Dream Theater - Midnight Messiah (Official Video)

[Pettor]

Haha, I really enjoyed this! The grooves are fantastic, and when the solo kicks in, it's just pure 🤘. The chorus feels a bit strange — I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, but it's still decent overall.

This is the first song since Shattered Fortress that really captures a Train of Thought vibe. While I don't think it resembles As I Am all that much, I get the reference and can see the similarities, even though it still stands apart as its own track. It also fits with the other tracks.

Honestly, I'd pick this over Night Terror as the first single any day of the week. Glad the singles after NT has been a noticable improvement and I will be going back listening to these. Reminds me of D/T where UA just wasn't my cup of tea but the other two felt a lot more exciting.

Personally this is a big improvement from The Alien and specially IM.

[Dedalus]

I'm with you on the bolded, but everything else feels like a completely separate point (that goes from MP to TA to live sets) that I really have no comment on.

I certainly wasn't saying you shouldn't have an opinion, just pointing out that the band is under no obligation to care (and that, for me, I prefer that they think as little about the peanut gallery as possible).

Although I quoted you, my answer is more in the sense of entering the discussion in general.

The connections I made were only to illustrate that the argument could have been used extensively before, but it wasn't. I mentioned two moments considered controversial in their recent history. The choices for live performances and the album that is considered the worst they have ever made. In neither case do I remember anyone reminding us that it was the band's decision and it was up to us to understand that and that deep down it was our problem if we didn't like it. Well, now that MP is back, we are reminded of this all the time. At least for me, it conveys the idea that now that the band is back to being what it should be, it doesn't deserve to be criticized so much. Which brings us back to the beginning of the argument.

Finally, I agree with you that ideally they should do what they want to do and not care about us. Although I speculate that they do care. And that they felt the blow of TA's reception.

[Dedalus]

Honestly, I'd pick this over Night Terror as the first single any day of the week

MP talks about this in the last interview I shared in the other thread.

Mike says that they knew MM would be a "metal single" for them, but that it couldn't be the first single. I think that for them the first single needed to be a song with a more traditional DT sound, let's say.

[WilliamMunny]

Although I quoted you, my answer is more in the sense of entering the discussion in general.

The connections I made were only to illustrate that the argument could have been used extensively before, but it wasn't. I mentioned two moments considered controversial in their recent history. The choices for live performances and the album that is considered the worst they have ever made. In neither case do I remember anyone reminding us that it was the band's decision and it was up to us to understand that and that deep down it was our problem if we didn't like it. Well, now that MP is back, we are reminded of this all the time. At least for me, it conveys the idea that now that the band is back to being what it should be, it doesn't deserve to be criticized so much. Which brings us back to the beginning of the argument.

Finally, I agree with you that ideally they should do what they want to do and not care about us. Although I speculate that they do care. And that they felt the blow of TA's reception.

That's fair, my friend.

To your final point, I agree they probably 'do care,' perhaps moreso when it comes to the live arena than the studio.

[Architeuthis]

This song absolutely slays on a big stereo system. I would suggest listening to it in that format. These cellphone speakers don't cut it, or even headphones.
It has a much bigger impact loud and out in the open. I love how the Chorus hits hardest towards the end after the solo section.
The unison section of the solo has a bit of The Final Countdown vibe, but on steroids! Not a bad thing at all. This song will be a Banger live, great energy to it. 💥💪

[WilliamMunny]

This song absolutely slays on a big stereo system. I would suggest listening to it in that format. These cellphone speakers don't cut it, or even headphones.
It has a much bigger impact loud and out in the open. I love how the Chorus hits hardest towards the end after the solo section.
The unison section of the solo has a bit of The Final Countdown vibe, but on steroids! Not a bad thing at all. This song will be a Banger live, great energy to it. 💥💪

I couldn't agree more

I really 'hope' they play it live.

[emtee]

And even better on headphones! The sharpness snap of that snare at the beginning is amazing.

The sonic values of all 3 songs are superior.

