Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[Stadler]

Haha, mine is Bruce and I'm not even that big a fan! 

I stay away from the box sets - for any band - unless there's additional music.   Not interested in vinyl, and not interested in tchotchkes and knick knacks as a general proposition.

[TAC]

I stay away from the box sets - for any band - unless there's additional music.   Not interested in vinyl, and not interested in tchotchkes and knick knacks as a general proposition.

Same. I'm not in college. WTF do I need stickers and shit for? The only thing that would get me to rebuy an album would be the inclusion of a live concert, in its entirety, NOT simply a handful of live tracks.

[OpenYourEyes311]

Yeah, the only boxes I see myself buying these days are the Metallica remasters. I have all five of those, but they're chocked full of extra content, including multiple live shows on CD or DVD, and a bunch of demos and early versions and stuff, which is all super interesting to me and well worth the price. On top of that they've been really good so far about including almost every single B-side. If DT did something like that for their old albums, I'd probably bite. But the new album ones have been scarce of actual musical content since they started with BC&SL. And really, I'd rather that content continue to come out individually through LNFA/Official Bootlegs.

[brakkum]

I'm wondering if with MP back in the band there will start to be some cool stuff like that that comes around. Remasters, boxsets, etc. I can dream 

[pg1067]

Same. I'm not in college. WTF do I need stickers and shit for? The only thing that would get me to rebuy an album would be the inclusion of a live concert, in its entirety, NOT simply a handful of live tracks.

Same, and I sure as hell am not wasting money on archaic media like vinyl.  There is the occasional swag that I'd like, and I got ticked off that a couple of the 40th anniversary Rush sets required you to spend ridiculous amounts of money on vinyl in order to get the merch.  That said, I just went through a significant crap purge, so I'm not so bothered by that anymore.

[gzarruk]

I'm wondering if with MP back in the band there will start to be some cool stuff like that that comes around. Remasters, boxsets, etc. I can dream 

I think they might make another compilation album at some point.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I listened to this album in full for the first time in a while yesterday. It's just a really awesome, fun album. I had forgotten about some things like the rock band-style jam in the middle of "Room 137", the keyboard solo outro to "S2n", and the beautiful piano in "Out of Reach". The production is great too. It's definitely the kind of album I'll come back to once a year or so and always enjoy fondly. Great stuff!

[Pettor]

I listened to this album in full for the first time in a while yesterday. It's just a really awesome, fun album. I had forgotten about some things like the rock band-style jam in the middle of "Room 137", the keyboard solo outro to "S2n", and the beautiful piano in "Out of Reach". The production is great too. It's definitely the kind of album I'll come back to once a year or so and always enjoy fondly. Great stuff!

Agree! Still comer back to some songs regularly (Barstool Warrior and At Wit's End) but I also happened to play the full album yesterday for the first time in a while. This is def the most enjoyable album of the Mangini era for me. ADTOE and AVFTTOTV are also good candidates but lack the variation and fun of D/T. Nothing really drags on this album, I would even argue that Pale Blue Dot is a bit short. I find the flow to be great as well. There's always something new and fun around the corner.

Listened to AVFTTOTV as well and can't say I find it as enjoyable. I find that to be an album more focused on going back full prog metal style but lost that melodic touch.

Also, Barstool Warrior solo is just amazing.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

If I have a controversial opinion about the album, it's that I have somewhat mixed feelings on At Wit's End. I feel like the intro and outro are two of the best things the band have ever done, but everything in-between I kind of have to grind through. It's ultimately more than worth it because the outro is God Tier but there's something about the vocal melodies in the middle that I'm not a huge fan of.

[crystalstars17]

Still one of my top five albums. 💙

It shows some of the best recent vocals by James, too. My hope is that we finally hear Out of Reach live and he knocks it out of the park.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Still one of my top five albums. 💙

It shows some of the best recent vocals by James, too. My hope is that we finally hear Out of Reach live and he knocks it out of the park.

Yes. It's a beautiful underrated song with great lyrics.

[nobloodyname]

Yeah, the only boxes I see myself buying these days are the Metallica remasters. I have all five of those, but they're chocked full of extra content, including multiple live shows on CD or DVD, and a bunch of demos and early versions and stuff, which is all super interesting to me and well worth the price. On top of that they've been really good so far about including almost every single B-side. If DT did something like that for their old albums, I'd probably bite. But the new album ones have been scarce of actual musical content since they started with BC&SL. And really, I'd rather that content continue to come out individually through LNFA/Official Bootlegs.

