*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[MirrorMask]

I was convinced that in The Road to Revolution Faythe just shares the news with Gabriel, but the booklet says "Gabriel's hideout" as a location, so they're actually together.

So yeah, she probably has an imperial hovering scooter or something to travel to "Long Island" and reach Ravenskill.

[bunceman]

DR numbers for my needledrop of the vinyl version.  Offers a bit more dynamic range but nothing astonishing

foobar2000 1.3.1 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2016-04-02 00:25:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Dream Theater / The Astonishing
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DR         Peak         RMS     Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR9       -7.68 dB   -20.06 dB      1:08 01-A1 Descent Of The Nomacs
DR11      -4.09 dB   -16.37 dB      4:46 02-A2 Dystopian Overture
DR11      -3.71 dB   -15.93 dB      3:56 03-A3 The Gift Of Music
DR11      -4.88 dB   -18.79 dB      1:51 04-A4 The Answer
DR11      -3.93 dB   -16.89 dB      4:35 05-A5 A Better Life
DR11      -1.17 dB   -16.80 dB      3:25 06-B1 Lord Nafaryus
DR10      -4.34 dB   -18.36 dB      4:10 07-B2 A Savior In The Square
DR11      -4.24 dB   -17.54 dB      4:15 08-B3 When Your Time Has Come
DR11      -3.86 dB   -20.30 dB      4:55 09-B4 Act Of Faythe
DR10      -4.58 dB   -16.92 dB      3:41 10-C1 Three Days
DR10      -3.63 dB   -20.01 dB      0:41 11-C2 The Hovering Sojourn
DR11      -4.71 dB   -19.03 dB      4:53 12-C3 Brother Can You Hear Me?
DR11      -3.99 dB   -16.39 dB      5:41 13-C4 A Life Left Behind
DR11      -3.88 dB   -18.30 dB      5:55 14-D1 Ravenskill
DR11      -5.44 dB   -19.38 dB      4:27 15-D2 Chosen
DR10      -4.08 dB   -16.58 dB      4:16 16-D3 A Tempting Offer
DR9       -6.55 dB   -20.65 dB      0:47 17-D4 Digital Discord
DR11      -3.15 dB   -19.68 dB      4:09 18-E1 The X Aspect
DR10      -3.61 dB   -16.00 dB      7:33 19-E2 A New Beginning
DR10      -3.72 dB   -16.30 dB      3:30 20-E3 The Road To Revolution
DR10      -4.06 dB   -16.08 dB      2:17 21-F1 2285 Entr'acte
DR10      -4.09 dB   -16.06 dB      6:06 22-F2 Moment Of Betrayal
DR11      -4.08 dB   -20.31 dB      4:14 23-F3 Heaven's Cove
DR11      -4.60 dB   -19.52 dB      3:50 24-F4 Begin Again
DR11      -4.37 dB   -17.75 dB      5:09 25-G1 The Path That Divides
DR10      -5.80 dB   -21.15 dB      0:55 26-G2 Machine Chatter
DR10      -3.68 dB   -16.40 dB      2:55 27-G3 The Walking Shadow
DR10      -3.34 dB   -15.93 dB      3:42 28-G4 My Last Farewell
DR10      -3.59 dB   -16.95 dB      4:04 29-G5 Losing Faythe
DR11      -6.43 dB   -21.57 dB      1:36 30-H1 Whispers On The Wind
DR10      -4.81 dB   -18.13 dB      3:35 31-H2 Hymn Of A Thousand Voices
DR10      -4.25 dB   -16.09 dB      4:08 32-H3 Our New World
DR10      -3.79 dB   -20.26 dB      1:24 33-H4 Power Down
DR10      -3.03 dB   -17.30 dB      5:40 34-H5 Astonishing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks:  34
Official DR value: DR10

Samplerate:        96000 Hz
Channels:          2
Bits per sample:   24
Bitrate:           2809 kbps
Codec:             FLAC
================================================================================

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[bunceman]

And some spectrums

[jakepriest]

I have absolutely no idea what that means.

[SwedishGoose]

I have absolutely no idea what that means.

Sounds really good to my ears... but then my ears do not show the spectrum 😉

[Kotowboy]

I have absolutely no idea what that means.

It means the album doesn't live in the red where clipping of the sound and audible distortion of the audio occurs.

