*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[Zydar]

Could they have told the entire story on one single CD though? Or did the story warrant a double CD?

[EraVulgaris]

The frustrating thing are that there MOMENTS of absolute brilliance in every track, and James is literally the best I've ever heard him sing, but it just doesn't fit together very well.

Yeah, this is something that also came to me during my third or fourth listen. There are a lot of really cool moments on this album and I keep thinking "Man, can you imagine if they used those ideas in a more regular album format?". There is a lot of cool stuff in there, it's just the general structure of the record and the amount of story driven tracks that really prevents me from enjoying it. The whole thing feels incredibly bloated to me. Maybe I'll try to extract the key songs and try to construct a shorter playlist for "general listening"

[senecadawg2]

The one elephant in the room here is that the ballads and slow songs are often just not very good......   if there were a bunch of "beneath the Surfaces, Waits for sleep, Anna Lees, or Dissappear's I don't think people would be complaining quite as much.    They really do often come off as filler and just a means to tell the story.  Although i do think a true metalhead would really struggle with this album regardless of how good the ballads were.

Its tough to stomach a 55 year old man singing disney songs despite how beautiful many of them are.   I wish they would have gone for less sappy and more mystical on their ballads.

Going through the tracklist this could have been a spectacular 15 track album.   

So that means we got about 15 great new DT songs so I am ecstatic but overall it sounds like a 34 song album that needed to be edited down a bit.

With all that said I have it ranked around 5th for DT which means it dethrones FII and I NEVER thought any of the classic era DT albums would get dethroned.  So despite some of my complaints I am a truly satisfied customer and fan.

I'd be shocked if they ever wrote a ballad that satisfied me as much as Disappear or Wait for Sleep, in the future. With that being said, I thought most of the ballads were solid enough and some really great.

If it's a bit bloated, as you seem to be suggesting and as I would agree, I think it's not so much about the ballads as it is of an overly ambitious project and getting caught up world building. I love that they really 'went for it' and tried something new here and forgive any tediousness and length issues for that reason alone, but I think you're right in that it definitely could've been trimmed in several places.

[Outcrier]

When Your Time Has Come intro reminds me of the one from Solitary Shell, not the melody, but the overall vibe (uplifting synth line over acoustic guitars).

[RoeDent]

Day 1: "WOAH OMG THIS IS AWESOME!!!"

Day 2: "It's too long", "Too many ballads", "Not enough metal"

Boy, that escalated quickly... 

[Viking of the Sagas]

That's just natural. The more we listen to this, the more we begin to discover of its contents - whether bad or good.

I personally think that this is their strongest studio album since Octavarium.

[Viking of the Sagas]

woops, double post!

[chrisbDTM]

I'm happy that a lot of people do like it. But I'm pretty disappointed. Hats off to anyone who can listen to this in one go, I simply couldn't do it. I found myself going, AGAIN?!? Every time they broke to a piano and vocals part just to chew up some story

[Progmetty]

I gotta say the last two notes of The Decent of The NOMACs are EXACTLY what I thought the NOMAC would sound like before the album came out
I can just imagine the floors of the venue trembling at that noise before the band comes in for the overture it will be a lot like Dream Collapsing/Bridges from the ADToE tour.

[V_R11]

I have a musical question that bothers me

Does the tune from 3:25-3:41 in Dystopian Overture reappear somewhere in the album or am I just imagining it?

[SwedishGoose]

I have only listened one time with the lyrics and pne time through to The X-aspect with the https://dreamtheater.net/theastonishingtracks synopsis in front of me.

Need to listen more.... but it seems that I will put this album quite high in their discography.

Love the overture... think the nomac tracks add a nice vibe to the story.
So far I have a hard time picking out tracks.

But it is an album you really need to sit down and listen too with your full attention.

So glad that they did something really different this time.

[BlobVanDam]

I have a musical question that bothers me

Does the tune from 3:25-3:41 in Dystopian Overture reappear somewhere in the album or am I just imagining it?

A New Beginning for one. It also appears in a few other spots.

[Outcrier]

I have a musical question that bothers me

Does the tune from 3:25-3:41 in Dystopian Overture reappear somewhere in the album or am I just imagining it?

Yeah, it's A New Beginning.

EDIT: Ninjad by Blob van, damn...

[V_R11]

Thought I'd heard it. Thanks

[MirrorMask]

I gotta say the last two notes of The Decent of The NOMACs are EXACTLY what I thought the NOMAC would sound like before the album came out
I can just imagine the floors of the venue trembling at that noise before the band comes in for the overture it will be a lot like Dream Collapsing/Bridges from the ADToE tour.

Kinda like when there was the siren before The Root of All Evil during the Octavarium tour... but more intense!

