Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[IDontNotDoThings]

My custom track order:
1. Untethered Angel
2. Paralysed
3. Viper King
4. Barstool Warrior
5. Room 137
6. Signal To Noise
7. Fall Into The Light
8. Out Of Reach
9. Pale Blue Dot
10. At Wit's End

(differences are in bold)

[lovethedrake]

So the more I listen to this album .... its the style I want from Dream Theater, I just don't think its that great.

Its a decent album but I listened to it all the way through for about the 7th time and then I put on Trial of Tears and was like "ah, now this is Dream Theater"

The snare sound, cymbals and playing of Mangini just make it impossible to get to 90's DT status.   The songwriting and effortless Labrie vocals from the 90's were also just much better.

I'm enjoying the album and will continue to listen but its a middle of the road DT album.

Here is how I would rank DT albums now.  This could still change but here it is:

SFAM
I&W
SDOIT

Awake

FII




The Astonishing

TOT

DT
D/T
Black Clouds
WDADU

Octavarium





ADTOE
SC

[wolfking]

Its a decent album but I listened to it all the way through for about the 7th time and then I put on Trial of Tears and was like "ah, now this is Dream Theater"

The snare sound, cymbals and playing of Mangini just make it impossible to get to 90's DT status.   The songwriting and effortless Labrie vocals from the 90's were also just much better.

I think it's a bit unfair people comparing recent outputs to 90's DT.  I mean, we're talking 25 years ago.  Time rolls on, people change and get older, not much is the same in life after a quarter of a century.

[nobloodyname]

I completely agree with you.

That said... Trial of Tears does - what's the word I'm looking for? - breathe. It breathes in a way few DT tracks have since. And I do miss that.

[wolfking]

I get that, that's a production issue that I guess definitely can be rectified no matter how many years have passed.  It just falls in line with the modern times of over produced, compressed sounding albums that are brickwalled to the shithouse!

[TAC]

Hey Wolfking! My name is TAC. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the DT side.

[wolfking]

Hey Wolfking! My name is TAC. Nice to meet you. Welcome to the DT side.

Nice to meet you too mate.  I just found out I'm actually allowed in this side!  I thought it was just a myth but the stories are true!

[nobloodyname]

I get that, that's a production issue that I guess definitely can be rectified no matter how many years have passed.  It just falls in line with the modern times of over produced, compressed sounding albums that are brickwalled to the shithouse!

See my rant in another thread

[gzarruk]

The intro of Barstool Warrior reminds me of A Life Left Behind, and I mean that in a good way, both are amazing.

[erwinrafael]

I get that, that's a production issue that I guess definitely can be rectified no matter how many years have passed.  It just falls in line with the modern times of over produced, compressed sounding albums that are brickwalled to the shithouse!

I sort of get the logic now of these.overcompressed productions. I was listening the other day on shuffle, and the rather well-produced songs get lost in a sea of loud compressed songs. With many people now listening on streaming shuffled playlist, it would need an industry-wide effort to bring down loudness.

[Ninjabait]

Man, the more I listen to At Wit's End, the more I realize how much I like both halves of the song but I don't necessarily like the song as a whole. It feels like two amazing, top tier DT songs kind of glued together. I feel like you could make two freaking amazing songs out of it if the ideas were developed further (which seems to be a common criticism I'm lobbying at the longer songs on this album lol).

Barstool Warrior still has not grown on me at all. Paralyzed, on the other hand, just keeps getting better and better the more familiar I become with it. Out of Reach too. S2N, Viper King, and Room 137 have remained consistently fantastic. Pale Blue Dot seems like it has a good song hidden in there somewhere beneath the noodles. The dramatic, almost scary music seems more fitting to the lyrics and concept now. It's a different take on the concept of Sagan's speech, instead casting it as something that's diminishing and frightening as opposed to humbling and awe-inspiring.

