Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[CirclesSquared]

JM never seizes to amaze me, in the track-by-track video for S2N, he sits down with MM and JLB. If you show that video to someone who knows nothing about DT and asked them to guess which one of these three is a founding member of the band, they'll never guess it was JM, with how polite and restrained his mannerisms are.

Very cool.

He has already spoken more during the d/t promotion than in all previous years combined! 

Love JM.

Indeed. I was watching When Dream and Day Reunite Commentary DVD the other day and while the guys were reminiscing about their process in the early days, JM chimed in on several occasions with his own particular memories of that era.

And on more than one occasion (must have been at least two or three times) you can hear him saying how they used to live and work together on those early albums and how cool it would be if they could do it again. Honestly, he just repeated that as if he was hinting and nudging all the other guys with an elbow, "Why don't we do it again?", like. And MP's answer to that would always be that they had different lives back then, didn't have families and so on, clearly evading to make any promise of that writing and recording process happening again.

What I'm saying is, I think JM really missed that approach. That commentary DVD was in 2004. Fourteen years later, his wishes were finally granted. And the results are electrifying.

[gzarruk]

Nice to hear JM get out his fretless bass on Out of Reach. When was the last time he used one?

I didn't realize he was using a fretless on OOR... and I'm a bassist
IIRC, the last time he used a fretless was Far From Heaven, but it's very subtle. Before that, I think the last one for a long time was Through Her Eyes.

[Zook]

I agree that VK is fun and I like it but I'd like to know what is Viper King

It's a Dodge Viper - one of those stupid American muscle cars they seem to like over there that can't go round corners and is outclassed in every respect by most common European road cars. Honestly, my Ford Fiesta is better than one of those things.

But it looks awesome.

[SjundeInseglet]

I don't think I've seen anyone mention this before but the first time I listened to "Barstool Warrior" I thought that the part that starts around the 01:00 mark had an uncanny "Don't Look Past Me" sort of vibe.

"Distance Over Time" rocks, by the way. I really, really dig it! 

[rab7]

BW: I wish they would have ended it before the "no one can save you part"  It drags a bit and keeps it from perfection

I could not disagree more. The "No one can save you" takes this song to a completely new level. I may be biased though, because I've been hyped for that part ever since the facebook video of Jordan finishing his keyboard tracking many months ago.

[mikeyd23]

It's a Dodge Viper - one of those stupid American muscle cars they seem to like over there that can't go round corners and is outclassed in every respect by most common European road cars. Honestly, my Ford Fiesta is better than one of those things.

Seems totally reasonable.

[lovethedrake]

BW: I wish they would have ended it before the "no one can save you part"  It drags a bit and keeps it from perfection

I could not disagree more. The "No one can save you" takes this song to a completely new level. I may be biased though, because I've been hyped for that part ever since the facebook video of Jordan finishing his keyboard tracking many months ago.

I'm going to agree with you actually that the "no on can save you" part is nice, I just don't love how they drag the finale with the "now i'm cutting the anchor away part"... reminds me a little too much of some of the dragged out Astonishing songs (even though I like TA). 

Remember though... these are EXTREME nitpicks due to boredom and just wanting to over analyze the album because I am having so much fun with it.

[ReaperKK]

It's a Dodge Viper - one of those stupid American muscle cars they seem to like over there that can't go round corners and is outclassed in every respect by most common European road cars. Honestly, my Ford Fiesta is better than one of those things.

Seems totally reasonable.

Yea quite an exaggeration to say the least

[cramx3]

It's a Dodge Viper - one of those stupid American muscle cars they seem to like over there that can't go round corners and is outclassed in every respect by most common European road cars. Honestly, my Ford Fiesta is better than one of those things.

Seems totally reasonable.

Yea quite an exaggeration to say the least

yea my civic too is a better car than a viper....

[Architeuthis]

I bet my 85 Toyota corolla goes better in the snow than a dodge viper! 

[erwinrafael]

BW: I wish they would have ended it before the "no one can save you part"  It drags a bit and keeps it from perfection

I could not disagree more. The "No one can save you" takes this song to a completely new level. I may be biased though, because I've been hyped for that part ever since the facebook video of Jordan finishing his keyboard tracking many months ago.

I'm going to agree with you actually that the "no on can save you" part is nice, I just don't love how they drag the finale with the "now i'm cutting the anchor away part"... reminds me a little too much of some of the dragged out Astonishing songs (even though I like TA). 

At first I felt the same way, because the song doesn't sound like it knows where it's going. But when I finally got the melodic transitions in my head, I now find it brilliant. 

