*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[bosk1]

The credits roll on the screens at the end is also a nice effect.

[King Postwhore]

Sure was. They got the "play" feeling down perfect.

[darkshade]

DT should play the opening 3 tracks, walk off stage, then come back and James would say "Thanks guys, it's been a great evening, drive home safe" and the band proceeds to play the rest of the album as their encore. They can eat their cake and not encore the title track.

[fadetoblackdude7]

Sure was. They got the "play" feeling down perfect.

That was cool. I was savoring every moment cuz there's probably never gonna be a show like this from them. 10/10

[MirrorMask]

Talking about the end of the show, anyone else went completely nuts (the hype of the show and album finishing surely helped) when the Majesty symbol appeared on screen? 

[Dream Team]

Pretty sure my fave vocal passage on TA is in MLF beginning with "Don't leave me now . . . ". There are a ton of others.

[AngelBack]

Pretty sure my fave vocal passage on TA is in MLF beginning with "Don't leave me now . . . ". There are a ton of others.

Mine too, James tone and emotion on those few lines rivals his best to me.

[BelichickFan]

Pretty sure my fave vocal passage on TA is in MLF beginning with "Don't leave me now . . . ". There are a ton of others.

Mine is :

Gabriel, my son
I see the tide is turning
Can the Chosen One
Keep her fire burning?
I would trade my life
Just for one last moment

Use your gift, I beg
Make life begin again
Make life begin again!

Yum.

[Shooters1221]

Pretty sure my fave vocal passage on TA is in MLF beginning with "Don't leave me now . . . ". There are a ton of others.

Mine is :

Gabriel, my son
I see the tide is turning
Can the Chosen One
Keep her fire burning?
I would trade my life
Just for one last moment

Use your gift, I beg
Make life begin again
Make life begin again!

Yum.

I have many vocal favs on TA also, but the one that always sticks when I am pissed is..

Heed my words
Justice will be served

[erwinrafael]

Fav vocal lines would be the exchange between Arhys and Faythe in Ravenskill. Amazing.

[RoeDent]

Apart from those mentioned, my favourite vocal line is in Lord Nafaryus. JLB's theatrical delivery on "Such a foolish young man/Doesn't seem to understand", then the evil streak comes in on "So let me be perfectly clear!"

[fischermasamune]

It is a slightly girly passage, but I really like "There's a reeeeeason now I see" and the variations.

[RoeDent]

It's funny that the Astonishing pre-release thread took c. 2½ months (Nov 6-Jan 21) to reach 200 pages, and this post-release thread has taken 3½ months (Jan 29-present) and counting just to reach 100 pages.

[SystematicThought]

Pretty sure my fave vocal passage on TA is in MLF beginning with "Don't leave me now . . . ". There are a ton of others.

The little flair he puts on "now" is awesome!

[Mladen]

Yep, that's a very subtle touch.

I have way too many favorite James moments on the albums. I would probably toss a coin to pick between "Open eyes, help me see which choice is right!" and the entire "How dare you step inside my home?" section.

[ReaPsTA]

Pretty sure my fave vocal passage on TA is in MLF beginning with "Don't leave me now . . . ". There are a ton of others.

This one's great.

I have to give the cop out answer and say there's too many to pick a best one. Although my favorite right now is near the end of Path That Divides, the "You dare defy your prince" part. Does a really good job with the character and his delivery's really intense and menacing.

[V_R11]

Has anyone else noticed the tiny fact that every other person is mentioned by name at some point,but Daryus and Xander are always just called sons?

[Prog Snob]

I did notice that. I'm guessing wherever their name was required, "son" made the lyrics flow better.

[SebastianPratesi]

Has anyone else noticed the tiny fact that every other person in mentioned by name at some point,but Daryus and Xander are always just called sons?

Xander is mentioned, in "The Path That Divides":

- By the Narrator, although not by his full name ('Confused and deathly afraid, X watched his hero be brave')
- By Daryus ('Well, you just threw your life away, along with Xander's dreams')

But yeah, Daryus is never mentioned, I think.

[V_R11]

Has anyone else noticed the tiny fact that every other person is mentioned by name at some point,but Daryus and Xander are always just called sons?

Xander is mentioned, in "The Path That Divides":

- By the Narrator, although not by his full name ('Confused and deathly afraid, X watched his hero be brave')
- By Daryus ('Well, you just threw your life away, along with Xander's dreams')

But yeah, Daryus is never mentioned, I think.

Damn it,I did a quick scan through the lyrics before posting this, and forgot about those parts in TPTD 
But they never mention Daryus by name. Just a little thing that caught my eye

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Xander's name is uttered in "A Tempting Offer" as well.

[cramx3]

Xander's name is uttered in "A Tempting Offer" as well.

"and best of all, Xandar would be free" I think is the line

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Xander's name is uttered in "A Tempting Offer" as well.

