Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[bosk1]

Since the album will be officially released in some countries in a matter of minutes, it is time to let the official discussion begin.  Those that have it legitimately, whether receiving an advance promo, having gotten their pre-order early, or being in a time zone where it is Friday are free to discuss.

As always, discussion of leaks or other illegal means of obtaining the album is prohibited and will result in being banned from this forum.

So...who's excited? 

[gzarruk]

New intrview with Mike Mangini: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM8_AQtPMyY

[Progmetty]

I love the interview JLB and JP did in Italy, the lady conducting it really knows what she's talking about and asks genuinely good question, none of the usual "what's your favorite track on the new record" bull shit.
On that interview JP said that the original album cover was the D/T mathematical format but they got some push back on it from the record company so they asked HS for something else. I guess that's when he went to his stock images folder and spent around 25 calories of creative stamina working on what became the cover art.
But JP also said that the original design made it's way into the artwork in the booklet of the album, I feel like I've seen that somewhere on one of the websites selling the album and I liked it a lot.

[rab7]

On that interview JP said that the original album cover was the D/T mathematical format but they got some push back on it from the record company so they asked HS for something else. I guess that's when he went to his stock images folder and spent around 25 calories of creative stamina working on what became the cover art.

Did we see the same interview? I clearly remember him saying that HS already had the skull in his back pocket, so when they got push back from the record company, he just whipped it out and everyone loved it

[bosk1]

On that interview JP said that the original album cover was the D/T mathematical format but they got some push back on it from the record company so they asked HS for something else. I guess that's when he went to his stock images folder and spent around 25 calories of creative stamina working on what became the cover art.

Did we see the same interview? I clearly remember him saying that HS already had the skull in his back pocket, so when they got push back from the record company, he just whipped it out and everyone loved it

You are right, Rab.  I don't know what Metty is talking about.

[Progmetty]

I heard it while driving, I think it's the same interview, I haven't seen many interviews. I thought JP said HS got back to them with the design after the other one was rejected. Splitting hairs anyway.

[Samsara]

Ok, thanks. So, I am clear to discuss it then.

I'll stay vague and just personally reflect on my feelings after listening to it a few times, more because I still want folks to enjoy it themselves the first time and not rely on other peoples' descriptions of each individual songs. Hopefully my comments help pump up the excitement and anticipation for DoT a little more.

I really, really like this album, and its the first one, for me personally, in FOREVER that continues to grow on me the more I listen. The record, for me, clearly has this combination of Images & Words, Awake, SFAM, and Train of Thought going on that hits a sweet spot for me. The songs are shorter, but aren't any less technical. There's a warmth to the recording that really makes it come alive.

A few individual song comments that I'll keep brief: At Wit's End is every bit as good as the hype. The outro solo on it is not overly technical, and repeats the same riff motif, but its SO emotional. It just pegs something musically to match the topic, and I love it. I really enjoyed Barstool Warrior as well. Viper King doesn't really fit stylistically, but it was fun to listen to. It could have fit really well onto FII with the Jon Lord-inspired keyboards.

If you've followed my posts over the years, you know I haven't been a big fan of what Dream Theater has done post-Train of Thought. And that wasn't the heaviness. I am not sure how to describe it, but I felt like the influences of the band came to the surface too much, the songs were more focused on technicality and lost some mood and feeling, etc. I know all of that is really personal to each person, and that's how I thought. Even with the switch to Mangini, I wasn't blown away, and I drifted a bit further from DT.

I'm from Long Island. Lived there the first 25 years of my life, and I still consider myself a Long Islander, and I'm proud of the musicians from my home. I became a Dream Theater fan with ACOS and then FII, going backwards to get Awake and Images. I saw them live for the first time (twice) in 1998 (opening for Deep Purple and ELP, and then the 12/29/98 holiday show in NYC). I've seen them 13 or 14 times total, all across the United States. So, what I'm trying to say is, I beat the drum as a fan of theirs through Train of Thought. And even after that, when I really wasn't a fan of what they were doing, I still was a Dream Theater supporter. But I haven't been a FAN in quite some time.

Thankfully, thanks to DoT, I am again a FAN of what the band is doing. It brilliantly captures Dream Theater's past in a way that makes it completely modern, without sacrificing both technicality and melody. I liken it to the same feeling I got with Fates Warning's Theories of Flight a couple years back. It expertly weaves all eras of the band's sound and presents it in a way that sounds fresh, exciting and inspiring.