[Another_Won]

It's a Dodge Viper - one of those stupid American muscle cars they seem to like over there that can't go round corners and is outclassed in every respect by most common European road cars. Honestly, my Ford Fiesta is better than one of those things.

Seems totally reasonable.

Yea quite an exaggeration to say the least

yea my civic too is a better car than a viper....

Yea, the Viper is not that great of a sports car but it works better in the lyrics.  Singing "My MP4-12C King" just doesn't flow.  Also, the car just looks cool.

[JRuless]

DOT entering the dutch album chart on 3th position!

[geeeemo]

I have never liked the Dodge "muscle" cars.  But give me an old Camero, Chevelle, or GTO!  Doesn't need to hug all the corners, just look good, sound loud and have a great stereo!  I had a Camero when I was a teenager we would cruise this street in Denver - it was packed with muscle cars and everybody rockin! Like a party but in cars!

[RoeDent]

Distance Over Time got to no. 12 in the main UK Album Chart, but once again they've hit number one in the Rock Albums Chart!

[Max Kuehnau]

It went to the top spot in Germany. Out of nowhere, for the first time ever.

[gzarruk]

What about the Billboard 200? Maybe it'll hit the top 5?

[cramx3]

I opened a thread in the DT concerts section for the NYC show, it's sold out and secondary market is insanely expensive for a ticket.  I've never seen a local show here (NY/NJ) where DT sold out.  I'm super happy for them and I can only imagine the success of this album played a role (and Im sure SFAM helped too). 

[CirclesSquared]

Distance Over Time got to no. 12 in the main UK Album Chart, but once again they've hit number one in the Rock Albums Chart!

Is that the best they did in the UK (main album chart)? Billboard 200 entry we can expect tomorrow, I guess.

I'd really love to see this album succeed commercially as well. They deserve it.

[Trav]

Now I'm curious, what's the twist in Out Of Reach? What am I missing?

[The Letter M]

DOT entering the dutch album chart on 3th position!

Wow, at 3th place! Sounds mystical...

Glad to see the album charting very well around the world, though. These guys deserve it!

-Marc.

[DoctorAction]

Now I'm curious, what's the twist in Out Of Reach? What am I missing?

Yeah, I also remember reading something about a twist and hadn't picked one up.

I am loving this album so much. Fucking great. Just gets better. So awesome to be feeling this way about the band again! 

[Lonk]

Petrucci reacting to covers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Je_ulo9Yp7Y

[Logain Ablar]

Petrucci reacting to covers

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Je_ulo9Yp7Y

Just spotted that myself. It was annoying that they condensed the video so much, but JP always has a nice way about him and was very complimentary to the folks making the videos.

It always amazes me to think how many amazing musicians and singers there are out there, and most of them will never be well known or make a lot of money out of their talent.

[rumborak]

A topic I haven't seen being discussed yet: how do you guys think James will be able to handle the material live? Some people here have a good idea about the highest pitch of songs etc, how does D/T compare to other albums?

[CDrice]

A topic I haven't seen being discussed yet: how do you guys think James will be able to handle the material live? Some people here have a good idea about the highest pitch of songs etc, how does D/T compare to other albums?

I think the part in S2N where he goes ''Innocent die'' tops at a Bb (or something around that) during ''die''. Same thing on the ''go'' of ''Don't be afraid of letting go'' during Untethered Angel. It seems to be around his typical high notes these days. Like he sings a B in Bridges in the Sky before the instrumental for example. Not sure how well he manages those live though.

[Dave_Manchester]

Distance Over Time got to no. 12 in the main UK Album Chart, but once again they've hit number one in the Rock Albums Chart!

Number 12 in the main UK chart and number 1 in Germany (for the first time) is a brilliant achievement, and fully deserved for this album. Congratulations to them.

[Lonk]

A topic I haven't seen being discussed yet: how do you guys think James will be able to handle the material live? Some people here have a good idea about the highest pitch of songs etc, how does D/T compare to other albums?

I think FITL might be a shaky one for him

[TheCountOfNYC]

Now that I've listened to the album in full a few times, I feel comfortable sharing my thoughts on it, track by track.

-Untethered Angel is one of the band's best lead singles, up there with Pull Me Under, Home, and As I Am. Also a solid album opener.

-Paralyzed is to this album what Build Me Up, Break Me Down was supposed to be to ADToE. The riffs on this song just scream out of the speakers. Special mention to John Petrucci's solo on this one, which hasn't been discussed much on these forums in the early stages of this album's release. Tasteful and serves the song perfectly.

-Fall Into the Light is, IMO, the weakest of the three singles, but it's still great. That opening riffs screams Metallica, and it had me headbanging from the moment I first heard it. The middle section sounds tremendous, and really highlights now much better the production on this album is this time around.

