The Alien Listening Party ! ALL SPOILERS !

[Peter Mc]

Genuinely not asking this to be an asshole but which songs does it sound like?  I mean the verses sound very like TCOT but the song as a whole is nothing like that song.  Pale Blue Dot is a bit of a spiritual brother to this but I can't think of too many other DT songs this intense. You'd probably have to go back to Train Of Thought or Systematic Chaos in the mid 2000's.

[WilliamMunny]

Genuinely not asking this to be an asshole but which songs does it sound like?  I mean the verses sound very like TCOT but the song as a whole is nothing like that song.  Pale Blue Dot is a bit of a spiritual brother to this but I can't think of too many other DT songs this intense. You'd probably have to go back to Train Of Thought or Systematic Chaos in the mid 2000's.

I'll second this. Feels incredibly fresh to me.

[425]

I think it "sounds like Dream Theater" in the sense that the elements that make up the music are very much in their style. Their style of riffs, solos, singing, rhythms, etc. But I don't think there's a Dream Theater song you can point to and say "it's extremely similar to that song."

[TAC]

Just put in my first listen tonight, after four yesterday. Listened with the lyrics up in front of me.

The song actually has a pretty basic structure.

This is a great song. That last part by James is outstanding, and the entire outro is great.

[Peter Mc]

I think it "sounds like Dream Theater" in the sense that the elements that make up the music are very much in their style. Their style of riffs, solos, singing, rhythms, etc. But I don't think there's a Dream Theater song you can point to and say "it's extremely similar to that song."

I do agree that it sounds like Dream Theater in the sense that you mean but I definitely think it's an unusually fast, intense, technical, energetic song for them.  I don't think it's the type of song they do all the time to be called run of the mill.

[Dedalus]

Jordan Rudess - The Alien Listening Party

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsz8957rPb4

Wait, so I have to pay him to allow him to promote his band's new song and album.

I get that he wants to do things for those who financially support him through patreon and that's fine but seems strange to put stuff promoting the new record behind a paywall.

Well, MM commented about the song for free on facebook, but people weren't satisfied either. 

[Crackerman]

As a DT 'lifer', I'm a bit disappointed.  Almost like when they released 'Just Let me Breathe' from FII as a lead off single (I think it was, or was it 'Burning My Soul')- bummed out.  I really miss the soaring solos and hooks, which ai feel we've been hearing were coming back around for this record. 

I wasn't as concerned on the first record that Mike M did with DT, but I don't see the imprint here he has with this band.  Technically, it's wicked.   Really gnarly, and solid.  But as a song, I'm not feeling it.  I want to sing along, and I want to burst at the seems when JP lets loose.  Here, it falls short.

I will say it's nice to hear John Myung in the mix more, the bass is up front, and that is a plus.  But the lyrics, the vocal melodies (or lack thereof), really aren't present.

I don't like to write this, I have a vert personal connection to DT as a band, and even for JP as an influence.  But since Systemic Chaos I just haven't been as enthused as I had from prior records.  As a guitarist, JP is still my man, and he still has that sizzle, but I'm missing the melodic hooks. 

James used to be a pretty good friend o mine, and I'll always remember the great correspondence and visits we used to have - and his solo work has some real chemistry with the music that I'm still not seeing here with these last few albums.  It's not quite 'filler', but it's not as memorable as the Awake I&W, Six Degrees, etc. . . that I would love for him to recapture. 

Hoping to recapture some of that vintage DT magic for the rest of the album. . . 

[erwinrafael]

I don't get the JP solos has no melodic hooks criticism. I can already sing the outro solo of The Alien from memory. And to date it back to SC? So no melodic hooks in Breaking All Illusions? At Wit's End? Our New World? Barstool Warrior?

[Dedalus]

As a DT 'lifer', I'm a bit disappointed.  Almost like when they released 'Just Let me Breathe' from FII as a lead off single (I think it was, or was it 'Burning My Soul')- bummed out.  I really miss the soaring solos and hooks, which ai feel we've been hearing were coming back around for this record. 

I wasn't as concerned on the first record that Mike M did with DT, but I don't see the imprint here he has with this band.  Technically, it's wicked.   Really gnarly, and solid.  But as a song, I'm not feeling it.  I want to sing along, and I want to burst at the seems when JP lets loose.  Here, it falls short.

