Re: Deadeye Deep Dives: Dream Theater (A View from the Top of the World)

[BeatriceNB]

I really love DT12, and I think the concise writing works in its favor.

Surprisingly Pop-y, with perhaps their best choruses in the discography; like, seriously, every song has a great sing-along chorus, even Enigma Machine if you want to count it (the melody after both Mangini fills).

[evilasiojr]

Although Trial of Tears is my favorite DT song ever, I would say The Bigger Picture is the most important/relevant one in my life. Both the lyrics and the music speak a lot to my heart and are deeply connected to very meaningful life experiences I had over the course of the years since its release.

[macneil]

I like the self-titled, but in the grand scheme of the discography it ranks towards the bottom for me. It's one of those albums that while I'm listening I do enjoy it, but it doesn't stick with me so much and I rarely find myself seeking it out.

The Enemy Inside, The Looking Glass and The Bigger Picture are all great songs. Illumination Theory is great but I think would be more effective if it was edited down a little bit. Enigma Machine personally I think is their most forgettable instrumental. The rest is all okay.

It is interesting looking back now that they decided for this album to be the self-titled. I get why they did it at the time, but one wonders if that's a card they would play now if they hadn't already done it. If it wasn't I'm guessing it probably would have been called Illumination Theory.

[Deadeye21]

The Astonishing – 2016

Tracklist (disc one): 1. Descent of the NOMACs. 2. Dystopian Overture. 3. The Gift of Music. 4. The Answer. 5. A Better Life. 6. Lord Nafaryus. 7. A Savior in the Square. 8. When Your Time Has Come. 9. Act of Faythe. 10. Three Days. 11. The Hovering Sojourn. 12. Brother, Can You Hear Me?. 13. A Life Left Behind. 14. Ravenskill. 15. Chosen. 16. A Tempting Offer. 17. Digital Discord. 18.  The X Aspect. 19. A New Beginning. 20. The Road to Revolution.

The Astonistream

Someone once said, "you'll always remember the first album that comes out when you become a fan favourably".

Well, I became a fan of Dream Theater somewhere between the end of the Along for the Ride tour and the 30th Anniversary tour, having had The Dance of Eternity come on Spotify's autoplay after listening through all the Rush instrumentals one day. So, that means that The Astonishing was my first new album from Dream Theater. I remember hearing The Gift of Music for the first time and being pretty excited. I stayed up late to catch an interview with Jordan where he brought Moment of Betrayal out for the first time. I thought this was gonna be great. The theatre kid in me loved it, having just come off playing Horton in Seussical, Yao in Mulan and the Narrator in Into the Woods during the two years prior. But this is no straight Dream Theater album.

What I'm about to say comes with every commendation to James LaBrie, as he really does a great job with everything on this album. But, I wish it was done in a style more akin to Ayreon and Avantasia, which is to say I wish this album had a cast of singers, not one voice singing for an entire cast of characters. James does well enough to differentiate his delivery to give us some idea which character is speaking in a lot of places, but the single release of Our New World, which featured Lzzy Hale as Faythe, really awakened my ear to what this album really could have been. This album isn't as much Dream Theater as musical theatre penned by John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess.

But, since that isn't the album we received, perhaps we should instead dive into what did make the album. In this deep dive of the first act of The Astonishing, I'm going to dive into the story as well as my opinions of the songs themselves. Who knows, maybe we'll find more to appreciate that way? Let's begin.

Descent of the NOMACs is the opening track of the album and it's primarily a bunch of sound effects. The NOMACs are NOise MAChines that appeared over the emperor's palace one day in early 2285. In this scene, which is depicted on the front cover of the album, a small army of these drones appear, with one beginning to scan the city in a show of dominance. These NOMACs were originally built to create the world's most perfect music, but born in the void caused by the suppression of human emotion and technological advancements, they became something much more insidious. They now stand as the only "entertainment" in the world, their haunting sounds are the only music anyone listens to and virtually all that exists. Without soul, this music is nothing but digital madness.
As a track, this is easily the best of the five NOMAC tracks on the album and serves as a powerful intro to the album when coupled with the next track, Dystopian Overture.
During the live show, this also featured some narration which I've done my best to make out through phone recordings, since this tour was never given a proper release.
"Do not be deceived by those who speak of new wonders born of sound, as this is the work of devilish malcontents whose search for wisdom will result only in ignorance. The NOMACs have secured you, just as your daily work has defined you. Fear and beware the destabilisation of our most hallowed traditions that have kept you safe and serene. The empire toils for you, so that you may toil for the empire. The empire is obedient to you, because you are obedient to the empire. The empire protects you because you protect the empire."

Dystopian Overture is the first track to feature the band. It's actually a fairly cool instrumental piece, setting up many of the instrumental motifs that will come during the album (don't worry, you've only got another 2 hours to have to remember all of these!). Personally, I think my favourite of these motifs is the breakdown into Act of Faythe, where JP keeps a really nice flowing lead, this also goes into a super upbeat version of Brother, Can You Hear Me that I really like. All up, this is a great way to kick off the album proper and serves as a great overture. Of the three overtures we've had to date, I'd probably put this one second to 1928 over the Six Degrees Overture. I am keen to see how that will go once we hear In the Arms of Morpheus in a few weeks.

The Gift of Music is the lyrical start of the story. The first few lines are sung by the Narrator, setting up the background of the world as it is in 2285, featuring lines like "corruption, lust and greed define the new nobility, changing the course of history". The people are suffering while the emperor lives in splendour. However, through the eyes of Arhys, we are introduced to the character of Gabriel. We are told that he is the hope of Ravenskill, "shining like a beacon in the dark" with his gift of real music which has been largely forgotten. As a song, this is definitely one of the standout tracks from the album. This was the first single and one of only three to ever be played beyond the Astonishing tour. The riff is strong, and the instrumental showcase at the end is one of a few rare moments where the full band gets to shine. JP has a great solo, the whole thing ends with a great unison section, it really feels like Dream Theater wrote a concise song here, instead of just another chapter of the story. I got to see this one live on the Images and Words anniversary tour and it was a blast!

The Answer sets up a string of songs that introduce us more to the individual characters. This one is about Gabriel and his sense of responsibility to his people, though he doubts his role. He is afraid of facing the unknown and of being the one to set them free, though everyone believes in him. This track is under 2 minutes in length and doesn't leave much of an impression, though I do love the piano melody here.

