Distance over Time - New Single "Untethered Angel"

[erwinrafael]

Have they done a solo tradeoff that is more "disciplined" than in UA? I like this one largely because I don't hear wankery.

[bosk1]

That is one infectious groove.

Actually, I think this is more of an infectious groove:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob3buKk6ALc

[Lax]

"LTE with a singer" is basically the only aspect of DT I was never 100% on board with. By the end of MP's tenure too many songs had a solo section clearly conjured in "LTE mode" where the guys would just jam and, I assume, use as solo section whatever came up, at expense of the flow and the mood of the song. Instrumental music is one thing, a proper song is another, and I want a song to flow, and the solo section, as crazy and long as it might be (see Metropolis), to not stray completely away from the mood of the song.

I don't know if this convo will pollute the topic, but I thought about what you said and wanted to split it with a little disagreement :
-I understand what you mean by a solo section that is not constructed in the flow and can result in being a little irritating because you love the song (it's like when there are rappers singing in katy perry's songs lol)

-I would not call these situations "LTE moments", because there is no spontaneity in LTE, musical genius yes, prog mixing styles long songs extravaganza yes, but the top songs aren't jammy or getting far off from root to me.
I should explain this song by song, but this is not the place My favorite song of all times is when the water breaks.
Pinch of salt for songs like chris & kevin adventures or three minutes warning, that are jammy.

I discovered DT via scenes from a memory, images and words, and LTE 1&2, I prefer them proggy and crazy, I don't even care if they are heavy

Once again tho, I understand what you said

[chwik]

Probably it all started with LTE..

Yep! Apart from the occational song (I cannot speak for D/T with the exception of UA), they have actually not done the trade-off + unison that often in the last three albums.

[Samsara]

"LTE with a singer" is basically the only aspect of DT I was never 100% on board with. By the end of MP's tenure too many songs had a solo section clearly conjured in "LTE mode" where the guys would just jam and, I assume, use as solo section whatever came up, at expense of the flow and the mood of the song. Instrumental music is one thing, a proper song is another, and I want a song to flow, and the solo section, as crazy and long as it might be (see Metropolis), to not stray completely away from the mood of the song.

I don't know if this convo will pollute the topic, but I thought about what you said and wanted to split it with a little disagreement :
-I understand what you mean by a solo section that is not constructed in the flow and can result in being a little irritating because you love the song (it's like when there are rappers singing in katy perry's songs lol)

-I would not call these situations "LTE moments", because there is no spontaneity in LTE, musical genius yes, prog mixing styles long songs extravaganza yes, but the top songs aren't jammy or getting far off from root to me.
I should explain this song by song, but this is not the place My favorite song of all times is when the water breaks.
Pinch of salt for songs like chris & kevin adventures or three minutes warning, that are jammy.

I discovered DT via scenes from a memory, images and words, and LTE 1&2, I prefer them proggy and crazy, I don't even care if they are heavy

Once again tho, I understand what you said

I FULLY agree with MirrorMask. What was beautiful about the song Metropolis, was that it was sort of unique for them. That complete shift away from the mood of the song into something that could outright be another song itself, and then back to the main song. When Jordan joined, that sort of became the template for the band, something I extremely disagreed with.

TBH, I don't think DT ever fully recovered from it. When MP left, it helped some, but they still do it entirely too often. But guys like MirrorMask and myself, who think this way, are by far in the minority among DT fans.

[vtgrad]

That is one infectious groove.

Actually, I think this is more of an infectious groove:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob3buKk6ALc

  Man... the early to mid 90's was a great time for music.  So glad those were my formative years.  That vid lead me to Cult of Personality... which I promptly listened two three or four times!

Back on topic... I've listened to the single probably 25-times (was off yesterday due to snow) and each time I hear it, I hear something different and I hear something else that I like.  I found it enjoyable when I first heard it, but it has grown to be something very, very good and I find the riffs in my head now (especially the pre-verse riff for the second verse... a monster) during the day, which makes me want to listen to it again.  Isn't that the mark of good music... wanting to hear it again?  I love it.

[bosk1]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

[evilasiojr]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Yeeeeeah 

[mikeyd23]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

[genome]

Does anyone else hear what sounds like a sample of a voice talking at the end of the song?  Like the one in BAI.

Can someone just tell me I'm hearing things and we can move back to arguing over the single.  Anyone?  . . .  no?

Couldn't hear anything in particular - you might be hearing the sustain on Jordan's synth patch. It's got like a sort of phasey/flangey effect on it that sort of sounds like someone whispering.

