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

[nobloodyname]

This can produce stems???

Only in the sense that AI has separated some of the constituent parts out. You can use Audacity to do the same thing (with a free plugin), although it couldn't separate just the guitars last time I tried a couple of months ago, lumping them in with keyboards and some other instrumentation. It was pretty good at separating drums, vocals and bass, though. The current iteration of Studio One can also do the same thing.

It's a pretty cool application of AI. Can be rather helpful and indeed entertaining. I've got Steven Wilson and Ninet Tayeb singing on my version of Pariah. (I am conveniently ignoring any questions of legality and morality.)

[Glasser]

Only in the sense that AI has separated some of the constituent parts out. You can use Audacity to do the same thing (with a free plugin), although it couldn't separate just the guitars last time I tried a couple of months ago, lumping them in with keyboards and some other instrumentation. It was pretty good at separating drums, vocals and bass, though. The current iteration of Studio One can also do the same thing.

It's pretty cool application of AI. Can be rather helpful! I've got Steven Wilson singing along to my version of Pariah.

Wait... Can I upload a song and have the vocals replaced? And is their a site where I can clone a specific vocalist to use for a song I write? What's the best AI site for this?

[MinistroRaven]

Only in the sense that AI has separated some of the constituent parts out. You can use Audacity to do the same thing (with a free plugin), although it couldn't separate just the guitars last time I tried a couple of months ago, lumping them in with keyboards and some other instrumentation. It was pretty good at separating drums, vocals and bass, though. The current iteration of Studio One can also do the same thing.

It's a pretty cool application of AI. Can be rather helpful and indeed entertaining. I've got Steven Wilson and Ninet Tayeb singing on my version of Pariah. (I am conveniently ignoring any questions of legality and morality.)

With the most advance version of Moises.ai (more expensive) you can separate ALL the tracks.

[MirrorMask]

Just heard it in full, the album is damn solid. I won't change my mind about how there should have been different kind of heavy songs than the same template used already for View, but this doesn't impact the "fatigue" of listening to the album and actually I feel no fatigue at all. It's fun to remember better and better all the musical callbacks.

Maybe, as I wrote in the "how you listen to it" thread, I should edit the intros and outros to raise the volume of those parts, there's some legit musical cues in there.

Random moment, I was hearing it on YouTube music (got a free trial without ads) and right after Shadow Man it played The Alien. "Wake up!!!" and then the drum intro to The Alien is pretty badass if you ask me 

[durga2112]

Random moment, I was hearing it on YouTube music (got a free trial without ads) and right after Shadow Man it played The Alien. "Wake up!!!" and then the drum intro to The Alien is pretty badass if you ask me 

Two things: 1. YouTube Music is pretty awesome and well worth paying for if you're looking for a music streaming service - the fact that it comes with YouTube Premium (which removes all ads) makes it a game changer. 2. Try queueing up "6:00" right after "Shadow Man" - it even works thematically because the lyrics reference an alarm clock! 

[Dream Team]

I think 3 of these songs will stay in my top 25  .

[jayvee3]

I'm so happy that so many are loving this album, because I love this band and the music they have given me over the years.

But if I'm honest, I'm struggling to be interested to keep listening to this one. As time goes by since release, I have less desire to listen. Right now it's not having the impact of other releases. I love the cohesiveness of the songs, I think I would have loved a bit more variety, and maybe not as much of a metal onslaught. Now, I fully admit that's a me issue, but yeah - I'm just struggling to stay interested. Hope that changes over time

[Northern Lion]

I'm so happy that so many are loving this album, because I love this band and the music they have given me over the years.

But if I'm honest, I'm struggling to be interested to keep listening to this one. As time goes by since release, I have less desire to listen. Right now it's not having the impact of other releases. I love the cohesiveness of the songs, I think I would have loved a bit more variety, and maybe not as much of a metal onslaught. Now, I fully admit that's a me issue, but yeah - I'm just struggling to stay interested. Hope that changes over time

Man, I'm sorry that's happening for you.  I imagine that must be at least a little disappointing.  Personally, I love this album quite a lot still.  And am enjoying the songs a lot.  But, in some ways, it is a little more strait forward and simpler than their immediate previous few albums.  I'm OK with that though.  It's kinda like DT's black album in a way.  Still very progressive, but stripped down from their usual stuff, especially compared to the Mangini era.

