on the artist's site here:https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BvaXz
And the hi-res version of the cover check here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/K13BR

[RoeDent]

Just finished my first listen to The Astonishing. I really look forward to getting to know the album better in the coming weeks and months, particularly picking out where musical themes reoccur. Blown away by it.

[kiwiclapton]

Well the new record has been streaming on my devices for the past 24 hours.

Im blown away - what a record .

A modern Classic. Once again - its great to be there at the start of a record that history will judge as a monument to the group .

[me7]

Our new World reminds me a lot of Rush, more so than any other single DT song. I'm surprised that nobody made that remark yet.

No way, not as much as The Best of Times or The Looking Glass.

My brain failed to dig up Looking Glass as I was recalling past Rush similarities. I guess this shows how little I have listened to DT12 over the past two years.
OK, this makes it the second most Rush-like song in my book. The Best of Times never reminded me of Rush

[Kotowboy]

One thing I'm really digging about the album is the effort they put into making the music fit the narrative. Fantastic example being the start of A Tempting Offer: it starts with a sweet, innocent piano melody to signify X walking along unknowingly, and then kicks into the same motif in a really dark riff to signify Daryus following behind. Really nicely done, and there are a bunch of moments like that.

That might be my favorite thing about it. I know I keep seeing it get thrown around as both a positive and negative criticism, but I love how it transpires just like a musical.

It doesn't bother me in the slightest that it's not a traditional "album" per se.

I don't know how well received it will be with Joe Public - but i hope it does well for the band. I'd hate for it to die on it's arse sales wise.

That's where I stand. I mean, a band like DT doesn't really rely on album sales anyways, so it isn't like I expect the world to come crashing down and them cancel the tour, but I won't lie when I say that I'm glad that the concerts have been on sale for quite awhile before people heard the album.

A live DVD / BR of a special one-off show with full orchestra and choir ( a la Breaking The Fourth Wall ) would help I think.

They'd only need to do it for one night so shouldn't cost as much as having 100 extra people for an entire tour.



I mean - this HAS to be a DVD doesn't it

[Kotowboy]

Thoughts, everyone ?

1. Best album of the Mangini era.

2. Best album of the Road Runner era.

3. Both ?

[CDrice]

Thoughts, everyone ?

1. Best album of the Mangini era.

2. Best album of the Road Runner era.

3. Both ?

4. Best album of their career? 

[Shooters1221]

Thoughts, everyone ?

1. Best album of the Mangini era.

2. Best album of the Road Runner era.

3. Both ?

BOTH!!

[Peter Griffin]

this is astonishing.

[Kotowboy]

4. Best album of their career? 

NO WAY MAN SYSTEMATIC CHAOS HAD GROTESQUE CREATURES BATTLE

[Yesmaestro]

Thank god I can stream The Astonishing because Road Runner STILL hasn't sent me a download link for the files yet. Unbelievable.

[The Presence of Frenemies]

I think it's their best album since Systematic Chaos, by a considerable margin. I'm not yet sure where it ranks, but it's top 4.

[Kotowboy]

I think it's their best album since Systematic Chaos, by a considerable margin. I'm not yet sure where it ranks, but it's top 4.

It's definitely in the top 5 of my favourite 8 albums

[Lucien]

Thoughts, everyone ?

1. Best album of the Mangini era.

2. Best album of the Road Runner era.

3. Both ?

4. Best album of their career? 

Yes. I'm not so sure I'll be able to take anything else they've written seriously again

[pringkaarwanda]

Perfect!  Thanks.  Do we have higher res pictures of the characters and places too?

You can find them on the artist's site here:https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BvaXz
And the hi-res version of the cover check here: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/K13BR

Whoaa !!! Thanks a lot brother !!! 

[Enalya]

Listening to it right now for the first time and I'm just blown away.. Damn what a brilliance going on. I was so pleasantly surprised by the 'jazzy' prog feel in some Nafaryus parts - some parts remind me of Haken, which is a great thing.
And James' performance is just outstanding Okay a month 'till the concert /time ticking

[Dellers]

I'm only about halfway through disc one. Already liking it more than the last album, which wasn't really my cup of tea. Not a single moment I haven't like so far!

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

This is one of DT's most consistently good releases. It's ridiculous how everything feels in place.

[Shooters1221]

This is one of DT's most consistently good releases. It's ridiculous how everything feels in place.

THIS^^^^

[DT_12_Octavarium]

Not digging this yet. Where's the metal? I wasn't expecting a whole album full of slow to mid tempo ballads

[Kotowboy]

This is one of DT's most consistently good releases. It's ridiculous how everything feels in place.

Well the story was written over a couple of years then John and Jordan wrote music to match the story so it should do


* One slight caveat with the album. A few too many songs end on the "slow down and crescendo". But it's a minor niggle.