I will say it's nice to hear John Myung in the mix more, the bass is up front, and that is a plus.  But the lyrics, the vocal melodies (or lack thereof), really aren't present.

I don't like to write this, I have a vert personal connection to DT as a band, and even for JP as an influence.  But since Systemic Chaos I just haven't been as enthused as I had from prior records.  As a guitarist, JP is still my man, and he still has that sizzle, but I'm missing the melodic hooks. 

James used to be a pretty good friend o mine, and I'll always remember the great correspondence and visits we used to have - and his solo work has some real chemistry with the music that I'm still not seeing here with these last few albums.  It's not quite 'filler', but it's not as memorable as the Awake I&W, Six Degrees, etc. . . that I would love for him to recapture. 

Hoping to recapture some of that vintage DT magic for the rest of the album. . .

I do.

After listening to the new song several times, I confirm even more the first impression that Mike Mangini rocked on this track.

Impressive and very interesting drum line.

People might not like his style, they might prefer MP, but for me it inevitably manages to put some freshness in terms of drum lines.

As a comparison, just listen to the two recent NMB singles. There's absolutely nothing there that MP hasn't done thousands of times (and btw, he repeats a lot of fills between the two songs  ).

[erwinrafael]

So I checked this song on Spotify just over 12 hours ago. It only had 4,000+ plays then. Am playing it now and it is now at 133,393 plays. Youtube video is already at 450,191 views. This song is picking up steam!

[jayvee3]

It's not bad but it sounds like a lot of DT songs you've heard before. Which is to be expected after 36 years and 15 albums.

So it sounds a lot like Dream Theater? Handy, seeing that it's a song by...drum roll... Dream Theater... 

[DoctorAction]

Another thought that occurred to me about this:

This is kinda how I expected the band to sound after getting MM in the first place. And there was that album that (I think) JP said contained "Mangini unleashed". Well, THIS sounds like MM unleashed to me and I love it.

I re-listened to D/T this week and it still rocks. Early days on The Alien, but The Alien sounds like it's from the same band as D/T, and both sound like they're from a slightly different band from the one that released all the preceding material, if that makes any sense. Same energy and vibe somehow.

[jayvee3]

As a DT 'lifer', I'm a bit disappointed.  Almost like when they released 'Just Let me Breathe' from FII as a lead off single (I think it was, or was it 'Burning My Soul')- bummed out.  I really miss the soaring solos and hooks, which ai feel we've been hearing were coming back around for this record. 

I wasn't as concerned on the first record that Mike M did with DT, but I don't see the imprint here he has with this band.  Technically, it's wicked.   Really gnarly, and solid.  But as a song, I'm not feeling it.  I want to sing along, and I want to burst at the seems when JP lets loose.  Here, it falls short.

I will say it's nice to hear John Myung in the mix more, the bass is up front, and that is a plus.  But the lyrics, the vocal melodies (or lack thereof), really aren't present.

I don't like to write this, I have a vert personal connection to DT as a band, and even for JP as an influence.  But since Systemic Chaos I just haven't been as enthused as I had from prior records.  As a guitarist, JP is still my man, and he still has that sizzle, but I'm missing the melodic hooks. 

James used to be a pretty good friend o mine, and I'll always remember the great correspondence and visits we used to have - and his solo work has some real chemistry with the music that I'm still not seeing here with these last few albums.  It's not quite 'filler', but it's not as memorable as the Awake I&W, Six Degrees, etc. . . that I would love for him to recapture. 

Hoping to recapture some of that vintage DT magic for the rest of the album. . .

All due respect, because I think it's obvious how well you articulated your thoughts. But I feel almost opposite. I loved FII from the day I picked it up at the store. But the two tracks you mention are two of the weaker on the album and "the Alien" I feel is a considerably better and far more technically executed song than either. They are "average rockers", where as the Alien explores some great sounds and interesting vocals and lyrics to sound very "space-like" and create an interesting atmosphere. And I love the solos and hooks - particularly with the more melodic solo towards the start and in the finish almost making it feel like a true mini-epic. But different horses I guess...

I really like James in this track too. The versus are very sing-a-long-able once you hear them a few times and become familiar, and his performance overall doesn't have the notes of some of the moments in Innocence Faded or Under a Glass Moon, but it doesn't always need to. It all fits together nicely, has a great crescendo and should be able to be performed well live. So it's a nice, intelligent range. I'm sure many other tracks will have some more powerful moments.