[erwinrafael]

But, yes, I could live happily only listening to the MM era albums from now on, as I seem to come back to them the most. To me, the last 4 albums are the strongest 4 album streak in their career. If FII never existed and we got IAW - Awake - SFAM - SDOIT, that would be VERY hard to top, but FII ruins it.

The thing with the run from DT onwards is that I found myself straining to listen to long songs now except for those with sections that do not overstay their welcome (like BAI and IT). They sort of validated my liking for Awake, which was my fav for a long time because of the lack on unnecessary wank (except for Voices). Same reason why O can not get into Haken, a band whose idea of prog seems to be making songs long even if it means playing the same music idea for one minute.

[DragonAttack]

'At Wit's End' seemed like a shorter version of 'Illumination Theory'.  And that was good.

And.....can't believe I'm posting something like this for the DT world to see.....I got tears in my eyes at the ending, with the distant 'don't leave me now' vocals and music.  I felt like I was calling out to my Mom when she died over three decades ago.

what music can do to a person........

[jayvee3]

I've been thinking about that and getting no where, but then again there's still a couple of songs that I don't fully understand their subject. Namely At Paralyzed, Wit's End, S2N and Fall into The Light.

If I remember correctly, John confirmed that S2N is about the idea of not losing yourself (the "signal") in the chaos of the world (the "noise"), while James confirmed that Wit's End is about an abusive relationship & its damaging effects on the woman being abused.

I don't quite remember if they said what Paralyzed & Fall Into The Light were about though.

After reading and re-reading the lyrics to At Wit's End , it seems to me the song is more about a how a woman getting assaulted/raped by someone other than her man/husband affects that man/husband whose trying to help her get through it.

Yea, from the lyrics and James' description, that's the way I'm reading it too 

The idea that I really like, is from one of the reviews that mentioned the uplifting solo may mean she is starting to come to terms and accept things in order to move forward. But the impromptu live Easter egg ending, shows that sinister little fragments still find their way through. I don't actually believe the band may have done this on purpose, and likely just wanted to have a cool little Easter egg. But regardless, I think it's a great thought process, and one I'm happy to go with, intentional or not, as it seems to fit the feel and vibe of the song beautifully.

AWE is also a fucking unbelievable listening experience to my ears, ranking right alongside the very best.

[fischermasamune]

'At Wit's End' seemed like a shorter version of 'Illumination Theory'.  And that was good.

At Wit's End is a very short "epic". It has many different sections. Just the vocals are present in many different styles. The You Not Me style (2:07-2:32), aggressive parts, soaring parts, the pleading at the end...

It could even be the closer of the album. Pale Blue Dot is very good, but it isn't the best closer, or that epic as Petrucci describes. (My opinion is that JP isn't very good at describing music. I remember his characterization of The Looking Glass.)

And.....can't believe I'm posting something like this for the DT world to see.....I got tears in my eyes at the ending, with the distant 'don't leave me now' vocals and music.  I felt like I was calling out to my Mom when she died over three decades ago.

what music can do to a person........

Indeed! That part in special is very touching. Awesome work there, by everyone.

[BelichickFan]

Does anyone have a recommendation for where Viper King would fit well?  I want to keep it but I think PBD is a good ender so I'm wondering if VK would fit well somewhere in the middle.

(love the CD, BTW).

In between Room 137 and S2N(?)

I kind of like this, it breaks up the heaviness of R137 and S2n. I hate to break up the intended listening experience but I do think this works.

[jayvee3]

Giving this album a good listen for the first time.

So far, still don't like any of the three songs they released first. Moments here or there, but not much.

Barstool Warrior felt like they said "Let's just throw in ideas that we know fans will approve of" just felt safe and lacking heart.

137 had some pretty awesome moments, but the chorus was just very very meh and uninspired.

S2N...same as Room 137. Cool song, but very boring chorus. I get it, you guys slow down and do a big open epic chorus. Change it up!

At Wit's End was very meh. Really didn't do anything for me other than some very nice piano parts and a tasteful lead from JP.