And that's not a dig at the band, or MP, it's just a different approach.  But still very enjoyable for me.  This is the kind of album that you listen to while just taking a drive, or to keep you motivated while doing yard work.  It's heavy, it's energetic, it's very singable, and that suits me just fine.

[PintoZ]

Not sure if this has been posted here yet but here's a video I did which reveals the movie samples the band used in Midnight Messiah and the very end of Shadow Man !
(don't know why it says "unavailable" on the video below, feel free to click on it and it'll play fine on Youtube  )

[krands85]

I think 3 of these songs will stay in my top 25  .

Which ones? TSMI is the only one for me, which is why the album sits in the middle of the pack for me. It's not far off being much higher, because every song is at least 7/10, but only has that one song above 8/10.

[KevShmev]

Which ones? TSMI is the only one for me, which is why the album sits in the middle of the pack for me. It's not far off being much higher, because every song is at least 7/10, but only has that one song above 8/10.

I was talking a friend, who is also a big DT fan, about this, and opined that Bend the Clock is probably the one song from this record that has the best shot at getting and staying in my DT top 50.

I&W, Awake and Scenes are gonna take up approximately half the spots in the my top 50.

Falling into Infinity has 4 spots for sure, maybe 5.  Six Degrees, Train of Thought and Distance over Time all probably have 3, and A View from the Top of the World, The Astonishing and A Dramatic Turn of Events all probably get 2.  That only leaves about 5 spots left.  A Change of Seasons is a no-brainer, and Octavarium gets in there as well.  That leaves about 3 spots left for Bend the Clock to fight it out with my favorites from the debut and maybe a few more from the above albums.  I am pretty sure SC, BC&SL and DT12 aren't getting anything in my top 50 at this juncture (although all have numerous songs I like a lot).

To piggyback on your point, this album feels loaded with songs around 7 or 8 out of 10, with one possible true standout (Bend the Clock). 

[emtee]

I took a few days off to avoid overdosing on the album but I'm looking forward to playing it today after work!

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

Not sure if this has been posted here yet but here's a video I did which reveals the movie samples the band used in Midnight Messiah and the very end of Shadow Man !
(don't know why it says "unavailable" on the video below, feel free to click on it and it'll play fine on Youtube  )

Very cool thank you for sharing this

[Mr.Mister]

Finally got to write down my thoughts on this album after listening to it non-stop since it came out. The first thing that often pops up in my mind when listening to Parasomnia is how it's unapologetically Dream Theater; and while it leans on the heavier side of their music it has all the elements I look forward when hearing new music from the band.

I thought it was brilliant for the band to put together a concept album as their "return to form" with MP back on the drums. MP has a good ear for musical themes, and recurring sounds that create cohesion and I think it's something that was missing from the band. Even the lyrics to Midnight Messiah made it fun for me and had to do a double take to be sure I was listening call backs to previous songs. I also loved the sound bites - we need more of these. I think they make the album more interesting.

On that note, I also think it's good MP is not producing for DT with JP having the final say on direction. I think MP is an amazing composer but he can make some weird calls at times or have too much of a strong opinion, which is what hurt BC&SL IMO. In fact, I think a bit of the fatigue I feel with the mid-late 2000s run comes from his call to sound like other bands (Muse, U2, etc.). I perceive JP as one to be open minded and integrate ideas while also having a clearer sense of their sound. This goes back to my feelings of this album being unapologetically DT. It sounds like DT from start to end.

It's also an album that makes much more sense to listen from start to finish, which is weird given there is no sequenced storytelling. And yet, the songs just flow very well. A heavy album for sure, but one that balances "spaces" within tracks, and among one another. It made me not feel tired, and makes the album fly by. I do wish they had just put out only 2 singles, and no back to back tracks. That said, this says more about my inability to wait for the album to come out.

Speaking of the singles, somehow they hit stronger when listening the album as a whole. Night Terror flows very well and that off beat riff in the middle is the tasty stuff JP does better than anyone IMO.

Broken Man's intro was too long at first but upon repeated listen I have fallen in love with it. It's epic, it tells a story, and makes the lyrics add a lot to the sound when they play the same passages. The bluesy solo makes me smile and makes me realize how terrible DT fans like me can be - on the one hand I ask to be taken to unexpected places, on the other, I'm finding it a bit weird with the theme of the song. But I'm sticking to the first thought: JP having fun and throwing a very TA-esque curve ball.