Side note, I kind of wish Dream Theater didn't release the first three tracks as the promo singles, as for a lot of us, that means we already heard the first 20 minutes of the album before it was even released. Kind of nitpicky, but it would have been nice to not have to wait until track four to hear something new. Ah well, I guess that's what I get for listening to them in the first place.

-Barstool Warrior's placement on the album is perfect. After the first three heavy tracks, having a more progressive rock style song to diversify the flow of the album was a smart choice. It helps that this song kicks total ass, while a unique subject matter gives this song its own place in the band's discography.

-Room 137...I really wanted to love it. I was so excited to hear what Mangini would bring to the table lyrically, and while they aren't terrible, they aren't great either. I don't think that Labrie's voice suits the melody or style of the song either. The instrumentation is also kind of bland. Not a terrible song, but certainly the weakest link and only disappointment on an otherwise great album.

-S2N picks the album back up off of the ground with a grooving intro that reminds me a bit of Take the Time and Lines in the Sand. This song is the one that reminds me most of classic Dream Theater, and i have a blast listening to it every time. The keyboard solo over the heavy riff at the end reminds me of The Dark Eternal Night, and is the perfect way to end this epic song. To quote Owen Wilson, "wow".

-At Wit's End has some of James' finest lyrics. This is a difficult subject matter to write about, and he did it with grace, leading to some truly emotional moments. And then John Petrucci ends the song with one of the most beautiful guitar solos he has ever written. Easily one of the top three tracks on the album.

-Out of Reach's placement on this record is predictable as the ballad before the bombastic album closer (standard edition anyway but we'll get to that), but hey if it ain't broke don't fix it. The album needed a second to breathe after AWE, and OoR has some amazing moments in its short runtime. The guitar solo with its feedback is awesome, and the ending is beautiful. Maybe not a song that I'll come back to often outside of the album, but not one I would ever skip.

-Pale Blue Dot. I actually might be in love. There's so much to say about this song. The ambient intro. The epic instrumentation. The intelligent lyrics. This song is Dream Theater at their very best. Upon the first listen of this album, this is the song that immediately grabbed my attention and it's had it ever since. This may end up working its way into my top 10. It's that good. Oh and this may also be Mangini's best drum performance on an album since he joined the band. What a song.

-Viper King is easily the biggest surprise of the album. As a bonus track, I didn't expect much, but it's such a fun song to listen to. It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album which is why I guess they made it a bonus track, but I have a smile on my face for the duration of the song every time I listen to it.

In my opinion, Distance Over Time is Dream Theater's best album since Octavarium, and I fully expect to have it in my album rotation for a very long time. 8.5/10.

[ProfessorPeart]

Viper King gives me a real Deep Purple vibe. Specifically, from around the Purpendicular era which happens to have been Steve Morse's first record with them. It feels like it would fit with Ted the Mechanic and Rosa's Cantina nicely. It's like a Purple song on a few metal steroids to ratchet up the heaviness.

[ReaperKK]

It's a Dodge Viper - one of those stupid American muscle cars they seem to like over there that can't go round corners and is outclassed in every respect by most common European road cars. Honestly, my Ford Fiesta is better than one of those things.

Seems totally reasonable.

Yea quite an exaggeration to say the least

yea my civic too is a better car than a viper....

Yea, the Viper is not that great of a sports car but it works better in the lyrics.  Singing "My MP4-12C King" just doesn't flow.  Also, the car just looks cool.

What about "My koenigsegg king"?

[Max Kuehnau]

Viper King gives me a real Deep Purple vibe. Specifically, from around the Purpendicular era which happens to have been Steve Morse's first record with them. It feels like it would fit with Ted the Mechanic and Rosa's Cantina nicely. It's like a Purple song on a few metal steroids to ratchet up the heaviness.

this.

[Fritzinger]

Distance Over Time got to no. 12 in the main UK Album Chart, but once again they've hit number one in the Rock Albums Chart!

Number 12 in the main UK chart and number 1 in Germany (for the first time) is a brilliant achievement, and fully deserved for this album. Congratulations to them.

I just wanted to post that! Great achievement for a band that makes music like this!

[Bertielee]

Wow wow wow, all this smells really good for DT!!!

B.Lee

EDIT : apparently, Le Capitole in Quebec is sold out and the Salle Wilfrid Pelletier in Montreal is almost sold out.

[cramx3]

DT knocking out Avantasia (actually, I think they had already moved before the release off #1) but so fucking cool to see the success of this band and album  Looking forward to see where they land on the Billboard 200