To me, MM absolutely shines, but this is little surprise. I think he's fantastic and has been from day dot. This has some monster MM drumming, but so have so many of his tracks, including S2N, Illumination Theory, The Looking Glass, Pale Blue Dot, At Wits End, Enigma Machine and so forth. I think he's completely comfortable and knows his role in the band. I actually don't think MP could play all of MM's parts, but feel MM could play anything from the DT back catalog almost blindfolded. But I'm not a drummer, so I could be wrong. All I know is that I love the sounds from MM's drumming and "the Alien" is an absolute beast in that department.

In any case, it's all just opinions. Hope the song grows on you a bit and you do find those wow moments to enjoy with the rest of the album. Peace brother

[BeatriceNB]

As a DT 'lifer', I'm a bit disappointed.  Almost like when they released 'Just Let me Breathe' from FII as a lead off single (I think it was, or was it 'Burning My Soul')- bummed out.  I really miss the soaring solos and hooks, which ai feel we've been hearing were coming back around for this record. 

I wasn't as concerned on the first record that Mike M did with DT, but I don't see the imprint here he has with this band.  Technically, it's wicked.   Really gnarly, and solid.  But as a song, I'm not feeling it.  I want to sing along, and I want to burst at the seems when JP lets loose.  Here, it falls short.

I will say it's nice to hear John Myung in the mix more, the bass is up front, and that is a plus.  But the lyrics, the vocal melodies (or lack thereof), really aren't present.

I don't like to write this, I have a vert personal connection to DT as a band, and even for JP as an influence.  But since Systemic Chaos I just haven't been as enthused as I had from prior records.  As a guitarist, JP is still my man, and he still has that sizzle, but I'm missing the melodic hooks. 

James used to be a pretty good friend o mine, and I'll always remember the great correspondence and visits we used to have - and his solo work has some real chemistry with the music that I'm still not seeing here with these last few albums.  It's not quite 'filler', but it's not as memorable as the Awake I&W, Six Degrees, etc. . . that I would love for him to recapture. 

Hoping to recapture some of that vintage DT magic for the rest of the album. . .

All due respect, because I think it's obvious how well you articulated your thoughts. But I feel almost opposite. I loved FII from the day I picked it up at the store. But the two tracks you mention are two of the weaker on the album and "the Alien" I feel is a considerably better and far more technically executed song than either. They are "average rockers", where as the Alien explores some great sounds and interesting vocals and lyrics to sound very "space-like" and create an interesting atmosphere. And I love the solos and hooks - particularly with the more melodic solo towards the start and in the finish almost making it feel like a true mini-epic. But different horses I guess...

I really like James in this track too. The versus are very sing-a-long-able once you hear them a few times and become familiar, and his performance overall doesn't have the notes of some of the moments in innocence faded or under a glass moon, but it doesn't always need to. It all fits together nicely, has a great crescendo and should be able to be performed well live. So it's a nice, intelligent range. I'm sure many other tracks will have some more powerful moments.

To me, MM absolutely shines, but this is little surprise. I think he's fantastic and has been from day dot. This has some monster MM drumming, but so have so many of his tracks, including S2N, Illumination theory, the looking glass, pale blue Dot, A Wits End, Enigma Machine and so forth. I think he's completely comfortable and knows his role in the band. actually don't think MP could play all of MM's parts, but feel MM could play anything from the DT back catalog almost blindfolded. But I'm not a drummer, so I could be wrong. All I know is that I love the sounds from MM's drumming and "the Alien" is an absolute beast in that department.

In any case, it's all just opinions. Hope the song grows on you a bit and you do find those wow moments to enjoy with the rest of the album. Peace brother

Nah, you're right. Mangini also plays many MP fills using only one hand in the shows. And he has an immense understanding of complex rhythms, while, to my knowledge, Portnoy never went beyond using odd time sigs (and most of the time, with rather simple ideas); Portnoy also uses lots of repetitive fills (RLKK variations), and isn't known for his limbs interdependence.
Not to diminish MP's work (although I don't like anything he plays), but the difference between Mangini and Portnoy, in terms of skill, is worlds apart.