Dead Asleep was the first song that caught me when listening to the album and I compared it to Sleeping Giant. I think this comparison holds as it's a song I enjoy but I'm not coming back to it too much. One things I can say is the chorus is catchy, and it sticks with me. I get a bit of Sacrificed Sons vibe at the end for some reason.

Midnight Messiah reminded me of As I Am at times. I can say a lot of this album feels like a more polished version of the mid 2005-2009 albums. As mentioned, I love the easter eggs and the sound bites.

I actually didn't connect with Bend the Clock too much at first but it has grown on me. For a 8 min songs it goes by really quickly. JP solo is brilliant at the end, even if fade aways are my least favorite endings second only to PMU stops.

TSMI is another that goes by really quickly. I mentioned this in another thread: the word "fun" is what I think when I listen to this song. I hope there is a behind the scenes somewhere of the recording of this song because it's just too much fun in each listen. The intro march makes AVFTTOTW's feel like child's play and I love it (big fan of Views for the record).

One thing that I appreciate about this epic is that it doesn't have the mandatory middle mellow interlude that had become too recurrent. The main verses carry that melodic break that remind me a lot of TMOLS but without dragging for too long - it also gave me a TA vibe when James comes in. The intro to how the Shadow Man looks (7:08) is such a fun riff, very ITPOE-esque but for me what makes this song is everything between 10:02 and 15:08. It's the most fun I've had with a DT album in a long time (and I'm one of those annoying fans that like everything).

James continues to be in his elements and I think the band has learned how to write for his current version. He's truly the only voice for DT and along with MP they bring a touch of human in a band that can play perfection.

Random moments that make me giddy every time:
    - Night Terror:
        ○ Riff at 1:50 is JP taking his mean vitamins.
        ○ The off beat riff at 3:49
        ○ Unison at 6:59 - it builds strongly and serves a good segway to the solos
    - Broken Man:
        ○ The "Nightmare... Flashback" call and response. I wish we had more of these.
        ○ The riff under the solos.
    - MM:
        ○ The power rangers unison.
    - Bend the clock:
        ○ The solo at the end.
    - TMSI:
        ○ The riff at 12:20 and LTEish sound with an 8V touch follow by such a tasty base line and piano solo - it's musical arousal every single time.
        ○ That little drum effect at 11:01 - the devil is in the details and this little touch just add to the fun.


Overall DT does DT and I'm here for it. I can't think of many other bands I actually look forwards to listen to the new material live. Time will tell where it ranks in the grand picture but I can say I think highly of this record. Similar to Views, it leaves me wanting to hear more.

[hunnus2000]

Not sure if this has been posted here yet but here's a video I did which reveals the movie samples the band used in Midnight Messiah and the very end of Shadow Man !
(don't know why it says "unavailable" on the video below, feel free to click on it and it'll play fine on Youtube  )

That's pretty cool! I wish he would do the entire album. 

[hunnus2000]

I can't remember who recommended the Tagry earbuds but kudos! 

I usually use Jlab earbuds and I could go into a rant about them but the Tagry recommendation is perfect and so is the price. Thanks so much!

[Dream Team]

Bend the Clock isn't one of them. Two reasons basically; one is that for being the "mellow" song on the album JP still managed to completely drown Jordan out starting from the 2nd verse. Second reason, JP's first guitar solo is completely unnecessary since that outro one is the main ear candy, and instead of that 1st solo Jordan should have been given some space for his piano to shine. I'll die on this hill, BTC ranks only #6 for me and it won't change. The 3 I was thinking of were TSMI, DA, and MM.

[Northern Lion]

This isn't something I usually notice or care about very much generally, but I really like JM's bass tone on this album.  I noticed because of the slide he does as the first verse begins in TSMI.  I was listening today while working, and for some reason it just stood out to me this time, and I thought it sounded really great.  Too bad he is a little buried in the mix for most of the album.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I saw a review of the album on YouTube that to be honest I thought was a bit over the top but the guy did make a point about how the album doesn't do enough with the Parasomnia theme. The lyrics are all relevant and of course there are musical ties throughout the whole album, but the band goes with an almost exclusively heavy and cinematic approach versus being a bit more diverse in what they could have done sonically. He also mentioned that the album doesn't have much to say beyond "Parasomnia is a weird thing!"