A Betetr Life is a much harder edged song, introducing us to Arhys. Arhys is Gabriel's brother and the leader of the Ravenskill militia. All he wants is to secure a better life for his people, though he knows what they have now is better than it could be, even if the people are starving and suffering. However, after JP's solo, we do get another side fo his character. Arhys is a widowed father and husband to Evangeline, who sadly passed before the story's events. Everything he's striving for is amplified by his strength for his son. A Better Life is a good introduction to the people of Ravenskill and their plight, while also delivering a bit more of a harder edge for the album. It's still not one that holds a lot of impact after the album's end, but I like it enough in the moment.

Lord Nafaryus is the last of these tracks, and in my opinion it's the best of them. This sets up Emperor Nafaryus, our main antagonist of the story. He has heard the rumour of Gabriel's gifts and his "undue glory". He knows this could be a threat and sets off to visit the edge of the realm and see the so-called savior in action. We're also briefly introduced to his wife Arabelle, a currently unnamed loyal son and his daughter Faythe. Lord Nafaryus is the best of the introductory pieces to me just because the music is better and it actually starts to further the main narrative arc, rather than fleshing the backstory. I really like James' higher rhythmic vocals, the  "I've heard them whispering of revolution" section. It's just a better song than the last two for me.

A Savior in the Square has the best intro on the whole first disc, possibly the whole album. Setting up a theme that will be resolved at the very end of the story, this is just a really beautiful guitar piece to kick us into the main crux of the story. Here, Nafaryus arrives in Ravenskill, where a crowd has gathered mesmerised by Gabriel's music. Nafaryus urges Gabriel to keep going, and Gabriel tells Arhys to stand down. However, as he's about to play his song for the royal family, he is taken by the beaity of Faythe.

This transitions straight into When Your Time Has Come, which I suppose is somewhat diegetic music in that the song is an actual song in the universe of the story. This is not a popular opinion, but I actually really like this song. The first half is just a really nice ballad which will have some later repercussions (but you need to wait for Friday for that), then we get a killer solo from JP. The finale of the song sets up a love theme between Faythe and Gabriel, as she's just noticed him and what he represents.

This concept is further explored in Act of Faythe. This is a full exploration of her character, starting to realise that the world beyond the palace she's grown up in is much worse than she had ever noticed. She can't pretend that she doesn't care about what's going on, and it reminds her of how she has always felt a bit alienated from her family. We're also introduced to her music player, a treasure from a world lost to time. It's always been a private luxury for her, but now Gabriel is here actually spreading his music to the people.

However, Nafaryus is far from pleased. While he is impressed by Gabriel's gift, the threat he poses is clear. How best to deal with an act of rebellion? With the threat of further violence, of course! He orders the people of Ravenskill to surrender Gabriel to him within the next Three Days, or he will have the town destroyed. Man, this song is easily one of the best of the first disc. Three Days features the signature Dream Theater sound to me, even allowing Jordan some room for a bit of ragtime and even a little bit of Dixie jazz. Mangini even performs only the second ever blast beat on a Dream Theater song here. James has a rather menacing delivery throughout. You feel the power of Nafaryus' threat. What a kiler riff too!

With the story now in full motion, it's time to take a bit of a break. The Hovering Sojourn is less than 30 seconds of NOMAC noise, which I believe is simply here to mark the end of chapter one and into the second.

Brother, Can You Hear Me? is up next. This is Arhys vowing to his brother that he will keep him safe, despite the impending doom that's just been threatened upon them. But Gabriel has his doubts. He feels that someone has to lose in the end, though he does resolve to stay with his brother. This is not a great piece for the album, though this motif is one that will appear a few more times throughout the album. Even if it is an important one to the story, this is much more of a skip to me.

A Life Left Behind does not share that same fate. Welcome back to a Dream Theater album! 13 songs in and we get a proper DT jam, opening with an awesome acoustic riff from JP and building up to a great song. This is where Faythe decides to return to Ravenskill in disguise and reunite with Gabriel. However, Arabelle is reluctant to let her go, though she knows she lost her daughter long ago. She ultimately sends her brother, Daryus, to shadow her. However, it's hinted that his motives may not be quite so pure before the song ends. This is another really great song and a real turning point for the story. The jam intro already sets it apart from many of the others, but there's just so much to love here. While it only did so once, A Life Left Behind did receive a single performance in 2017, meaning it too has lived outside of just the album tour.

Ravenskill is another great song, and one that really highlights James' voice. Faythe has returned to Ravenskill to find Gabriel, but initially finds no success, even getting turned away but one of the guards. She finds a young boy, Arhys' son Xander, and promises to help if he can take her to him. Appearing before him, she sheds her disguise and pleads to Arhys, claiming that she might just be able to turn the tides. However, Arhys turns her away, feeling he can't trust her since she's "one of them". But through this discussion, Gabriel arrives in the scene. He feels that if they were united, there's a chance they could come out on top. This is just a really well paced song, and the music behind James really helps to sell this one as another great one. James nails the balance between the Narrator, Faythe, Arhys and Gabriel perfectly, I don't get lost trying to work out who said what at any point. Say what you will about this being a weak DT album, but this is top tier JLB!

Chosen is Gabriel remembering that his song the day before had moved Nafaryus. Her words had awoken a hope in him that a song may just reawaken him, since the NOMACs has caused a lot of emotional suppression in everyone, including the emperor and his supporters. If he could only get Nafaryus to listen to him and ignore the NOMACs for a moment, he might just be able to bring back harmony between the empire and Ravenskill. This also serves as something of a love theme between the pair, with Gabriel feeling he can't "climb the mountain" without her. This is a fairly powerful song, coupled with a nice JP solo. It awakens the counter-plan for Gabriel to save his people from destruction and hopefully bring peace to the realm.

A Tempting Offer is indeed a dramatic turn of events. Later that evening, Daryus finds Arhys' home. He offers Arhys an ultimatum. If he betrays Gabriel, Xander will never want again. He will be given a life of wealth and prosperity beyond what Arhys could ever provide. If he doesn't, Xander will be killed. Why? Because he's sick of playing second fiddle to his younger sister for father's pride. This song is suitably heavy for the subject matter, and Jordan even gets a chance to have a bit of a solo here for a change. Definitely one of the heavier numbers, though this does add a secondary plot into the album that I'm not sure was needed. That said, two of my favourite tracks for the second disc are born from this development, so I shall shut up.

