Official Parasomnia album discussion thread ***SPOILERS***

[Dedalus]

I was listening to TCOT for the first time in 6 years.

For me, the best moment of BCSL is in TCOT, after the ambient section, starting with the acoustic guitar until the end of the song.

I'm not a big fan of the vocal melodies in the first part of this song and I hate the melody in the chorus, but the vocal melodies in the second part (after the ambient section) are wonderful. The ending is so epic and grandiloquent that it makes you want to go around telling the story of the Count of Tuscany and his brother sucking on his pipe.

[wolfking]

Controversial opinion: the highs on BCSL are higher than the highs on Parasomnia by quite a bit.

That's not controversial at all.

[JediKnight1969]

Controversial opinion: the highs on BCSL are higher than the highs on Parasomnia by quite a bit.

Agree.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

As controversial as saying water is wet.

Well, Parasomnia ranks VERY high these days apparently!

[nobloodyname]

I just read this on FACEBOOK:

I really don't see why you've dragged that here. Sorry.

[lovethedrake]

My favorite place to listen to music is the car and I finally got to jam out to Parasomnia in the car today.

I loved my listen through.

Still dislike Night Terror but had a blast with everything else.

[wolfking]

I just read this on FACEBOOK:

What is this even supposed to be?

Good to see I'm really missing out on great content not having Facebook.

[wolfking]

I really don't see why you've dragged that here. Sorry.

Yeah, why post that here?

[Progmaniac1988]

I just read this on FACEBOOK:

Having carefully reviewed Parasomnia one thing is abundantly clear to me: KEVIN MOORE AND MIKE MANGINI ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVER BEEN OR EVER WILL BE DREAM THEATER! Imagine if all the DT albums had only been keyboard parts by Kevin Moore with Mike Mangini doing all the drums! YOU CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT NOW CAN YOU???

We all know full well that this is the Dream Theater we the fans deserve. John, James, John, Jordan and Mike (P) need to admit that all their combined efforts cannot live up to this majestic awesomeness. In fact, I would be willing to bet that when they NAMED the band Majesty it was because they were dreaming of what this amazing duo would sound like.

Come on guys, you owe it to us. Take all your albums off of streaming, rip them from store shelves, and demand that fans destroy all their tangible copies. Have Moore and Mangini rerecord all the Dream Theater albums the way we were meant to hear it. Kevin will definitely do this if we keep bothering him about it.

In fact, Kevin Moore and Mike Mangini should also rerecord all of the Ruddess/Morgsnstein Project albums too... Hell, we should probably get their advice on how to resolve the drinking water crisis in Flint, MI while we're at it.

To give credit where credit is due, however, Petrucci did use many of the same frets that he used on "The Alien." I was hoping to hear more seventh fret and less thirteenth fret (that fret jumped the shark after Falling Into Infinity) but I guess he's just not putting as much thought into it in his old age. Still, it was nice to hear a throwback to the good old days. (The good old days of course being Distance Over Time.)

One thing that I think we as Dream Theater fans are entitled to (and I here formally introduce the measure as an agenda item for the Official List of Dream Theater Fan Entitlements alongside the still pending ballot proposal to name the first Dream Theater band member grandchild as "Metropolis pt. 3") is to have printed a special limited edition monoral vinyl release of the new album titled "Monosomnia." It only makes sense.

Anyway, it's Valentine's Day so let's celebrate with a poll about which band member's daughter turned out the hottest!

A. Melody Portnoy
B. Samantha Peteucci
C. Kayla Ruddess
D. Kiara Petrucci
E. Any Mike Mangini Daughter is Hotter than any Mike Portnoy daughter by virtue of the drum performance on "The Alien"

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dtr2hMqH1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Completely rest my case to why I think some (not all!) of this metal/prog fan base has severe mental damage... I'm sorry, that Facebook post is so dumb I got dumber reading it lol.

[Mladen]

There's no way that post was supposed to be anything but funny. Either that or someone's just trying to get attention.

[Revenge319]

There's no way that post was supposed to be anything but funny. Either that or someone's just trying to get attention.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's just a troll or someone making fun of certain DT fans. It feels too exaggerated and weirdly specific to be real.