[Enigmachine]

The way I see it, the band are trying new kinds of themes, structures and melodies while still being identifiable as Dream Theater with this track. They've never been the kind of band that'd completely lose that signature in a new release, even if their shifts had previously pushed them outside of their identified genre every once in a blue moon (with Falling Into Infinity, Octavarium and The Astonishing). Sure, maybe the shifts were arguably more drastic before a certain point (that is, if you're only considering variation in style rather than structure, pacing, mood etc. where I think the album shifts are just as prominent as before), but I still don't think the band are on autopilot in that regard, with The Alien very much considered.

I always wonder what people actually want when I see people complaining that this is the same old DT, especially when considering how unusual this is for a single (which has traditionally been one of the more familiar sounding songs of the album like On the Backs of Angels and Untethered Angel). They could do the whole funk-prog thing and get compared to Lines in the Sand, they could do jazz fusiony stuff (which imo the middle JP solo feels like it has elements of) and get compared to Beyond This Life / Take the Time / Surrender to Reason (depending on where they go with it), they could go all orchestral and symphonic and get compared to The Astonishing, they could do another rap section and get compared to Honor Thy Father / This Dying Soul / Prophets of War or the Canadian rap, streamlined alt-metal as in Paralysed or BMUBMD, they could do understated prog rock and get compared to Repentence and Octavarium, they could do full on pop rock and get compared to I Walk Beside You and You Not Me, excursions into extreme metal territory in A Nightmare to Remember, spacey atmospherics in Pale Blue Dot / Octavarium, spaghetti western style in Fall Into the Light's mid-section, folksy stuff in Solitary Shell and Hymn of a Thousand Voices, electronic music elements in Space Dye Vest / Outcry / BMUBMD, avant garde noise weirdness in the NOMAC tracks and the end of Misunderstood, upbeat prog in Surrender to Reason / Barstool Warrior, Deep Purple style hard rock in Viper King, musical theater stuff yet again all over The Astonishing and Scenes... hell, reggae would probably be referenced back to LTE's Ya Mon and Universal Mind.

Sure, there's room to go deeper into some of these but still, I don't think there's really enough of an appreciation sometimes for just how wide the DT stylistic palette can be, with this song included. You got a lot of harmonically off-kilter elements, the aforementioned fusiony middle solo, MM doing that quirky stick rhythm (also worth noting that his performance here is pretty unprecedented overall), that uplifting, double-time solo towards the end, that orchestral, cinematic ending that blends in with elements of that opening riff, the unusual melodic style, a lot of fresh, varied stuff imo, even if not all of it is entirely new in some form. That's just what happens when you get a band that's already done a fair amount of musical exploration. I'm not sure where else they can go without sounding like they're putting novelty over songwriting or doing BtBaM esque weirdness (and even their last few tracks don't seem like they have anything entirely new for them) (EDIT: nevermind, those tracks definitely have unique elements), which has never really been what the band were about.

[Peter Mc]

After my initial, "this is the least I've ever enjoyed a DT song on first listen" instant reaction (which I did caveat by saying it could change in time), I'm now at the point where I really like this a lot so am going to have to try to stop myself from listening to it to death.  I much prefer this to any of the singles from the last release.  It's definitely increased my excitement for the album.  Can't wait to hear more.

[Kotowboy]

It's not bad but it sounds like a lot of DT songs you've heard before. Which is to be expected after 36 years and 15 albums.

So it sounds a lot like Dream Theater? Handy, seeing that it's a song by...drum roll... Dream Theater... 

The verses Definitely remind me of The Count of Tuscany. And no I wasn't expecting Polka Jazz. . . .

[Peter Mc]

Love the artwork for the single by the way.  I know it wouldn't work as the album cover as it doesn't fit the album title but I think it's nicer than the actual album cover.

[TAC]

The way I see it, the band are trying new kinds of themes, structures and melodies while still being identifiable as Dream Theater with this track. They've never been the kind of band that'd completely lose that signature in a new release, even if their shifts had previously pushed them outside of their identified genre every once in a blue moon (with Falling Into Infinity, Octavarium and The Astonishing). Sure, maybe the shifts were arguably more drastic before a certain point (that is, if you're only considering variation in style rather than structure, pacing, mood etc. where I think the album shifts are just as prominent as before), but I still don't think the band are on autopilot in that regard, with The Alien very much considered.

