Your Top 5 Mangini-era DT songs as of AVFTTOTW release

[erwinrafael]

I just scanned my digital library of Dream Theater music and wow, we already have 70 tracks of DT music since Mangini joined the band (including NOMAC tracks and the Christmas track). 71 if you include their cover of Xanadu. Almost 7 hours of music. What are your top 5 songs from this era?

Here is mine:

1. Breaking All Illusions - Loved this from my first listen. Basically the song that brought me back full time to Dream Theater. This is the quintessential musical journey. I love love love how the instrumental section built up to that final chorus. When James finally sang "Searching out...", I remember that I literally clapped because it felt so glorious. God, if there can only be a way to have this re-recorded with the production value of AVFTTOTW or even D/T, it would be perfect.

2. At Wit's End - This starts just as another great DT song. But then the solos ended. When James sang "Asked me to listen..." with just Jordan's piano accompanying him, I started to have goosebumps. Then John M and Mike came in, and I went "oh shit". Then John P came in playing a majestic solo on the top of the mountain with James singing "Don't leave me now" and next thing I know tears were falling down my eyes. WTF, this song.

3. Sleeping Giant - This showed the brilliance of Dream Theater in taking very simple musical ideas to interesting and fun directions. The initial riff was unremarkable but then it goes one way, then another way, and another, until a monster of a song was built from that simple idea. What catapulted this to my 3rd spot is the ending. Dream Theater really knows how to end a song. The climax to the final chorus is amazing. And then it throws an epic curveball when it shifted to The Astonishing mode in the "Standing under the eclipse..." section, that led to the final section which has one of the best drum fills heard in a DT song.

4. Answering the Call - One of the catchiest Dream Theater songs ever. Whenever I need my short DT fix this past week, this has become my go-to song. I kept on dancing and bobbing my head even though it is not freaking 4/4. This song deserves to be a big hit.

5. Illumination Theory - I am one of the few DT fans who do not really like much their very long songs. BAI is epic and it only needed 13 minutes or so to tell its story. Illumination Theory, though, is one of the exceptions because I just find structurally perfect. I posted my breakdown of this song in this forum quite a number of times already so I won't repeat it anymore.

[TheCountOfNYC]

1) Breaking All Illusions: This is the song that showed us all that the band would be just fine without Portnoy. This ranks right up there with some of the absolute best Dream Theater songs.

2) Sleeping Giant: There's a lot of really cool stuff happening in this one. It was the first track on the new album to really grab my attention.

3) A View From the Top of the World: Nobody writes long songs as well as Dream Theater does. They know how to hold your attention through the entire journey, and this song was a great return to that style after the two previous albums lacking any songs over 10 minutes.

4) Bridges in the Sky: This is one of the band's most badass songs. It's heavy, it's groovy, it's epic. While Breaking All Illusions put all doubts to rest about the future, this song was the first sign of hope.

5) A New Beginning: The Astonishing is great. I will defend that album until my dying breath. There is so much amazing music on that record, and this song is the best of the best. It showcases everything special about the album, with great melodies, stellar musicianship, lyrics that move the narrative, and an incredible performance from James.

[krands85]

Breaking All Illusions
Illumination Theory
Bridges in the Sky
At Wit's End
A View From the Top of the World

View may move up a couple of spots after a little while longer with the new album. BAI and IT are among my top 10 DT tracks and View is the only one that isn't quite in my top 20 yet. Amazing the quality of songs they can still come up with after all this time, despite the fact that most of the Mangini era albums I'd probably only have around the middle of my rankings.

[Trav]

It's still early for this. I'm not adding the new album right now. But as of now, in chronological order

Breaking All Illusions
The Gift of Music
A New Beginning
Barstool Warrior
At Wit's End

[CDrice]

I think the Mangini era has been relatively consistent, especially the last 2 albums, which makes it hard to pick a top 5. I can think of 5 songs from the Astonishing alone that'd I'd like to put in even if it's not one of my favorite album 

I'm not including anything from the last album as I'm still not sure it fully sinked in, but The Alien, Answering the Call, Sleeping Giant and A View From the Top of the World feel like they could all be potential contender.

