Dream Theater: The Astonishing (now with moment of betrayal!)

[Moor]

A release date would be nice as well.

Let's ask Lars Ulrich !

" Um..I can tell you that um...it's y'know...coming...It'll be here before you know it...And Um...Like...we're working on it...We're progressing shall we say ? And Um... Um.... we're taking our time..

..it's all good. t's all good. But first we have to find Kirk's lost iPhone ... "

Edited 

[The Astonished]

I don't think many people have to worry about "The Astonishing" having too many short tracks. I personally think that there will be twelve actual tracks on the first Act. I've put a minus sign on what I think will be interludes and a plus sign on what I think will be actual tracks, based on the titles. 


Act I

    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 +

Act II

    1. 2285 Entr'acte -
    2. Moment of Betrayal -
    3. Heaven's Cove +

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

"This new album is definitely not like anything else we’ve done before"

"The new album will be a further progression of the band's creative identity"

Even though we know this album will be a bit diffrent given what we've seen from their PR campaign, seeing these quotes makes me even more excited.

[ariich]

How far back do the splash pages with a nod to the previous album go? I know there was one for ADToE, but I can't remember if Black Clouds got one, and I wasn't around before that album.

Black Clouds was the first.

[noxon]

The only "safe to assume" interludes in the tracklist would be the NOMACS symbols, and even those are a stretch. I think you have to look at more traditional rock opera structure to see how this album will play out. I think you have to look at albums like The Wall or Tommy, or go to even more traditional stage rock operas like Rocky Horror, Jesus Christ Superstar or Chess. They have some tracks at 1-2 minutes, but most tracks are 4 minutes, with the occasional exception of the long track reaching all the way up to 6 minutes. The overture will definitively be at least 2 minutes long - after all, the purpose of the overture is to introduce some of the main themes, and you cant do that under 2 minutes if you have a 2 hour plus rock opera...

[Kix]

Got to say, I do love reading all the speculation around each reveal. I love that this is all so creative. Much fun!  Taking a while to get my head round it all. Hoping the tour will have cool production as well (will be at the Palladium dates).

[The Stray Seed]

Welcome to DTF, Kix

[Pax]

Regular operatic structure is something like this :

Firstly, we'll have an overture. Dystopian Overture won't be 2 min short, it will probably be much longer, as it presents many of the themes, and the "feel" to the whole album. Overtures are generally something like first movement of the symphony. After that, we will have scenes, every scene usually consists of recitative (spoken, narrative part), aria (which has song structure, more melodic, it is sung by characters as a reaction to recitative) and chorus (reaction of a choir (resembles community) to the events).
I guess you can conclude from the tracklist what will be narrative and what won't. Those scenes (like 5 of them) form an act.
I also guess DT added NOMAC symbols next to tracks to symbolise a new point of view: machine's.
Also, there is a decent chance DT included real choir in the recording

[Pax]

By looking at the song titles, my guess is act I will consist of exactly 5 scenes

[Calvin6s]

Just hope they don't go full on opera / broadway.  It could turn into The Nightman Cometh.

[Train of Naught]

You gotta pay the troll toll, if you want to get into that boy's hole!

[Lucien]

You gotta pay the troll toll, if you want to get into that boy's hole!

what

[Prog Snob]

Your soul better belong to Jesus because your ass belongs to me!

[Another_Won]

How far back do the splash pages with a nod to the previous album go? I know there was one for ADToE, but I can't remember if Black Clouds got one, and I wasn't around before that album.

Black Clouds was the first.

I would have thought that since the discography section is SC themed that it would have gone at least that far back, no?

[Prog Snob]

*snip*

You're so vain. I bet you things this album is about you.

[jonnybaxy]

I bet Nafaryus and Arhys are brothers.

[Train of Naught]

Your soul better belong to Jesus because your ass belongs to me!

Aaah now I know where Megadeth got their inspiration.

[JediKnight1969]

*snip*

You're so vain. I bet you think this album is about you.