You're hearing the flange on Jordan's dirty organ.

[gzarruk]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

[King Postwhore]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

This needs a hook and line emoji.

[Adami]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Do I have to? Can I just like tune back in tomorrow or do I need to stay tuned in continuously until then?

[Another_Won]

Does anyone else hear what sounds like a sample of a voice talking at the end of the song?  Like the one in BAI.

Can someone just tell me I'm hearing things and we can move back to arguing over the single.  Anyone?  . . .  no?

Couldn't hear anything in particular - you might be hearing the sustain on Jordan's synth patch. It's got like a sort of phasey/flangey effect on it that sort of sounds like someone whispering.

You're hearing the flange on Jordan's dirty organ.

Thanks.  I'll listen again and try to concentrate on the dirty organ . . . er, ah, the effect, the flange effect.

[Bentower]

After an initial lukewarmness I have grown to enjoy this more than any DT single in recent years. It has nice momentum going throughout with no section overstaying its welcome. I love that head-spinning fill Mangini does before the solo section and JM's playing against the staccato runs in the instrumental section. Great to-the-point solos from JP and JR. It feels like the boys have taken what they learned with The Astonishing and brought that back to a style similar to ADToE and DT12. Looking forward to hearing what the rest of the album has in store for us!

[Madman Shepherd]

Any idea when we will (legally) be able to download the song?

[mikeyd23]

Any idea when we will (legally) be able to download the song?

The single is available on iTunes.

[Mebert78]

After an initial lukewarmness I have grown to enjoy this more than any DT single in recent years. It has nice momentum going throughout with no section overstaying its welcome. I love that head-spinning fill Mangini does before the solo section and JM's playing against the staccato runs in the instrumental section. Great to-the-point solos from JP and JR. It feels like the boys have taken what they learned with The Astonishing and brought that back to a style similar to ADToE and DT12. Looking forward to hearing what the rest of the album has in store for us!

Well said!  I feel the same! 

[emtee]

I'm enjoying it more with each listen.

[commanderbob]

I'm totally into this song. I'm now really excited for the new album as a return to DT12 form after being completely uninterested in the Astonishing (The first DT album since 1994 I have never bought). It's good enough that even the Goofy Jordan Section was actually pretty good. Bring on the rest!

[utopiarun]

I have listened to the single about 6-7 times. It has grown on me and I like it, although it is pretty standard DT. I agree with some that say the chorus comes too quickly after the verse.

I guess I have to learn to live with the fact that the production on DT albums is just not going to be what I like. I never hear about a Steven Wilson production that this or that version (Spotify/Youtube/itunes, etc) sounds better than the other. It always just sounds great. Especially his drum sounds. I don't know if it's MM hitting the skins with the same precision or that his snare is tuned lower than I like (I like a snare that snaps) but I am still not happy with the drum sound, especially in comparison to the MP era. DT records always just sound so "produced", not like it's a live band, but a band that is recorded with the "DT effect" on it. Just looking for cleaner sounding records.

[Metro]

The song is growing on me a bit. I still think the mix could be better and the vocal effects are really annoying. People are absolutely right though, the iTunes version is the superior version of this song so far.
The chorus is alright, but I don't like the transition from verse to chorus. It feels a bit jarring and I think it could have benefited from a prechorus.

[Anxiety35]

That is one infectious groove.

Actually, I think this is more of an infectious groove:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob3buKk6ALc

LOL! I had that cassette tape when I was in middle school (1991).

[deggs37]

After an initial lukewarmness I have grown to enjoy this more than any DT single in recent years. It has nice momentum going throughout with no section overstaying its welcome. I love that head-spinning fill Mangini does before the solo section and JM's playing against the staccato runs in the instrumental section. Great to-the-point solos from JP and JR. It feels like the boys have taken what they learned with The Astonishing and brought that back to a style similar to ADToE and DT12. Looking forward to hearing what the rest of the album has in store for us!

Agreed! I woke up this morning and first thing I had to do was visit Youtube to hear the song again. I've had it stuck in my head the last couple days. I went from lukewarm to loving it! I still don't care for some of the vocal processing, but everything else is top notch and it's a fantastic song. I am very excited for this album, as well as this surprise tomorrow! Good times in DT land.

[As I Am]

I'm hoping for another song to be released soon. I'm just very bummed with UA

[Madman Shepherd]

Any idea when we will (legally) be able to download the song?

The single is available on iTunes.

