*Official* A View from the Top of the World discussion thread

[erwinrafael]

Nice Ride Cymbal at 3:30 in Invisible Monster.

I'd be interested to see how 'loud' this album is as everything sounds so clear.

Why does Invisible Monster sound so much better on the album than as a single ?

Maybe I didn't pay much attention to it before and it sounds better in context ?

It offered a nice contrast to The Alien and Answering the
Call. Nice call by Mangini who reportedly was the one who said they need a track like that.

[Glasser]

It's almost as if not everyone likes the same bands.

Assuming you meant my Rush reply, I'm only having a laugh my friend. 

Rush to me are gods of prog.

[Kotowboy]

Sleeping Giant is nuts  It's just ODD. Love it !!! It has such a menacing vibe.

5:50 That is SO Razors Edge !

[erwinrafael]

Oh no, Kotow. You sre now in the Rush song. 

[Kotowboy]

This whole album so far sounds even more like classic DT than Distance Over Time !!

This could have easily come out after Octavarium.

[Kotowboy]

Transcending Time now.

Best Of Times meets Barstool Warrior

[rab7]

Sleeping Giant is nuts  It's just ODD. Love it !!! It has such a menacing vibe.

5:50 That is SO Razors Edge !

I love literally everything about it from the moment I first heard it

[Kotowboy]

Oh yeah and Transcending Time is the best song RUSH ever did

[porcacultor]

This is definitely my favorite post-MP album and might be the most solid they've been ever since Octavarium, really.

It helps that it also SOUNDS amazing, very crisp and powerful, but that wouldn't have taken them far if the songs weren't there. And they are THERE.

I think it was Erwin Rafael that mentioned how Answering the Call sort of feels like another attempt at vibes explored in Paralyzed (I'm paraphrasing). I definitely think it's Paralyzed's older and (much) better brother.

Many breathtaking moments (the kickass groove for the solos at the end of Answering the Call? crushing riffs + old time-y piano in Sleeping Giants? Transcending Time as a whole? the first time the piano kicks in during Awaken the Master? so many parts of the title track??? just to mention the stuff that hadn't come out yet), with beautiful lyrics to boot! Can't wait to see how they'll pull this stuff off live!

[Kotowboy]

Answering the Call reminds me most of These Walls.

[Kotowboy]

AWAKEN THE MASTER 


Oh my god that TOOOOOONE. Doesn't sound like how most people use an 8 string AT ALL.

[Kotowboy]

This album is fantastic

Even better than I was expecting.

[wolfking]

COMBO BREAKER!!!

I have nothing to add sorry.

[porcacultor]

COMBO BREAKER!!!

I have nothing to add sorry.

Wolfking, I can't stress enough how you may be in for a surprise when you listen to the stuff other than Alien and Invisible Monster. Maybe it won't be your cup of tea, but having followed your reactions in the Iron Maiden topic I think it'll be worth your while.

[Kotowboy]

Safe to say they're completely out of the Systematic Chaos /Black Clouds rut 


Title Track now.

[cramx3]

Safe to say they're completely out of the Systematic Chaos /Black Clouds rut 

Maybe not in sound/style, but 7 songs in 70 minutes is kind of Black Clouds like from that standpoint.

[Kotowboy]

Yes I said something similar in the other thread and was completely mocked " But Kotow - Black Clouds has 6 tracks and the new album has 7 "

[cramx3]

I mean, that may be where the comparison ends so there's that.  Just can't help but think of the low song count but high minute count.  I really like Black Clouds so I don't even say this as a negative, it all comes down to the songs. 

[Kotowboy]

Yes I merely mentioned Black Clouds as a running order comparison. Few tracks -all really long. Then an Epic at the end.

It is funny though that this album has 7 Songs and two albums ago it was 34

[sfam2112]

Just got through my first listen. Still sinking in. I think it's good. Not bad. Not great. Good. There wasn't anything where I was thinking "I don't like that". There were some songs where I wished they'd repeated a section. That's not unusual for me with Dream Theater, though (Home, ITNoG, BiTS, etc.).

I don't want to say it's "Dream Theater by numbers" because I didn't feel like it was, exactly. But a lot of it sounded familiar. There's plenty of nuance though. "Answering The Call" (which I have to type out because every time I read it here, I keep getting ATC confused with About To Crash), "Awaken The Master", and "View" really stood out to me on first listen. I found myself thinking "Master" would make a good opening song, actually. I think that would be cool.

Who else watched the documentary first? I gotta say I enjoyed it. I figured it would be a good teaser before getting into the album proper. Can we bring back the Over The Edge jokes now? 

[Kotowboy]

Thanks to Sfam2112 for the facts !

[wolfking]

COMBO BREAKER!!!

I have nothing to add sorry.

Wolfking, I can't stress enough how you may be in for a surprise when you listen to the stuff other than Alien and Invisible Monster. Maybe it won't be your cup of tea, but having followed your reactions in the Iron Maiden topic I think it'll be worth your while.

Yeah mate, this thread and the positive reactions from you all is giving me some excitement for sure.  I'll purchase the CD over the weekend and listen on Sunday. 

[Kotowboy]

The guitar right at the end of A View From The Top - is that morse code for anything ?

