The Best Mangini Era Album? #3 will ASTONISH YOU!!

[The Letter M]

The Astonishing pisses all over A Change Of Seasons.

We don't kink-shame around here. What ACOS is into is their own business!

-Marc.

[Mladen]

A Dramatic turn of events gets my vote, with The Astonishing being right behind.

[Ben_Jamin]

Does anyone know why the album is called "The Astonishing", btw?

(Probably a really dumb question but I don't recall ever hearing what it is.)

Well first we have to look at the definition of Astonishing...

causing a feeling of great surprise or wonder

The bolded is what I think is used in the context of this album.

The Wonder of Gabriels gift of Music.

The music is what will make our lives wonderous again.

The people of Ravenskill and Faythe were astonished at the music Gabriel was creating. For all they know is the Noise Machines.

How astonishing would it be to discover music for the first time again?

[Ben_Jamin]

I'm very disappointed by the lack of love for DT12. Maybe it's because it was my first "new" album from them after becoming a fan, but I've adored it since it came out and StR, BtV, TBP, TEI and IT are (IMO) all strong enough DT songs that I would assume they connect with more people than they seemingly do 

I thought DoT would have much stronger staying power when it came out, but I barely listen to anything on that record anymore. So it's too early for me to definitively say if View beats DT12 for my favorite of the bunch, but for right now it is.

I enjoyed it when it came out. But now as it aged, the snare sound did not. It works in some places where it compliments the tone of the song, but then other times it doesn't and it's a distraction compared to the rest of the tones. But then again, that tone of the snare is what defines the tone of the album. The tone of the album is dark, cold, and is exactly the colors, the font style looking metallic, but sort of hopeful with the light of the sun piercing through the outline of the world. I'd say the songs where that tone is definitive are Behind The Veil and Along For The Ride. I hear those two songs and instantly know they're from this album and it's Dream Theater. 

I rank it at #4 out of the Mangini albums so far, but I still enjoy it and it has one of my top 10 Dream Theater songs, The Bigger Picture.

[The Realm]

I enjoyed all these albums upon release but rarely return to any of them, especially for a full album listen, maybe a song here or there. I have already pretty much moved on from the new one after a week. They all have their moments but if I want to listen to Dream Theater I much prefer the Image & Words to Octavarium era.

[Chomesuque]

The Astonishing pisses all over A Change Of Seasons.

I would even say it pisses all over everything they did between Six Degrees and A Dramatic Turn of Events.

[Tomislav95]

Dream Theater (self titled). My first DT live show was on an Along for the ride tour, it might be that I like it more because of that (emotional) connection. I wouldn't say any of those are among my all time favorite albums but solid released, all of them.

[hefdaddy42]

At the moment, ADTOE is still # 1 for me, but the new album is picking up speed.

[JediKnight1969]

ADTOE will finally prevail.

1. A Dramatic Turn Of Events

2. A View From The Top Of The World

3. The Astonishing

4. Distance Over Time.

5. Dream Theater

[Dream Team]

I'm very disappointed by the lack of love for DT12. Maybe it's because it was my first "new" album from them after becoming a fan, but I've adored it since it came out and StR, BtV, TBP, TEI and IT are (IMO) all strong enough DT songs that I would assume they connect with more people than they seemingly do 

I thought DoT would have much stronger staying power when it came out, but I barely listen to anything on that record anymore. So it's too early for me to definitively say if View beats DT12 for my favorite of the bunch, but for right now it is.

I think DT12 is great! But some other stuff is even greater.

[Kotowboy]

ADTOF will finally prevail.

A Dramatic Turn OF

[The Letter M]

ADTOF will finally prevail.

A Dramatic Turn OF

A Dramatic Turn Of Fevents.

-Marc.

[JediKnight1969]

  OK. Got me there. Fixed.

[Kotowboy]

The incorrect acronym I see more than any is Metallica's Kill Em All abbreviated to KEM.

Kill Em Mall ?

[54_diplomats]

Still think ADTOE is the best and it isn't close.

[The Letter M]

The incorrect acronym I see more than any is Metallica's Kill Em All abbreviated to KEM.

Kill Em Mall ?

The most incorrect acronym I see online is for blu-ray, which is officially abbreviated as BD, not BR or BRD, but most folks don't care. Maybe I should abbreviate their names wrong in response.

-Marc.

[bosk1]

As long as we eventually get a BR with a 5.1 mix of KEM, I don't sweat the details.

[The Letter M]

As long as we eventually get a BR with a 5.1 mix of KEM, I don't sweat the details.

 

-Marc.

[svisser]

After taking some listens through other all these albums, I can officially say:

AVFTTOTW
DOT
ADTOE
DT
TA

I put DOT 2nd because, as much as there is more "DT" songs on ADTOE, Mangini just sounded like he was filling shoes. DOT was the first album with him where i felt that the band was actually operating together on equal grounds.

[Kotowboy]

HOW IS DISTANCE OVER TIME JOINT LAST

[Kotowboy]

The incorrect acronym I see more than any is Metallica's Kill Em All abbreviated to KEM.

Kill Em Mall ?

The most incorrect acronym I see online is for blu-ray, which is officially abbreviated as BD, not BR or BRD, but most folks don't care. Maybe I should abbreviate their names wrong in response.

-Marc.

THANKS TML FOR THE FAQS !!!!

[The Letter M]

The incorrect acronym I see more than any is Metallica's Kill Em All abbreviated to KEM.

