- " The Astonishing " - One Year -- er, EIGHT YEARS On.

[Art]

I liked when it came out, but the novelty wore off really quick, and i must have listened to it one or two times in this year.

Well considering this year is only 20 days old, once or twice in that time might be the average amount of listens. 

[Adami]

I like it. I don't love it, but it's mostly good. Lots of good stuff, plenty of flaws too. Better than DT12, worse than all my top albums.

[bosk1]

But I'm still left with this frustration.  Some of the coolest and most unique little clips of music they've written lately are very fleeting.  Aside from the TA portions above, the DT12 easter egg is another one of them.

YES!  I even sent this email to JP under the heading "This has been bothering me for several months now, and I just have to get it off my chest": 

2:22-2:44 in Ravenskill.  One of the tastiest riffs in DT history.  And you only give us...22 seconds of it, and it is never to be heard from again???  Why, John?  WHY???

Okay, I feel better now having vented.  Thanks for listening.

[jsbru]

But I'm still left with this frustration.  Some of the coolest and most unique little clips of music they've written lately are very fleeting.  Aside from the TA portions above, the DT12 easter egg is another one of them.

YES!  I even sent this email to JP under the heading "This has been bothering me for several months now, and I just have to get it off my chest": 

2:22-2:44 in Ravenskill.  One of the tastiest riffs in DT history.  And you only give us...22 seconds of it, and it is never to be heard from again???  Why, John?  WHY???

Okay, I feel better now having vented.  Thanks for listening.

Too bad JLB stayed in Canada to record.  If this were during the Awake sessions, he would have taken that one riff and made it into an entire song like Puppies on Acid --> Lie. 

[Architeuthis]

Easily amongst my favorite DT albums. I still listen to it quite frequently and it always puts me in a better mood.
Like somebody else said in this thread, it would be a shame not to have a live TA concert in our living rooms on blu-ray or dvd.    I hope they find a way to make it happen in the near future.  I know, I know,   everything is never enough!   

[jsbru]

I'm still holding out hope for their Asian/Australian leg to feature a recording session.

I sort of hope they do more than just the live show, though.  Would be cool to get a vocalist for each character and get people in costumes, stage props, etc.  But also limiting JLB to Ahrys wouldn't be totally fair to him.  Maybe they do this later as a full musical, and just do the Blu-Ray like a normal concert.

[Evai]

Yesss. Make it as camp as fuck who cares, I wanna see a sword fight on stage while petrucci rocks out!

[JRuless]

It's the only Dream Theater album that I have never purchased.  Listened to the singles, wasn't impressed.  When I learned that the majority of the album was like the singles, I had no desire to buy it or listen to the whole thing.

Unbelievable. Maybe skip most of the album but take some time to enjoy at least part of the second half of Act I:  LLB - ANB.....
Never listened a second from that?

[pcs90]

I loved it immediately, and still do. It's in my top 3. Yeah, the story itself is a bit cheesy, but the music is just so awesome and James had one of his best performances IMO.

[bosk1]

It's the only Dream Theater album that I have never purchased.  Listened to the singles, wasn't impressed.  When I learned that the majority of the album was like the singles, I had no desire to buy it or listen to the whole thing.

Unbelievable. Maybe skip most of the album but take some time to enjoy at least part of the second half of Act I:  LLB - ANB.....
Never listened a second from that?

  Why should he listen to the album when he has heard representative tracks from it and has concluded that they don't jibe with his interests/tastes? 

[jsbru]

It's hard to be a fan of prog rock, and not be able to get over cheesiness at the same time.

You know what's cheesey?  Kiss basically making a living playing in costumes.  Yeah, it's cheesey, but you get over it pretty quickly and learn to allow yourself to be entertained.

Bring on the costumes!!!

If Peter Gabriel can perform in this, JLB can certainly sport an Ahrys costume.

[Metropolis Pt. II]

Unfortunately, The Astonishing has made me seriously question my interest in any future endeavors of DT, and honestly, this makes me kinda sad. The album was very underwhelming for me, and my opinion has stayed the same for the past year. I tried to get into it but I just couldn't! I listened through the album perhaps 15 times total and I just don't care for the style.

Dream Theater has been my favorite band since I discovered them in 2004, and my favorite album is SFAM (just to give some context here). I really enjoy most their catalog, but if they release another album in the same vein as TA or DT12, I'm afraid that I might not be a fan of their music anymore.

Obviously it doesn't matter if I like their music or not in the grand scheme of things, but I am a very loyal person and it bothers me if I have to stop listening to my favorite band. I want to like their music, because I've liked nearly everything they've made. But for the first time I'm facing the reality that perhaps DT is not going to be my favorite band for much longer. Ugh, I hated typing that.