Out of Reach - Did nothing for me at all. Pleasant, then as soon as it ended, I had totally forgotten a single note or melody.

Pale Blue Dot - Also not a fan. A few cool moments, but overall very predictable, safe, and boring (to me)

On Viper King now, but since it's a bonus track, it looks like the album is just not for me. Felt very boring, safe, predictable (for the most part), and an attempt to "give the fans what they want" which I rarely like much as a mentality.



Dug Viper King actually. Vocals could use some tweaking (especially the mix) but definitely the best song on the album for me.

If there really is nothing that's holds your interest on the album other than the fun bonus track, then as you have suggested yourself before, DT may just not be your thing anymore. Negative opinions are fine and I don't think it's a perfect album. But do think there are some incredible songs and moments, and it seems to be growing each day it becomes more familiar. All good, if it's not your thing, it's not your thing. And it would definitely take a bit of a time investment with some tracks, so whether you want to do that is your own prerogative, but by your general vibe sounds unlikely. Which is all fair enough.

If songs like Barstool Warrior have sounds and moments in them the band thinks fans will approve of, then to me, that's a good thing. I personally think it's a terrific song and some of those similar sounds are exactly what makes it endearing to me and I would imagine the others that are fans. But again, that's the great thing about this band - we all like different elements as they have covered a fair bit of ground over the years..

[TAC]

Not sure what you're talking about jayvee3, that IS a positive review from Adami.

[jayvee3]

Not sure what you're talking about jayvee3, that IS a positive review from Adami.

Haha, 

[TexansDT]

Good Lord, that outro by JP on At Wit's End.  I'm bawling like a baby.

[Ben_Jamin]

Room 137 has a groove that reminds me of a more pumped up Just Let Me Breathe.

[Dedalus]

Everyone talking about playlists (d/t or MM era), so I decided to make one over "The Portnoy era: the crap years."
I've had to put These Walls to complete 7 songs (I didn't want to be in only six). 


Well, I'm more used to PBD now. MM drumming on it is amazing! 

[gzarruk]

But, yes, I could live happily only listening to the MM era albums from now on, as I seem to come back to them the most. To me, the last 4 albums are the strongest 4 album streak in their career. If FII never existed and we got IAW - Awake - SFAM - SDOIT, that would be VERY hard to top, but FII ruins it.

The thing with the run from DT onwards is that I found myself straining to listen to long songs now except for those with sections that do not overstay their welcome (like BAI and IT). They sort of validated my liking for Awake, which was my fav for a long time because of the lack on unnecessary wank (except for Voices). Same reason why O can not get into Haken, a band whose idea of prog seems to be making songs long even if it means playing the same music idea for one minute.

Well, the last 3 albums (DT, TA and D/T) prove they know how to write great prog/metal songs in short lenghts, similar to what they did in the 90s vs what they were doing in the 2000s where longer songs were the rule. Not that every song should be short or that shorter songs mean better songs, but it's nice to hear them focus on songwriting and melody over technicality for the sake of it or including 1000 sections in one song just because.

Well, I'm more used to PBD now. MM drumming on it is amazing! 

This guy just posted a drum cover for PBD and he NAILS it, definitely worth checking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTsmQWV8Iro

[Dedalus]

This guy just posted a drum cover for PBD and he NAILS it, definitely worth checking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTsmQWV8Iro

Yes! I've seen this video earlier. Really a worth checking 

[erwinrafael]

I was just about to post that link to the drum cover of PBD and I have to say that when finally seen visually, a lot of the instrumental is actually a "musicalization" of Mike Mangini's drum solo spot in the concerts. ;-)

[Mosh]

Dunno if this is the right place to post or if this has already been discussed (if so just point me in the right direction). Anyway, did anyone have a hard time finding the album in stores? I know the easiest way to go is Amazon but honestly I kinda forgot about the album and I'm used to being able to find these things on release day. Checked two independent record stores and Best Buy and nobody had it. Finally I was able to find a vinyl copy at FYE (but no CD).