Here, have some more NOMAC stuff while the tension sets in. This one is called Machine Chatter.  Need I say more?

The X Aspect picks up almost directly where Tempting Offer left off, with Arhys now torn between which choice to make. Be a father or a brother, but no longer both. A dreadful decision to be faced with. Naturally, he opts that a better life is worth the sacrifice of his brother. I like the key changing between each of the three verses, setting the desperation in his soul into full effect. One of the most often criticised things in this track is the use of bagpipes, which I've always had my own theory on. Bagpipes can often be found at funerals, and I think this is symbolising the death of hope in Arhys' eyes. He's about to betray his brother for the benefit of himself and Xander, but at what cost to his people? Not a favourite, but a good lynchpin for the story and explored well enough.

A New Beginning brings some great energy into the end of the first disc and certainly stands as an album highlight for most. Faythe has gone home to try and set the meeting between her father and Gabriel. This goes about as well as you'd expect, and he doesn't want a bar of it. She calls him ignorant and stubborn, but  ultimately Arabelle appeals to the boy he used to be, revealing that the music player was his in a few lines that don't really track on the album alone. I think this is more fleshed out in the book by Peter Orullian, though I haven't read it. Nafaryus' childhood nickname (much like my own) was Bug. The music player was his, before he became emperor and the NOMACs began their rule. Faythe has been hiding it from him, thinking he'd never understand, but he may be the one person who really does. This is 100% crucial to the plot and the lyrics never really offer it, so unless you know what the heck is going on already, you're kinda screwed. Anyway, he grants the meeting, knowing he ultimately holds the cards with the final word. The song ends with a killer solo from JP which fades out. If you've read any of my earlier deep dive series, you know this is a strong pet peeve of mine.

That leaves us with the final song of act one, The Road to Revolution. Think of this as the One Day More for The Astonishing. This brings all our characters together and offers a look into what is coming after intermission. Gabriel and Faythe are heading to Heaven's Cove. Arhys is shaken by his decision to betray his brother for Daryus' promise of a better life. And then that concludes the first half. Draw the curtain, see you in a little bit.

So thoughts on the first disc? It's f in long. I see no reason that we couldn't have combined a couple of these into longer tracks, a DT staple may I add. The Answer and A Better Life could have gone together easily, A Tempting Offer and X Aspect pretty much belong together as is, though they're divided in the tracklist by a NOMAC track. By the way, did we really need the NOMAC tracks? On the second leg of the tour, The X Aspect and The Road to Revolution were both cut from the show to make room for the encore, so, despite X Aspect being kinda important to the plot, I see that it doesn't really resonate much with the band themselves.

Well, this was a long one. And we still aren't done with The Astonishing. Join me on Friday for disc two.

[BeatriceNB]

"It is incredibly long, the story makes no sense, and most of the songs are ballads. Still, there goes the best damned album Dream Theater ever had"


I personally like the NOMACs tracks, they're very short and work to separate different chapters/moments in the story. I think Brother, Can You Hear Me? is a really beautiful song, the intro with marching drums, choir and brasses always makes me emotional. The melody is obviously ripped off (intentionally or not) from Hemispheres, but damn if it's not a good melody.

The intro to A Life Left Behind is straight out of a '70s Yes album, sadly the song detours completely from it, but it's still a cool moment.

Ravenskill is, in my opinion, a standout of the album. I love the use of through-composition in this song (as well throughout the whole album), and the arrangement is sublime. The "hopeful and innocent" riff are 15 seconds of magic; I saw that kind of thing called the Mr. Bungle and BTBAM trick: out of nowhere the band plays the best riff you've ever heard just for a few seconds, and never return to it.

Chosen is a beautiful ballad, and I love how it builds up.

The "how dare you step inside my home" section in A Tempting Offer is godly, I like how tense that moment is. The piano in The X Aspect sounds like the Jurassic Park theme, but I won't complain, it's also a beautiful melody; the "Evangeline, I swore to you" melody is also another brief but fabulous moment. I love the bagpipes in the song.

A New Beginning is the other standout of the album. The song covers a lot of ground: the Hans Zimmer-y intro, the Rock-y Faythe verses, the Death Metal double bass in the first verse of Nafaryus, the harpsichord and brasses, the mellow bridge, an instrumental passage out of ADTOE, and of course the solo, one of Petrucci's best, and straight out of the Satriani book.

«"I remember a time when you too possessed Faythe's romantic innocence and passion for life's unexplored mysteries...BUG." says Arabelle to her husband.

It is then that Faythe realizes that the word "BUG" inscribed on the back of her music player was referring to her father and that it once belonged to him!

It had been given to him as a gift by his own father who shared the same secret affinity for music made by humans as Faythe eventually would. As a very young boy, Nafaryus was always zipping in and out of the palace halls and buzzing around his father's feet trying to get the busy Emperor's attention (hence the nickname 'BUG'). The rare times when he wasn't consumed with balancing the many affairs of The Realm, his father would privately submit to the therapeutic bliss of his own secretly kept digital music player, oftentimes inviting young Nafaryus to indulge in these undisclosed soul-soothing escapes. His gift of the music player to his son was his way of letting Nafaryus know that they would always have that special connection no matter how complicated life may eventually get. As time passed, however, Nafaryus grew into adulthood and his father the Emperor grew old and tired. The allure of the imminent passing of the crown to the ambitious prince and all of the power and control associated with it far out-shadowed the indulgences of some silly music player. In the course of time his father fell ill, eventually passing away and with the rise of the NOMACS drowning out his memory, the music player was discarded by the newly crowned Emperor Nafaryus and ultimately forgotten. Until...now.

For the first time Princess Faythe reveals the secret music player she'd been both relishing and concealing almost her entire life to the Emperor, saying,

"See father, you also once enjoyed the beauty of real music and not just the garbage of those dreadful NOMACS."

"Where did you get that, child?" Shouts Nafaryus, to which Faythe responds, "Never mind that." "I am not a child anymore, father, I am a woman who doesn't want to be told what to do or who I can or cannot see anymore!" "Now please reach inside your soul and show me that you are not just the heartless dictator you have come to be known as."