[Glasser]

When I first heard Images and Words back in 1992 it blew my socks off. I get that over the last 30 years (!) heavy music has got heavier, but at the time, Pull Me Under was just about as heavy as it got. And then the album veers into soft jazz fusion with saxophones with Another Day, and then the preposterously bizarre Yes and Rush playing together at the same time but in different keys and different time signatures headf*ck that is Take The Time. This, to me, is what a DT album should be.

What bothers me about the three singles isn't that they're heavy, but that they're just bland. There's nothing that sets them apart from anything else or each other. And it does look like the album is going to be more of the same (I sooooo hope it isn't).

AVFTTOTW suffers because it lacks any of the more melodic type songs. The Astonishing suffers because it lacks heavy songs and proggy freak outs. I want a DT album that has the heaviest thing they've ever done on it, next to the softest, most beautiful gentle ballad they've ever done, next to the most insane prog-fest they've ever done. All on the same album. Please.

#expectingtobedisappointed #hopingtobepleased

Bend The Clock is very memorable, great chorus. Labrie's melodies are great and he sounds fantastic. I hope I eat my words after fully digesting the rest.

[gzarruk]

Bend The Clock is very memorable, great chorus. Labrie's melodies are great and he sounds fantastic. I hope I eat my words after fully digesting the rest.

Judging by some of the reviews, this one is one of the highlights of the album

[dparrott]

When they said they were "shooting a video", I was expecting something of a bigger production, not a collection of live clips. 

Song rocks.  I like the tempo shifts.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Cursed be the man who first said Bend the Cock. I hope the song title does not appear in the chorus. 

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

And even better on headphones! The sharpness snap of that snare at the beginning is amazing.

The sonic values of all 3 songs are superior.

Agreed. Some people have expressed they "hate" the mix and I really don't know what to make of that lol (talking both as an audio professional and a fan). Truly it seems there's always something to bitch about in DT land.

New song rocks. It's definitely a grower. My first listen was in the "cool but kinda meh-y and weird" but, after a couple spins, it sank in nicely. The lyrical references are cool and all but I can't help to wonder if MP was deliberate about putting the "forevermore blistering" reference given that's probably one of the most meme'd DT phrases of all time 

Is it confirmed by MP that this song also kinda reflects his take on "coming back to the band" or is it a coincidence that I get some of those vibes in various places of the lyrics? like:

"Take me back into the dream
For all eternity
It's calling me back to my home".

Also, is there a reference to the Canadian Rap? :tard

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Personally, I don't think it's fair for DT fans to anticipate/expect to be blown away upon a new album release.  DT is different, they have a unique style that isn't found in most other bands.  So listening to them for the first time, is a treat and I don't see how someone wouldn't be blown away.  Even if you discover them late in their discography like I did, that initial discovery and then combing through their music within a few weeks or months after that initial discovery is nothing short of magical.

BUT... after that, or at least within the next few releases, that blown away feeling is going to diminish for most people, because you have already experienced the uniqueness that is DT and now your mind adjusts and the before mentioned unexpected, becomes expected.

It's kind of a weird paradox, isn't it? Bands like Dream Theater and Iron Maiden are so identifiable and unique, but this can actually lead to their albums feeling kind of same-y. Whereas a lot of artists, for example in pop music, just kind of make whatever music the algorithm wants at the time, which feels a lot less unique, but it does mean when you look back at their careers, their body of work is way more unpredictable. Taylor Swift's discography, for example, is an absolute roller coaster ride in a way that Dream Theater's isn't.

[illusionist]

I haven't listened to this, as the other 2 singles.
But from what i read here, this Midnight Messiah sounds like Behind the Veil.
Do they have similarity or are these two completely different songs?

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I haven't listened to this, as the other 2 singles.
But from what i read here, this Midnight Messiah sounds like Behind the Veil.
Do they have similarity or are these two completely different songs?

They both feature very Metallica-esque riffage but there are some notable differences as well.