I can already imagine the song playing with curtains closed, too bad that usually curtains in theaters do open on the sides, they should actually fall down the moment Dystopian Overture begins...

[Cream theater]

Wow I put this  album on, with earphones and began cleaning the house.  It's been transformed into the cleanest its ever been.  Astonishing. 
Where's the Heaven's Cove appreciation?

[wideworldofmike]

Could they have told the entire story on one single CD though? Or did the story warrant a double CD?

They could have done 3 CD's if they had jammed a bit more. Any less than 2 CD's and we just wouldn't have gotten the DT soul injected in there, not enough room for detail.

[TempusVox]

PEOPLE OF DTF....

This is not a conventional record. This is unlike anything you have ever heard DT do before, ever. It is a ROCK OPERA.

A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections; however, it is not an opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. It is even unlike a "concept album". SFaM was a concept album. This is not. So, when you think that "it's only fragments of songs", you would in fact be partially correct, because it is told in that vein as part of the narrative. Why? Because it is a ROCK OPERA.

Now, you don't have to like it. You may in fact hate it. But it is a ROCK OPERA done by the band, which again...is like NOTHING they have ever done in the past.

I know some of you still won't get this, but at least I hope this can put the record into perspective for some of you before you go trashing it or the band.

[Kotowboy]

Thought I'd heard it. Thanks

I call it the West Side Story section It's great.

[wideworldofmike]

Thought I'd heard it. Thanks

I call it the West Side Story section It's great.

No-macs zoom in Ah-Mer-I-Ca...

[MirrorMask]

PEOPLE OF DTF....

This is not a conventional record. This is unlike anything you have ever heard DT do before, ever. It is a ROCK OPERA.

A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections; however, it is not an opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. It is even unlike a "concept album". So, when you think that "it's only fragments of songs", you would in fact be partially correct, because it is told in that vein as part of the narrative. Why? Because it is a ROCK OPERA.

Now, you don't have to like it. You may in fact hate it. But it is a ROCK OPERA done by the band, which again...is like NOTHING they have ever done in the past.

I know some of you still won't get this, but at least I hope this can put the record into perspective for some of you before you go trashing it or the band.

I agree, of course people have the right to not like it if it's not something that appeals to their tastes, but everyone should get in the right frame of mind in approaching this record, and fully knowing what they're going into. Then if they won't like it, fine of course, but this album deserves a chance with a big open mind! ...and also a lot of free time, dehehe!

[ErHaO]

It definately took me some time to get hold of the many softer parts during this album. But really, nearly every song is quite different in the end in my opinion. Two piano ballads are not necesarily more samish than two regular DT metal tracks. But DT (offcourse) has a lot of metal fans and it is totally understandable they are not all over this due to the musical direction they took here. Still, I see some prog-orientated people saying the same about DT's heavy side at times, which I also understand ("generic heavy DT" See criticisms on BC&SL or TOT, for example). I am generally more of a fan of DT's metal side , but to my surprise I am really loving this one.

That said, I will probably listen to 40-minute chunks of this work instead of the whole thing in the future (I saw some people dividing it as three acts, I can see that working for me). I rarely listen to double albums in one row though (I often treat them as several acts/ episodes of series, so to say). My biggest gripe is that the ending does miss a little bit of power/epicness to it, while I like the music itself. I absolutely love disc 1, disc 2 drags a bit near the end. But thankfully the "negartives" for this album are more like missed oppertunities than elements I dislike.

When I first heard TA, I kind of felt the same feeling I had with Ayreons Theory of Everything. While presented as 4 tracks and most tracks weave in to each other, in the end that album often feels like many shorter pieces. I had to digest that one as well. Each time I listen to TA, I am loving it more.

Finally, why are people saying Myung cannot be heard? I can hear him pretty often, also during heavier parts. And I am not exactly listening high end now.

[erciccio]

After 4-5 spins I have an internal clash of opinions. 

The rational-me thinks that if you just take it just as a normal CD, it is almost un-listenable.

The romantic-teen-in-me,on the other side, really loves this Disney-Broadway-esque version of Dream Theater!
There are at least 20-30 sections that made laugh and cry like a baby...

Overall, they both agree that is an high-quality product (and I heard no complaints on the quality of the sound so far...) but it's a take it or leave it.

And probably the live concerts will further consolidate the opposite opinions....

One thing is for sure- I will never ever admit I love this CD in front on my "true metal warriors"-kind'a friends..

[KevShmev]

Eh, to me, if you are listening to DT just for the metal or just for the prog, you are missing out.  As a DT fan, you should at least appreciate the way they blend it all together, regardless of whether one album heavily leans one way or the other.  Heck, I am not a big metal guy, and am much more of a prog fan, yet Awake (easily one of their three heaviest records) is my favorite, while Octavarium (one of their proggiest) is one of my least favorites.  It's never an exact science.

