Astonishing (song) appreciation thread

[hefdaddy42]

I've seen a few people say they don't care for the closing song of the new album, but I think it is fantastic.  Appreciate and discuss.

[rab7]

"Music REIGNS forevermore" always gives me goosebumps.

Also, I love how it closes with Brother Can You Hear Me, like how Les Mis closes with Do You Hear the People Sing

[RoadTrain_of Thought]

I really like the ending, am a little bit disappointed that it finished with "again" instead of "astonishing".

[MirrorMask]

Love the song, a worthy epic closure to an epic album and an excellent finale. Every character gets his closure, their themes reappear, and I can already see the whole theatre waving hands back and forth in unison during the "People can you hear us" final section, where I'll probably be in tears due to the emotional moment of the ending of the show (and story).

Also it's the only mentioning of the title in the lyrics, a bit weird that it's not the very last word but it's ok nevertheless. Wonderful song all in all.

[hefdaddy42]

I really like the ending, am a little bit disappointed that it finished with "again" instead of "astonishing".

Why?

[RoeDent]

I've said this before; this is the most epic ending to a DT album since Octavarium. Astonishing is the perfect finale for this movie in sound. It ties everything together wonderfully.

[thosava]

It's the perfect ending. I just can't get enough of the final ensemble part. I love it when they all kick in; choirs, brass instruments, some guitar soloing and vocals all together. I wouldn't like it if the album ended on Our New World, it's very good but doesn't feel like an album closer.

[RoeDent]

The ensemble part will be an arms-swaying moment live, surely!

[RoadTrain_of Thought]

I really like the ending, am a little bit disappointed that it finished with "again" instead of "astonishing".

Why?

I just think that it would be a nice to end it that way. I still like the current ending though.

[Logain Ablar]

"Music REIGNS forevermore" always gives me goosebumps.

Also, I love how it closes with Brother Can You Hear Me, like how Les Mis closes with Do You Hear the People Sing

I noticed the similarity with Les Mis too. 

My one tiny tiny nitpick is that they could have held the last chord for just a couple of seconds longer, and it would have been perfect!

[hefdaddy42]

I've said this before; this is the most epic ending to a DT album since Octavarium. Astonishing is the perfect finale for this movie in sound. It ties everything together wonderfully.

It's the perfect ending. I just can't get enough of the final ensemble part. I love it when they all kick in; choirs, brass instruments, some guitar soloing and vocals all together.

I agree completely with these two posts.

[Progmetty]

My only problem with this song -and Our New World for that matter- is that I keep looking at it within the context of the plot and lyrics, in which case I don't feel it at all cause I don't believe any of the problems the plot sets off at the beginning of the album is resolved and I don't believe justice was done.
I know I need to start listening to this album with music in mind more than the plot and then when I'm used to both it'll be fine and I'll be more objective.

[Tomislav95]

It's definitely in my top 34
JK, one of my favorites in Act II, love the intro and brother, can you hear us part. I think it's good way to end the album, not the most epic thing ever but pretty epic IMO.

[rab7]

I don't believe any of the problems the plot sets off at the beginning of the album is resolved and I don't believe justice was done.

How exactly are the problems not solved? In the beginning we have no humanmade music and a huge wealth gap between the rich and poor.

In the end, the emperor powers down the NOMACS and allows human music back into the world. Additionally, "we will build a world on common ground/people we will never hold you down" as well as Faythe's "I will be a voice for change so they can live the life they never had" is a promise from the rich to close that gap. I don't know how they'll go about doing it, but I'd say that's a very optimistic start.

Additionally, as a result of this, Xander gets the better life that Arhys promised Evangeline.

Also, in terms of Justice, the most evil character Daryus was punished by becoming permanently deaf in a world that will soon be filled with astonishing humanmade music.

[hefdaddy42]

^ yeah ^

[IdoSC]

Absolutely love this song! It takes the idea The Shattered Fortress (along with most finale songs in many operas out there) had of borrowing previous concepts from the songs it concludes and re-purpose these ideas to tell a grander, happier story now that the story ends.

But quite unlike The Shattered Fortress, and much like Losing Time / Grand Finale and Finally Free, it also capitalizes on the feeling of climax the end of a saga is supposed to have (TSF, to me, just barely reaches that at the end of the song).

I also love the more original lines (melodically) that Faythe and Arabelle had in that song, and they absolutely nailed the eerie yet peaceful feeling that Ghost Arhys was supposed to have with the echo to James' voice and the slower arrangement in the background. Kinda reminded me of the feel I get listening to the  "Move on be brave" part @ TSCO in Metropolis 2000, as sung by Theresa.

I really like the ending, am a little bit disappointed that it finished with "again" instead of "astonishing".

I've felt like that initially, but honestly I like the way it was done after all - yes, it would've been cool if the album ended with THE titular adjective, but the album's name comes from "Gabriel the Astonishing", and if it just ended with "Our lives will be astonishing" I feel it would've "stole his thunder" as far as the reasoning for the album's name goes. As it is, it's just a little nugget or something; it's a nice phrase to conclude the album with, and one of these words also happens to be the name of the album and the song.

[Progmetty]

I don't believe any of the problems the plot sets off at the beginning of the album is resolved and I don't believe justice was done.

How exactly are the problems not solved? In the beginning we have no humanmade music and a huge wealth gap between the rich and poor.