I don't actually care about most of this, but it is interesting to think about. I think I kind of agree that there was maybe a missed opportunity to do some more atmospheric, creepy, weird things musically. In terms of the criticism regarding perhaps a lack of thematic depth... I think this is actually how Dream Theater have approached these things their entire career. They use a subject in service of writing the music they want to write, but don't try to make any grand statements. Kind of like a Christopher Nolan movie.

[dualpalmpilots]

They use a subject in service of writing the music they want to write, but don't try to make any grand statements. Kind of like a Christopher Nolan movie.

It's probably a conscious choice. Too weird and it's not accessible.

[durga2112]

I saw a review of the album on YouTube that to be honest I thought was a bit over the top but the guy did make a point about how the album doesn't do enough with the Parasomnia theme. The lyrics are all relevant and of course there are musical ties throughout the whole album, but the band goes with an almost exclusively heavy and cinematic approach versus being a bit more diverse in what they could have done sonically. He also mentioned that the album doesn't have much to say beyond "Parasomnia is a weird thing!"

I don't actually care about most of this, but it is interesting to think about. I think I kind of agree that there was maybe a missed opportunity to do some more atmospheric, creepy, weird things musically. In terms of the criticism regarding perhaps a lack of thematic depth... I think this is actually how Dream Theater have approached these things their entire career. They use a subject in service of writing the music they want to write, but don't try to make any grand statements. Kind of like a Christopher Nolan movie.

It's a prog metal album, not a documentary or PhD thesis. Why would it need to do anything more than it actually does?

[TheOutlawXanadu]

It's a prog metal album, not a documentary or PhD thesis. Why would it need to do anything more than it actually does?

Yea, like I said, review was a bit over the top.

[Dellers]

This isn't something I usually notice or care about very much generally, but I really like JM's bass tone on this album.  I noticed because of the slide he does as the first verse begins in TSMI.  I was listening today while working, and for some reason it just stood out to me this time, and I thought it sounded really great.  Too bad he is a little buried in the mix for most of the album.

I wonder why Andy Sneap suddenly mixed Myung so low. It was perfectly fine on the last album, yet on this one the bass is buried like in most metal music. The Atmos mix is noticeably better. The stereo version of the album sounds a lot worse than View on my speaker system, too thin and trebly.

[illusionist]

I have listened to the album a few times.
Not too many,not too often, not consistently.
I don't want it to wear off very quickly so i listen to it once every 2-3 days, and it may be better this way.
I keep discovering new things on every listen and i give it the attention it deserves.
I hadn't listened to the singles before the official release,so the whole album is new for me.
Every song really has grown since first listen, even Broken Man which i didn't like at first.
However i find the album not too dense as i would have liked it, it isn't this much complicated as other beloved DT albums.
But that doesn't mean it's a bad album, it just means that my expectations beforehand were skyrocketed, which was my fault and not theirs.
I prefer to think that this first album together, as someone's else here mentioned, after so many years was their opportunity to reintroduce one to another, and that their subsequent efforts will be better and more intriguing and maybe more experimental.
With that said i enjoy their music for what it is and try to appreciate each new song separately because we won't have so many chances to hear new albums from our favorite band.
PS. At first JP's solos didn't grab me as they used to, but now i enjoy them more and more, especially ITAOM, BTC, TSMI. He is such an exceptional composer, player and artist in general.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I have listened to the album a few times.
Not too many,not too often, not consistently.
I don't want it to wear off very quickly so i listen to it once every 2-3 days, and it may be better this way.
I keep discovering new things on every listen and i give it the attention it deserves.
I hadn't listened to the singles before the official release,so the whole album is new for me.
Every song really has grown since first listen, even Broken Man which i didn't like at first.
However i find the album not too dense as i would have liked it, it isn't this much complicated as other beloved DT albums.
But that doesn't mean it's a bad album, it just means that my expectations beforehand were skyrocketed, which was my fault and not theirs.
I prefer to think that this first album together, as someone's else here mentioned, after so many years was their opportunity to reintroduce one to another, and that their subsequent efforts will be better and more intriguing and maybe more experimental.
With that said i enjoy their music for what it is and try to appreciate each new song separately because we won't have so many chances to hear new albums from our favorite band.
PS. At first JP's solos didn't grab me as they used to, but now i enjoy them more and more, especially ITAOM, BTC, TSMI. He is such an exceptional composer, player and artist in general.