Not able to contest the wisdom of neither his wife nor his daughter, Nafaryus concedes, knowing that if he persists, he risks losing the princess forever and so agrees to the meeting. If Gabriel truly is 'The Chosen One' and can sway him as his beloved daughter says he can, then he will cease all plans of attack on Ravenskill and award him his freedom. If not, then he will accept Gabriel's surrender as promised, at which point it will be sure that she will never see him again».

The Dream Theater website used to have a song-by-song description of the plot, which included info that isn't directly mentioned in the lyrics, as well images of the scenery of each song. Sadly it's only accesible through the Wayback Machine.

Oh, and I love the Mellotron in The Road To Revolution.

[Ben_Jamin]

So much I could say about this album...

Fantastic write up.

What I'm about to say comes with every commendation to James LaBrie, as he really does a great job with everything on this album. But, I wish it was done in a style more akin to Ayreon and Avantasia, which is to say I wish this album had a cast of singers, not one voice singing for an entire cast of characters. James does well enough to differentiate his delivery to give us some idea which character is speaking in a lot of places, but the single release of Our New World, which featured Lzzy Hale as Faythe, really awakened my ear to what this album really could have been. This album isn't as much Dream Theater as musical theatre penned by John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess.

I agree and think about the bolded all the time, pretty much almost every time I listen to the album.


One thing I want to say about A Tempting Offer is that it is a plot that is very integral and is the part of the story that is the stepping stone to the actions of both men further along in the story. The bagpipes in the end of The X Aspect signify a foreshadowing for the consequence of the road he chose to take in his path of division to save his son by betraying his blood. Because of this stepping stone, Daryus was already walking down the path he chose and it gradually led to his lifelong consequence he must face.


Can't wait for part 2 of your write up this friday.

[Deadeye21]

The Dream Theater website used to have a song-by-song description of the plot, which included info that isn't directly mentioned in the lyrics, as well images of the scenery of each song. Sadly it's only accesible through the Wayback Machine.

Really wish I could use the way back machine then. That would've been super handy for this one. Thanks for the excerpt!

[durga2112]

"It is incredibly long, the story makes no sense, and most of the songs are ballads. Still, there goes the best damned album Dream Theater ever had"

 

This is a weird album for me. I actually listened to it a ton of times when it came out, then largely put it away and only revisit it occasionally now. Whenever I'm listening to it I really like it, but since I only ever listen to it as a complete album, I can barely distinguish between the songs; like, I can pick out some songs like "The Gift of Music" and "Our New World", but ask me to name any random song on the album from audio alone (or ask me to describe a song from its title) and there's a 75% chance I wouldn't be able to do it.

Still, I really appreciate the fact that the band shot for the Moon on this album. It's too bad it wasn't well received, but sometimes that's just the fuckin' way she goes.

[evilasiojr]

Some personal highlights from this disc:

- The Gift of Music, A Saviour in The Square, A Tempting Offer and The X Aspect are too beautiful and awesome but too short for me

- A Life Left Behind and Ravenskill are a great songs overall and have elements I wish the band would continue to explore in future songs

- For some reason I like Brother Can You Hear Me?

- I don't like the cheesiness in The Chosen overall, but that final spoken "...home" by JBL is very beautiful

- The final instrumental section of A New Beginning is really cool, even if MM plays the JP's solo as robot as some argue, I think that worked production wise

[devieira73]

About TA being too long, I guess I'm the only one who thinks that the album should be longer and the reason is simple: for my taste, I think TA would be a better album if the band "dream theaterized" its arrangements more instead of making it like an opera rock, with so MANY ending acts songs  in the album. TA has a lot of amazing musical ideas and melodies that would work better within more tradicional DT arrangements with longer songs and solos/instrumental passages.

[DTiwbwMP]

HATED it THEN.....still HATE it NOW! 

[Crier Tuck]

I don't know...the story is just way too cheesy and cringe-worthy for me...kind of like a Disney cartoon feel but just doesn't work for me

Kind of whatever that vampire themed song from SC...Forsaken, I think...just can't get past the dumb lyrics...embarrassing and cringe-worthy to me

For me, this and SC are like the bottom DT albums...yes they are a great band and even on these there are some pretty good songs and decent moments, but I never go back and listen to them...I feel like the band could have done much better

[BeatriceNB]

About TA being too long, I guess I'm the only one who thinks that the album should be longer and the reason is simple: for my taste, I think TA would be a better album if the band "dream theaterized" its arrangements more instead of making it like an opera rock, with so MANY ending acts songs  in the album. TA has a lot of amazing musical ideas and melodies that would work better within more tradicional DT arrangements with longer songs and solos/instrumental passages.

I understand this view, but I disagree completely. SFAM is like that, and I really dislike how little the plot advances with some songs in that album. The Answer covers as much ground as Home in terms of plot...

[hefdaddy42]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks that the album should be longer

YOU ARE

[devieira73]

     well, maybe not longer, but with longer songs (not you, Nomac tracks  ) using the same musical ideas, if it makes sense.

[devieira73]

Some songs, really inspired musically, like Heaven's Coven as an example, just come and go and... wait, is it already over? Lyrically, liking it or not, the album feels complete but a lot of great songs, in different levels, seems underdeveloped musically to me.

[BeatriceNB]

Some songs, really inspired musically, like Heaven's Coven as an example, just come and go and... wait, is it already over? Lyrically, liking it or not, the album feels complete but a lot of great songs, in different levels, seems underdeveloped musically to me.

I think Heaven's Cove is fine. I agree some songs have material to expand them (mainly Lord Nafaryus, The Path That Divides and My Last Farewell).

On the other hand, the Tango in Lord Nafaryus, the outro of Three Days, the Yes intro in A Life Left Behind, the epic 15 seconds in Ravenskill, the bagpipes in The X Aspect, the harpsichord in A New Beginning and its outro solo, the Hey You/Is There Anybody Out There? intro in Heaven's Cove, the bells in Begin Again, the entirety of The Path That Divides (because it's unique moment after unique moment that never gets expanded), how My Last Farewell suddenly becomes Bridges In The Sky with the keys solo and 6/8 chorus...
I think the sections in that long list are beautiful and memorable because of how brief and detached they are, and they're more special that way.

[Dream Team]

HATED it THEN.....still HATE it NOW! 