I always wonder what people actually want when I see people complaining that this is the same old DT, especially when considering how unusual this is for a single (which has traditionally been one of the more familiar sounding songs of the album like On the Backs of Angels and Untethered Angel). They could do the whole funk-prog thing and get compared to Lines in the Sand, they could do jazz fusiony stuff (which imo the middle JP solo feels like it has elements of) and get compared to Beyond This Life / Take the Time / Surrender to Reason (depending on where they go with it), they could go all orchestral and symphonic and get compared to The Astonishing, they could do another rap section and get compared to Honor Thy Father / This Dying Soul / Prophets of War or the Canadian rap, streamlined alt-metal as in Paralysed or BMUBMD, they could do understated prog rock and get compared to Repentence and Octavarium, they could do full on pop rock and get compared to I Walk Beside You and You Not Me, excursions into extreme metal territory in A Nightmare to Remember, spacey atmospherics in Pale Blue Dot / Octavarium, spaghetti western style in Fall Into the Light's mid-section, folksy stuff in Solitary Shell and Hymn of a Thousand Voices, electronic music elements in Space Dye Vest / Outcry / BMUBMD, avant garde noise weirdness in the NOMAC tracks and the end of Misunderstood, upbeat prog in Surrender to Reason / Barstool Warrior, Deep Purple style hard rock in Viper King, musical theater stuff yet again all over The Astonishing and Scenes... hell, reggae would probably be referenced back to LTE's Ya Mon and Universal Mind.

Sure, there's room to go deeper into some of these but still, I don't think there's really enough of an appreciation sometimes for just how wide the DT stylistic palette can be, with this song included. You got a lot of harmonically off-kilter elements, the aforementioned fusiony middle solo, MM doing that quirky stick rhythm (also worth noting that his performance here is pretty unprecedented overall), that uplifting, double-time solo towards the end, that orchestral, cinematic ending that blends in with elements of that opening riff, the unusual melodic style, a lot of fresh, varied stuff imo, even if not all of it is entirely new in some form. That's just what happens when you get a band that's already done a fair amount of musical exploration. I'm not sure where else they can go without sounding like they're putting novelty over songwriting or doing BtBaM esque weirdness (and even their last few tracks don't seem like they have anything entirely new for them), which has never really been what the band were about.

EMachine, I like this post. It's like the saying, sometimes you can't see the forest through the trees. Sure what they do from time to time may not always appeal to everyone, and that's OK. 15 albums..there's plenty to choose from.

[Lonk]

Alright so after about 10 listens or so (I came on the radio twice as I was driving!) I'm ready to put it down and wait for the album.

Final thoughts, I like the song a lot, it's powerful, has energy, it takes you to unexpected places. It's a great track. Surprisingly, the weakest part of me is the guitar solo at the instrumental section in the middle. I like the solo, just don't think it's that great.

[Peter Mc]

Wow, really?  I looooove that solo, really soulful and gorgeous.  Different strokes I suppose.

[chwik]

Alright so after about 10 listens or so (I came on the radio twice as I was driving!) I'm ready to put it down and wait for the album.

Final thoughts, I like the song a lot, it's powerful, has energy, it takes you to unexpected places. It's a great track. Surprisingly, the weakest part of me is the guitar solo at the instrumental section in the middle. I like the solo, just don't think it's that great.

Hope the radio is ok!

[Kotowboy]

(I came on the radio twice as I was driving!) I'm ready to put it down .

[Trav]

Alright so after about 10 listens or so (I came on the radio twice as I was driving!) I'm ready to put it down and wait for the album.

Final thoughts, I like the song a lot, it's powerful, has energy, it takes you to unexpected places. It's a great track. Surprisingly, the weakest part of me is the guitar solo at the instrumental section in the middle. I like the solo, just don't think it's that great.

Hope the radio is ok!

[lonestar]

 


Where the hell do you live where they play a 9 minute DT song on the radio?

[geeeemo]

Where the hell do you live where they play a 9 minute DT song on the radio?

I heard it on the Liquid Metal Sirius station. The Devils Dozen. The Alien was number 10.

[Kotowboy]

Love the artwork for the single by the way.  I know it wouldn't work as the album cover as it doesn't fit the album title but I think it's nicer than the actual album cover.

Not to drag Hugh again but I find his in booklet art better than the covers.

[JediKnight1969]

Usually bands release as first single the most "accessible" song, so if this is the tip of the iceberg... I think it's gonna be a feast 

[TAC]

Usually bands release as first single the most "accessible" song, so if this is the tip of the iceberg... I think it's gonna be a feast 

I certainly hope so!!