My personal favorites (so far):

At Wit's End
Paralyzed
Pale Blue Dot

Thanks Dream Theater. I needed this one. If you're an old school fan that really separated from DT over the last decade or so, give this one a spin. You won't regret it.

[Progmetty]

Holy shit! Samsara likes a new DT album? Fuck, to me that's bigger than any review.
Come here Friday, get the fuck over here Friday!

[Samsara]

Holy shit! Samsara likes a new DT album? Fuck, to me that's bigger than any review.
Come here Friday, get the fuck over here Friday!

[rab7]

Holy shit! Samsara likes a new DT album? Fuck, to me that's bigger than any review.
Come here Friday, get the fuck over here Friday!

How did you get your copy?

[Red_Queen]

Ok, thanks. So, I am clear to discuss it then.

I'll stay vague and just personally reflect on my feelings after listening to it a few times, more because I still want folks to enjoy it themselves the first time and not rely on other peoples' descriptions of each individual songs. Hopefully my comments help pump up the excitement and anticipation for DoT a little more.

I really, really like this album, and its the first one, for me personally, in FOREVER that continues to grow on me the more I listen. The record, for me, clearly has this combination of Images & Words, Awake, SFAM, and Train of Thought going on that hits a sweet spot for me. The songs are shorter, but aren't any less technical. There's a warmth to the recording that really makes it come alive.

A few individual song comments that I'll keep brief: At Wit's End is every bit as good as the hype. The outro solo on it is not overly technical, and repeats the same riff motif, but its SO emotional. It just pegs something musically to match the topic, and I love it. I really enjoyed Barstool Warrior as well. Viper King doesn't really fit stylistically, but it was fun to listen to. It could have fit really well onto FII with the Jon Lord-inspired keyboards.

If you've followed my posts over the years, you know I haven't been a big fan of what Dream Theater has done post-Train of Thought. And that wasn't the heaviness. I am not sure how to describe it, but I felt like the influences of the band came to the surface too much, the songs were more focused on technicality and lost some mood and feeling, etc. I know all of that is really personal to each person, and that's how I thought. Even with the switch to Mangini, I wasn't blown away, and I drifted a bit further from DT.

I'm from Long Island. Lived there the first 25 years of my life, and I still consider myself a Long Islander, and I'm proud of the musicians from my home. I became a Dream Theater fan with ACOS and then FII, going backwards to get Awake and Images. I saw them live for the first time (twice) in 1998 (opening for Deep Purple and ELP, and then the 12/29/98 holiday show in NYC). I've seen them 13 or 14 times total, all across the United States. So, what I'm trying to say is, I beat the drum as a fan of theirs through Train of Thought. And even after that, when I really wasn't a fan of what they were doing, I still was a Dream Theater supporter. But I haven't been a FAN in quite some time.

Thankfully, thanks to DoT, I am again a FAN of what the band is doing. It brilliantly captures Dream Theater's past in a way that makes it completely modern, without sacrificing both technicality and melody. I liken it to the same feeling I got with Fates Warning's Theories of Flight a couple years back. It expertly weaves all eras of the band's sound and presents it in a way that sounds fresh, exciting and inspiring.

My personal favorites (so far):

At Wit's End
Paralyzed
Pale Blue Dot

Thanks Dream Theater. I needed this one. If you're an old school fan that really separated from DT over the last decade or so, give this one a spin. You won't regret it.

this is exactly how I feel about D/T.

[mikeyd23]

Holy shit! Samsara likes a new DT album? Fuck, to me that's bigger than any review.

That's exactly what I was thinking 

[cramx3]

Holy shit! Samsara likes a new DT album? Fuck, to me that's bigger than any review.

That's exactly what I was thinking 

[rumborak]

Regarding the "are we allowed to talk about it", I am very tempted to create a poll a few days after release seeing when people heard the album the first time. Judging from the posts in this thread I get the impression there's a LOT of people who already heard it.

[cramx3]

Regarding the "are we allowed to talk about it", I am very tempted to create a poll a few days after release seeing when people heard the album the first time. Judging from the posts in this thread I get the impression there's a LOT of people who already heard it.