The boxed versions of those Metallica remasters represent the zenith of deluxe editions. I will certainly continue buying them although I selfishly wish the video content would stop being shared. I'll also buy the boxed version of whatever DT puts out next although virtually all their boxes represent poor value for money. Steven Wilson is the only other artist who I'll buy the box/deluxe version of now. Any maybe Maiden but Maiden stuff rarely gathers in value and that's part of the reason I no longer bother with a lot of these releases: you're almost literally placing your money on a shelf and watching it depreciate in value although 'twas ever thus with most physical media, of course. The older I'm fortunate enough to become, the more I think the money would be better off sat in savings account or pension fund. Metallica and Steven Wilson packages usually gain in value (I'm talking specifically about the deluxe boxed editions/book format) whereas Maiden and DT tend not to.

My collection's not particularly valuable. But here are the top few sorted by median value (the image is clickable/tappable):

[Polarbear]

Still one of my top five albums. 💙

It shows some of the best recent vocals by James, too. My hope is that we finally hear Out of Reach live and he knocks it out of the park.

I have to say, that out of the Mangini era albums, this is still easily my favorite! Keeping all of the songs, even the "epics" under 10 minutes was a good move. Barstool Warrior, At Wit's End, S2N and Pale Blue Dot are the most memorable tunes from that era. Out of Reach is good too, and feels like a classic DT ballad!

James is indeed still capable of great Vox performances, but I wonder what the extensive 1 1/2 year world tour will do to his voice. Hopefully he'll be ok.

[crystalstars17]

James is indeed still capable of great Vox performances, but I wonder what the extensive 1 1/2 year world tour will do to his voice. Hopefully he'll be ok.

Let's pray 🙏 I hope he's been working with a good coach and is pampering that sublime and heavenly voice.✨

[WilliamMunny]

Let's pray 🙏 I hope he's been working with a good coach and is pampering that sublime and heavenly voice.✨

I LOVE your positivity!!! (I wish you could bottle it and sell some to me )

[Jamesman42]

I need to give this album a proper listen for the first time, so I plan to do that today or tomorrow. I might do a similar track by track like I did for View in that thread yesterday. I do know I love Out of Reach, but I am fuzzy on the rest.

[crystalstars17]

I LOVE your positivity!!! (I wish you could bottle it and sell some to me )

Haha! 😂 Well what have I got to lose at this point by being positive. I must stand by my OG favorite singer 💙

But he stands to lose a lot more than I do at this time by not doing right by his voice. For me, it would just be a bit of disappointment (not the first time). But for him it could be more devastating. 😞

[WilliamMunny]

Haha! 😂 Well what have I got to lose at this point by being positive. I must stand by my OG favorite singer 💙

But he stands to lose a lot more than I do at this time by not doing right by his voice. For me, it would just be a bit of disappointment (not the first time). But for him it could be more devastating. 😞

Yes, but his track record on studio recordings is pretty impeccable. That, to me, is the most important point.

Live, however, will be a test, and unfortunately, our man has a target on his back.

But, boy am I rooting for him.

Either way, I have no doubt that whatever he does on the album will continue blow me away for years to come.

[brakkum]

I'm loving all the positivity here, I wish all the other threads could be like this

[hefdaddy42]

My hope is that we finally hear Out of Reach live and he knocks it out of the park.

That would be fantastic.  LOVE that song.

[Setlist Scotty]

Still one of my top five albums. 💙

It shows some of the best recent vocals by James, too. My hope is that we finally hear Out of Reach live and he knocks it out of the park.

Crystal, what's your take on the obvious vocal processing happening on this album?

[WilliamMunny]

Crystal, what's your take on the obvious vocal processing happening on this album?

You didn't ask me, but as one of the few (self-professed) LaBrie apologists, I think there is a fine line between 'adding color' and 'robotic'

There's a lot of vocal processing on 6 Degrees and I think most of us agree that it's an amazing record and all of the band's decisions work really well.

The vocal processing on DOT and View really went too far and I find myself wish for a more naked vocal during most songs.

Very curious to hear Crystal's take, but to my ears, they really overdid it on the past couple of albums.

[Mosh]

I thought View was mostly fine but DoT is easily my least favorite LaBrie album, both from a raw performance standpoint and from the vocals being processed to the point of being unrecognizable.

[crystalstars17]

Crystal, what's your take on the obvious vocal processing happening on this album?

