DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)

[Ben_Jamin]

It would be pretty relentless if a song went on for 20 minutes with the same energy, or ever increasing energy throughout. All of the DT epics have breaks in them throughout the songs that lead into new sections, some earlier, some later... Don't get why this is something to freak out over...

I think we all recognize that most epics have ebbs and flows in the energy of the song.  That's not the problem with Illumination Theory.  The problem with Illumination Theory is one of context, or more precisely an utter and complete lack of context.  Allow me to explain: If you listen to The Count of Tuscany, the low ambient section with the guitar volume swell melodies is actually a well-crafted ambient break in the song that references melodic ideas from earlier in the piece.  In that context it works rather fluidly and feels very organic. 


Illumination Theory's ambient break is completely detached from the song they stuck it in.  I find no melodic, rhythmic or any other musical reference to anything.  It's completely out of context.  There is nothing wrong with the part itself.  In fact, it's quite beautiful.  But jamming into the middle of that song?  Bad idea because it's completely out of context.

So you're saying you can't hear the string intro melody being played during the ambient section? Because I can hear those strings doing the same melody, only without the band.

[kirksnosehair]

Uh, no, that's not at all what I'm saying.  Perhaps I missed the reference but I don't hear anything in that section that references the music around it in any way.  What part of the song are you talking about and what is it referencing, can you give me timestamps so I can listen?  I'll be the first to admit if I'm wrong about this.

[kirksnosehair]

Illumination Theory's ambient break is completely detached from the song they stuck it in.  I find no melodic, rhythmic or any other musical reference to anything.  It's completely out of context.  There is nothing wrong with the part itself.  In fact, it's quite beautiful.  But jamming into the middle of that song?  Bad idea because it's completely out of context.

...Other than a direct reference to the very first melody in the song? That is, if you're including the orchestral part here, too.

I never picked up on that at all.  I'll give it another listen tonight.  And no, what I'm saying is the Orchestral part is a completely stand-a-lone piece that derives none of its melodic content from anything that came before it or comes after it, which is why to me it sounds so out of context.

[Enigmachine]

I never picked up on that at all.  I'll give it another listen tonight.  And no, what I'm saying is the Orchestral part is a completely stand-a-lone piece that derives none of its melodic content from anything that came before it or comes after it, which is why to me it sounds so out of context.

I ask as I'd consider the ambient and orchestral parts to be separate because there's a fair few minutes of chimes and such that acts as a cool down before the orchestra builds the texture back up to something more melodic (which imo makes sense, given that the prior 7 or so mins before the ambient section is extremely dense in terms of musical content). But yeah, take a listen to the first minute or so of the song and then listen out for the climax of the orchestral section. It's the exact same melody (it's that Tchaikovsky style thing) and when I hear it, it feels very deliberately placed in relation to the rest of the track.

[Ben_Jamin]

I never picked up on that at all.  I'll give it another listen tonight.  And no, what I'm saying is the Orchestral part is a completely stand-a-lone piece that derives none of its melodic content from anything that came before it or comes after it, which is why to me it sounds so out of context.

I ask as I'd consider the ambient and orchestral parts to be separate because there's a fair few minutes of chimes and such that acts as a cool down before the orchestra builds the texture back up to something more melodic (which imo makes sense, given that the prior 7 or so mins before the ambient section is extremely dense in terms of musical content). But yeah, take a listen to the first minute or so of the song and then listen out for the climax of the orchestral section. It's the exact same melody (it's that Tchaikovsky style thing) and when I hear it, it feels very deliberately placed in relation to the rest of the track.

I get what your saying, and that is right. I am talking about the Orchestral part and not the Ambient part.

I actually like that Ambient section, and I explained what I envision when I hear that section. It's a great way to represent the darkness of being alone. The light that opened up the heart is the Orchestral melody that reprises what the strings are playing in the intro.

The lyrics and music of Illumination Theory sort of relate in their meanings, as it's like they incorporated the structure around the lyrical meaning of the song. And placed the string section in the middle to symbolize the embrace. They structured it this way to give the lyrical concept more meaning, as the music during "The Embracing Circle" speaks for itself and doesn't need lyrics.

[Mladen]

I'm liking the song lengths quite a bit. Seven tracks, only a couple on the short side. As far as I'm concerned, bring it on. 

[lightbug]

My personal guesses:

Turn Around / Try Again / The Adventurer
Against The Current / Above The Clouds
Invisible map / I might
Safety glass
Timeless trip
All that matters
A View From The Top Of The World

[Architeuthis]

       🥱

[gzarruk]

I'm just excited about new DT music and a new 20 minute epic. Need the official announcement soon

[Dave_Manchester]

My personal guesses:

Turn Around

A DT cover of Total Eclipse of the Heart with a hysterical JP on vocals (Spirit Carries On outtake-style) is something I'd pay deluxe edition prices for.

[lightbug]

My personal guesses:

Turn Around

A DT cover of Total Eclipse of the Heart with a hysterical JP on vocals (Spirit Carries On outtake-style) is something I'd pay deluxe edition prices for.