"and best of all, Xandar would be free" I think is the line

He'll never want again....it's such an easy choice...

Love that song and James' delivery in it.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

A Tempting Offer is one of my favorites off the album. The chord progression is so amazing.

[bosk1]

A Tempting Offer is one of my favorites off the album. The chord progression is so amazing.

Agreed.  I hate to keep repeating myself, but the 4 song run from Ravenskill through The X Aspect (excluding the NOMAC interlude as a "song") is my favorite part of the album.  Those 4 are among the strongest on the album, and to have them back to back is just incredible.

[MirrorMask]

Today I was listening to the album going to and back from work. I take the subway which at a certain point, in the suburbs, comes up from the ground and travels at street level. The exact moment during Losing Faythe when the "Gabriel, my son" part comes in, the subway came up in the surface and I was greeted by the cool late evening sun. It was a glorious moment 

[Dirty30]

Having a twenty-one year old daughter, I absolutely love how James sings: "To think I didn't notice the way you looked at her! Now come down from your throne and let me bring you back to earth." The menace in his voice captures a doting father perfectly.   

[Prog Snob]

Xander's name is uttered in "A Tempting Offer" as well.

"and best of all, Xandar would be free" I think is the line

I remember it now.

[TAC]

A Tempting Offer is one of my favorites off the album. The chord progression is so amazing.

Agreed.  I hate to keep repeating myself, but the 4 song run from Ravenskill through The X Aspect (excluding the NOMAC interlude as a "song") is my favorite part of the album.  Those 4 are among the strongest on the album, and to have them back to back is just incredible.

OK, so I LOVE The Astonishing. But I also feel that the criticisms of too many slow parts is totally fair. And this passage is an example. I feel like Chosen, which by itself is a fine song, breaks up that whole passage and makes it feel a little choppy.

[cramx3]

Having a twenty-one year old daughter, I absolutely love how James sings: "To think I didn't notice the way you looked at her! Now come down from your throne and let me bring you back to earth." The menace in his voice captures a doting father perfectly.   

Do you have a pic? 

[emtee]

A Tempting Offer is one of my favorites off the album. The chord progression is so amazing.

Agreed.  I hate to keep repeating myself, but the 4 song run from Ravenskill through The X Aspect (excluding the NOMAC interlude as a "song") is my favorite part of the album.  Those 4 are among the strongest on the album, and to have them back to back is just incredible.

I would expand that to include A Life Left Behind thru A New Beginning. Easily my favorite part of the album.

[bosk1]

A Tempting Offer is one of my favorites off the album. The chord progression is so amazing.

Agreed.  I hate to keep repeating myself, but the 4 song run from Ravenskill through The X Aspect (excluding the NOMAC interlude as a "song") is my favorite part of the album.  Those 4 are among the strongest on the album, and to have them back to back is just incredible.

OK, so I LOVE The Astonishing. But I also feel that the criticisms of too many slow parts is totally fair. And this passage is an example. I feel like Chosen, which by itself is a fine song, breaks up that whole passage and makes it feel a little choppy.

I disagree.  Chosen is one of my favorite ballads they have ever written.  And story-wise, I feel like it is a great interlude between Ravenskill, where we get a sense of foreboding because Faythe's and Gabriel's plan is coming together but we know Daryus' machinations are going to cause problems, and A Tempting Offer, where we see that come to fruition.  It is fitting that we get that interlude right at that spot, and Gabriel's role as the chosen one is fitting to be expanded upon at that time because his role actually is expanded by virtue of him accepting Faythe's invitation to persuade her father. 

In contrast, Act of Faythe interrupts the flow of When Your Time Has Come and Three Days.  But the problem is, it is necessary to introduce Faythe and develop her character, and it doesn't really fit anywhere else, so it kinda gets shoehorned in.  Chosen isn't that.  It actually fits perfectly where it is.

[bosk1]

A Tempting Offer is one of my favorites off the album. The chord progression is so amazing.

Agreed.  I hate to keep repeating myself, but the 4 song run from Ravenskill through The X Aspect (excluding the NOMAC interlude as a "song") is my favorite part of the album.  Those 4 are among the strongest on the album, and to have them back to back is just incredible.

I would expand that to include A Life Left Behind thru A New Beginning. Easily my favorite part of the album.

A Life Left Behind is good, but doesn't quite rise to the level of the four I cited.  And while I don't dislike A New Beginning, I am not as crazy about it as some.  The latter instrumental half is really good, but the first half doesn't grab me nearly as much.  Both are still really good songs, but if I'm picking out the strongest run of songs on the album, I'm not going to include those.

[MirrorMask]

My favorite run would be the beginning, basically everything from the start until When your Time has Come, extend that even to Three Days.

[Mladen]

Can I pick my favorite run of songs? From Act of Faythe up to and including Ravenskill. That includes The Hovering sojourn.