[Blokhut]

I have now listened to it several times via Spotify. I don't have a subscription, so I am constantly bombarded with other songs and advertisements. Of course, I ordered the CD, but the shipment was canceled and returned due to delivery problems. I have been in touch with the supplier: the CD will be resent, but I will have to wait a few more days. 

[KevShmev]

Mark me down as another who thought it was STUPID for MinistroRaven to post that crap here. Why not just let drivel like that stay where it belongs?  Threads here could be really horrible if everyone starts posting every hair-brained idiocy they see on Facebook or Twitter. Good grief.

[Pettor]

Not only was the post lacking any humor, the ending with listing the daughter's was just awful 👎

To happier subjects. I will claim that TSMI has the best chorus since BAI. It's just so good!

Here's a video about JP talking about the song:

https://youtu.be/yW7M0TmZPJI?si=p6TXBTlthYMNeN-H

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Not only was the post lacking any humor, the ending with listing the daughter's was just awful 👎

To happier subjects. I will claim that TSMI has the best chorus since BAI. It's just so good!

Here's a video about JP talking about the song:

https://youtu.be/yW7M0TmZPJI?si=p6TXBTlthYMNeN-H

Does it really?

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

I just read this on FACEBOOK:

Having carefully reviewed Parasomnia one thing is abundantly clear to me: KEVIN MOORE AND MIKE MANGINI ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EVER BEEN OR EVER WILL BE DREAM THEATER! Imagine if all the DT albums had only been keyboard parts by Kevin Moore with Mike Mangini doing all the drums! YOU CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT IT NOW CAN YOU???

We all know full well that this is the Dream Theater we the fans deserve. John, James, John, Jordan and Mike (P) need to admit that all their combined efforts cannot live up to this majestic awesomeness. In fact, I would be willing to bet that when they NAMED the band Majesty it was because they were dreaming of what this amazing duo would sound like.

Come on guys, you owe it to us. Take all your albums off of streaming, rip them from store shelves, and demand that fans destroy all their tangible copies. Have Moore and Mangini rerecord all the Dream Theater albums the way we were meant to hear it. Kevin will definitely do this if we keep bothering him about it.

In fact, Kevin Moore and Mike Mangini should also rerecord all of the Ruddess/Morgsnstein Project albums too... Hell, we should probably get their advice on how to resolve the drinking water crisis in Flint, MI while we're at it.

To give credit where credit is due, however, Petrucci did use many of the same frets that he used on "The Alien." I was hoping to hear more seventh fret and less thirteenth fret (that fret jumped the shark after Falling Into Infinity) but I guess he's just not putting as much thought into it in his old age. Still, it was nice to hear a throwback to the good old days. (The good old days of course being Distance Over Time.)

One thing that I think we as Dream Theater fans are entitled to (and I here formally introduce the measure as an agenda item for the Official List of Dream Theater Fan Entitlements alongside the still pending ballot proposal to name the first Dream Theater band member grandchild as "Metropolis pt. 3") is to have printed a special limited edition monoral vinyl release of the new album titled "Monosomnia." It only makes sense.

Anyway, it's Valentine's Day so let's celebrate with a poll about which band member's daughter turned out the hottest!

A. Melody Portnoy
B. Samantha Peteucci
C. Kayla Ruddess
D. Kiara Petrucci
E. Any Mike Mangini Daughter is Hotter than any Mike Portnoy daughter by virtue of the drum performance on "The Alien"

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Dtr2hMqH1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

This is disgusting.

[MirrorMask]

It took me all day to listen to Parasomnia  Usually I'm a "whole album" kind of guy, but as adults we don't get all the time we want and so I heard it in three sessions. The musical callbacks are starting to standing out more and more. In the end it's gonna be even more enjoyable listening to the album once all the musical themes will be clear.

[Pettor]

Does it really?

Yeah, yeah! Love it. The sing-along quality of the TSMI chorus is ⭐! TBH, I don't usually think of the chorus as the main highlight of DT songs, but there are a few incredible ones. LTL is an example where the chorus is a bit meh, but the song is incredible anyway.

