The "The Shadow Man Incident" Thread

[Sir Walrus Cauliflower]

I absolutely love this epic, though I loved the last two as well. This one seems the most consistent/connected between AVFTT and IT though - I love both songs but the fact that they both have the ambient/strings/chill middle part similar to TCOT made me really love that this song keeps the energy up and doesn't adhere to that pattern.

The chorus is fucking killer too. The bouncy keyboard thing from Jordan in the instrumental section is one of his coolest textures ever imo, and I loved the horns at around 10 minutes behind the stripped back riff and tom groove too.

The vocal melodies in verse 1 & 2 did not work for me at all on the first couple listens, and neither did the outtro until the resolve on the final "leave the light on" line, but after getting more familiar with the song I'm really enjoying them. They're even getting stuck in my head here and there. I thought those sections where genuinely plodding on my first impression so I'm surprised that I've done a complete 180 now. I think hearing how it fits with the other melodic themes throughout the songs helps a lot.

[evilasiojr]

A lot better than Mangini era Epics imo. I hear reminisces of In The Name of God, Metropolis, A View, The Astonishing, Octavaruim and In The Presence of Enemies.

Endless Night is definitely my favorite part of the song and although I had heard of the crazy latin piano section, it still took me by surprise, it was a banger!

[Mr.Mister]

The word I keep thinking as I listen to this song is: Fun. This is DT in their elements - they managed to do something I think its hard to pull after 40 years: they are true to their sound yet it sounds fresh. That instrumental section has been stuck in my head all week and I can't get enough of it.

[ariich]

Why so many intro riffs?

Yeah this is the only thing I'm not so keen on so far. The first four minutes are essentially an overture jumping from motif to motif with no real connection between them. Which, ok, fine, but it's a little odd when the album as a whole also has a similar overture.

That said, all those ideas are in themselves really good and once it hits the 4-minute mark the song is pretty consistently excellent from then on, so it's not a big deal. My second favourite on the album after Are We Dreaming/Bend The Clock.

[TAC]

Yeah this is the only thing I'm not so keen on so far. The first four minutes are essentially an overture jumping from motif to motif with no real connection between them. Which, ok, fine, but it's a little odd when the album as a whole also has a similar overture.

Maybe it's the restlessness of falling asleep, going over stuff in your head.

[Northern Lion]

Yeah this is the only thing I'm not so keen on so far. The first four minutes are essentially an overture jumping from motif to motif with no real connection between them. Which, ok, fine, but it's a little odd when the album as a whole also has a similar overture.

That said, all those ideas are in themselves really good and once it hits the 4-minute mark the song is pretty consistently excellent from then on, so it's not a big deal. My second favourite on the album after Are We Dreaming/Bend The Clock.

This has been my issue as well. However, the more I've listened to it, the less it has bothered me.

[Architeuthis]

Does anyone else hear "the best of times" piano motif in the beginning playing on the music box?   It has to be intentional

Yes! I heard that listening to the cd while driving today.

[EPIC Outro]

I really love everything about those first couple of verses - the melody, the haunting lyrics and instrumentations. Some might consider it slow, but I wouldn't trade it.

[EPIC Outro]

Even after hearing the song a handful of times, I still get chills - something that hasn't happened to me with a DT song in awhile.

And the way James delivers that last line and goes high on "light" followed by that guitar melody with all the power of DT behind it... Man, that is the sort of epic  conclusion I have been missing from this band for more than a decade.

[Pettor]

How did Jordan create the TSMI verse melody on the toy (music box?) at the beginning? Are there virtual instruments that can make it sound this convincingly like a toy?

[genome]

It's a 19 minute song that feels like it's about half that! Which is a big compliment.

[Northern Lion]

Labrie's performance and the vocal melodies in this song are soooooo good!

[nick_z]

Joining in on the praise for this song. Really, really good. Love how it goes through different moods (including some wicked riffs!) while maintaining a coherent flow. It took me a little while to warm up to the first verses, but that's tasty stuff as well. Great work by JLB progressively amping up the intensity. The "Endless Night" chorus is so good, and MP really nails it. The instrumental portion after the second chorus is brilliant too. Love how MP really drives it, while Jordan does some his best stuff on the record.

I am not 100% in love with some of the vocal melodies in the last portion of the song - I mean, they are good for the most part, but at times they suffer a bit from that slightly-drawn-out-slightly-melodramatic-grand-finale kinda thing that DT does sometimes (e.g. SDOIT, IT or, worse, The Astonishing, the song). I think it's a me problem more than anything. What I prefer for my "epic" endings is more like, you know, the vocals that wrap up Metropolis Pt.1, Learning to Live, A Change of Seasons, Lifting Shadows, Space Dye Vest, Trial of Tears...that kind of goosebump stuff

But again, what a song. Enjoying the album a lot, and the way it closes with Bend the Clock and this one really elevates the whole thing.

[hefdaddy42]

I like this song a lot, but I will say that to me, it feels less like one of the real epics (ACOS, 8VM, IT) and more like just a really long song.  Not sure how else to explain it.

But I definitely like it a lot.

[Northern Lion]

I like this song a lot, but I will say that to me, it feels less like one of the real epics (ACOS, 8VM, IT) and more like just a really long song.  Not sure how else to explain it.

But I definitely like it a lot.

I can definitely agree with this.