Imaging if it was Metallica's Death Magnetic - it would be in the red constantly and be a solid block instead of peaks and troughs which is what dynamic music should have.

[SebastianPratesi]

It's possible that she is travelling using that hovering thing you see at the end of the LN live video.

Oh yeah, you're right.

[rumborak]

Anyone else a little confused over the distances involved in the GNE? Nafaryus talks about "the far off reaches of the land" and so forth but then it seems Faythe can zip back and forth between the palace and Ravenskill like it's nothing.

Overall, I was somewhat surprised that with this huge map and place names, the plot happens essentially in one tiny section of it. I mean, given that Nefaryus lives in NYC and Ravenskill is in Long Island (where DT is from) I guess it makes sense, but still, a bit odd.

[SystematicThought]

It is rather condensed and it is somewhat disappointing. This huge place and we only visit three places...But I'm looking forward to what the books and game expand on

[bosk1]

Spam posts have been deleted.  Further spam posts may result in bans.

[jakepriest]

There have been discussions much more "spam-worthy" than this one in this thread. Just saying. 

[DragonAttack]

Two months later, and I'll just direct anyone to a couple of recent posts regarding JC Superstar

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=17755.0

As much as I really enjoyed 95% of the release when it first came out, I check on it off and on and find it falling somewhat out of favor.
I find it too long by about 20 minutes.  JRs piano intros for the most part are deleted.  I wish he'd had more than the right side of the piano available.  I love melodic melodies, but I am totally 'Faytheless' (thanks, RUSH) on my version. 

I also feel I am being preached to.  'Where there's faythe, there is hope'....'Gabriel, my son, I feel the tide is turning', constant 'savior' references

"Amazingly
The savior found his voice
And all together they rejoiced"

oy

Darn.....I wish the NOMACs would have involved JM and MM in sporadic heavy beatdowns, the story told via JR or JP scorching a solo or two where one gets to drift like 'Learning To Live', 8VM......

I have never smiled as much as I have with this release.  There's a word that rarely exists to describe a DT album....and that is 'fun'.  Man, I smiled and had fun the first couple of listens.  But at the end of the day, there is that certain 'something' that is missing.  So it might only get one play a year down the road.  I am not 'hating' on it, just kind of,.... well, I guess .....feelings of growing disappointment.

[Enigmachine]

There's a word that rarely exists to describe a DT album....and that is 'fun'.

IMO that's not right. Name 3 DT releases that aren't fun. That's one of their main qualities for me.

[DragonAttack]

There's a word that rarely exists to describe a DT album....and that is 'fun'.

IMO that's not right. Name 3 DT releases that aren't fun. That's one of their main qualities for me.

SC and BC&SL.....mostly dark and depressing.  I guess I'd throw in Six Degrees.....most of the tracks are musically fantastic, but the topics deal with depression.

TA....I laughed aloud and smiled at various points.  That was a different experience.  After all, there's nothing about partying, or cruisin' 80 mph down the highway with buddies, or raising hell, or having good times in their catalogue.

[jakepriest]

There's a word that rarely exists to describe a DT album....and that is 'fun'.

IMO that's not right. Name 3 DT releases that aren't fun. That's one of their main qualities for me.

SC and BC&SL.....mostly dark and depressing.  I guess I'd throw in Six Degrees.....most of the tracks are musically fantastic, but the topics deal with depression.

TA....I laughed aloud and smiled at various points.  That was a different experience.  After all, there's nothing about partying, or cruisin' 80 mph down the highway with buddies, or raising hell, or having good times in their catalogue.

SC is all fictional stories. I'd say that's pretty fun (like, TDEN is so incredibly silly it's hard to take the lyrics seriously).
BC&SL deals with dark topics, but I'd say the music is pretty uplifting actually.

I guess I don't associate something being fun with whether it is dark or happy. If something is fun, it means I enjoy it for me.

[Enigmachine]

There's a word that rarely exists to describe a DT album....and that is 'fun'.

IMO that's not right. Name 3 DT releases that aren't fun. That's one of their main qualities for me.

SC and BC&SL.....mostly dark and depressing.  I guess I'd throw in Six Degrees.....most of the tracks are musically fantastic, but the topics deal with depression.

TA....I laughed aloud and smiled at various points.  That was a different experience.  After all, there's nothing about partying, or cruisin' 80 mph down the highway with buddies, or raising hell, or having good times in their catalogue.