BAI has a great one, but I can't think of another chorus that's hooked me like this since.

I love Barstool Warrior, but the chorus isn't quite at that level — though that might be the one that comes closest.

DT12 and View is def a no for me. No strong chorus there I can think of. TA might have something I missed but don't think there anything that hooks me. D/T has some great songs but still no strong chorus at that level imo.

[Architeuthis]

This subject should almost have its own thread, but I digressed.
I got the deluxe version with the artbook, two cd's, and bluray.
The artbook is very well done, but I will have to say that it is creepier than the album itself. I also watched the bluray, and the visuals are pretty intense. That can be a good thing or bad thing. Videos and images can often ruin your internal image of a song.
It's not too bad considering the theme of the album. The only one that bothered me was the visuals in Bending the Clock. Especially the repeated image during the intro and other parts of the song. I don't want those images stuck in my head while listening to that on just the audio version.
My personal visions of that song are much more meaningful. So I'll be skipping BTC on blu-ray from now on. The rest of the songs don't bother me in that regard,  except for parts of DA come to think of it.
The visuals make the album darker, but I love the sharks swimming in the bedroom, the scenes in the woods, clouds, buildings etc. 

[wolfking]

Not only was the post lacking any humor, the ending with listing the daughter's was just awful 👎

To happier subjects. I will claim that TSMI has the best chorus since BAI. It's just so good!

Here's a video about JP talking about the song:

https://youtu.be/yW7M0TmZPJI?si=p6TXBTlthYMNeN-H

No.

[wolfking]

Completely rest my case to why I think some (not all!) of this metal/prog fan base has severe mental damage... I'm sorry, that Facebook post is so dumb I got dumber reading it lol.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

TSMI: I mean, it's good and the most interesting song on the album (maybe because it's the least by the book) but I don't hear anything extraordinary about the melodies or any other aspect of it.

[wolfking]

I just wish the climax in the final section were more epic.

[Architeuthis]

I just wish the climax in the final section were more epic.

It's plenty epic to me, chalked full of awesomeness!!! 💫

[wolfking]

It's plenty epic to me, chalked full of awesomeness!!! 💫

I think the first 15 minutes is a great build and feels pretty epic but it just falls a bit short.  Early days though.  Only listened to the album 4 times I think.  Not a great urge to go back to it but keen for some more listens.

[Progmaniac1988]

Yup this! 😂

[Progmaniac1988]

Not only was the post lacking any humor, the ending with listing the daughter's was just awful 👎

To happier subjects. I will claim that TSMI has the best chorus since BAI. It's just so good!

Here's a video about JP talking about the song:

https://youtu.be/yW7M0TmZPJI?si=p6TXBTlthYMNeN-H

Definitely one of my fav DT choruses to come out for a LONG time! The vocals mixed with that badass guitar riff that accompanies it... love it!

[Stadler]

There's no way that post was supposed to be anything but funny. Either that or someone's just trying to get attention.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's just a troll or someone making fun of certain DT fans. It feels too exaggerated and weirdly specific to be real.

I fully think that it was INTENDED as humor, INTENDED to point out the irrationality of some of the fans, but it's like electrical work, or surgery; you should leave that work to the professionals.  It's indicative of a LOT of Facebook; there are far too many people there that are completely oblivious or tone-deaf.  Why would you bring the kids into it?  This isn't a roast with Nikki Glaser or Jeff Ross.  Have some decorum, some circumspection.

[geeeemo]

Its been a little more than a week now with Parasomnia. To be honest, I was getting a tad bit worried about how I was feeling about the album. Or lack thereof.
Most seemed to be in love with BTC, and I am all for emotional, and was anticipating listening to it. Then, I didnt feel much of anything.

The Epic. Epics are absolutely my favorite. We get stories, and different musical sounds and rhythms, yet they all flow so seamlessly together. But I was struggling with this one as well.

In the Arms of Morpheus captured me right away. And just today it occured to me.
He gets into bed, and turns the light off, then James last words in TSMI are, .."and maybe leave light on tonight." 