[BelichickFan]

Love it.  It sounds like DT but it sounds fresh, creative and inspired.  I felt the same way about The Gift of Music.

My order of preference for Mangini era lead "singles":

The Alien
The Gift of Music
The Enemy Inside
On the Backs of Angels
Untethered Angel

[Trav]

Love it.  It sounds like DT but it sounds fresh, creative and inspired.  I felt the same way about The Gift of Music.

My order of preference for Mangini era lead "singles":

The Alien
The Gift of Music
The Enemy Inside
On the Backs of Angels
Untethered Angel

I agree with all of this.

[dparrott]

The second half is not as good as the first imo. 

[Crackerman]

As a DT 'lifer', I'm a bit disappointed.  Almost like when they released 'Just Let me Breathe' from FII as a lead off single (I think it was, or was it 'Burning My Soul')- bummed out.  I really miss the soaring solos and hooks, which ai feel we've been hearing were coming back around for this record. 

I wasn't as concerned on the first record that Mike M did with DT, but I don't see the imprint here he has with this band.  Technically, it's wicked.   Really gnarly, and solid.  But as a song, I'm not feeling it.  I want to sing along, and I want to burst at the seems when JP lets loose.  Here, it falls short.

I will say it's nice to hear John Myung in the mix more, the bass is up front, and that is a plus.  But the lyrics, the vocal melodies (or lack thereof), really aren't present.

I don't like to write this, I have a vert personal connection to DT as a band, and even for JP as an influence.  But since Systemic Chaos I just haven't been as enthused as I had from prior records.  As a guitarist, JP is still my man, and he still has that sizzle, but I'm missing the melodic hooks. 

James used to be a pretty good friend o mine, and I'll always remember the great correspondence and visits we used to have - and his solo work has some real chemistry with the music that I'm still not seeing here with these last few albums.  It's not quite 'filler', but it's not as memorable as the Awake I&W, Six Degrees, etc. . . that I would love for him to recapture. 

Hoping to recapture some of that vintage DT magic for the rest of the album. . .

All due respect, because I think it's obvious how well you articulated your thoughts. But I feel almost opposite. I loved FII from the day I picked it up at the store. But the two tracks you mention are two of the weaker on the album and "the Alien" I feel is a considerably better and far more technically executed song than either. They are "average rockers", where as the Alien explores some great sounds and interesting vocals and lyrics to sound very "space-like" and create an interesting atmosphere. And I love the solos and hooks - particularly with the more melodic solo towards the start and in the finish almost making it feel like a true mini-epic. But different horses I guess...

I really like James in this track too. The versus are very sing-a-long-able once you hear them a few times and become familiar, and his performance overall doesn't have the notes of some of the moments in Innocence Faded or Under a Glass Moon, but it doesn't always need to. It all fits together nicely, has a great crescendo and should be able to be performed well live. So it's a nice, intelligent range. I'm sure many other tracks will have some more powerful moments.

To me, MM absolutely shines, but this is little surprise. I think he's fantastic and has been from day dot. This has some monster MM drumming, but so have so many of his tracks, including S2N, Illumination Theory, The Looking Glass, Pale Blue Dot, At Wits End, Enigma Machine and so forth. I think he's completely comfortable and knows his role in the band. I actually don't think MP could play all of MM's parts, but feel MM could play anything from the DT back catalog almost blindfolded. But I'm not a drummer, so I could be wrong. All I know is that I love the sounds from MM's drumming and "the Alien" is an absolute beast in that department.

In any case, it's all just opinions. Hope the song grows on you a bit and you do find those wow moments to enjoy with the rest of the album. Peace brother

I have been dissecting a bit more, and after a few more listens, it is slowly growing on me.   And for the record, I am a Mike Mangini fan.  And his rhythmic choices on this track are really good.  The recording of the drums just doesn't have as much 'thump' as I'd like.  And not to inject Portnoy into here, but the drums on 6:00 were banging.  Just really hit you in the teeth.   

When Portnoy left, I honestly didn't feel 'awful'.  I was excited about the prospect of someone else coming in that didn't have as much of a lightning rod around them.  But the more I thought about it, I kind of think the disagreements between MP, JP, and even JLB contributed to some killer songs.  AT this point, it feels like JP and JR have kind of steered the ship a bit more, and there is a bit more benevolence in the songwriting - except for 'The Astonishing'.  And right or wrong, it's had an effect. 

