First Listen -- Off the cuff, I'm a bit underwhelmed...

[Samsara]

So I've listened once to the record, all the way through, with headphones. There are moments where I'm like "Yeah, awesome riff, great groove, nice drama." And there are some other times I find myself saying "come on, move forward."

From my perspective, coming as a fan whose enjoyment of DT started to wane slightly with SFAM, and continued downward until rock bottom with Systematic and BCSL, I find AToE to be BETTER. More organized, a bit more atmospheric, a tad less note-spastic overwhelming.

I was hoping to come on here and have a "This is killer" post, but based on one listen, the overwhelming feeling I get is "better than recent years, but not quite as good as what I hoped."

I do appreciate the ebb and flow attempt, and the solos being somewhat less virtuoso-like and more thoughtful in the vein of the song. i hear it, and as a fan, I appreciate that very blatant change.

I'm hoping further listens get me more impressed. Again, not slaggin' the record, I just don't think it is quite what I, as a fan, was hoping it would be out of the chute. There are moments, just not there totally. Perhaps that will change...

[VioletS16]

I think the album is great but there are parts where I feel like it's dragging.
Such as the instrumental section in Outcry. Too long!

[bloop]

It might have to do with all the hype and anticipation surrounding the album. Being built up and broken down so to speak.

[millahh]

This was my initial reaction as well, but it's growing on me after additional listens.

[ddtonfire]

Just keep listening to it!

[Jamesman42]

This album is a grower, much like OTBOA was a grower.

Edit: See?

[Peter Griffin]

it's a grower, as many have said. i gave it a "meh," upon first listen. i give it a  upon subsequent listens. now i can't stop listening to it.

quite the opposite reaction as the last couple albums, i must say.

[TheGoodDoctor]

This album is a grower, much like OTBOA was a grower.

Edit: See?

You mean like every other DT album ever?

[Jamesman42]

This album is a grower, much like OTBOA was a grower.

Edit: See?

You mean like every other DT album ever?

lolSC

[pogoowner]

I agree with your assessment, Samsära.

[Peter Griffin]

patience, my son. not everything need be "killer." or, maybe it does. what matters is that i looooove it!!! 

[reo73]

This is exactly how I felt after first listen.  After about 5 good listens now I have come to appreciate it more than the first listen but there are still some parts that remind of the things I don't like about Rudess era DT.   The instrumental sections are still more about technical acrobatics than anything else and the songs still have a lot of that over dramatic feel to them.  Oddly, one of my least favorite songs is Breaking All Illusions which has good ideas but is organized really awkwardly.  As a complete cohesive song it fails for me.

But, overall the album is better on a whole than anything they put out since ToT (minus the song Octavarium)

[eosforum]

I was underwhelmed after the first three listens. I was ok after the fourth and fell in LOVE with the album after two extra consecutive listens. Just be patient and try to "chart" the songs in your head as you listen to them. Personally, I was in shock when I realised how simple BITS was (by DT standards that is).

[TL]

coming as a fan whose enjoyment of DT started to wane slightly with SFAM

This part here, it doesn't make sense.

[Mosh]

I don't know but your avatar is awesome.

[Jamesman42]

A first listen to a lot of albums isn't nearly enough to gauge if an album is going to meet your expectations, IMO. Maybe that is just me, but my first 20 listens felt like I was finally getting the whole story.

[Nel]

No, I felt the same way as well. On my second spin through right now, but so far, the only songs I'm not really liking are Lost Not Forgotten and Bridges In The Sky. Way longer than they needed to be.

[Priest of Syrinx]

Samsara, you sound slightly apologetic, and while it's nice of you to be so considerate, I don't think you need to be. 

Different albums touch people, well, differently.  If an album doesn't begin to resonate with you after a few spins, that's cool. 

If a "DT fan" were to say that ATDOE sucks, then I'd be  .  ATDOE is a true stereotype of a Dream Theater album, except perhaps for having an extra ballad.

I liked from ATDOE from the start, and by spin #5 I adored it.

[Jamariquay]

Lost Not Forgotten's "tickle" section is currently the only specific part of the album I have reservations about. In general, I find the overall structural similarities to I&W songs a little disquieting, but there's (probably several) other threads for that.

Either way, ADTOE is definitely a grower.

[Sinkdrain]

I subscribed to ytsejam in the 90's so I've been around for some time. I lost interest in DT until this album. I only listened once and I expected the worst. Poured a glass of Scotch...ripped the new album to flac and streamed it to my squeezebox! ...and WOW...I'm back on the band wagon.

I love the real strings, choir, and throat singer
Great melodies and rhythmic displacement...reminds me of I&W
Solos are also melodic...a welcomed change
Mangini is tasteful
Keys didn't annoy me this time...I love his work on this one
Bridges in the sky!!!
Better key selection...allows Labrie to sing lower...he sounds great!
Death metal wannabe sound is gone.

Obviously, I'm old school. I really like Portnoy...but it's pretty obvious that they write better without him

[CrimsonSunrise]

I've listened too it one complete time so far.  While not instantly falling in love with it, I can tell it's gonna grow on me.  It's a pretty fucking complex album, with a whole lot going on.

[patomtz]

For me its perfect! the only think that I dont like is the lack of balance between instrumental parts and verses and chorus

[senecadawg2]

As many others have said, I think upon first listen I felt very similarly about it. It's definitely grown a bit on me, and I think that certain tracks will continue to grow more and more as time goes on (Outcry, Breaking All Illusions)

[njdtfan]

Well as someone that has been a fan of DT since the Majesty days (yeah I am that old), I gotta say my second favorite DT album EVER. That said to each their own, but I would put any fan to the test that this album is BY FAR their best since SDOIT.