Tough to know where this is going in the future. I'm with you in that I'd like to think the next album will be all the things mentioned in your post.

It's a weird situation because most of them are in great shape in an athletic sense, but creatively I can't tell if they're in the twilight.

[wolfking]

Intriguing album.  I don't think any other DT albums are this 'in the pocket' with the same sound throughout.  A View was close and you could argue with TOT but something about this one feels really consistent sound wise start to finish which is something I usually dig with albums.  So to me, while there's nothing really out there or different, but it's not like any other DT album because of this aspect, which makes it quite unique and interesting.

I'm digging it more and more and even songs like Shadow Man are coming together quite well.

I will say, in Shadow Man, does anyone else find the Overture 1928 part at around the 2 minute mark go on way too long?  it's almost distracting how drawn out that part is.  That's my only gripe at the moment with that one.

[TAC]

I will say, in Shadow Man, does anyone else find the Overture 1928 part at around the 2 minute mark go on way too long?  it's almost distracting how drawn out that part is.  That's my only gripe at the moment with that one.

Nope. I think that part is awesome. It has a hypnotic falling to sleep quality to it. Then once asleep...riffage!!

[wolfking]

Nope. I think that part is awesome. It has a hypnotic falling to sleep quality to it. Then once asleep...riffage!!

I have no issue with the section, personally just feel it's a tad longer than it should be but once again, could be a me problem.

[Crier Tuck]

Listened to it a few times, and honestly not a lot sticks in my head enough to make me want to go back and play it again...to me it's a good, not great, record.  Playing is nice, I like that there's not a ton of endless pointless noodling, but to be honest, the melodies aren't very memorable and the whole thing just sounds like they are phoning it in to me...not a lot of new creative directions...it just sounds like modern DT...lots of riffs and chugging, vocal melodies not super memorable, and just song structures that are very predictable.  Here's the riff, here's James trying to sound tough, here's the chorus, here's the guitar solo, here's the keyboard solo, etc.

I do like the few times they get creative and change up the time signatures, or Jordan whips out a piano in the middle of a song, but there's too few of those moments.

For me...

I was hoping with Portnoy back we'd get more of a mix of metal and prog.

So while that sounds maybe a bit overly negative, I don't mean to say I don't like it at all...it's well played, the drums sound SO much better (which is my favorite instrument), so you know, it's DT.  They can't make a BAD album.

But to me, they can do so much better.

I play this because it's new and it may still grow on me more, but as a brand new album, when I don't have the constant itch to keep playing it, that's a bad sign for me.  To me, this will end up in the middle somewhere, better than SC, but nowhere near the earlier stuff from I&W, Awake, Scenes, or 6D.  Those are untouchable to me, and I just don't think they can match that creativity and uniqueness.

But those are the sounds that made me LOVE DT as one of my favorite bands.  Stuff like this new one, I like well enough I guess, but I don't LOVE it.

Or put another way, if I had to introduce DT to someone new, this is not the album I'd play for them...I'd start with those 4 noted above.

So while I'm excited that Portnoy is back as I wasn't really a huge fan of the way Mangini's drums sounded or played (too mechanical, no groove or feel, and while I can appreciate the technical prowess Mangini played with, it wasn't particularly great to listen to), and I like the sound of the album, I guess I'm pretty disappointed in what we got.

I get this is where they are now, and maybe it's just my tastes are different now, and I will always hold DT up as one of my favorite bands, this is not, to me, a great record.

I hope the next one brings back more prog...

But honestly, at least so far, I like View better, and that's even considering Mangini vs. Portnoy but to me that album has a vibe that is more unique and more interesting...

We'll see...maybe this one grows on me a bit, but to me this is pretty much a middle of the pack DT record...not the worst, but nowhere near the best

[wolfking]

Seems this album is falling somewhere in the middle of the pack in regards to rankings for a lot of us.  While that might feel a little meh at first, in reality for a band that's been around for 40 years and released their first album over 25 years ago, having a new album fall in the middle of the pack is actually quite an impressive feat.