Sorry for throwing a pity party here, but this is a big deal for me. 

[erwinrafael]

James can not play Arhys. He won't be able to finish the show. 

Obviously he should play Gabriel to be the hero of the show. However, his best vocal performances were as Nafaryus. Should he then wear a split costume with Gabriel on the left side and Nafaryus on the right?

Now that's cheesy. 

[Mosh]

There is so much music out there, I don't blame someone for not wanting to devote 2 hours to something when they already dislike the singles. I doubt anyone here has ever disliked a single on the radio and then proceeded to buy the whole album. 

As for me, I pretty much formed my opinion the first time I heard it and it hasn't changed since. Very unusual considering the density of the album and that my opinion on these things fluctuate. I also listened to it a lot when it was new and saw them play it live, so I gave it time to grow. My opinion has changed more on ADTOE than The Astonishing, for example.


Basically I think it's a solid album and I'm thrilled they tried something so ambitious this late in their career. It's the sort of album I'd expect fans to fantasize about, but they wouldn't actually make. The first disc is very good but it flounders in the second. The entire thing just falls just short of greatness, but this is its biggest downfall. For a 2 hour rock opera, just shy of greatness isn't going to keep me coming back. I don't have the time or motivation to devote my attention to that much music. Last time I listened to it was in October and I can't really see myself revisiting it much going forward.

[red barchetta]

Unfortunately, The Astonishing has made me seriously question my interest in any future endeavors of DT, and honestly, this makes me kinda sad. The album was very underwhelming for me, and my opinion has stayed the same for the past year. I tried to get into it but I just couldn't! I listened through the album perhaps 15 times total and I just don't care for the style.

Dream Theater has been my favorite band since I discovered them in 2004, and my favorite album is SFAM (just to give some context here). I really enjoy most their catalog, but if they release another album in the same vein as TA or DT12, I'm afraid that I might not be a fan of their music anymore.

Obviously it doesn't matter if I like their music or not in the grand scheme of things, but I am a very loyal person and it bothers me if I have to stop listening to my favorite band. I want to like their music, because I've liked nearly everything they've made. But for the first time I'm facing the reality that perhaps DT is not going to be my favorite band for much longer. Ugh, I hated typing that.

Sorry for throwing a pity party here, but this is a big deal for me. 

It's about exactly how I feel. They had become "Gods" for me. The next album is a crucial one for me. I want to fall in love again.

[KevShmev]

I still love it.  It's a flawed album, one I think didn't quite hit the mark they were aiming for, but as it is, I still think it is pretty great.  Just about all of disc 1 is great, and most of disc 2 ranges from very good to great, too.  I still don't give a darn about the story (I have still never got out the booklet and read any lyrics).  Songs like Ravenskill, Chosen, A New Beginning, Three Days, A Better Life, The Answer, Our New World, Moment of Betrayal and Act of Faythe are DT songs I know I'll still be listening to in 10 years.

[Architeuthis]

The only cringeworthy moment is on act 2,  the part with the crying. I like the crickets,  but the crying is so canned!   I wonder where that sound sample came from?  Aside from that, the whole album is music to the ears in the best way! 

[jsbru]

The overly fake crying is bad, but I'm in the camp that cringes during the "music player" part.  That part is musically cheesy enough, but still possible to ignore by itselg.  "Music player" are just the wrong words there from a poetic standpoint.

[tristl]

after the first listening i was quite dissapointed, thought it was to mellow, after many, many listenings and two the astonishing live experiences, i really, really love it.
i just hope there will be a live dvd, one special event they anounce in advantage so i can be there

[erwinrafael]

The overly fake crying is bad, but I'm in the camp that cringes during the "music player" part.  That part is musically cheesy enough, but still possible to ignore by itselg.  "Music player" are just the wrong words there from a poetic standpoint.

This I don't get. Calling a music player with something high falluting to sound poetic would have been the cheesy choice.

It's a music player.

[mikemangioy]

The Astonishing works really really well for me, viewing it as a musical. I still think the end is really rushed and could've been developed better, but the rest of the stuff is incredible (aside from a few unnecessary tracks such as Begin Again).
The thing is, as a Dream Theater album, it does not even compare to the others, just because it is so different, both musically and conceptually. So, yeah, I like it when I listen to it as a whole, but I'd never even compare it to the other stuff.

I think the biggest difference between the two "big" DT concept records is that SFAM is a Dream Theater album, but The Astonishing is a soundtrack to a story, composed by Dream Theater. And it's not the same thing.