[yorost]

This album is a grower, much like OTBOA was a grower.

Edit: See?

You mean like every other DT album ever?

Yes, f you're willing to ignore the four or five that were the opposite.  Sure, it takes awhile to get to know their albums, but that doesn't mean they all keep getting better.  It also isn't a trait special to Dream Theater.

This does feel like it might be a grower, time will tell as I will certainly give it many listens.  I was also underwhelmed, and I wasn't that hyped up about it or carrying high expectations.

[webpoet73]

I am glad I am not the only one who feels a bit underwhelmed.  Maybe I shouldn't have listened to it tonight.  I am in a total metal mood.  I will give it a second listen tomorrow.  Right, I feel like moshing to the new Anthrax...

[dedSurroun]

Lots of other people have said it already, but it grows on you. At least it did for me. Much better than SC and BC&SL, much better.

They won't ever come back to the quality and standard of I&W and Awake, but that's okay. They don't have to for me to enjoy them, or for them to still produce good music.

This is possibly the closest they'll get, unless the next album is 

And it's actually a really good album, once you listen to it more than once.

This finally some consistent quality in a long, long time.

[The Silent Cody]

I've listened to ADTOE 3 times for now. With first listen I liked BMUBMD and This Is The Life only I was thinking that the songs are so messy like hell But now, I appreciate almost everything on that album, it has that atmosphere, if it catches You, You will be not able to go out with. Such a moments like instrumental part of LNF, or the beginning of TITS, beginning and chorus of BITS, main riff and second mellow verse in Outcry, all Breaking All Illusions and Jordan solo in BTS are so great... Some mellow parts in not ballad songs that are appearing are amazing, with bass lines in it so awesome and climatic. My only complain is that the best parts in songs are too short sometimes like that amazing, one of the best Petrucci solos in his life in BAI... It could be longer

[tjanuranus]

I don't see how you can be a dt fan and not like this album it's got everything that makes dt great in it. Prof metal melodies ballads crazy instrumentals. It's got it all!!!!

[KevShmev]

DT is best to get into when driving in your car.  I remember struggling with Awake at first (really), partly because of how different it was from I&W, but once I started cranking it up in my car, it won me over pretty quickly.  If you can listen to Bridges in the Sky while driving at night and not have your doors blown off, you probably need to hand in your DT fandom card.

[The Dark Master]

The album is a major grower, Samsara, but despite dragging a bit upon first listen, there is enough there to entice you to give it multiple runs, and then, eventually, it all clicks.  This is another way in which this album reminds me quite a bit of Octavarium, in the sense that it is most certainly not an immediately gratifying album, but rather one that ages very well after repeated listens.  It's still too early to tell, but I have a feeling this album is going to be one of the more enchanting and memorable in Dream Theater's discography.

[cramx3]

This album is amazing and over time it could become my second favorite album behind IAW.

[elmatto]

yeah.
I'm honestly enjoying everything I'm hearing out of this one.

[Samsara]

After subsequent listens...eh.

It's their best album since ToT (which I found to be good, but not awesome). But that's not saying a ton. Look, I was a huge DT fan up through about 2002. I didn't like the wanking for the sake of wanking found on Dance of Eternity (although I got how the title matched with the music) from Scenes, but for the most part, thought the album, aside from ripping off some huge blatant things from other concept records (the first three songs introducing the record were a structure and pacing rip off of Mindcrime, for starters), I liked the songs.

But my fandom decreased steadily from there, hitting bottom with Systematic Chaos and Black Clouds.

My first reaction to this new one, after the first song was "they got it!" "Yes!" After the first total listen, I just wasn't blown away, but figured that would get better. But that feeling of positivity wore off, quickly. The record sounds good, although I agree that the drums are lower in the mix and I don't believe that's a good thing, frankly.

The songs...nothing stands out to me. My wife said that last night too. Nothing stands out that really says "I am the highlight(s) of the album," song-wise, at least for me.

And then the usual...probably half the songs could deal with some shaving. The long drawn out instrumental parts are only cool IMO if they support the sound of the song or heighten the drama.  Most don't.

Outcry -- great tune...and then they turn it into Metropolis and lose me.

I liked Metropolis and still do...the instrumental breakdown section of the song IS out of place and I DO notice it, but to me, and I still think this...in early DT, Metropolis was like the one song that was a really cool, different thing for them.

Then starting with Scenes, they sorta made it a priority to at least do one or two songs per record that did that "lets slap in an instrumental that has nothing to do with the flow of the songs."

Granted, the ones here on ADToE are a little more song oriented, but overall, in the couple I can think of, it's not by much.

The record just never gets dramatic for me (pun intended). It's not bad, not at all. But there's nothing on the record that makes me go "holy crap, that was awesome." There are some cool riffs and passages, but nothing in-total that has me championing it.

Arch/Matheos, on the other hand, that has that "IT" factor to me (I won't mention Anthrax, since it's a whole different genre and style).

Again, it's not bad, but I'd consider ADToE to be a "filler" album in Dream Theater's catalog. Better than the last few, but nowhere near the brighter moments of the band's career.

[Xanthul]

Samsära, I completely agree with you. Thanks for posting my thoughts far more coherently than I ever could.

I'd like to add that the worst thing for me is that like you said, nothing stands out. Most of the times I've listened to the album there have been songs transitions that I didn't even notice. I didn't even know if I was listening to the same song as a minute ago or not, it feels kind of "samey".