In the end, the emperor powers down the NOMACS and allows human music back into the world. Additionally, "we will build a world on common ground/people we will never hold you down" as well as Faythe's "I will be a voice for change so they can live the life they never had" is a promise from the rich to close that gap. I don't know how they'll go about doing it, but I'd say that's a very optimistic start.

Additionally, as a result of this, Xander gets the better life that Arhys promised Evangeline.

Also, in terms of Justice, the most evil character Daryus was punished by becoming permanently deaf in a world that will soon be filled with astonishing humanmade music.

First of all I don't think the music deal was the only problem that Arhys and the rebels had, I don't even think it was on their top 3 problems.
A "cold blooded, wicked tyrant" who's reign is distinguished by "corruption and greed", people are in rags and "live the life of misery and pain", overworked like slaves as we see in the trailer, have constant surveillance from the NOMAC's and "we will build a world on common ground/people we will never hold you down" is the explanation to how all this was resolved and justice is done?
The man who killed the leader of the rebellion, orphaned his child and threatened to kill that child twice, is going to be the next emperor and there is no proof on the album of that not happening, am I to think that Gabriel is going to tell the Ravenskill militia "it's all good now, we have human music" and they'll quit fighting after their leader has been murdered by heir of the emperor they were rebelling against?
Are we to assume that a child who witnessed his father's death is not traumatized? let alone accept growing up with Daryus going unpunished? Tell a kid who sees his father's murderer walk free that it's okay cause he's deaf..
I can accept all this if the story should be treated like a fairy tale where these details shouldn't matter.

[pcs90]

Very epic ending, up there with Octavarium, Six Degrees and Illumination Theory as far as endings go.

[erwinrafael]

It really works for me as the curtain call song in the musical where the actors go out to receive their applause. Not the climax.

[jjfumbly]

I said this in another threat that I like how the whole album ends on a "fat squealie" but I think the power is somewhat stripped from the ending bc JLB ends on the safe octave. Had he sung the word "again" an octave higher, I think it would've made the ending all the more glorious.

[erwinrafael]

I said this in another threat that I like how the whole album ends on a "fat squealie" but I think the power is somewhat stripped from the ending bc JLB ends on the safe octave. Had he sung the word "again" an octave higher, I think it would've made the ending all the more glorious.

That would end the tour early. 

[rab7]

I don't believe any of the problems the plot sets off at the beginning of the album is resolved and I don't believe justice was done.

How exactly are the problems not solved? In the beginning we have no humanmade music and a huge wealth gap between the rich and poor.

In the end, the emperor powers down the NOMACS and allows human music back into the world. Additionally, "we will build a world on common ground/people we will never hold you down" as well as Faythe's "I will be a voice for change so they can live the life they never had" is a promise from the rich to close that gap. I don't know how they'll go about doing it, but I'd say that's a very optimistic start.

Additionally, as a result of this, Xander gets the better life that Arhys promised Evangeline.

Also, in terms of Justice, the most evil character Daryus was punished by becoming permanently deaf in a world that will soon be filled with astonishing humanmade music.

First of all I don't think the music deal was the only problem that Arhys and the rebels had, I don't even think it was on their top 3 problems.
A "cold blooded, wicked tyrant" who's reign is distinguished by "corruption and greed", people are in rags and "live the life of misery and pain", overworked like slaves as we see in the trailer, have constant surveillance from the NOMAC's and "we will build a world on common ground/people we will never hold you down" is the explanation to how all this was resolved and justice is done?
The man who killed the leader of the rebellion, orphaned his child and threatened to kill that child twice, is going to be the next emperor and there is no proof on the album of that not happening, am I to think that Gabriel is going to tell the Ravenskill militia "it's all good now, we have human music" and they'll quit fighting after their leader has been murdered by heir of the emperor they were rebelling against?
Are we to assume that a child who witnessed his father's death is not traumatized? let alone accept growing up with Daryus going unpunished? Tell a kid who sees his father's murderer walk free that it's okay cause he's deaf..
I can accept all this if the story should be treated like a fairy tale where these details shouldn't matter.

Like I said, "we will build a world..." isn't the end, but it's the beginning of the answer. Of course it'll take time to go from rags to better, and that could take years to get done, but there's definitely a process starting.

The cold-blooded wickedness probably came from the incessant drone of the NOMACS. Someone mentioned either here or another thread that the NOMACS have clouded Nafaryus's judgment. The end of the NOMACS as well as the "pride and ignorance [receding] to reveal a humbled man" will most likely end that wickedness.

Daryus, I'll admit, him being the next emperor seems like a problem that can't just be pushed aside because he's deaf. But if we're going back to the whole "building a world on common ground" idea, it's quite probable they'll go back to a Democratic Republic like it was 300 years ago. A House of Representatives where everyone gets a voice. Elected leaders rather than feudalism.

Of course X will carry that trauma forever, but he'll have Gabriel and Faythe to support him through it, unlike that kid in Looper who would've seen his mom die, escape on a train, and become the next Hitler.

The rebels were rebelling because they wanted a better life. Since the emperor is starting to promise that, there's no reason to rebel anymore.

[hefdaddy42]

Had he sung the word "again" an octave higher, I think it would've made the ending all the more glorious.

I disagree.  I think that would have been a more typical prog/power metal ending.  I'm glad he did it the way he did.