I didn't see it on Amazon, although I do now.  I don't get their search engine.  When I looked , a bunch of romance novels came up and I didn't see the damn mp3. 

Anyway, think I might cosplay as this guy for the next DT show.  Who's with me?!

[jayvee3]

Any idea when we will (legally) be able to download the song?

The single is available on iTunes.

I didn't see it on Amazon, although I do now.  I don't get their search engine.  When I looked , a bunch of romance novels came up and I didn't see the damn mp3. 

Anyway, think I might cosplay as this guy for the next DT show.  Who's with me?!

This could be the modern-day return of the wolfman from the Pull Me Under music vid...

[IDontNotDoThings]

Any idea when we will (legally) be able to download the song?

The single is available on iTunes.

I didn't see it on Amazon, although I do now.  I don't get their search engine.  When I looked , a bunch of romance novels came up and I didn't see the damn mp3. 

Anyway, think I might cosplay as this guy for the next DT show.  Who's with me?!

So you mean that's not what you actually look like?

[nobloodyname]

Well, I decided to listen to Untethered Angel for the first time last night, rather than wait for the album, on the basis that life's too short; one never knows when one will be checking out.

As someone who found A Dramatic Turn of Events nothing more than okay, DT12 awfully mono-paced, and The Astonishing an exercise in soporific mediocrity, I read the comments here and thought I'd be disappointed. I wasn't. For me, it's a remarkable return to form (blatant Outcryisms of the first part of the song aside. What were they thinking?!) with some excellent soloing even if it all felt a little disjointed. But hey, it wouldn't be Dream Theater if it didn't. I wish it were two or three minutes longer, actually, so some of the ideas could have been explored a bit more.

So, yes. I'm really looking forward to the album now.

[Kocak]

Oooo, something fun coming tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Is this why the DT Instagram account is currently private?

[dream75]

Petrucci, LaBrie and Rudess discuss Untethered Angel!!!

https://youtu.be/2Co1_h0GtAw

[Kocak]

Petrucci, LaBrie and Rudess discuss Untethered Angel!!!

https://youtu.be/2Co1_h0GtAw

JM wrote the main riff!

[PMA]

I've read through the last four pages of this thread, shaking my head the entire time. I'm flabbergasted at the level of entitlement some of you have. I want this, I want that.

DT fanbase in a nutshell. I can only imagine that when you like something so much, you kinda make it your own and so when your favorite or ex-favorite artist or whatever releases something you don't like at all you feel betrayed or something to that extent. That's not the way to go, tho. It's totally fine if you don't like DT's stuff now, as it happens, but DT criticism at that point is just tiresome to read and see. I don't read the forums as much as I used to because of that, because discussion and opinions on DT are so polarizing these days that the middle ground of debate is harder to see (to my eyes). Not with everyone, tho. There are wonderful posters here who dislike DT's recent output and they write about it with great taste. I even read once in my social media something in the lines of "if you like The Astonishing, you're wrong and you're stupid" and I was all like: Oh dear 

I don't mean to take the conversation in this road, tho. It's just something I had to get out of my chest and your post was a good reason to do so.

Thank you. The underwhelming response to The Astonishing was probably the single most disappointing thing in my time as a DT fan. But it also made me immensely proud of the commitment the band put into it. They made this music for us appreciators. We may be few, but we are strong and we will defend that wonderful album to the death.

I too loved TA as it demonstrated to me that Petrucci and Rudess could compose something intended for a stage play vs. their typical prog metal writing.  That shows the immense talent of this band.  Even if the story line was a bit cheesy (what stage play isn't overtly that?), I can easily see TA on Broadway someday.  Reminded me of how Queen's music was adapted to "We Will Rock You" as a stage play with a story to connect the music.  What other band besides DT could really do this?  TA had the shorter tunes with many ending in a way to set up the next.  Again, a very different way of composing.

[Ben_Jamin]

Petrucci, LaBrie and Rudess discuss Untethered Angel!!!

https://youtu.be/2Co1_h0GtAw

JM wrote the main riff!

So I was right. I got that feeling the way He plays it and JP seems to follow him.

[Madman Shepherd]

Any idea when we will (legally) be able to download the song?

The single is available on iTunes.

I didn't see it on Amazon, although I do now.  I don't get their search engine.  When I looked , a bunch of romance novels came up and I didn't see the damn mp3. 

Anyway, think I might cosplay as this guy for the next DT show.  Who's with me?!

So you mean that's not what you actually look like?

My hair's not as long