[KevShmev]

MP talks about this in the last interview I shared in the other thread.

Mike says that they knew MM would be a "metal single" for them, but that it couldn't be the first single. I think that for them the first single needed to be a song with a more traditional DT sound, let's say.

That always seems so strange to me.  DT is not a singles band, so why not release the full-on metal single first?  Historically, labels do not want what is likely to the most successful/representative single to be the first one you release.

[rab7]

Singles rankings by section (most favorite to least favorite):

Intro:                NT, ABM, MM
Verse 1:              MM, ABM, NT
Chorus:               MM, ABM, NT
Verse 2:              NT, MM, ABM
Instrumental Break:   ABM, NT, MM
Overall Vocal Melody: MM, ABM, NT
Overall:              ABM, NT, MM
Note: By "Chorus" for MM I am including the pre-chorus as well. Without the prechorus, it would rank last.

For Verse 2, I almost ranked MM last because it's almost exactly the same as the first verse, unlike ABM and NT. However, the part where James sings "There's a place that I go..." absolutely saves it. Overall I just really love the vocal melodies in this song. Night Terror felt like it was the same thing they were doing in AVFTTOTW, and A Broken Man was only a slight improvement.

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

This is gonna be a great one live too.

[MidnightSlice]

The unison section of the solo has a bit of The Final Countdown vibe, but on steroids! Not a bad thing at all. This song will be a Banger live, great energy to it. 💥💪

Agree with the unison section being something I really want to see live.
Whats wrong with Final Countdown vibes? 

[Glasser]

Agree with the unison section being something I really want to see live.
Whats wrong with Final Countdown vibes? 

Dream Theater's Final Countdown Tour?! 

[devieira73]

Really enjoying the singles, it's by a small margin, but I think A Broken Man > Midnight Messiah > Night Terror. On a scale of 10, they would be a 7.0 to 8.0 songs (considering DT's high quality). And I'm not hearing them as "not so prog" DT. Sure, a bit more on the metal side, specially MM, but still prog metal. By the way, anyone already commented about the similarity between MM's intro and Repentance?

As for MP's drumming on those 3 songs, I think he took great care with it. Even though his most innovative years are behind him, I think he always comes up with something cool and creative in every band/project he's played in and he's always at his best with DT. I didn't expect him to redefine himself as a drummer at this point in career, much less suddenly become a drum nerd like Mangini (and I mean it in a good way, I love Mangini's approach).

[PROGdrummer]

I think I listened to this song at least 100 times on repeat today. It's basically a perfect metal song. The five minute radio edit totally rips. I might even prefer it to the full version.

The lyrics really feel like Mike Portnoy expressing deep gratitude for being back in the band again, thats how I interpreted it.

Lost time
Thought I lost my mind
How the hell did I end up here?
Rewind
Help to remind
The last thing I can remember
Dreamtime
Floating cloud nine
Heavenly bliss utopia
Sublime
Feeling so divine
Just another pleasant nightmare
In my dreams
There's a song I once knew
Like an uncanny Strange Déjà vu
Memories flashing all through my brain
Over and over and over again

15 years is a long time to be separated from what I imagine feels like his true purpose in life, being the drummer of the band you helped form and dedicated over half of your lifespan to. Getting to sit in the throne again and jamming with your brothers, must feel so natural and I'm sure there's lots of feelings of regret for time lost.

Back in the Waking Life
A Midsummer Night's Dream
I realize
I can no longer fly alone
Help find my destiny
Take me back into the dream
For all eternity
It's calling me back to my HOME

I can't stand the pressure
The daytime collectors
I'll never go back there again
Keep those eyes closed
You're now going home
Forever alive in your head

[MinistroRaven]

Side note - where is Jordan?

He'll totally turn out to be The Shadow Man Incident 😆. But for real, I think Jordan really shines on that track.

Everything he didn't get to do in the first seven songs? He's definitely gonna bring it all in that one.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

He'll totally turn out to be The Shadow Man Incident 😆. But for real, I think Jordan really shines on that track.