[IDontNotDoThings]

The overly fake crying is bad, but I'm in the camp that cringes during the "music player" part.  That part is musically cheesy enough, but still possible to ignore by itselg.  "Music player" are just the wrong words there from a poetic standpoint.

This I don't get. Calling a music player with something high falluting to sound poetic would have been the cheesy choice.

It's a music player.

~ My audio device ~

[Scorpion]

It's not bad, but I was ultimately disappointed anyway. I would like it a lot more if it were shorter and really made each moment count - there's a pretty damn good fifty minute album hidden in there somewhere. I know, I know - story and all that - but I find the story to be pretty uninteresting, so yeah. The best songs on the album are really good, but there's a lot of stuff there that I don't care for.

I'd rank it near the bottom of my DT rankings, probably only above WDADU and (maybe) DT12. I don't dislike it per say, I just find it far too long for what it actually has to offer for me.

A New Beginning, Moment of Betrayal and Our New World are still super sweet though.

[Architeuthis]

The overly fake crying is bad, but I'm in the camp that cringes during the "music player" part.  That part is musically cheesy enough, but still possible to ignore by itselg.  "Music player" are just the wrong words there from a poetic standpoint.

This I don't get. Calling a music player with something high falluting to sound poetic would have been the cheesy choice.

It's a music player.

~ My audio device ~

What can this strange device be? 

[IDontNotDoThings]

The overly fake crying is bad, but I'm in the camp that cringes during the "music player" part.  That part is musically cheesy enough, but still possible to ignore by itselg.  "Music player" are just the wrong words there from a poetic standpoint.

This I don't get. Calling a music player with something high falluting to sound poetic would have been the cheesy choice.

It's a music player.

~ My audio device ~

What can this strange device be? 

In the instance I give contact to it, then it preceeds to create vibration in a way that human ears can comprehend them as any given type of noise

[Mladen]

It's still great.

[rumborak]

Over time I softened my stance on it somewhat, but overall it still is too weak and hodgepodge to be called a solid album.
In a lot of ways it is what I was hoping DT would dare, and I hope this album isn't keeping them from daring more in the future. It would be shame if they just went back to their usual fare for the next album.

[Kotowboy]

It's the only Dream Theater album that I have never purchased.  Listened to the singles, wasn't impressed.  When I learned that the majority of the album was like the singles, I had no desire to buy it or listen to the whole thing.

Unbelievable. Maybe skip most of the album but take some time to enjoy at least part of the second half of Act I:  LLB - ANB.....
Never listened a second from that?

  Why should he listen to the album when he has heard representative tracks from it and has concluded that they don't jibe with his interests/tastes?

NOT SURE IF SRS.

How many singles were there ? Like...three ?

And there's like 26 more songs on the album ?

Some of which are nothing like The Gift Of Music, Moment Of Betrayal or Our New World. . .

Imagine listening to Hardwired and not buying Hardwired To Self Destruct because you assumed it was all unmelodic thrashers.

[bosk1]

Okay...   And?

[Kotowboy]

I asked first./

[JRuless]

That was exactly my point. The 3 singles are not 1:1 representive to some highlights of the album (I think)...

[Kotowboy]

That was exactly my point. The 3 singles are not 1:1 representive to some highlights of the album (I think)...

Yes it's a very varied album. There's not one other song like Our New World.

Plus the 3 singles are nothing like Three Days for example.

[ThatOneGuy2112]

I was pretty tight-lipped about my thoughts on this album since the day I purchased and spun it for the first time, but that's mostly just because I don't really have a lot to say.

It's not a bad album by any means to warrant a lengthy rant, but it's certainly nothing to really boast over either. Maybe only five or six of the 34 tracks on this thing really stood-out to me, no matter how many chances I gave it. The album is just too long for it's own good. It drags at parts and overall left little impression on me. All that being said, I do admire the ambition behind it, and there are definitely some instrumental choices here and there that do intrigue me, but the album just has too much fluff for me to really consider going back to it. I want to believe that there's a pretty good 50 minute record here as opposed to a forgettable 2 hour long one. Not to mention that the story it has to tell just isn't compelling to me.

This is pretty much how I've felt about the album since my first listen, and honestly, in the year that it's been out, nothing much has changed my thoughts on it.

[gzarruk]

The album took a little longer to get used to, compared to other DT albums, but still loved it from day one untill now. It ranks #3 on my DT list and don't see it in a lower rank anytime soon. The albums 1 and 2, for me, are SFAM and SDOIT.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I think it's one of the most unique albums I've ever heard. More importantly, it's a really fun, happy, melodic experience. It's in my personal top tier of Dream Theater albums.