Lots of discussion about it on the DT discord channel, it's been leaked already.  So it seems if one wants to listen and talk about it, there's outlets for it, just not here.

[Samsara]

Holy shit! Samsara likes a new DT album? Fuck, to me that's bigger than any review.

That's exactly what I was thinking 

Hahahaha. I guess I'm pretty straightforward. 

[YtseJammer666]

Another positive review

https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-distance-over-time-dream-theater/

Could it be their best album since Train Of Thought?

[MirrorMask]

Weird to say but I'm starting to lose interest in further reviews. The album is gonna be here anyway in less than 2 days so at this point I can just listen to it myself. Of course I'm not saying "Stop posting reviews", keep 'em coming, it's just something I realized about myself.

[JLa]

Is it Friday yet? Is it Friday yet? IsitFridayyet???

I can't stand the wait!!! Got an e-mail today telling me my disc is on its way. Please Mr. Postman be a little early and deliver tomorrow? Pleeeeeease? 

[Architeuthis]

Another positive review

https://distortedsoundmag.com/album-review-distance-over-time-dream-theater/

Could it be their best album since Train Of Thought?

I said earlier that I was reviewed out, but I did read this one. It's nice to see that someone was not afraid to give it a 10/10. 
Usually people will give it a 9.5 even if they feel deep down inside that it's a perfect 10, probably just to make themselves sound more like a critic.. 

[Lonk]

I am guessing it would be The Glass Prison, ending with SFAM then low static, they leave the stage, static continues then THE GLASS PRISON!!

That would be an amazing way to end the show.

[cramx3]

I am guessing it would be The Glass Prison, ending with SFAM then low static, they leave the stage, static continues then THE GLASS PRISON!!

That would be an amazing way to end the show.

Yes please 

[Samsara]

If I was reviewing it, and was required to give it a number out of 10, I'd probably give it an 8.25.

Here's how that ranks for me (subject to change, because obviously I just got DoT):

WDADU - 7.25
I&W - 10
Awake - 9.5
FII - 8.25
SFAM - 9
6DoIT - 8.0
ToT - 8.0
Octavarium - 7.5
Systematic Chaos - 7.25
BC&SL - 7.5
ADToE - 7.75
DT - 7.75
The Astonishing - 7.5
DoT - 8.25

>>>>Obviously, this is all individual taste. I don't expect anyone to agree with me. I am a big fan of FII, and not many people are. But in the discography, for my tastes, its a top-5. But others probably have those other albums a lot higher. But for me: Images, Awake, SFAM, FII, DoT (and the latter two are tied -- I like them equally for different reasons).

DoT isn't perfect. But its a great listening experience from start to finish, and a great "return to form" that really captures the essence of the band over its career. It's a statement - This is who Dream Theater is. All the elements that make up the band are present, and presented to you in a fresh way. That's how I hear it.

[Herrick]

Weird to say but I'm starting to lose interest in further reviews. The album is gonna be here anyway in less than 2 days so at this point I can just listen to it myself. Of course I'm not saying "Stop posting reviews", keep 'em coming, it's just something I realized about myself.

I'm not a fan of music reviews either especially when they review every track. 

Edit: Just thought of something. If I buy this album, then this will be the first time I've ever bought an album and went to see a band on tour for that same album. I saw Maiden on the Brave New World Tour but that CD was given to me by my sister and it was a promo copy she got from the record store she worked at.

[Cool Chris]

This got me thinking... almost made a new thread about it in the Music section. What's the current value of an album review nowadays? You can listen to most any album via a couple avenues online before buying it, if you don't want to make a blind (deaf?) purchase. Reading reviews makes more sense for a film - because you want to don't want to blow 2 hours and $20 and trailers can be deceptive, and book reviews - because they cost money and time to read, (unless you are masterthes) and books aren't conducive to trailers like a film is. Is it just curiosity? Or do people still based their purchases on them?

[EPIC Outro]

I never let a review sway my purchasing decisions. I may read them for fun, but ultimately if I'm curious about a new book, CD, or movie I'll just buy it and make up my own mind.

Unrelated, but as a fan of this band for close to two decades, there is no way my first listen to a new DT album would come from some pirated leak. I'm fine waiting for the release date the band intended.