[home]

I have listened to it twice so far, and I love it. It's great that they did something different than the previous two albums, which was really neccesary I think. The lyrics got me a lot more after reading the story (which is super cliché I know) I really love the music, it's melodic and the sound is great, I like how they've use real bagpipes etc, and the piano sounds amazing. Three days and Lord Nefaryous are my favorits so far, Labrie really shines on both tracks.

[dreamtheater360]

I've probably listened to the whole thing about 4-5 times. If anything, I love it now than my first couple of listens. I'm loving the rock opera feel to it. I applaud them for making an album like this. I personally don't think there are too many ballads, and I really don't see any of the songs as filler. Every change is musical style seems to fit where it needs to be to show the characters and tell the story. I like it, cheese and all.

[mike099]

Wow I put this  album on, with earphones and began cleaning the house.  It's been transformed into the cleanest its ever been.  Astonishing. 
Where's the Heaven's Cove appreciation?

I just had an awesome workout listening at the gym.  This cd will demand several listens.  I like the idea of breaking it into sections when listening.

[TheGreatPretender]

Wow I put this  album on, with earphones and began cleaning the house.  It's been transformed into the cleanest its ever been.  Astonishing. 
Where's the Heaven's Cove appreciation?

I just had an awesome workout listening at the gym.  This cd will demand several listens.  I like the idea of breaking it into sections when listening.

Oh yeah, several listens are a must. So does it really work well for a workout? Or was it just the sheer idea of the new DT album that pumped you up and excited you? Lol

[Ben_Jamin]

Damn, everytime I listen to Lord Nafaryus. I can't help but imagine Diablo Swing Orchestra (I know I said this a lot). But, it's true.

I love Evangeline's theme in A Better Life.  The choir sounds ethereal.

I have so much to say. I guess I'll gather my thoughts and report back.

I knew I'd enjoy this album.

[Duke1]

Really enjoyed listening to this. Fantastic album, very, very well done.

[lovethedrake]

I have no problem with an album full of ballads.. I just want them to be good ballads.  Of course this is more than just ballads but I'm just making the point that an album full of ballads can be great if they are all good.  Jesus Christ superstar is a rock opera and I personally don't hear any filler tracks. 

I will say that the more I immerse myself in the story the sappy ballads are more enjoyable.

[bosk1]

Still too much to take in for me to really draw any definitive conclusions, other than generalizations.  I definitely like this.  Where it will ultimately fall in my album rankings in the DT pantheon, I have no idea.  Far too early to tell. 

Just a few comments:

-I popped disk 2 into my 5.1 system while doing some stuff around the house this morning, and...just...    MAN, this album sounds fantastic! 

-Moment of Betrayal:  I heard the song a bunch of times before getting the album, both because of the official release and because it was one of the 9 songs on the promo.  I liked it right off the bat.  But hearing it in context of the album, right after 2285 Entr'Acte, it really has a huge emotional impact.

-The scream:  This is the only part of the album where I feel like they kind of "dropped the ball" on presenting the story.  That scream is supposed to be something huge.  And while James does it justice with his voice, this is the one area where I feel like some vocal effects were necessary to portray it as something truly otherworldly that deafened Daryus.  Oh well.

Lots I could say about the rest of the songs, but not now.  I think I may rip this to my phone and take a bike ride to let some of it soak in on the road.

[NunoBadmintoncourt]

PEOPLE OF DTF....

This is not a conventional record. This is unlike anything you have ever heard DT do before, ever. It is a ROCK OPERA.

A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections; however, it is not an opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. It is even unlike a "concept album". SFaM was a concept album. This is not. So, when you think that "it's only fragments of songs", you would in fact be partially correct, because it is told in that vein as part of the narrative. Why? Because it is a ROCK OPERA.

Now, you don't have to like it. You may in fact hate it. But it is a ROCK OPERA done by the band, which again...is like NOTHING they have ever done in the past.

I know some of you still won't get this, but at least I hope this can put the record into perspective for some of you before you go trashing it or the band.

Yeah, I find myself baffled by a lot of what I'm hearing from those who don't like it. They wanted something "new", and here it is, yet I hear/see thing like "I wish it was more like (insert past album title here)"

We can't have it both ways.

[Darkstarshades]

I think James should have screamed like he did at BMU,BMD or Octavarium live (OctavariiiioouuuuuuuuuuUuUmMMM)

[Pax]

I haven't been discussing here, so I have two questions:

Is it figured out what those eyes on NOMAC on theastonishing site do? Also, what's that second video? xD