The last album was the best BY FAR of the MM era, so when the guys started banging the drum about 'how amazing' this new record will be, I went into it expecting aged Kobe steak - and a after a first listen I feel I got the Outback Special.  Not terrible, pretty tasty, but the flavors just don't pop.

I'm still letting it digest, ands cautiously optimistic about the rest of the album.

[425]

The way I see it, the band are trying new kinds of themes, structures and melodies while still being identifiable as Dream Theater with this track. They've never been the kind of band that'd completely lose that signature in a new release, even if their shifts had previously pushed them outside of their identified genre every once in a blue moon (with Falling Into Infinity, Octavarium and The Astonishing). Sure, maybe the shifts were arguably more drastic before a certain point (that is, if you're only considering variation in style rather than structure, pacing, mood etc. where I think the album shifts are just as prominent as before), but I still don't think the band are on autopilot in that regard, with The Alien very much considered.

I always wonder what people actually want when I see people complaining that this is the same old DT, especially when considering how unusual this is for a single (which has traditionally been one of the more familiar sounding songs of the album like On the Backs of Angels and Untethered Angel). They could do the whole funk-prog thing and get compared to Lines in the Sand, they could do jazz fusiony stuff (which imo the middle JP solo feels like it has elements of) and get compared to Beyond This Life / Take the Time / Surrender to Reason (depending on where they go with it), they could go all orchestral and symphonic and get compared to The Astonishing, they could do another rap section and get compared to Honor Thy Father / This Dying Soul / Prophets of War or the Canadian rap, streamlined alt-metal as in Paralysed or BMUBMD, they could do understated prog rock and get compared to Repentence and Octavarium, they could do full on pop rock and get compared to I Walk Beside You and You Not Me, excursions into extreme metal territory in A Nightmare to Remember, spacey atmospherics in Pale Blue Dot / Octavarium, spaghetti western style in Fall Into the Light's mid-section, folksy stuff in Solitary Shell and Hymn of a Thousand Voices, electronic music elements in Space Dye Vest / Outcry / BMUBMD, avant garde noise weirdness in the NOMAC tracks and the end of Misunderstood, upbeat prog in Surrender to Reason / Barstool Warrior, Deep Purple style hard rock in Viper King, musical theater stuff yet again all over The Astonishing and Scenes... hell, reggae would probably be referenced back to LTE's Ya Mon and Universal Mind.

Sure, there's room to go deeper into some of these but still, I don't think there's really enough of an appreciation sometimes for just how wide the DT stylistic palette can be, with this song included. You got a lot of harmonically off-kilter elements, the aforementioned fusiony middle solo, MM doing that quirky stick rhythm (also worth noting that his performance here is pretty unprecedented overall), that uplifting, double-time solo towards the end, that orchestral, cinematic ending that blends in with elements of that opening riff, the unusual melodic style, a lot of fresh, varied stuff imo, even if not all of it is entirely new in some form. That's just what happens when you get a band that's already done a fair amount of musical exploration. I'm not sure where else they can go without sounding like they're putting novelty over songwriting or doing BtBaM esque weirdness (and even their last few tracks don't seem like they have anything entirely new for them), which has never really been what the band were about.

This is a really good post.

One point you I think you made in there that I'd like to highlight in somewhat different terms is this: The more albums a band has, the harder it is for them to do something surprising, especially if they don't totally discard their core sound (a la Opeth's Heritage). I wasn't around for the earlier DT albums, but it stands to reason that people would have frequently found new things they did surprising, different, fresh, new for them. Awake sounds way different from WDADU and IAW, a lot of FII sounds different from those three, SDOIT sounds pretty different from the previous five... But by now they have 14 albums with all the variations that Enigmachine names. There's just not as much room for them to vary their core sound in a way that makes you feel like you've not heard them do anything like it before. I don't think that's a bad thing—for me, it's always primarily about whether the music is good—it's just something to keep in mind.

[lonestar]

Where the hell do you live where they play a 9 minute DT song on the radio?

I heard it on the Liquid Metal Sirius station. The Devils Dozen. The Alien was number 10.

Ah I wasn't even thinking about Sirius...I thought it was just normal ass radio. Last time I heart DT on normal radio was about 10 years ago in Hawaii on a college station.