SC is all fictional stories. I'd say that's pretty fun (like, TDEN is so incredibly silly it's hard to take the lyrics seriously).
BC&SL deals with dark topics, but I'd say the music is pretty uplifting actually.

I guess I don't associate something being fun with whether it is dark or happy. If something is fun, it means I enjoy it for me.

Yep. If the main riff of ANtR (coming in just before the first verse) or the instrumental section of CM aren't fun then I don't what what is.

[BlobVanDam]

There's a word that rarely exists to describe a DT album....and that is 'fun'.

IMO that's not right. Name 3 DT releases that aren't fun. That's one of their main qualities for me.

For me too. That's perhaps the major reason DT are such an anomaly for me in the prog genre (ie. I'm not otherwise a prog fan at all).
That's not to say the music isn't serious too, but there's often a playful element to the music, and you know they're enjoying making music. It's a major element I've personally felt is largely lacking since MP left, but TA brought it back with songs like Three Days.
SC is one of their more fun albums to me, BCASL has a lot of fun parts too.

[Adami]

Awake is my favorite DT album, but I'd hardly call it fun. An album doesn't need to be fun to be great.

Also, yes, I'm sure certain aspects or riffs of Awake may be fun, but I'd still argue it's not fun as an album. I'd say the same (minus some of the greatness) for ADTOE and DT12. Not much fun for me on those.

Of course, I may simply be defining fun differently than most of you.

[BlobVanDam]

Awake is my favorite DT album, but I'd hardly call it fun. An album doesn't need to be fun to be great.

I don't think anyone was arguing an album had to be fun to be great.

Although Awake, DT12 and ADTOE are all ranked right at the bottom for me, so maybe that's not entirely a coincidence here.

[Enigmachine]

It's a major element I've personally felt is largely lacking since MP left, but TA brought it back with songs like Three Days.

I'd say the same (minus some of the greatness) for ADTOE and DT12.

I don't understand. BitS, BAI, EM and StR among quite a few other songs (LNF, FAS, TLG, BtV, AftR and IT) are extremely fun sounding to me. You say "there's often a playful element to the music, and you know they're enjoying making music" and that is certainly present throughout all 3 MM-era albums.

[Kotowboy]

Awake is my favorite DT album, but I'd hardly call it fun. An album doesn't need to be fun to be great.

I don't think anyone was arguing an album had to be fun to be great.

Although Awake, DT12 and ADTOE are all ranked right at the bottom for me, so maybe that's not entirely a coincidence here.

I like A Dramatic Turn Of Events a lot more than both Awake and DT12.

[BlobVanDam]

It's a major element I've personally felt is largely lacking since MP left, but TA brought it back with songs like Three Days.

I'd say the same (minus some of the greatness) for ADTOE and DT12.

I don't understand. BitS, BAI, EM and StR among quite a few other songs (LNF, FAS, TLG, BtV, AftR and IT) are extremely fun sounding to me. You say "there's often a playful element to the music, and you know they're enjoying making music" and that is certainly present throughout all 3 MM-era albums.

Each to their own. We probably have different definitions of what in music is fun. Nothing on ADTOE is *extremely* fun to me, it's overall their most clinical sounding album imo. I don't know what about BAI would be considered fun, it's quite serious. Maybe there's a section I'm forgetting. Similar with STR.
I certainly agree on EM though. While I'm not much of a fan of it, it's absolutely fun! LNF, FAS, and BITS have some fun sections too. I didn't mean to say it was absent from those albums, but to me it's a huge drop off from previous albums, and not a strong element throughout. Contrast it to SFAM which is totally bursting at the seams with that fun factor.

MARRIAGE ANALOGY TIME! SFAM was like a new couple who can't wait to screw each other all over the house and have a lot of fun. ADTOE is a married couple of 15 years with 3 kids organizing a date night a month in advance where an uncle babysits so they can go out and eat at their favourite dependable restaurant and talk about their day at work, and are home by 9pm because they start to worry about the kids having too much sugar before bed.



I just realized you can't spell marriage analogy without anal. Is that relevant? Probably not.

[Enigmachine]

I don't know what about BAI would be considered fun, it's quite serious.

The intro alone is one of the most jovial things they've ever written (as well as the bit after the first chorus with the keyboard + full band call and response) and the piece as a whole is one of their most dynamic and technical songs. It's certainly not a brooding, serious sounding song like 'Repentence' or 'Wither'.