 

[porcacultor]

Guys, this forum is really cool but I registered here after having so much fun reading all the 38 pages of speculation and information/disinformation. This sure is an interesting place!

My 2 cents on the thing revolve around the NOMACs. Arhys said:

"Fear not, heed not, the endless drone of the NOMACS, these foul Noise Machines, as they serve only to perpetuate our enduring oppression."

So I'm guessing their "sound" may be a distinct metallic drone (probably played by JR), and that may be included in the songs marked with the NOMAC symbol (but not only that. I feel like there's going to be band or orchestral music played around the NOMAC noise, illustrating whatever scene that's happening).

So damn curious for how this will play out!

[noxon]

What if the noise machines are anti-phase noises, like the noise cancelling headphones, so while they are generating noise, it's antiphase with the ambient noise such as music so that music is just completely blocked out...

[AboutToCrash]

"Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation
Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation
Attention all Planets of the Solar Federation
We have assumed control.
We have assumed control.
We have assumed control."

this is all I can think of when i imagine how NOMACS will sound hahahahaha

[Podaar]

This is all I can think of when I imagine how NOMACS will sound.

[Another_Won]

I'm thinking the sound at 18:35 in A Change of Seasons.

[Mindflux]

This is all I can think of when I imagine how NOMACS will sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs

[Podaar]

Okay, I admit that was my second thought. 

[Zook]

I bet Nafaryus and Arhys are brothers.

They're best friends. Dream Theater ripped off the battle of Gettysburg and that short lived mediocre TV show, Revolution.

[TH1RT3EN]

This is all I can think of when I imagine how NOMACS will sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs

I actually thought of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (although I really hope it doesn't sound any close to that).

[Kotowboy]

This is all I can think of when I imagine how NOMACS will sound.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cVlTeIATBs

I actually thought of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (although I really hope it doesn't sound any close to that).

Which is the Lou Reed album that all the hate for Lulu should be directed towards.

Compared to MMM - Lulu is like Master Of Puppets by comparison.

[Enigmachine]

https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/posts/10153100545757181

'time is getting short'

Hmm, I know this is probably a generic phrase to continue the hype, but it's getting me optimistic for a big update within the next week (I'm thinking artwork and full tracklist).

[RMGadelha]

https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/posts/10153100545757181

'time is getting short'

Hmm, I know this is probably a generic phrase to continue the hype, but it's getting me optimistic for a big update within the next week (I'm thinking artwork and full tracklist).

Yeah, I'm hoping this is the reason they didn't give us anything Nov 19th...

[Calvin6s]

I'm thinking the sound at 18:35 in A Change of Seasons.

I'm almost positive I know what you are talking about without time checking.  Let's see.

Yup.  Right on the money.  That sound was so perfect the first time that your short description is all that is needed.  Even if you never broke down ACOS by time in any manner prior.

[Calvin6s]

I was thinking something like the phase cancelling or pink/white noise for the NOMACS.  But I'm really not following all that closely.

[ResultsMayVary]

https://www.facebook.com/dreamtheater/posts/10153100545757181

'time is getting short'

Hmm, I know this is probably a generic phrase to continue the hype, but it's getting me optimistic for a big update within the next week (I'm thinking artwork and full tracklist).

Yea, generic for sure. But it makes me wonder because we're due for an update, if their previous update schedule is anything to trust. I really hope we get the artwork and the full tracklist. Maybe even the release date. That's really all I want. I can live with the rest of the concept being revealed piece by piece.

[MirrorMask]

I suppose we'll get the tracklist piece by piece as they're doing now. What should they release 5 songs at a time and then go "uh, whatever, here's the whole thing"? (assuming that the second act has a similar amount of tracks, not exactly 20 but not certainly just 7 or 8)

[SuperTaco]

That should keep me satisfied until the next update. Perhaps by the end of the month we'll have the full tracklisting. I'm gonna guess that there's 15 songs on the second act.