[RaiseTheKnife]

I never let a review sway my purchasing decisions. I may read them for fun, but ultimately if I'm curious about a new book, CD, or movie I'll just buy it and make up my own mind.

Unrelated, but as a fan of this band for close to two decades, there is no way my first listen to a new DT album would come from some pirated leak. I'm fine waiting for the release date the band intended.

Amen.

[IDontNotDoThings]

Countdown to Distance Over Time (in my timezone, which is UTC+11)

[Addy]

This got me thinking... almost made a new thread about it in the Music section. What's the current value of an album review nowadays? You can listen to most any album via a couple avenues online before buying it, if you don't want to make a blind (deaf?) purchase. Reading reviews makes more sense for a film - because you want to don't want to blow 2 hours and $20 and trailers can be deceptive, and book reviews - because they cost money and time to read, (unless you are masterthes) and books aren't conducive to trailers like a film is. Is it just curiosity? Or do people still based their purchases on them?

I don't know, most of the reviews don't really say anything more than "I liked/disliked it" or "song x has a good riff". I really rarely read a review where it seems like a guy knows what he's talking about. Seems like everyone's a critic now, though not everybody should. But what makes me cringe is fans or so-called reviewers (often just people who happen to have a blog or a YT channel) giving school grades to skilled, professional musicians.

[MirrorMask]

Well, reviews should serve mainly in the rare case something's wrong. Let's picture the absurd scenario where DT want to make all the money before retiring, and make a very commercial, almost pop album.... if 19 reviews out of 20 say "the album blows, it's embarassing", one might have the doubt and listen before a purchase.

I mean, you should always judge for yourself, but if 99,9% of the comments about Twilight and Fifty Shades of Grey are negative, maybe I actually shouldn't bother to watch those movies.

Also with music there's a certain and special "affection" to a band, to the act itself of waiting for an album and buy it on release day.... DT never let me down, the reviews don't say something alarming like "OMG they all made pop songs with electronic loops", I'll just blindly buy it and enjoy the experience. If the album majorly sucks and blows, which I highly doubt, well, lesson learnt, next time around I'll listen before buying. But it's not the end of the world nor of my finances to buy an album just out of trust and loyalty to a band 

[SeRoX]

I have been around before BC&SL came out. There's been always leaks and reviews before albums (I'll be honest and say BC&SL leaked like a month ago and I didn't listen it with the exception of TCOT). But this time it's like everyone got the album, reviewed it, ranked it. Everytime I log into the forums I see a poster just posted his/her opinios. For the first time in this forum I feel like I am the only one I'll listen the album in its offical release day. 

I know I'm exaggerating but still... 

[erciccio]

I have been around before BC&SL came out. There's been always leaks and reviews before albums (I'll be honest and say BC&SL leaked like a month ago and I didn't listen it with the exception of TCOT). But this time it's like everyone got the album, reviewed it, ranked it. Everytime I log into the forums I see a poster just posted his/her opinios. For the first time in this forum I feel like I am the only one I'll listen the album in its offical release day. 

I know I'm exaggerating but still... 

I am with you!

Just listened to the first two singles...

[RoeDent]

I honestly have to say I don't think I've ever seen such universal positivity from the album reviews leading up to a DT release before. I only hope it continues once we've all heard it. Everything about this pre-release build-up has had incredibly good vibes about it, from the way all five members created the album together in the same room, to how involved in interviews all five have been. The hype from this fan has grown even more as a result of this. And we are almost there. It's Album Release Eve, DTF! Who's to say whether this is the last time we experience this with Dream Theater, so let's enjoy it and savour it.

[abydos]

I'm surprised people still read reviews. Why bother? If you come across a band name, go on YouTube or some other platform and just spend 5-10 minutes listening to their stuff instead of spending the same amount of time reading what someone else thought about it.

[erciccio]

I'm surprised people still read reviews. Why bother? If you come across a band name, go on YouTube or some other platform and just spend 5-10 minutes listening to their stuff instead of spending the same amount of time reading what someone else thought about it.

Well, good reviews can guide you to understand music, especially if you don't know a band.
I actually fell in love with Dream Theater back in 1992 thanks to a "video review" that explained all the complexity behind their music
Also reviews can help you filter what to look for on YouTube....there are zillions in band there, and Internet by its nature doesn't give you any reliable key to filter the music.