I'm sorry but I can't answer this with any sort of authority as I have zero experience with it (my experience was with live classical music, where this is just not a thing). Maybe someone else can weigh in who has some knowledge about it.

[Pettor]

I am happy Out of Reach getting love here! Such a great song! When the album was released many seemed to ignore it and I found it to be one of the best and most surprising moments on the album 

The song also adds a lot to the flow. After At Wit's End you need something to calm before PBD and this song couldn't be better.

[WilliamMunny]

I'm sorry but I can't answer this with any sort of authority as I have zero experience with it (my experience was with live classical music, where this is just not a thing). Maybe someone else can weigh in who has some knowledge about it.

I presume that Scotty is referring to the amount of vocal effects applied to James' vocal takes.

For instance, the opening verse from "The Spirit Carries On" is practically devoid of any processing (delay, reverb, distortion, etc.).

"At Wit's End," on the other hand, finds the band throwing any number of post-effects on James' vocal (the "deafening, deafening" section comes to mind). They have also come to embrace the 'stacked harmony' approach that has become fashionable in modern rock and metal...on the past couple of albums nearly every song features a wall of James singing any number of foundational harmonies on top of the main vocal line.

Again, none of this is new (for the band or music in general), and I absolutely have no issues with 'slicing and dicing' a vocal (I LOVE Radiohead, after all), but with DT, it feels like a shame to mask what I truly believe is one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard with so much additional post-production processing.

[crystalstars17]

Again, none of this is new (for the band or music in general), and I absolutely have no issues with 'slicing and dicing' a vocal (I LOVE Radiohead, after all), but with DT, it feels like a shame to mask what I truly believe is one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard with so much additional post-production processing.

I see what you're saying, and I agree about the voice itself 💗

[Jamesman42]

First full-fledged listen of this album. Not in the mood to write up but I'll make notes.

Untethered Angel: 6.5/10
Paralyzed: 6.5/10
Fall Into the Light: 7.5/10 (the instrumental section, oh wow that is good)
Barstool Warrior: 7/10
Room 137: 6.5/10
S2N: 7/10
At Wit's End: 7/10 (cool outro btw)
Out of Reach: 8/10 (this song is the best song of the last 3 albums - I say this not knowing the whole The Astonishing album yet, though)
Pale Blue Dot: 7/10 (idk, maybe higher or lower but it was fuzzier than the rest of the album)


Overall, DT sounds like they are in a good groove on this album. Lots of good energy and memorable stuff for an album in their latter stages of their careers. Much better than the album that would come after. The writing feels concise and focused and nicely comfortable.

[Setlist Scotty]

I presume that Scotty is referring to the amount of vocal effects applied to James' vocal takes.

Exactly. I didn't notice it really with AVFtTotW, but on d/t is seems much more obvious to my ears, and given how much Crystal love's JL's voice, I was wondering how she liked or disliked all that post-production processing.

[Jamesman42]

This album is actually really good, I found myself wanting to hear it some more after I dropped the kids off at their grandparents.

[axeman90210]

Love me some Distance Over Time. It, along with ADToE are easily the best of the Mangini era for me.

[crystalstars17]

Exactly. I didn't notice it really with AVFtTotW, but on d/t is seems much more obvious to my ears, and given how much Crystal love's JL's voice, I was wondering how she liked or disliked all that post-production processing.

Honestly it doesn't phase me at all one way or the other.

That's like asking if someone likes vanilla ice cream better with or without sprinkles. The sprinkles add something fun, but they don't create enough of an appreciable difference in flavor to be a make it or break it thing.

That said, I don't see why it's problematic for anyone either way.

[DoctorAction]

Love me some Distance Over Time. It, along with ADToE are easily the best of the Mangini era for me.

Me too.

[Dream Team]

Honestly it doesn't phase me at all one way or the other.

That's like asking if someone likes vanilla ice cream better with or without sprinkles. The sprinkles add something fun, but they don't create enough of an appreciable difference in flavor to be a make it or break it thing.

That said, I don't see why it's problematic for anyone either way.

Or, it's like vanilla ice cream with some sour tasting spots - if you want pure ice cream an additive or dilution is not appreciated and detracts from the "real" taste of ice cream.

[crystalstars17]

detracts from the "real"

Oh, I get it. This is the same tired old argument that any use of technology, however minimal, is somehow less "real". I'll pass on engaging in this one as we already disagree.