Really? I did not know that. Learn something new every day  .

[Deadeye21]

The Astonishing – 2016
Tracklist (disc two) – 21. 2285 Entr'acte. 22. Moment of Betrayal. 23. Heaven's Cove. 24. Begin Again. 25. The Path That Divides. 26. Machine Chatter. 27. The Walking Shadow. 28. My Last Farewell. 29. Losing Faythe. 30. Whispers on the Wind. 31. Hymn of a Thousand Voices. 32. Our New World. 33. Power Down. 34. Astonishing.

The Astonistream continues

We've already done the first disc, let's waste no further time. House lights down, cue the music!

2285 Entr'acte is a secondary overture, a bit of a recap of themes that we've heard on the album so far to bring us back into the fold of the story. I really like it, it's structured well, serving as a really cool medley of everything that has come to pass so far. I'm also never gonna be mad when we get to hear that Three Days riff again. I don't think this one carries quite as much impact as Dystopian Overture as it really is just a bit of a highlight reel that welcomes us back in with a bit of metal before we get into the second half of the story.

The last note of 2285 Entr'acte lingers just a little longer while Jordan's piano sets up the first melody of Moment of Betrayal. Story wise, this is a great launching point for the album. Gabriel and Arhys are about to leave for Heaven's Cove and Gabriel's meeting with Nafaryus, but he notices his brother is very on edge. He has plans to hand his brother over to Prince Daryus where he'll be most defenceless and will be able to say he put up a fight since there will be no witnesses. I have to say, Moment of Betrayal is probably the most Dream Theater song on the entire album. There are moments that feel like they're straight out of DT12. The chorus is pretty catchy, there's a whole unison and solo section and just a lot of great musicianship here, including Mangini's polyrhythms in the outro. I haven't sung Mangini's praises much on this album, but the drumming is very strong overall, even if it's without time to shine often. Moment of Betrayal feels like the most fleshed out song so far, as in one that could stand alone outside of The Astonishing. This was the second single released from the album, and I think it's almost a little deceptive as it feels nothing like the rest of the album. If the band decided to bring back only one song from The Astonishing with Portnoy, I feel this would be a good contender.

Heaven's Cove is up next, and I really like this one. Opening with an ominous atmosphere that sets a lot of the tension for everything that's about to happen here, Heaven's Cove has one of my favourite clean riffs on the entire album. Lyrically sparse, this song only serves as a description for the backdrop of almost the entire second disc. Heaven's Cove is an amphitheatre where music used to thrive, but has become a memory lost to time. This is a really strong song, I love the vocal melody, I love the synth that precedes the heavy verses. And yet to quote our friend devieria73, 

Some songs, really inspired musically, like Heaven's Cove as an example, just come and go and... wait, is it already over? Lyrically, liking it or not, the album feels complete but a lot of great songs, in different levels, seems underdeveloped musically to me.

This is absolutely my feeling with this tune. There is so much going for it, and then without further expansion, it's over. None of these riffs will come back, so I'm glad the intro was at least a part of Dystopian Overture, but damn. And they cut it out of the live show in the seocnd half of the tour, so a lot of people didn't get to witness this one!

Begin Again opens up with a melody that feels like it's straight out of Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds in my ears. This is Faythe setting off for this next chapter, and nicely recaps the story for her. She found a new faith in him and feels that she can be destined for something much greater than just being Nafaryus' daughter. This is a bit of a forgettable tune, which I think also got cut on the second leg of the Astonishing tour. I have to say, my favourite part of this is the ending, which sounds rude, but I mean the upbeat piano solo with the bells and choir beneath it. It's a great moment of peace and hope before everything that's about to go down.

The Path That Divides is one of the two songs that fights for my top slot on the second half of The Astonishing, and I think it might even win for today. This is a musically diverse song that really nails its role. This is the moment of betrayal. Arhys is about to hand over Gabriel, but the chorus he once sang rings in his head. "As you're facing the path that divides, I will always be here by your side". In that moment, he realises that he has made a terrible mistake and abandons his traitorous plans. However, Daryus arrives on scene and a fight ensues which costs Arhys his life. Sadly, his son has followed him and watches his father die. The breakdown of this, beneath the sound effects of them fighting is one of the coolest musical moments of the whole album to me. Really, this whole song is amongst the best. Seriously, this one just rocks!

Machine Chatter is a menacing sounding NOMAC track, and probably the ones with the most substance. This really encapsulates the darkness of the scene that precedes and the one that will follow.

The Walking Shadow is another great chaotic song, though another that's fairly short. Xander is distraught over his father's death, as anyone would be. Daryus prepares to kill him too, as Arhys failed to uphold his end of the bargain but is distracted by the coming of a hooded figure. This is, however, not Gabriel as he believes, but is instead Faythe. In a moment of suspected triumph, he has just killed his sister. The Walking Shadow has a really great riff and really carries the weight of everything Daryus has done, is going to do, and does by the end of the song. Perfectly twisted, absolutely menacing.

My Last Farewell sees Gabriel arrive at Heaven's Cove only to see his brother dead and Faythe dying. He laments that he was too late to save either of them and blames himself. There's a keyboard solo out of nowhere that, as pointed out by BeatriceNB, is oddly reminiscent of Bridges in the Sky for no real reason. He assumes responsibility for Xander almost immediately, and overcome by the crushing pain and grief, covers his ears as he lets out a deafening scream. This has so many great riffs and musical moments that really just come out of nowhere. I wouldn't go as far as to say unearned, but when they appear it almost feels as though we're cutting to a different song. Cool moments though. James' final scream doesn't really feel like enough for what the story asks for, given that it's meant to deafen Daryus and cost Gabriel his voice for the coming chapters. Sounds a bit more like John pissed him off in the studio and he was letting him have it.

Losing Faythe is when the emperor and his wife arrive on scene, only to find their daughter dead. The crying effects at the start of the song really take me out of the moment, they sound kinda goofy. I have to say, this is a great reinterpretation of the Chosen theme. Nafaryus begs Gabriel to use his gift to save her, he knows that Gabriel's music is the only thing that stands the chance to heal her. He also knows in this moment that he has been selfish and blind to what was really at stake. This is a great moment of the start of Nafaryus' redemption. No longer the villain, but a grieving father.