1. Bridges in the Sky
2. The Path That Divides
3. Illumination Theory
4. S2N
5. Three Days

Out of these, I'm  only sure of 1 and 2. The rest could switch around or even potentially be replaced with other songs like The Bigger Picture, Moment of Betrayal, Pale Blue Dot and a few more.

[svisser]

This is soo tough.

1. Our New World
2. The Looking Glass
3. Sleeping Giant
4. S2N
5. Breaking All Illusions

[Elite]

Guess what my favourite Mangini-era album is.

1. Outcry
2. Lost not Forgotten
3. The Enemy Inside
4. Three Days
5. Bridges in the Sky

Sleeping Giant might have a chance at knocking off Bridges in the Sky, but at the moment it's too early to make that call.

[Kram]

In no particular order -

Breaking All Illusions
Bridges in the Sky
At Wit's End
Barstool Warrior
A View From the Top of the World

[Ben_Jamin]

Chosen
At Wit's End
The Bigger Picture
Losing Faythe
Awaken The Master (A View...is right behind it)

[Architeuthis]

Chosen
At Wit's End
The Bigger Picture
Losing Faythe
Awaken The Master (A View...is right behind it)

That's a great list!   

[Kyo]

Surprisingly easy:
Sleeping Giant
A View from the Top of the World
Bridges in the Sky
Breaking All Illusions
At Wit's End

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Tough to limit this to 5 but I'll try. I am not sure DT15 has marinated enough for me to put anything there in top 5. That could change over time as I really feel quite positive about it every one of the songs except IM. Alien is growing on me, not that I ever disliked it.

In no particular order:

1. Illumination Theory - The orchestral part is fantastic, the riff work that surrounds it is top notch from JP. I think the final movement is the strongest of any DT song. It's a wonderful climax to a brilliant song. The lyrics are mature. I can't say enough good things about this song.

2. Breaking All Illusions - I wonder if this should be considered an epic. Anyway, one of JP's best guitar solos. Tons of emotional highs and lows including a great climactic ending. Also, one of DT's best hooks IMO. When ADTOE came out, I felt that was a common theme: especially good hooks in almost all of the songs.

3. Bridges in the Sky - loved all the 7 string riff work + another great chorus.

4. Pale Blue Dot - this was a grower for me. I liked it out of the gate, but now I LOVE it. It's only a one note riff that opens the song but it's presented in an interesting time signature. The music and the lyrics match beautifully and I LOVE the subject matter.

5. Barstool Warrior - very creative riff which if I am not mistaken is based off an E mixolydian idea. I loved the story telling aspect, which is prevalent in many of these major-key more Rush influenced songs. The solo is simple, yet very powerful as it builds towards and end at the climax.


It'll be interesting to see where DT15 fits in. My initial thought is that Awaken the Master will be a top 5, if any are meant to be in my mind.

[Dave_Manchester]

Much too early for me to include any of the new album's songs, I'm still getting to grips with them all, so as of now it's:

1. Outcry
2. Breaking All Illusions
3. Bridges in the Sky
4. Illumination Theory
5. Behind The Veil

[TAC]

Breaking All Illusions
Lost Not Forgotten
Outcry
The X Aspect
At Wit's End

[JediKnight1969]

Breaking all illusions
Bridges in the sky
This is the life
Outcry
Lost not forgotten

[NoFred]

Tough list, had to face the fact I had a change at the top (and those 2 are top tier all time). Included 2 more just in case I'm totally off on those from A View.