Everything he didn't get to do in the first seven songs? He's definitely gonna bring it all in that one.

Great to hear! But are you saying he isn't doing a whole lot in the first seven songs?

[Northern Lion]

I can't help but turn this song on full blast and headbang to it. It grew on me pretty quickly. Very fun song!

I rate it an 8. It isn't higher because 9s and 10s are reserved only for the very greatest songs.

[Crier Tuck]

Hmm...well honestly this is my favorite of the three singles so far...Broken Man second and Night Terrors third...

Don't really know why, but to me, Night Terrors just sounds like by the numbers...not too inspired...but this song for me just works

Only listened twice so far but I guess I like it because its different...

[wolfking]

Well, and I say this in support of you not to argue with you, but ALL the reactions here are on us and not DT. As long as they put in the effort - and there's no reason to think they didn't - and as long as they are happy with the output - and there's no reason to think they aren't - if someone doesn't like it, it's on the listener.  None of what we're talking about here is objective.

This is kind of where I sit on things now too, with some perspective.  We can hate on them in so many ways until the cows come home, but it's all in vain.  We can certainly have opinions and have the right to like what we like and put thoughts across but as I mentioned earlier, if DT are happy with their final product and what they are presenting, who are we to judge?

We can bitch and moan how they are not doing I&W2 or Scenes 3, but in reality, there is absolutely ZERO we can do about that.  We have no control, it's just what we want as individuals and what others think the band should do.  We have two choices, be thankful we are getting new music at all and enjoy it and embrace it for what it is, or choose not to like it and move on but in both scenarios, we must accept what it is, because we can't alter it.

[RaiseTheKnife]

Definitely my favorite track off the new album so far.  Terrific opening, very atmospheric and musically interesting.  The verse and pre-chorus totally rock - very catchy.  Not a fan of the switch up in the chorus, feels like the song derails into something less compelling for me.  However, I do credit DT with attempting something different than the typical DT chorus (half-time anthemic feel, etc.).  Overall, this is the track I've been waiting for.

[ReaPsTA]

Decent.

Like other people are saying though - Really good mix.

[Pettor]

MP talks about this in the last interview I shared in the other thread.

Mike says that they knew MM would be a "metal single" for them, but that it couldn't be the first single. I think that for them the first single needed to be a song with a more traditional DT sound, let's say.

Interesting! I'm not sure I fully understand or agree in this case. To me, both songs share similar metal vibes and actually sound quite alike overall—though I do think MM is much groovier and more fun. It might just come down to my personal feeling that NT feels a bit safe and unexciting overall.

I also tend to disagree with the single choices! 😄 In some ways, it makes the full album more enjoyable since the best tracks are left for discovery. But still, why would a band ever choose Untethered Angel over Barstool Warrior? And I'd never pick a song like Invisible Monster over Answering the Call to hype fans or a general audience for an album.

That said, it doesn't really matter since I'm not the one making these decisions, but it would be fun if DT took a bold step with their single choices someday! I've seen several bands that dared show the true grand scope of their sound successfully instead of going with the more safe choice.

[Rob24]

Same problem as always: vocals are so heavily pitch-corrected that it's noticable, detracts from the listening experience and makes it sound more shallow. Everything else is amazing.

[Northern Lion]

After listening to this song a few more times, I think I'm going to change my rating of it to an 8.5 from an 8. What a killer strait forward thrash metal song!

[The Curious Orange]

A Midsummer Night's Dream...

Now there's an idea for a DT concept album...

[durga2112]

On my second listen right now (I don't want to overplay any of these songs before the album comes out) and I am really enjoying this! I'm getting a Megadeth vibe from it, which I am all for. 

[hefdaddy42]

I haven't listened to this, as the other 2 singles.
But from what i read here, this Midnight Messiah sounds like Behind the Veil.
Do they have similarity or are these two completely different songs?

Seems like a strange conversation to have without having listened to it.