Wow, just wow...Reviews can be too short or too long, but I read we all agree there is at least a song to love for every DT fan across the world, and when you have the most critic and splitted fans on earth, it's just a challenge completed
I'll try to be as concise as I can, but like everyone, I'm just nutting everywhere right now !
The album's mix is great, we are litterally smacked by hard hits, stereo imaging makes everyone well heard, myung is all over the place, drums too !
JLB did a fantastic job, even if it's sometimes a little heavy on the effects side afterwise.
It's my favorite album since octavarium (I'm originally a SFAM/SDOIT/LTE fan for most).
UAngel = I like this song a lot, because I can't stop singing the chorus since the single's release, it's an efficient modern DT opener/single. Solos are great.
Paralysed = Still haven't clicked to me, maybe on more listens
Fall into the light = Felt like a tribute to metallica's proggest, without stealing of course, and it felt good ! The midsection is impressive. The organ solo is wicked evil and I listened it on repeat !
Barstool warrior = Mixed feelings for now, because it's an awesome song, but maybe I wished the astonishing was more like this one, the narration is enjoyable. Let's say it's kind of a known territory to me. JP solos are just wow.
Room 137 = What a riff, people talk about marylin manson but this is too heavy for him to do haha
I love the singing too, the vocal harmonies and the psychedelic !
S2N = This one got me by surprise, the groove is sick, I love the chorus etc...A total success to me !
At wit's end = Got me a pair of listenings to get it all, but I'm sure now, it's only goosebumps and tears, with a satisfactory grin at the same time, a masterpiece.
Out of reach = I liked how it kept it tight starting the second verse, instead of mellowing and dissolving.
Pale blue dot = The immersive side of the song is awesome, from intro to sci-fi themes (that nitro star wars style single note riff !!!). I love the main rythmic pattern, well in fact I love everything in the song
Maybe I wished for it to long 5 minutes more, the trip is never long enough with DT
Viper king = One of my favorite songs of the album, it's like an old song that got gamma irradiated, I wanna jump on my motorcycle and listen to it on repeat.
I didn't mention every moments I enjoyed because it would have no end, from the false end+wow in S2N to the little end jam at the end of AWE, all solos are bliss (and I can't wait to get the tab book).
Btw, I feel like JP opened a lot his soloing to other styles, like a little satriani touch and sometimes very singing melodies like in barstool (which reminds of the astonishing as for the articulation).
In the end, I think there is no modern DT album that feels new and at the same time makes us remind older albums, like some songs have like some FII vibe on steroids or AWE's riff gave me a therootOAE feel. It means it is all I love in this band !
Favs = S2N, AWE, PBD & viper king