Kill Em Mall ?

The most incorrect acronym I see online is for blu-ray, which is officially abbreviated as BD, not BR or BRD, but most folks don't care. Maybe I should abbreviate their names wrong in response.

-Marc.

THANKS TML FOR THE FAQS !!!!

YOU'RE WELCOME KAMELTOEBOY !!!!!!!

-Marc.

[Kotowboy]

[The Letter M]

I keed, I keed.

But to bring this topic back on...topic, I recently made a couple of playlists on my phone featuring ADTOE/DT12, and another with DOT/AVFTTOTW, as I think these pairs of albums pair really well together. I've always seen the band has producing solid PAIRS of albums, that are usually close enough in sound, style, production, and material that it'd be hard to recommend one and not the other. There's IAW/Awake, SFAM/SDOIT, SC/BC&SL, ADTOE/DT12, and now DOT/AVFTTOTW. And I've got to say, these last two albums are probably some of my favorite DT material since their mid-00s days. I think I'll be spinning these two albums back-to-back for awhile!

-Marc.

[TAC]

I keed, I keed.

But to bring this topic back on...topic, I recently made a couple of playlists on my phone featuring ADTOE/DT12, and another with DOT/AVFTTOTW, as I think these pairs of albums pair really well together. I've always seen the band has producing solid PAIRS of albums, that are usually close enough in sound, style, production, and material that it'd be hard to recommend one and not the other. There's IAW/Awake, SFAM/SDOIT, SC/BC&SL, ADTOE/DT12, and now DOT/AVFTTOTW. And I've got to say, these last two albums are probably some of my favorite DT material since their mid-00s days. I think I'll be spinning these two albums back-to-back for awhile!

-Marc.

M, I don't find DT12 to have anything in common with ADTOE, nor do I find Awake in any way close to I&W. Awake was pretty jarring when it came out, if you ask me.

[Kyo]

I think in many ways DT12 and DoT are pretty similar, the much improved drum sound on DoT aside. Both showcase the more concise songwriting approach of that time and both are quite dominated by the guitar. If TA hadn't happened, I think most people would be seeing DoT as a direct continuation of DT12's style.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I think in many ways DT12 and DoT are pretty similar, the much improved drum sound on DoT aside. Both showcase the more concise songwriting approach of that time and both are quite dominated by the guitar. If TA hadn't happened, I think most people would be seeing DoT as a direct continuation of DT12's style.

I agree with you 100000%. And I Find that View is a further continuation of that general style, minus the song length observation.

[TAC]

I think in many ways DT12 and DoT are pretty similar, the much improved drum sound on DoT aside. Both showcase the more concise songwriting approach of that time and both are quite dominated by the guitar. If TA hadn't happened, I think most people would be seeing DoT as a direct continuation of DT12's style.

I agree with you 100000%. And I Find that View is a further continuation of that general style, minus the song length observation.

Yeah, but I'm not sure AVFTTOTW has the variety that DT12 and DoT have. And that's not a knock (I take the new one over both), but just an opinion.

[TheCountOfNYC]

After a few weeks with the new album, I'm confident in updating my previous post.

1: A Dramatic Turn of Events
2: A View From the Top of the World
3: The Astonishing
4: Distance Over Time
5: Dream Theater

ADToE and AVFtTotW are so close, but in the end, Breaking All Illusions pushes the former over the latter.

Favorite and least favorite song on each album.

-ADToE
Favorite: Breaking All Illusions
Least Favorite: Build Me Up, Break Me Down (my least favorite Dream Theater song)

-DT12
Favorite: Surrender to Reason
Least Favorite: Enigma Machine

-TA
Favorite: A New Beginning
Least Favorite: The Walking Shadow

-DoT
Favorite: Pale Blue Dot
Least Favorite: Room 137

-AVFtTotW (early impressions, ranking subject to change)
Favorite: Sleeping Giant
Least Favorite: Transcending Time

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I think in many ways DT12 and DoT are pretty similar, the much improved drum sound on DoT aside. Both showcase the more concise songwriting approach of that time and both are quite dominated by the guitar. If TA hadn't happened, I think most people would be seeing DoT as a direct continuation of DT12's style.

I agree with you 100000%. And I Find that View is a further continuation of that general style, minus the song length observation.

Yeah, but I'm not sure AVFTTOTW has the variety that DT12 and DoT have. And that's not a knock (I take the new one over both), but just an opinion.

I agree. DT15 is a little less varied start to finish. I think a ballad at the expense of some of the extended instrumental sections might have been an enhancement to my overall experience of the album, but that's just me nitpicking. I didn't even like Along for the Ride so no guarantee I would have been happier with a slow tune 

Overall DT12 (especially) showed the band's core sound from a lot of different angles. You had the super heavy and aggressive in BTV, 2 different takes on the proggier element in TLG and STR, etc. I really value that aspect of DT12.

[NoFred]

I think A View could use a short Vacant style table-setter before the epic. Otherwise everything it's "missing" to me I've got on D/T, and those 2 go together really well.

[the_silent_man]

I personally am very happy there's no ballad for the sake of it on this. To me, these types of songs are not a strong point for DT lately. They come across as cheesy now, they just don't have the subtlety to pull them off as well these days, especially in the lyrics.
I do love the classic ballads, Surrounded, WFS, SM, SDV, HY, TSCO etc, but they lack 'depth' lately.