[geeeemo]

I got home and my art book with the disc's had been delivered. 9 pm is the official drop time.....So far I am waiting. If I listen now, It would feel kinda like peeking at a Christmas present before 6am on Christmas morning. You're supposed to wait.
But the art was fantastic!

[dream416]

Just go home from work & checked the CM site & the boxset is still but not shipped....... I'll have the download tonight ( hopefully)
but really still sitting at the warehouse!!!!!! Unreal.......

[fadetoblackdude7]

Haven't heard the record yet but I heard the samples. Based on those and everyone's comments, Sleeping Giant is the most anticipated track for me.

[TAC]

Sleeping Giant feels like a cross between Outcry and Bridges In The Sky.

[Ben_Jamin]

I have a lot to read in a couple of hours...just about two more hours to go for me.

[Laughingplace56]

Quite possibly my favorite album since ToT. I'm blown away by how awesome it is. I got into DT right after ADToE dropped, and this is the first "new" album since DT12 that has made me this happy. Not a single throwaway song. As amazing as everyone is on this album, Mangini absolutely takes top performance of the album by a fucking landslide. Without a doubt the best drumming on any DT album ever. Even disregarding the inhumanely fast single-limb cymbal playing, this will be the hardest album for me to learn for sure.  JP has some of his best solos to date for me as well, which is crazy impressive this late in his career. All the solo and unison sections feel inspired and fresh. The production is incredible and this definitely the best sounding DT album by far. The clarity on the 8 string with the ability to still clearly hear the bass and other instruments is outstanding. The whole album sounds heavy but SO CLEAR. Goddamn impressive!!

JLB sounds excellent throughout. I agree that not all of the vocal melodies are my thing, with some parts really sounding weird, but the majority of them are catchy and well done. The only other complaint I can make about the album is how every song's 1st verse except Transcending Time follows a palm muted guitar riff, which is the only part of the album that feels repetitive, but the album is so great that it becomes a non-issue for me.

I don't wanna make a suuuper long review and clunk up the thread, so some quick thoughts:

I've loved The Alien since it came out, and I enjoy Invisible Monster, but it's the clear bottom of the album for me. Answering the Call really blew me away. Probably my favorite chorus on the album, and the unison before the final chorus is outstanding. Sleeping Giant and Awaken the Master are both amazing as well, and Transcending Time really surprised me! Their "Rush" sounding songs can sometimes feel cheesy to me (like The Looking Glass), but I thoroughly loved this one. One of my favorite JP solos on the album.

View was not at all what I was expecting. Very different from any of the epics, and I think the song is all the better because of that. The intro with the syncopated riff has some crazy synth and symphonic stuff going on, and the first 2 verses and choruses are excellent. But the instrumental section after that second chorus through the end of the song is some of the best DT music of all time. The unison that leads into the soft break is such a heavy punch to the face, and it being so loud in the mix makes it so impactful. The cello in the soft part is amazing, and the melodies feel very new for DT to me. The whole song has a dark, haunting feel and I adore it. While I love Illumination Theory, I've always felt like the ending was trying too hard to be like Razor's Edge and it fell flat for me. I'm so happy they didn't try a typical epic ending like that with this song. The last vocal part is by far my favorite JLB part on the album, and taking the riff from the intro and slowing it down with Mangini doing some crazy shit and the awesome keys/orchestral instruments in the back was unexpected and GREAT. This might end up one of my favorite songs of theirs of all time. (Ok so my thoughts on this song weren't all that quick but there's a lot more I could've said so it's the best I could do haha)

Ranking for now:

1. A View From the Top of the World
2. Answering the Call
3. Sleeping Giant
4. The Alien
5. Awaken the Master
6. Transcending Time
7. Invisible Monster

[dream416]

Still waiting for CM to ship the boxset......Tried to contact them but no response as of yet.
I'll have the download tonight I hope....But the boxset should have been on its way already.

[TAC]

Not a single throwaway song.

This!

[The Letter M]

Still waiting for CM to ship the boxset......Tried to contact them but no response as of yet.
I'll have the download tonight I hope....But the boxset should have been on its way already.

That's quite sad/ironic that all of Dream Theater's sponsored posts on FB said the Deluxe box set was "exclsuive" (or however it's constantly misspelled) to Century Media (and it wasn't, a lot of us ordered ours at Laser CD, who have shipped already), but Century Media haven't even sent shipping notification emails yet?! Hopefully those who ordered from CM will actually get their orders!

-Marc.

[AVFTTOTW]

My ranking:

1. A View From The Top Of The World
2. Awaken The Master
3. Sleeping Giant
4. Invisible Monster
5. Answering The Call
6. The Alien
7. Transcending Time


6&7 don't do much for me and 7 is pure filler. But still as a full album it's probably their best since ADTOE, hands down.

[jammindude]

I ordered mine from Burning Shed and it left the UK yesterday.

I've been staying away from spoilers, so I'm excited, but it will get here when it gets here. I'm not worried

[erwinrafael]

My ranking:

1. A View From The Top Of The World
2. Awaken The Master
3. Sleeping Giant
4. Invisible Monster
5. Answering The Call
6. The Alien
7. Transcending Time


6&7 don't do much for me and 7 is pure filler. But still as a full album it's probably their best since ADTOE, hands down.

Hard to imagine Transcending Time as filler given how complex its composition is. Maybe it's more of like it is not your cup of tea.