[Northern Lion]

Seems this album is falling somewhere in the middle of the pack in regards to rankings for a lot of us.  While that might feel a little meh at first, in reality for a band that's been around for 40 years and released their first album over 25 years ago, having a new album fall in the middle of the pack is actually quite an impressive feat.

I agree.  And, honestly, it's hard to replace staples.  DT have some legendary albums, and dethroning those this far into their career is probably asking too much from the band and is also probably not realistic to us individual fans.  All I hoped was to get a great album that I enjoyed listening too from my favorite band, and I feel that is exactly what I got.

[MirrorMask]

I agree.  And, honestly, it's hard to replace staples.  DT have some legendary albums, and dethroning those this far into their career is probably asking too much from the band and is also probably not realistic to us individual fans.

In the end, isn't that the same for every other band that has been out there long enough? after enough time certain albums and songs become classics almost by default and the cases where a late album by a band becomes a new classic is the exception and not the rule.

Maybe worth a thread in GD? 

[emtee]

For me, Priest, Maiden and Metallica all recently made albums that I feel are top tier and worthy of consideration for top 3 and possibly even "favorite" status. DT can certainly achieve the same. Just depends on how the listener connects.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Seems this album is falling somewhere in the middle of the pack in regards to rankings for a lot of us.  While that might feel a little meh at first, in reality for a band that's been around for 40 years and released their first album over 25 years ago, having a new album fall in the middle of the pack is actually quite an impressive feat.

On the FB group it appears people think it's the best album they've done in decades or is really meh. Not that there are many consensus points when it comes to a band like DT.

[jayvee3]

Listened to it a few times, and honestly not a lot sticks in my head enough to make me want to go back and play it again...to me it's a good, not great, record.  Playing is nice, I like that there's not a ton of endless pointless noodling, but to be honest, the melodies aren't very memorable and the whole thing just sounds like they are phoning it in to me...not a lot of new creative directions...it just sounds like modern DT...lots of riffs and chugging, vocal melodies not super memorable, and just song structures that are very predictable.  Here's the riff, here's James trying to sound tough, here's the chorus, here's the guitar solo, here's the keyboard solo, etc.

I do like the few times they get creative and change up the time signatures, or Jordan whips out a piano in the middle of a song, but there's too few of those moments.

For me...

I was hoping with Portnoy back we'd get more of a mix of metal and prog.

So while that sounds maybe a bit overly negative, I don't mean to say I don't like it at all...it's well played, the drums sound SO much better (which is my favorite instrument), so you know, it's DT.  They can't make a BAD album.

But to me, they can do so much better.

I play this because it's new and it may still grow on me more, but as a brand new album, when I don't have the constant itch to keep playing it, that's a bad sign for me.  To me, this will end up in the middle somewhere, better than SC, but nowhere near the earlier stuff from I&W, Awake, Scenes, or 6D.  Those are untouchable to me, and I just don't think they can match that creativity and uniqueness.

But those are the sounds that made me LOVE DT as one of my favorite bands.  Stuff like this new one, I like well enough I guess, but I don't LOVE it.

Or put another way, if I had to introduce DT to someone new, this is not the album I'd play for them...I'd start with those 4 noted above.

So while I'm excited that Portnoy is back as I wasn't really a huge fan of the way Mangini's drums sounded or played (too mechanical, no groove or feel, and while I can appreciate the technical prowess Mangini played with, it wasn't particularly great to listen to), and I like the sound of the album, I guess I'm pretty disappointed in what we got.

I get this is where they are now, and maybe it's just my tastes are different now, and I will always hold DT up as one of my favorite bands, this is not, to me, a great record.

I hope the next one brings back more prog...

But honestly, at least so far, I like View better, and that's even considering Mangini vs. Portnoy but to me that album has a vibe that is more unique and more interesting...

We'll see...maybe this one grows on me a bit, but to me this is pretty much a middle of the pack DT record...not the worst, but nowhere near the best

I basically agree 100% with this and is where I sit too.

Probably just me, but I really do find this an odd choice of direction as Portnoy's comeback album. I mean, it sounds fine, but it does sound a bit DT by the numbers and not breaking major ground. So if they were gonna play it a bit safer, I thought that mix of prog and heavier akin to ADTOE may be in the pocket of what they would go for - to appeal to the prog and heavier fans...