However, Whispers on the Wind reveals that Gabriel has shredded his voice. He has nothing left, and now all that he wishes he could say will just be whispers from a broken throat. All hope is lost. Whispers on the Wind is far too short to really leave much of an impact, even if it is a great moment for James. Really nothing to say here, this is direct dialogue. She's going to die, he can't save her, all hope is gone.

Or is it? Hymn of a Thousand Voices sees the people of Ravenskill emerge, having heard Gabriel's scream. This is another song that I know a lot of people don't really care for, but I really love. There's no reason for this song to be as good as it is, especially given the idea that Gabriel just "finds his voice" with no real explanation, when he was JUST telling a grieving family that he couldn't save their daughter, but I digress. Through the combined power of many voices singing together, the hymn of a thousand voices grants Gabriel the power to save Faythe. Music has shown her the way to live again. Kind of a cheap ending to this major plot point from Gabriel's end, but I just got a copy of the book so I'm hoping this makes a lot more sense there.

Our New World is the third single and third track to exist outside of the album live. Man, what a great song this is. Gonna cop some s   for this one, but I can almost hear some Creed in the way JP plays this riff. Remember that Tremonti is one of my favourite guitarists so, it is intended as a compliment. Here, Gabriel and Faythe are reunited and vow to take Xander in as their own as they build a better world for everyone. I absolutely love this song, and it is by far the best Petrucci solo on the whole album. I got to see this one live and I'm so glad I did. I really hope this one comes back someday.  Ending the solo with the theme from A Savior in the Square, and then revisiting that riff at the end of the song makes this feel like the end of the story in a way. Once again, I'd like to reiterate my love for the single version which features Lzzy Hale of Halestorm in a kickass duet with James. She takes over as Faythe, and does a great job at it. However, there is one major setback with this version where the solos are cut down majorly, the first being omitted entirely and the second being a very oddly truncated version of it's glorious self. However, instead of leaving that, I figure I'll leave this one here for you to check out instead. The uploader decided to call it the definitive version. I can only agree. 

Power Down gives a final resolution to the NOMACs. With Nafaryus moved by Gabriel's actions, he gives the order for them to be shut down. Power Down is them receiving the death order and coming crashing down. I must say there are certain sounds in this that actually remind me a lot of Misunderstood, so there is that. Probably my second favourite of the NOMAC tracks, but thank god they're done.

The final track of The Astonishing is the title track. To me, this serves as a bit of an epilogue, though some characters get better than they deserve. Arhys' spirit reaches out to Gabriel to ask him to please take care of Xander, which Xander somehow hears and vows to make him proud. Gabriel now feels assured that he is the answer that Ravenskill had been asking for and will dedicate himself to being the man who he was meant to be. Faythe resolves to be a voice for change and help to make the world much better for everyone. Nafaryus, now singing over the Road to Revolution theme signifying his change to being an ally instead of an enemy, has learned his lesson and has been humbled by this experience. However, Daryus' ending s s me to tears. "Congrats, you tried to kill your sister, but we forgive you because she's alive". That just feels unearned. However, the ending leaves us with a note of hope. Peace has been restored as music once again captures the hearts of the people, and the Empire and Ravenskill will rebuld a world on common ground. Their lives will once again know joy and wonder, they will be astonishing again.

And that's it. We got there. I gotta say, I think I prefer the second disc as it's a more focused narrative. We don't spend time bogging down into the who's who or the backstory, we just get a good chapter of "this is what's happening", apart from Heaven's Cove which just rocks while it delivers the last bit of world-building. In the thirteen tracks that make up this half of the album, I have several major highlights and that to me wins my vote.

So that brings us back around to the question at hand. Is The Astonishing a bad Dream Theater album? That's a hard one to answer. To me, yes, this is bad as a Dream Theater album, but it's not a bad album at all. I think this is an album that is burdened by having to live up to what came before. "It's a concept album" makes you want Scenes From a Memory again, and it was never going to be that. "It's Dream Theater" coming off the back of A Dramatic Turn of Events and the self-titled almost feels inaccurate. This is a band trying to make musical theatre, and to me, they very much succeeded in providing that.

Here's where it falls short though. This album, for everything I like and even love about it, should not have been entirely sung by James. I almost feel that JP should have had a larger role in the vocal department again, even if it was just as one character. This really should have been a cast album. Our New World with Lzzy Hale absolutely nails that and makes me wish that's what they'd done the whole time. I would love it if, when the band finally retire, the rights to The Astonishing are sold and it gets produced into a full-on stage play, kinda like what Green Day have done for American Idiot. James can appear as Arhys, like Billie Joe Armstrong has appeared as the St. Jimmy character. On certain nights, John Petrucci might appear to play the A New Beginning solo much like Brian May has done on special occasions for We Will Rock You. I would start saving money today if JP said that was the plan. I think this album really works but not in the form it ultimately remains bound to.

I've really enjoyed coming back to The Astonishing, and I think this is going to be one of the ones that ends up shifting the most for me when I re-rank the albums in two weeks. But hey, that's just me. Perhaps you're more like DTwwbwMP who hated this album at release and still hates it now. I'm loving the thoughtful discussion above already, so now that the rest of the album has dropped, let's keep it going!

[durga2112]

The crying effects at the start of the song really take me out of the moment, they sound kinda goofy.

As in, it sounds like laughter? Yeah... 

[Shooters1221]

As in, it sounds like laughter? Yeah... 

I like this album as a whole but that crying part is BRUTAL!

[BeatriceNB]

If there was a heat map of The Astonishing, the 2nd disc definitely would be my most played, it flows really well and it feels incredibly short.

Hey hey, Begin Again forgettable? Over my dead body I really love that one, it feels kinda intimate. A comment in the official YouTube upload of the song described the outro as "Dream Theater wishing us Merry Christmas", and somehow that works

Moment Of Betrayal is very DT12-y for sure, kinda like an amalgamation of The Enemy Inside and Behind The Veil. But please, don't bring it or any TA song back with this lineup

The "solo" in Losing Faythe is one of my favourite DT moments. I agree about the crying sound effects, like, surely they could do better takes...

Astonishing is an astonishing (ha!) ending track, when the Hemispheres brothers theme plays at the end I always get emotional.