It's really no big deal. I imagine most people probably order physical copies online but I'm just kinda curious if this album's release is more limited than others due to the new label. I assumed signing with InsideOut would be a bit of a commercial downgrade compared to roadrunner but would be better for them in terms of having more control over the release and avoiding stuff like the Astonishing box set fiasco. So I'm curious if mine is a unique situation or not.

[lovethedrake]

Ok another couple spins and I have to revise my album ranking.   A few of the songs really hit me this time!   I'm excited... even pale blue dot was Better.

Bw, s2n, awe, oor are all great and totally the type of dt we have been missing.  Loud bass and emotional melodies.

D/T just moved ahead of DT and could even climb further.    The slow part in at wits end leading into the solo is so awake!!!!  Love it!  And barstool warrior is clicking.  Love it also

[Nel_Annette]

Dunno if this is the right place to post or if this has already been discussed (if so just point me in the right direction). Anyway, did anyone have a hard time finding the album in stores? I know the easiest way to go is Amazon but honestly I kinda forgot about the album and I'm used to being able to find these things on release day. Checked two independent record stores and Best Buy and nobody had it. Finally I was able to find a vinyl copy at FYE (but no CD).

It's really no big deal. I imagine most people probably order physical copies online but I'm just kinda curious if this album's release is more limited than others due to the new label. I assumed signing with InsideOut would be a bit of a commercial downgrade compared to roadrunner but would be better for them in terms of having more control over the release and avoiding stuff like the Astonishing box set fiasco. So I'm curious if mine is a unique situation or not.

The only major retailer I've seen it at is Walmart. I mean, they only had one copy, but it certainly surprised me. Otherwise, the only place I've seen it is the local music store.

[ytsejam58]

Just curious in the song S2N after the instrumental, did anyone else hear an Owen Wilson "Wow"?

[Herrick]

Just curious in the song S2N after the instrumental, did anyone else hear an Owen Wilson "Wow"?

Yeah I heard that on the first listen but I didn't know it was Owen Wilson. A few hours ago I saw "Petrucci Confirms Owen Wilson Cameo" but I didn't click on it.

Edit: All right just looked it up again and it said Petrucci WON'T confirm Owen Wilson Cameo". I've never seen a movie with Wilson in it. How did you know it was him?

[RoeDent]

I still have no idea who the hell Owen Wilson is.

[MirrorMask]

What I actually wonder is if his mention in Octavarium is a sincere tribute, or the guy has just a generic enough name (actually, name - surname combo) that it was an opportunity not to be missed trying to tie up all the "stream of consciousness" that makes up Full Circle 

[Herrick]

I still have no idea who the hell Owen Wilson is.

He's an actor.

[erwinrafael]

Just curious in the song S2N after the instrumental, did anyone else hear an Owen Wilson "Wow"?

Yeah I heard that on the first listen but I didn't know it was Owen Wilson. A few hours ago I saw "Petrucci Confirms Owen Wilson Cameo" but I didn't click on it.

Edit: All right just looked it up again and it said Petrucci WON'T confirm Owen Wilson Cameo". I've never seen a movie with Wilson in it. How did you know it was him?

Because it is a running joke in his movies, where he almost always has a scene where he says WOW.

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-legend-of-owen-wilsons-wow-2

[Herrick]

Just curious in the song S2N after the instrumental, did anyone else hear an Owen Wilson "Wow"?

Yeah I heard that on the first listen but I didn't know it was Owen Wilson. A few hours ago I saw "Petrucci Confirms Owen Wilson Cameo" but I didn't click on it.

Edit: All right just looked it up again and it said Petrucci WON'T confirm Owen Wilson Cameo". I've never seen a movie with Wilson in it. How did you know it was him?

Because it is a running joke in his movies, where he almost always has a scene where he says WOW.

https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/the-legend-of-owen-wilsons-wow-2

I see.