Similar with STR.

Like with BAI, it's a really dynamic, eclectic and energetic song. With the Rush esque into having those crazy fills, the raw solo towards the end, the creative and consistently varying riff following the acoustic part among other sections, I don't know how the song can't be called fun.

MARRIAGE ANALOGY TIME! SFAM was like a new couple who can't wait to screw each other all over the house and have a lot of fun. ADTOE is a married couple of 15 years with 3 kids organizing a date night a month in advance where an uncle babysits so they can go out and eat at their favourite dependable restaurant and talk about their day at work, and are home by 9pm because they start to worry about the kids having too much sugar before bed.

Nah. That doesn't seem right to me at all. DT still had a similar amount of commitments (in terms of how much free time they have outside of making music) for both albums and were both significant turning points in their career (SfaM proving that DT work better without interference and ADToE proving that DT don't need MP). Sure, they were younger during SfaM but still weren't a young band, being active for 14 years at that point.

[BlobVanDam]

We definitely have very different concepts of fun, because to me you're mostly describing proggy, which to me is anti-fun. "Jovial" is not a word that comes to mind with BAI.

I think the analogy works well enough, as far as a silly analogy goes. SFAM had a new DT member / major composer, for a completely new writing dynamic that was fresh and exciting, with so many new ideas. ADTOE was a band down a member, but was otherwise the same lineup they'd had for over a decade at that point. To me it sounded like they were going through the motions to continue. All imo of course! I think we're at the point of "agree to disagree".

[Enigmachine]

We definitely have very different concepts of fun, because to me you're mostly describing proggy, which to me is anti-fun. "Jovial" is not a word that comes to mind with BAI.

I think the analogy works well enough, as far as a silly analogy goes. SFAM had a new DT member / major composer, for a completely new writing dynamic that was fresh and exciting, with so many new ideas. ADTOE was a band down a member, but was otherwise the same lineup they'd had for over a decade at that point. To me it sounded like they were going through the motions to continue. All imo of course! I think we're at the point of "agree to disagree".

Proggy is anti-fun? Ok...

Yeah, we're definitely speaking on different wavelengths.

[hefdaddy42]

Yeah, but Blob is the anomaly.

In a forum full of prog fans, he is the one who doesn't like prog.

Of course, his opinion is still valid.

[bosk1]

Of course, his opinion is still valid.

Perhaps.  But while maybe valid, it is still worthy of being mocked and marginalized. 

[Lax]

About volume it's no joke, I felt at high volume in the car some songs boosted (especially around the walking shadow). I have to stop listening to albums at the edge of ear pain

[Enigmachine]

I have to stop listening to albums at the edge of ear pain

Well... clearly yeah. That's not a good idea.

[Prog Snob]

We definitely have very different concepts of fun, because to me you're mostly describing proggy, which to me is anti-fun. "Jovial" is not a word that comes to mind with BAI.

I think the analogy works well enough, as far as a silly analogy goes. SFAM had a new DT member / major composer, for a completely new writing dynamic that was fresh and exciting, with so many new ideas. ADTOE was a band down a member, but was otherwise the same lineup they'd had for over a decade at that point. To me it sounded like they were going through the motions to continue. All imo of course! I think we're at the point of "agree to disagree".

Proggy is anti-fun? Ok...

I don't get that either. That's like saying a comedy movie can't be funny just because you don't find humor in it. 

[Logain Ablar]

That's like saying a comedy movie can't be funny just because you don't find humor in it. 

You obviously haven't seen any of Adam Sandler's recent output.. 

[Prog Snob]

That's like saying a comedy movie can't be funny just because you don't find humor in it. 

You obviously haven't seen any of Adam Sandler's recent output.. 

Why would I want to do that?   

[hefdaddy42]

That's like saying a comedy movie can't be funny just because you don't find humor in it. 

You obviously haven't seen any of Adam Sandler's recent output.. 

Why would ANYONE want to do that?   

FTFY

[Prog Snob]

That's like saying a comedy movie can't be funny just because you don't find humor in it. 

You obviously haven't seen any of Adam Sandler's recent output.. 

Why would ANYONE want to do that?   

FTFE (Everyone)

FTFY   

[Kotowboy]

Red Letter Media's Jack & Jill review is amazing.