I think it's odd how every time I distance myself from this particular album, I start to think that its interest has waned on me, but whenever I return to give it another spin, I'm still as impressed as ever (or even more so). I think it's pretty important to not overplay it, however, because I do get the impression that with DT12, its interest
will fade on you given enough incessant plays. While a great record, it's not the kind of masterpiece that can be listened to constantly and constantly, which isn't really a bad thing at all considering how very few records ever come close to reaching that level of quality anyways. Maybe every time DT comes out with a new album these days, they've set the bar so high for some people that everyone's expecting another album on the level of I&W or SFAM--an idea which I'm not very keen on. All I ask in a DT album is one that holds my interest throughout, something that DT12 accomplishes ever so nicely.
Since Dublagent did it, why not? Just a quick track run-down with my own thoughts as they've changed:
FAS - Cool track and a great way of opening the album as a whole. The symphonic metal vibe they were going for here understandably alienates some of the fanbase, but I could really only call a few moments on here "bland". Overall, it's got the momentum and energy to pull you into the album and take you along for the ride (hardy har har har).
TEI - Initially, I felt this was just a typical DT metal-masher. I liked it but didn't think of it that highly. It's somehow aged quite well and picks the momentum up from the previous song and even fuels it further--this flow works astoundingly well. A lot of wonderful riffs and hooks--JP's guitar tone here is just so goddamn tasty.
TLG - Another great song that is amusingly reminiscent of I&W-era stuff. I do enjoy how it draws clear influence from their earlier work but remains something unique in tone (at least for DT). The solo is great and really shows how JP is capable of writing some emotional stuff without it resorting to the usual "wankery" that DT gets a lot of shit for. If there are negatives to this song, it's the somewhat abrupt ending and how they wear their influence on their sleeves perhaps a bit
too ostensibly.
EM - I feel like this is this album's TDOE (though not exactly
that wacky). A lot of elements on here remind me of BC&SL-DT sludginess, which I don't mind too terribly considering it's not a sound they dabble too much into even in this instrumental. Overall, I like it. It's heavy, fast, crushing, and MM delivers a great performance.
TBP - THAT CHORUS. I'm absolutely in love with it and it's definitely my favorite chorus on the album. This track showcases their beautifully melodic side in a wonderfully anthemic way. The outro sounds like it would work so well in a live setting too.
BTV - The ambient intro makes me long for the day that DT might step their toes into new territory, because they demonstrated the know-how in that first minute of this track. The way it segues into that heavy, dramatic riff--that's definitely a highlight of the album for me as a whole. The chorus is also terrific and a runner-up for "best chorus" on this album. JP delivers another fantastic guitar solo that just continues to build and build and just explodes back into the final chorus. That intensity is something else. Definitely my favorite non-epic song on the album, and a modern DT classic at that.
STR - I don't mind the obvious nods to their influences as much as you might think, but there are instances where it distracts from the music their putting together rather than complimenting it. That being said, this is still an enjoyable song. It's got a catchy chorus, a groovy instrumental passage, and Mr. Myung's bass is tastily audible here. I often clump together TBP, BTV, and STR as a trio in my mind when considering the flow of DT12, and while STR is probably my least favorite of the three, it's still one I enjoy.
AFTR - This track I can't necessarily pinpoint any overtly positive aspects, nor any really audible faults. JR's solo does still feel a bit like "Beneath the Surface keyboard solo part two" and I don't really dig it all that much. It doesn't totally ruin the song for me, but it brings it down a notch or two since it's not a particular style of his that I'm really in love with. This might be my least favorite song on the album. Not that it's bad by any means--I enjoy the lyrics quite a bit and the chorus is nice, but DT have done better in the ballads department.
IT - Now we get to the big dog. Trying to keep it relatively short: The beginning is riff factory and with MM just chugging it on, it's a really thrilling way to start it off. It's worth noting that JP delivers one of his best riffs
period around the 3:40 mark.
A little bit farther in, there are some verses I'm don't dig a whole lot on the melodic side of things, but the following instrumental passage is definitely one of DT's best in general. Regarding the incredibly polarizing orchestral section, all I can say about it is that the preceding ambient approach sets the mood exceptionally and the piece is not only beautiful but emotionally riveting in ways that still confuse me. The section that follows feels very much like a plunge into the depths of agonizing strife and the drama it creates sends chills even still. JLB fucking
wails it and the instrumental passage here is just as riveting as the one before the orchestral section. At this point DT have a momentum set up and they're not gonna let up, or at least it seems so until it eases into the final section. Truly, a worthy outro to another fantastic DT epic. Is it their best epic? Probably not. I feel ACOS and 8V still overtake it by a decent enough margin, but now I can comfortably put this as my #3 in terms of DT epics. I can understand the polarizing reaction this got from fans, but dammit it if it doesn't me teary-eyed.
The flow of this album is excellent. I feel this is the best way they could have arranged each of these songs track-by-track and the end result is akin to a journey. I can't help but just listen to nothing but silence once those final piano chords fade out, in the after-glow of something great that just came and went. There are lots of emotional highs, adrenaline-surging moments, and beautifully crafted sounds throughout this thing. Is it a perfect album? DT's best? No and no. There are surely flaws, but listening to this over half a year later since its release, I'm genuinely pleased with how it turned out. If time is good to it, it will surely go down as a DT classic.
So I know I said I'd keep this all short. But I tried.
Kudos to you if you actually read all of that.
tl;dr - It's pretty good.
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Topic: What are your thoughts on DT12? (Read 154337 times)