1. At Wit's End
2. Breaking All Illusions
3. Answering the Call
4. Bridges in the Sky
5. Sleeping Giant
X. A Life Left Behind
X. Outcry

[ReaPsTA]

Illumination Theory - Top 5 DT song shockingly underrated in every best epic poll
The Bigger Picture - Top 15-20 DT song that mostly no one talks about ah well
On the Backs of Angels - Classic song turns out the lyrics were prophecy
Barstool Warrior - Schmaltzy but great melodies/powerful delivery
Sleeping Giant - Wanted to throw a View song on here but really there's a lot that could have taken #5

[KevShmev]

It is still too new to include any, but I don't see any of the new songs breaking into this top 5 any time soon.

Bridges in the Sky
Breaking All Illusions
Ravenskill
Fall into the Light
At Wit's End

Honorable mentions (so I can cheat and list more ) are Three Days, A New Beginning, Beneath the Surface, Chosen and Surrender to Reason.

[Dream Team]

Great picks ^. I'm tempted to create a poll of the 4 non-TA albums to see which 5 songs get the most votes . . .

[erciccio]

In no particular order:

Breaking All Illusions
The Enemy Inside
Beneath The Surface
Outcry
Pale Blue Dot

I love all of The Astonishing, but there's not a specific song I would put in a "best of" ranking...I tend to consider The Astonishing as a single "opera rock" track..

[geeeemo]

Top 5 are always hard for Dream Theater music.

In no particular order

1. Breaking All Illusions
2. At Wit's End
3. Illumination Theory
4. Barstool Warrior
5. It's between Bridges and a View song. Those songs have not really settled. As of today - probably  A View From the Top of the World.

[Lonk]

Hard to pick just 5, but let's see. In no particular order:

1. Bridges in the Sky
2. At Wits End
3. Surrender to Reason
4. The Path that Divides
5. Lost Not Forgotten

Honorable Mentions:

Outcry
Breaking all Illusions
The Bigger Picture
Pale Blue Dot
Awaken The Master/Answering the Call

[hefdaddy42]

Way too early, and in no particular order.

Breaking All Illusions
Illumination Theory
At Wit's End
Transcending Time
Awaken The Master

[Kotowboy]

Way too early, and in no particular order.

Breaking All Illusions
Illumination Theory
At Wit's End
Transcending Time
Awaken The Master

The thread is about Top 5 not worst 5.

[Kotowboy]

Anyway - i think the most logical way to pick only 5 songs from the last 5 albums is to choose my fave song from each album...

1. Dramatic - This Is The Life

2. Dream - The Enemy Inside

3. Astonishing - Our New World

4. D/T - Pale Blue Dot / 137 ( tie )

5. View - Answering The Call.

 

[DTiwbwMP]

In no particular order -

Breaking All Illusions
Bridges in the Sky
Lost Not Forgotten
Illumination Theory
The Bigger Picture

[Kotowboy]

Hey Everyone - what are your top 5 album closers of the mangini era ?

Mine are :
beneath the Surface
illumination theory
Astonishing
Viper King
A view from the top of the worlds


do u agree ?

[erciccio]

Hey Everyone - what are your top 5 album closers of the mangini era ?

Mine are :
beneath the Surface
illumination theory
Astonishing
Viper King
A view from the top of the worlds


do u agree ?

No!


beneath the Surface
illumination theory
Astonishing
Viper King Pale Blue Dot!
A view from the top of the worlds

Viper King is a bonus track, not an album closer! 

[Kotowboy]

well lets disagree to agree shall we

[DragonAttack]

Breaking All Illusions
This Is The Life
Fall Into The Light
Room 137
At Wit's End

Honorable mention:
On The Backs Of Angels
Bridges In The Sky
The Bigger Picture
Savior In The Square intro / Our New World
Pale Blue Dot

'A View' is too new of an album, but I just don't see any songs cracking my Top Ten.  There's nothing wrong with that IMO, as I'm certainly enjoying it.

[AVFTTOTW]

1. Outcry
2. Breaking All Illusions
3. At Wits End
4. Awaken The Master
5. A View From The Top Of The World