[The Letter M]

AVFTTOTW = Always Vote for Trump, the One True Winner 20:24

That's gotta be it! 

You're on to something!

Yep, what a nugget! 

OMG.... Dream Theater... DT... Donald Trump.

It all makes sense.

-Marc.

[Ben_Jamin]

AVFTTOTW = Always Vote for Trump, the One True Winner 20:24

That's gotta be it! 

You're on to something!

Yep, what a nugget! 

OMG.... Dream Theater... DT... Donald Trump.

It all makes sense.

-Marc.

[Pettor]

OMG Donald Trump concept album confirmed 🤯

[the_silent_man]

What do we reckon then chaps?
Another video today? More tracks (or bonus?)?
Tracklisting / title / artwork reveal?

[LordJordan]

What do we reckon then chaps?
Another video today? More tracks (or bonus?)?
Tracklisting / title / artwork reveal?

The pattern seems to be very clear: another video today with the two missing albums (TA and D/T) and hopefully the new one to come full circle (quote intended).
My guess is that we'll have all the details today but no single: cover, title, full tracklist, release date and maybe a date for the first single.

[Trav]

What do we reckon then chaps?
Another video today? More tracks (or bonus?)?
Tracklisting / title / artwork reveal?

The pattern seems to be very clear: another video today with the two missing albums (TA and D/T) and hopefully the new one to come full circle (quote intended).
My guess is that we'll have all the details today but no single: cover, title, full tracklist, release date and maybe a date for the first single.

My money is on this.

[the_silent_man]

@LordJordan - I agree (hope!).

That seems like a reasonable probability. The other alternative being another 1 or 2 tracks following the epic, but I find that unlikely.
Details today then maybe single next Friday.

Time will tell!

[Seppe76]

I think so.
Another video today, probably the cover and track list.
Next Friday I hope for the first song.

[dream75]

A guy on reddit says the album title is

View From The Top Of The World

[hefdaddy42]

NO SAPPY 3-4 MINUTE BALLAD AS THE 2ND-TO-LAST SONG

...Hopefully that doesn't mean we're getting a 9 minute sappy ballad as the 2nd-to-last song.

Oh, I hope we do.

[LordJordan]

A guy on reddit says the album title is

View From The Top Of The World

I saw that: for now, there is no evidence that he is just trolling everyone with some information that we already have...

[MirrorMask]

NO SAPPY 3-4 MINUTE BALLAD AS THE 2ND-TO-LAST SONG

...Hopefully that doesn't mean we're getting a 9 minute sappy ballad as the 2nd-to-last song.

Oh, I hope we do.

I wouldn't mind an... how to call it? an "epic ballad", something that yeah, it's slow most of the times, but by the way it unfolds it takes (naturally) a lot of time to do and you have a lot of emotion and buildup. A more majestic Space Dye Vest, a Ministry of Lost Souls without being hijacked by a 5 minutes jam, something like that, a bit different than Along for the Ride and Out of Reach.

[lucasembarbosa]

I'm starting to think that we probably won't get all the information about the new album today... Maybe a last tease untill Monday.

[Trav]

A guy on reddit says the album title is

View From The Top Of The World

For a song title, that's cool. But as an album title, I hope not. It'll be competing with SDOIT as biggest mouthful.

[Zydar]

A guy on reddit says the album title is

View From The Top Of The World

For a song title, that's cool. But as an album title, I hope not. It'll be competing with SDOIT as biggest mouthful.

And 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events'. I like them shorter, like Awake and Octavarium (and Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory )

[noxon]

If that guy actually works at a pressing plant for viny, he'll be easily tracked down, and will probably lose his job for this. Hope it was worth it for him...

[Zydar]

So that's a title confirmation then?

[nikatapi]

If that guy actually works at a pressing plant for viny, he'll be easily tracked down, and will probably lose his job for this. Hope it was worth it for him...

Sounds a bit much, it's not like he leaked the album.

[noxon]

When you work at a pressing plant like that, you sign NDAs to be able to work there. So even leaking minute information goes agains the contract. He's directly putting his employer in danger of losing out on future clients...

[LordJordan]

Not so smart from him, given the fact that he has revealed nothing, practically speaking, and everything is coming together hopefully in the next hours.
If you want to break a NDA, you shouldn't do it minutes before its decay

[Lonk]

It could also be just a guess, heck someone here mentioned that AVFTTOTW could be the title track.

Well, if that is the album title, I dig it.

[Trav]

Well if Noxon is taking it seriously...

[MirrorMask]

Well if Noxon is taking it seriously...

Yeah but why say it? we know he's in DT's loop, if he reacts annoyed at a spoiler, that's basically confirmation that the spoiler is right. I would play dumb if I knew, best way to squish rumors is to ignore them and not validate them.

[Madman Shepherd]

A View From the Top of the World? It reminds me of A Dramatic Turn of Events...which I thought was a pretty bad album title AT FIRST. Now I love everything about that album including the title and the cover. So I'm ok with it.