[durga2112]

I like this song a lot, but I will say that to me, it feels less like one of the real epics (ACOS, 8VM, IT) and more like just a really long song.  Not sure how else to explain it.

I wonder if the lack of named movements is subconsciously affecting the way you perceive the song, putting it more in line with something like "A Nightmare to Remember" or "In the Name of God"? I don't personally agree (the song takes enough twists and turns that it feels like an epic to me), but it's an interesting viewpoint.

[hefdaddy42]

I wonder if the lack of named movements is subconsciously affecting the way you perceive the song, putting it more in line with something like "A Nightmare to Remember" or "In the Name of God"?

No.  

[mrpmrpmrpmrp]

I like this song a lot, but I will say that to me, it feels less like one of the real epics (ACOS, 8VM, IT) and more like just a really long song.  Not sure how else to explain it.

But I definitely like it a lot.

I think I like that part of it better! Much more cohesive to my ears.

[Pettor]

I like this song a lot, but I will say that to me, it feels less like one of the real epics (ACOS, 8VM, IT) and more like just a really long song.  Not sure how else to explain it.

But I definitely like it a lot.

Yep! I was thinking about that in the 'Rank Epic' thread — it didn't feel like all the songs were truly 'grand epics', even if their length suggested otherwise. TSMI feels more like a long ANTR-type track or something similar.

[Kyo]

First of all, TSMI is really just 18:30 long (not counting the effects after the music ends), making it the shortest of their epics alongside The Count of Tuscany, which also really ends around 18:30 already.

And is a bit different than the other epics structurally. It's rather front-loaded with lots of intro bits. Ultimately it arrives at a fairly straightforward "song" section followed by an extended instrumental part in the middle. That's what you likely perceive as the essence of the song before it goes into the ending bit and that's only 10:30 of music. That does go by fast because a) it's simply not that long and b) the song doesn't take any significant detours after that.

So the thing that would make it seem longer – getting sidetracked into an all-new section after reaching some natural ending point or climax – mostly happens earlier. And it actually happens a lot: at 0:50, 1:51, 2:52, 3:38. But these sections are fairly short and none of them have vocals, so they don't feel like full-blown movements. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of this whole opening section because some of these short bits don't really feel like they really lead anywhere, they're merely followed by a different section after a while.

And the song has a similar problem later, in the section linking the verses and choruses with the instrumental section. That bit at 11:00 to 11:21 comes out of nowhere and while my initial reaction is "yeah, OK, why not - let's see where this goes", it ends up getting smothered by that rather awkward rhythm shift to the next section. That one is in fact nicely developed and then nicely leads into the whole latin solos section, but I always wonder why they'd wedge that riff bit in there when it's ultimately just a transitional bit and the actual transition it's supposed to facilitate sounds so clumsy. Even that riff at 11:21 is merely another transitional thing meant to set up the actual musical idea from 11:32 on. That one is cool and it gets developed very nicely and it actually leads into the next section very nicely.

So overall:
The whole string of intros is... decent.

4:38 till 11:00  (the "song" section) is excellent
11:32 till 15:07 (the "instrumental" section) is excellent
These two are the core of the song and they do fly by. There's also some stuff inbetween. 

The finale that follows is fine, though honestly I don't care for ending the whole thing on the A Broken Man theme. In fact, I might just edit that out and have the song end right there. Hmmm...

[TAC]

The finale that follows is fine, though honestly I don't care for ending the whole thing on the A Broken Man theme. In fact, I might just edit that out and have the song end right there. Hmmm...

At least the finale is relatively short, though I sometimes worry it's going to go on and on like it does in The Ministry Of Lost Souls.

[ganpondorodf]

I gotta say this one is growing on me a TON. All the singles did, too. I honestly haven't really listened to the band very much since Portnoy left back in 2010 so maybe having such an extended break from the band is part of it, but the whole album, and this song in particular, is really working for me. Good stuff.

[Dream Team]

I really does fly by quickly, partly because of the ambient bookends before and after the song but mainly because it doesn't come to a screeching halt in the middle like the previous 3 or 4 epics.

[Northern Lion]

After listening to this song quite a bit now, my only real criticism is that I feel like there are too many separate riffs during the intro.  Other than that, the rest is amazing.  Although I like all the riffs during the intro, I just thing there are too many.

[genome]

I can't unhear this now, so I'm going to inflict this on all of you

There is a vocal editing mistake in TSMI at 15:44

Terrifying Nigh-t-mares

[Metro]

Dammit, I hear it

[TAC]

I don't know. Are you sure he's just not over enunciating the t?

[wolfking]

Hmmmmm....yeah, sounds pretty dodgy to me that part now you mention it.

[hefdaddy42]

I don't know. Are you sure he's just not over enunciating the t?

I mean, he IS Canadian.

[Northern Lion]

Oooh snap

[TAC]

I have to say that I am super loving this song. I mean, from the first listen, I was blown away. This will be a top level DT song for me.

[Northern Lion]

I have to say that I am super loving this song. I mean, from the first listen, I was blown away. This will be a top level DT song for me.

I agree.  I love the intro, I love the vocal parts and I really love that instrumental section.  I was hung up for a while about all the riffs at the beginning, but I got used to it.  Great song!

[Awaken]

I have to say that I am super loving this song. I mean, from the first listen, I was blown away. This will be a top level DT song for me.

Same here - really looking forward to seeing it presented live