question for musicians

[palmeiras]

What do you think about astonishing music structure,  harmonies, Arrangements?

[Dream Team]

Uh, 

[Enigmachine]

yes



Don't really know what to say, just that the album is amazing in all aspects. What specifically are you asking?

[Architeuthis]

  .   And then some!!!

[BlackInk]

Overall pretty good. A few flaws, one of the big ones being that really boring and cheesy chord progression they chose to include over and over again throughout the album. I don't know how to describe it, but it's the one at about 0:32 in A Better Life. About the third time they included that I started rolling my eyes, and it didn't get better from there. I think that's a pretty lazy aspect of the writing of the music on this album. But like I said, overall it's good.

[bosk1]

I don't see anything in this topic that doesn't fit the general The Astonishing thread.  But in terms of structure, here is a thought I had:

People have noted that the album feels a bit imbalanced because Act 2 is so much shorter.  We have also learned that content was cut from Act 1 because it would not fit on a single CD.  Here is a thought about how the structure of the album could possibly be "improved" IMO:  Break it into 3 CDs and make it a tad longer.  Yeah, I know a few folks feel it is too long already.  But if it flowed differently, it might not feel that way.  The structure of the album is very traditional for musicals.  But a 3 Act structure is also very traditional.  If they did this, Act 1 (CD 1) could be Descent through Three Days, Act 2 (CD 2) could be The Hovering Sojourn, and Act 3 (CD 3) could be what is considered to be the existing Act 2 (CD 2).  Actually, with this structure, Moment of Betrayal could potentially be moved to the end of Act 2 and I think it would work.  And the bits that were redacted from Act 1 and Act 2 could be put back in.  And, potentially, Act 3 could be trimmed just a bit if necessary to make it feel more balanced.  Not sure what I would trim, but if any trimming was needed, this would be the area.

Anyhow, not that I don't love the album as it is.  But since we are talking structure, that occurred to me as an alternate way it could have been done that would have at least been just as good, and could potentially have been even better.

[Kotowboy]

Melodically I think it's one of their strongest. Definitely since Six Degrees Disc 2.

Structurally I find that all songs flow nicely into each other and you just want to keep listening.

I like the arrangements however some songs like The Answer just leave you wanting more.

And some other songs - whilst short feel like mini epics with the big crescendo/slow down at the end which doesn't warrant the length.

I don't know if this is a feature of rock operas or musicals.

[red barchetta]

What do you think about astonishing music structure,  harmonies, Arrangements?

Repetitive, no killer harmonies as usual, bass sound very low, the best songs are only ballads.

[Prog Snob]

It's severely lacking in whahibrido pickingant.

[Evermind]

It's severely lacking in whahibrido pickingant.

I saw this thread and I knew I must resist writing that.

It has a lot of erent techniques though.

[Prog Snob]

It's severely lacking in whahibrido pickingant.

I saw this thread and I knew I must resist writing that.

It has a lot of erent techniques though.

It has been a while so I thought it was time to mention it again. 

[Bill]

As someone who has written scores of songs and plays guitar, bass, sings, programs drums and keyboards, records loads...TA is mind blowing. My overriding thought as a musician is...how the heck do they come up with this stuff, aligned with intense jealously of people who have infinitely more talent than me!

[BlackInk]

As someone who has written scores of songs and plays guitar, bass, sings, programs drums and keyboards, records loads...TA is mind blowing. My overriding thought as a musician is...how the heck do they come up with this stuff, aligned with intense jealously of people who have infinitely more talent than me!

I know this sounds really douchy, but I feel the opposite. Like, I hear The Astonishing and feel encouraged because I think like "I can do better than this".

[rab7]

I don't know how to describe it, but it's the one at about 0:32 in A Better Life. About the third time they included that I started rolling my eyes, and it didn't get better from there. I think that's a pretty lazy aspect of the writing of the music on this album.

I don't know the technical name for it, but it's a suspended chord followed by its normal chord. I noticed it happened a lot too.

Similarly, this album has a lot of plagal cadence, where a IV chord goes to a I. Listen to the end of "Losing Faythe" when Naf says "Make life begin again" the chord behind it is a IV, which resolves to the I. It's very common in church music because it sounds like "Amen"

[Enigmachine]

As someone who has written scores of songs and plays guitar, bass, sings, programs drums and keyboards, records loads...TA is mind blowing. My overriding thought as a musician is...how the heck do they come up with this stuff, aligned with intense jealously of people who have infinitely more talent than me!

I know this sounds really douchy, but I feel the opposite. Like, I hear The Astonishing and feel encouraged because I think like "I can do better than this".

Ok, it's convenient that you actually have something to offer when making a statement like that.

I scanned through some of your stuff on soundcloud (listening to Long to Forget now) and it's some really cool atmospheric prog metal (seems Fates Warning inspired). You got some non-MIDI stuff? It's not better than TA material (which would be pretty damned difficult IMO) but good nonetheless.

[BlackInk]

Never listened to Fates Warning actually, so no not inspired by that. And no I don't have any non-MIDI stuff yet, though I'm working on it. Thanks for listening and commenting.

Coincidentaly, Long to Forget is part of a two-disc concept album, one that I so far personally feel trumps TA in most areas. Again, I know I sound like a douche saying that, but I'm not saying that I'm better than Dream Theater, just better than what I feel that The Astonishing is.

[Enigmachine]

It's nice to have confidence in your music I guess. Sometimes it's tiring to see people try to be uber modest when getting people to listen to their stuff. If you feel that what you have made is stronger than what a band you admire, there's probably no point lying about that.

[Outcrier]

I know this sounds really douchy, but I feel the opposite. Like, I hear The Astonishing and feel encouraged because I think like "I can do better than this".

But that's not that difficult. Do something on par with Scenes and now we are talking 

[BlackInk]

Yeah, I wouldn't feel right saying I can do better than Scenes.

[Enigmachine]

But that's not that difficult.

Lets not get carried away here.