As for "a bad DT album", I completely disagree. I think that's like saying The Wall is a bad Pink Floyd album because it's different to Dark Side Of The Moon or Wish You Were Here. A Rock Opera or Music Theatre-inspired album in a Prog band's discography still fits. When I got into the band, TA didn't feel like an anomaly. If you push me, I would even argue Images And Words is the biggest outlier in their discography.

[durga2112]

If you push me, I would even argue Images And Words is the biggest outlier in their discography.

*push*

I really want to hear this. 

[BeatriceNB]

*push*

I really want to hear this. 

I think Images And Words stands out in DT's discography for several reasons. Mainly, I think it's incredibly upbeat and "light" and "bright", with only one heavy song (or two if you count Under A Glass Moon).

The instrumental passages in I&W are more like a composition (Take The Time, Metropolis, Learning To Live, Under A Glass Moon) rather than the jam-like soloing passages in future albums.
Then you have Another Day, featuring a saxophonist, and sounding like an '80s power ballad. There's Surrounded which I also think sound like it belongs in the '80s, also very "bright".

James LaBrie also has a different approach, which I always thought of being Power Metal-like (people who know their Metal will want to end me, but I can't describe it another way ).

[Dream Team]

I think Images And Words stands out in DT's discography for several reasons. Mainly, I think it's incredibly upbeat and "light" and "bright", with only one heavy song (or two if you count Under A Glass Moon).

The instrumental passages in I&W are more like a composition (Take The Time, Metropolis, Learning To Live, Under A Glass Moon) rather than the jam-like soloing passages in future albums.
Then you have Another Day, featuring a saxophonist, and sounding like an '80s power ballad. There's Surrounded which I also think sound like it belongs in the '80s, also very "bright".

James LaBrie also has a different approach, which I always thought of being Power Metal-like (people who know their Metal will want to end me, but I can't describe it another way ).

It definitely stands out for all the things you describe along with its sheer brilliance. But I think DT has several albums that don't sound like any other in their catalog.

[DragonAttack]

So far behind.

Briefly, ADToE was way more upbeat than the prior two albums.  There's a couple of brief missteps, but OTBOA, BITS, TITL, and BAI are absolute classics.

DT12: More concise songs that somewhat all blurred together initially. Some standouts, but not an album I ever went back to until a couple of months ago. Much better than I remembered.

Thanks for the TA write up and story recap.  That was more than helpful for me.  I so enjoy the orchestra, choir, bagpipes, ragtime, etc....just wish it was shorter and had fewer overt religious overtones.  Like so many here, I made an abridged version including many song edits.  It's a fun listen (and the wife adores it). 

A nice fan mix of 'A Life Left Behind' with a repeated chorus fade out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad1BwipfnnY 
and the 'A Savior In The Square (intro) / 'Our New World' combination that I'd made for myself before this appeared on youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXk_VyRtZM  It fits like a glove.

[Ben_Jamin]

Great writeup...

Heavens Cove is an excellent song. It's one I can imagine in my head being played out. The intro makes me imagine the scene being a slow closing in of Heavens Cove where we witness ghosts of the past (sort of like The Haunted Mansion ride at Disney parks, where the ghosts are dancing) and how remarkable this ancient ruin once was as a thriving amphitheater. I like how it got it's own scene since this is the place where a lot will happen and is the place where the miracle occurs. It's the backdrop for the revival of music, which shows the significance of the meaning for Heaven's Cove.

Begin Again is definitely not a forgettable song, it's one of my favorites off this album. I can take the literal aspect of what the song is about and bring it to a more personal and broader meaning; "We must learn to rise above the past before we can at last begin again." It's about the drive to rise and recognize there's greater things in store, and you can be something more, thanks to whatever gave you the drive to begin again a new life, a new beginning, to change your fate. Because it is true that "in an instant, life can change and begin again." After all this, we get one of the best endings ever. It's an ending that gives me a sense of hope, purpose, and it just gets me in those feels and is a short piece that makes me a bit emotional more so than an entire song, and I love when songs have moments like this, those sections being short doesn't bother me and I do not need them to be expanded or longer.

Since we knew the path of division that Daryus chose to take, it all culminates in a detrimental bomb once he kills Arhys. Daryus has let his jealousy get the best of him. It explodes and comes to an end when he realizes what he's done The path he chose had led to the detriment of stabbing his own sister. Gabriel laments the possibility of losing Faythe while getting after Daryus telling him "How many more have to die, before you will open your eyes." At the end of My Last Farewell, what many consider to be Gabriels' deafening scream, I do not agree with that assessment. Gabriels' scream, to me, is the last note he sings with "My Last Farewell". The final vocal scream is Daryus letting out his voice of pain from Gabriels' screeching note. I imagine that note being pretty loud, especially if Daryus is close enough for it to be right up in his ear. It'd be like putting your ear against a loud speaker while it plays the sound of a siren, that would definitely make you go deaf. This is where I honestly think having different vocalists would have definitely helped people recognize the scream is coming from Daryus, not Gabriel.

Losing Faythe, Whispers on The Wind, and Hymn of A Thousand Voices could be a suite in itself. These three songs bring a tear to my eye at times, it's the way the music presents itself along with the story. I am not bothered by the crying samples in the intro of Losing Faythe, the reason being I have heard people cry similar to where it sounds almost as if they are laughing (There are also people who actually cry and laugh simultaneously when a significant life change occurs). The solo in Losing Faythe is really beautiful and ethereal with the choir in the background. The choir is reminiscent to the one in A Better Life used to represent Evangeline being in the afterlife, it is also used again for Arhys in Astonishing. The way I see it used here is to represent Faythe being on that line of crossing over, the choir could also be all the ghosts of the past being there as she sits on the line between the living and the dead. The phrase "Begin Again" being sung by Faythe's own father takes another form of meaning, and for me, it makes the song Begin Again hit more harder making it another reason why it's not a forgettable song.

The tone of Whispers on The Wind is really felt with the piano and strings. JLB really gives off the desolate, hopeless emotion of Gabriel. There is a lot of emotion within this short timespan. But while it seems all hope is lost and there is no chance at saving Faythe, Hymn of A Thousand Voices changes the tone immensely. The townspeople of Ravenskill coming together in a choir must really be a sight to behold. I could just hear it in my head as a single voice starts to sing and the choir grows as more people arrive. This is a new beginning, as Heaven's Cove begins again to echo music throughout it's structure, bringing new life to Heaven's Cove. If you've been at a show where everyone is singing along, you know how strong and powerful it feels, you can see it in the bands eyes when an entire crowd of thousands of people sing. There is no way to feel it unless you are physically there. This feeling, the emotions and the power of the voice is what gave Gabriel the hope to find his voice again, it starts of weak but gradually grows stronger. This is also what really brought Faythe to live, it gave her hope to fight death.