I had already been enjoing the singles, with MM and ABM jockying for which I liked better of the 3. Night Terror I  enjoyed too, but it isn't as fresh.

As the week progressed, Dead Asleep became the one I kept going back to. And I was feeling somewhat better that I was getting that endorphin buzz  from DT music.

And finally today. It clicked.  The Shadow Man Incident hooked me. It happened part by part. In the beginning, it was the first singing section. But I was getting hung up on the length of the intro, or in my mind, 3 intros. (One of which makes me think of the View epic.)
Next the Jordan solo. It is interesting and different.

Today though it all came together as one great song. The long noodling flowed. (How can you not have extended noodling in Dream Theater song? Its their DNA.) The ending is the kind I like. Its grand and it it finishes. Unlike the View.

This next week I will be peacefully enjoying the new chapter of music from my favorite band. Catching more nusances and fun things and leading to Friday, Las Vegas!

[Pettor]

No.

Barstool and you just say no and give no example. Pretty disappointing answers tbh. I know it's personal taste but what chorus are you thinking of then? Maybe then I can answer "no" to that 😁

[wolfking]

Barstool and you just say no and give no example. Pretty disappointing answers tbh. I know it's personal taste but what chorus are you thinking of then? Maybe then I can answer "no" to that 😁

I'm a big fan of both DT12 and DOT.  I think a lot of choruses on both albums are possibly more enjoyable for me.  Again, only a few listens of the new album so needs time for the melodies to grow so who knows.

[BeatriceNB]

Yeah, yeah! Love it. The sing-along quality of the TSMI chorus is ⭐! TBH, I don't usually think of the chorus as the main highlight of DT songs, but there are a few incredible ones. LTL is an example where the chorus is a bit meh, but the song is incredible anyway.

BAI has a great one, but I can't think of another chorus that's hooked me like this since.

I love Barstool Warrior, but the chorus isn't quite at that level — though that might be the one that comes closest.

DT12 and View is def a no for me. No strong chorus there I can think of. TA might have something I missed but don't think there anything that hooks me. D/T has some great songs but still no strong chorus at that level imo.

To me, the following are better:

The Enemy Inside, The Looking Glass, The Bigger Picture, Behind The Veil, Surrender To Reason.
Brother, Can You Hear Me?, Chosen, Moment Of Betrayal, My Last Farewell (6/8 "don't leave me now" section, technically not a chorus, but c'mon). (Funny how The Astonishing doesn't really have many choruses per se).
Answering The Call, A View (song).

The chorus for TSMI is really cool, but I think DT peaked with ADTOE and DT12 as far as choruses go, they perfected what In The Name Of God and Sacrificed Sons hinted at.

[Pettor]

Cool! Thanks for the answers!

There are tons of amazing choruses if I go back from ADTOE. TCOT is the one where I wish it sounded more like TSMI because that's the only weaker part of that song and it sort of feels like that type of chorus done right.

Edit: A New Beginning has a pretty awesome chorus! How did I forget about that.

[Architeuthis]

This next week I will be peacefully enjoying the new chapter of music from my favorite band. Catching more nusances and fun things and leading to Friday, Las Vegas!

Glad you're digging it. That's the beauty about Dream Theater, their musical landscapes are so detailed and takes a while to fully take it in and appreciate.
In today's world with a.d.d. and instant gratification on the rise, most people will not give it a fair shake.
Parasomnia is definitely a grower but well worth the effort of the listener.
I'm realizing this is some of Petrucci's finest guitar work, and I can definitely relate to these sleep disorders, except for "Dead Asleep". The subject matter to that song bothers me. The music and vocals are the redeeming factor on that track. I'm not saying that the lyrics are poorly written, but it's just too disturbing since it's based on a true story. 
I'm really loving the epic, everything about it is brilliant and the music is perfectly written to tell the story.
I've experienced the Shadow Man bringing my own night terrors many times in life, even to this day.
It would be interesting to create a new thread for everyone to share their own experiences regarding this strange manifestation.

[CraftyCaleb2483]

The bit I most hate about TSMI incident is the opening riff. Like seriously, I cringe every time I hear it. Everything else is pretty good, the piano solo is an obvious highlight for me