 

Here's where it falls short though. This album, for everything I like and even love about it, should not have been entirely sung by James. I almost feel that JP should have had a larger role in the vocal department again, even if it was just as one character. This really should have been a cast album. Our New World with Lzzy Hale absolutely nails that and makes me wish that's what they'd done the whole time. I would love it if, when the band finally retire, the rights to The Astonishing are sold and it gets produced into a full-on stage play, kinda like what Green Day have done for American Idiot. James can appear as Arhys, like Billie Joe Armstrong has appeared as the St. Jimmy character. On certain nights, John Petrucci might appear to play the A New Beginning solo much like Brian May has done on special occasions for We Will Rock You. I would start saving money today if JP said that was the plan. I think this album really works but not in the form it ultimately remains bound to.

If I had the money, I'd fund the production myself. I am in complete agreement for this to one day be a full-on stage play. I will always state how I first heard HadesTown when it was only a concept album, I thought how I would love it if one day it would be a full-on stage production. As time passed it did end up becoming a full on broadway musical stage production and I was lucky enough to see it, I actually had tears at moments because I was witnessing a musical I had always hoped would be done. If it could be done for that album, it surely could be done for The Astonishing and I do hope one day JP and the band decide to make this stage production a reality.

Anyways, that's my "short" thoughts on the second disc of The Astonishing. In the words of JLB..."Sorry for the short set".

[Ben_Jamin]

So far behind.

Briefly, ADToE was way more upbeat than the prior two albums.  There's a couple of brief missteps, but OTBOA, BITS, TITL, and BAI are absolute classics.

DT12: More concise songs that somewhat all blurred together initially. Some standouts, but not an album I ever went back to until a couple of months ago. Much better than I remembered.

Thanks for the TA write up and story recap.  That was more than helpful for me.  I so enjoy the orchestra, choir, bagpipes, ragtime, etc....just wish it was shorter and had fewer overt religious overtones.  Like so many here, I made an abridged version including many song edits.  It's a fun listen (and the wife adores it). 

A nice fan mix of 'A Life Left Behind' with a repeated chorus fade out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad1BwipfnnY 
and the 'A Savior In The Square (intro) / 'Our New World' combination that I'd made for myself before this appeared on youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad1BwipfnnY  It fits like a glove.

You linked the same song twice. 

[DragonAttack]

Oops.    Error corrected.

Thank you.

[Deadeye21]

A nice fan mix of 'A Life Left Behind' with a repeated chorus fade out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad1BwipfnnY 
and the 'A Savior In The Square (intro) / 'Our New World' combination that I'd made for myself before this appeared on youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXk_VyRtZM  It fits like a glove.

Father, is it true, Bug was always you?

I've listened to that Savior/World combo so many times, and had I not found the version I linked that also featured Lzzy, this would have been in my deep dive!

[Deadeye21]

I know it's ahead of schedule, but thanks to MinistroRaven, I got to write a review of Parasomnia.

We will deep dive this properly after release, but for now, Here is my review of Parasomnia

[The Curious Orange]

My problem with The Astonishing is that I just get fatigued by it. Every song is too short and they're all so similar - an intro which is a refrain from another song, a verse, a chorus, an ending. There should have been fewer tracks, and those should have had a bit more meat on their bones. The intro to A Life Left Behind is enjoyable (and I will never forget the dancing squares they had on the stage screens for this bit), but it needs to be reprised at the end of the song. Chosen is lovely, one of my favourite DT tracks, but it needs a big guitar solo in there.
Pick the best songs, make them longer, make a few of them 10 minutes plus, cut the rest. The story could stand a bit of simplification too.

But the worst thing about The Astonishing is that it seems to be the last we'll hear of the band's more melodic side. Since then they seem to have adopted this "everything louder than everything else" style and I doubt we'll hear another softer, more melodic song from them again.

[Ben_Jamin]

Chosen is lovely, one of my favourite DT tracks, but it needs a big guitar solo in there.

What do you mean by big guitar solo? The solo there is lovely as it is, and it's a JP solo where he actually restrains himself and created a melodic solo which some fans want more from him rather than his fast, shreddy solos.

My problem with The Astonishing is that I just get fatigued by it. Every song is too short and they're all so similar - an intro which is a refrain from another song, a verse, a chorus, an ending. There should have been fewer tracks, and those should have had a bit more meat on their bones. The intro to A Life Left Behind is enjoyable (and I will never forget the dancing squares they had on the stage screens for this bit), but it needs to be reprised at the end of the song.

They're similar and have refrains because those are the themes, and each character has their own musical theme. Gabriel's theme is "the Answer" which is reprised in Chosen and Losing Faythe.

While the intro to A Life Left Behind is enjoyable, having it reprised at the end doesn't make sense to me for the story. I imagine the intro as a sort of transition, like we pan away from The hideout where Gabriel and Arhys are in Brother Can You Hear Me? traveling across the vast landscapes, we close in on the palace as we enter Faythes room where she is contemplating on which path of division to take. The ending being Daryus' reveal of his intentions leaves the audience with some foreshadowing of what is to come in the following scenes.

It is interesting to me though how JP in his book note explains that the album is ambitious and would require a lot from not just the band and record label, but from the fans. What I think he means is that the fans would need to listen to this album in a different light, to understand this album is like a play, it's structure is not a typical concept album made by a band. I like how David Campbell in his forward compares The Astonishing to "earlier masterworks and artistic styles of past eras" such as the 19th century artists like Wagner, he specifically mentioned Gotterdammerung.

[DragonAttack]

With 3 or 4 sized font, how do you follow along with the story when you couldn't read the lyrics in the CD booklet?

[DTiwbwMP]

the 'A Savior In The Square (intro) / 'Our New World' combination that I'd made for myself before this appeared on youtube  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXk_VyRtZM  It fits like a glove.

LOVE THIS   Two of the 3 songs I actually really like off of TA!