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

[noxon]

Why is it a given? Scenes doesn't have many interludes. Six degrees (the song) doesn't have many interludes. I'm thinking it's safe to assume that the NOMACS-marked tracks are somewhat non-musical, but I don't think the rest till be small tracks. I'm thinking it's songs between 2 and 6 minutes, all of them. Excepting maybe a longer one on disc two which'll act as a winddown track (similar to finally free on sfam, i'm thinking). I would say The Wall as a structure makes a lot more sense than several long tracks with short interludes between them.

(and before anyone asks - no, i do not -know- this, with regards to the song lengths for most tracks i'm just as much in the dark as you are at this point. - I'm speculating just as much as you.)

[MirrorMask]

Well, maybe it will not be filled with Through My Words kind of songs, but still for DT "between 2 and 6 minutes" means they'll have to very concise with some songs.

Disc 2 has 14 songs, SFAM has 12 and it's filled to the brink of a CD format, and it has 2 very short songs (Regression and Through My Words) and one kinda short with a very unusual structure that is there for storytelling purpouses (One Last Time). To reach 20, or even 17 (take away the three NOMACS tracks) you still don't have lot of room for DT standards.

Oh well, we'll learn in due time I guess 

[noxon]

I thought that was the point that the band has tried to get across several times already... This ISN'T an album with DT standards...

[TAC]

If Arhys' father is called Marhys, what are the odds that his son (in a hypothetical future beyond this album) would be called Rhys?

It would make more sense that Arhys' mother would be Marhys and his father would be Parhys.

[SuperTaco]

What an exciting update! It's so hard to predict track lengths for a DT album, but I think "Our New World" is gonna be over 10 minutes. "Astonishing" is also a good name for a long epic, but since it comes after "Power Down", I'm inclined to believe that it'll be a fairly short closer.

Also, I wonder if maybe all the characters from the Empire will be on the left half of the portraits while the people from Ravenskill will be on the right. Not an entirely useful bit of speculation but it's something I guess... It seems some people in here have already seen portraits that weren't supposed to come out yet.

I think this map will become a lot more important once the album is out. We may need it to follow the story and really get a grasp of the world that DT has created. And wow, 34 tracks? I'm already more excited for this album than any other that has been released since I became a fan in 2006.

[jdprsaga]

so is it going to be an austin powers rendition or the names are just dutch??

Marhys is going to be Arhys and Nafaryus' Faythe!

[RaasMah]

Ill be kinda disappointed if it turns out to be many 3-6 min songs, with a clear ending between them. The thing that got me into DT were the long 9-15 songs, which takes to time to build up, and its just not the same if I can tell the whole disk is split. For instance for me Through my words and FT are 2 different songs, and I really hope Disk 1 is not all like that.


Its also why I like DT12 less then their overall albums, because they forced themselves to write short songs, and I just think they shine the most with the long ones.

[Prog Snob]

i know nothing (said as Emanuel from fawlty towers)

What is witnit?

[Jinx]

What's crazy is we are trying to work out where 3 characters play into the story. There's 7 more characters to unveil yet (I think). This story could go deep and complicated! 

[Pax]

Can we expect track lengths (from noxon) in near future? That's the only piece of info I'm waiting for very hard (artwork comes second) :'D

[noxon]

No. You can't expect anything from me in the near future. I won't be able to tell you anything. The band/label is being extra careful this time around. Don't expect much of anything from me with regards to actual information.

[CDrice]

So I guess Faythe may be the chosen one and her death will somehow bring everyone together... or something like that.

Arhys said in the first e-mail that the chosen one was his "brother".

You're right, I totally forgot about that.

So I guess that would make Faythe Arhys' brother. This imply that Arhys is the Count of Tuscany and Nafarhyus the Dark Master. So the remaining 5 other characters to be revealed should be the vampire from Forsaken, the lost soul still wandering, the heretic, the angel from the temple and the uninvited stranger...

[jayvee3]

What I will say, with all the characters, maps, story etc, is that the CD booklet will have to be like a short novel...

[fadetoblackdude7]

What I will say, with all the characters, maps, story etc, is that the CD booklet will have to be like a short novel...

......which will mean that the packaging will have to be different/unique to FIT said short novel inside it! 

[BlobVanDam]

First people were complaining about it being "The" Astonishing, now they're complaining about the track simply being "Astonishing". You can't win.

This information fits with my thought that The Astonishing is the big event at the end of the story, and that it's likely an epic to finish off the story.

[King Postwhore]

The Blob is right. You da man Blob.

[ToT-147]

First people were complaining about it being "The" Astonishing, now they're complaining about the track simply being "Astonishing". You can't win.

Except they weren't the same people.. But yeah..

You can't have it both ways.. And when you can, things like these happen..

[erwinrafael]

For some reason, I am wishing that Astonishing would have the same vibe as YES' Endless Dream.

[Darkstarshades]

I really hope it includes pornography ala Home.

[BlobVanDam]

First people were complaining about it being "The" Astonishing, now they're complaining about the track simply being "Astonishing". You can't win.

Except they weren't the same people.. But yeah..

You can't have it both ways.. And when you can, things like these happen..

I'm not exactly keeping track of who's complaining about what. I just found it mildly humorous.

Without hearing the album, I'm still not bothered by either usage.

[King Postwhore]

Shame on your status skills Blob.

[KevShmev]

I hope these 34 tracks are spread out across three or four CDs.

[Dream Team]

I hope these 34 tracks are spread out across three or four CDs.

I think they almost have to be. Even for 2 CDs the average song length would be only 4.7 minutes.

Regardless, I'm proud of DT for tackling something this huge.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

For those asking about the track listing, yes, we now have the complete track list.   

Thanks Bosk for the facts!

Over the Edge. Those were the days.

[BlobVanDam]

I hope these 34 tracks are spread out across three or four CDs.

I think they almost have to be. Even for 2 CDs the average song length would be only 4.7 minutes.

Regardless, I'm proud of DT for tackling something this huge.

Given the length of the live shows where they'll be playing the album in its entirety, and sites DT has linked that called it a double album, I think it will only be 2 discs. That makes me think there will be several shorter bridging tracks maybe with some narration or something.

[Darkstarshades]

They will play the entire disc 1 as Act I and 2 as Act II with The Bigger Picture/Surrender to Reason as first encores and then something else to end.

[Lucien]

They will play the entire disc 1 as Act I and 2 as Act II with The Bigger Picture/Surrender to Reason as first encores and then something else to end.

Unless both CDs are full length in which it will probably just be the new album.

[Mastermax0213]

I hope these 34 tracks are spread out across three or four CDs.

I think they almost have to be. Even for 2 CDs the average song length would be only 4.7 minutes.

Regardless, I'm proud of DT for tackling something this huge.

Itd still be nice to have songs that are well over 8 minutes. Longer songs stick out to me way more.

[ToT-147]

The more I think about it, the more I think Brave New World is one of the sources of inspiration for this album. There's a lot of similarities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_New_World

    4. Begin Again
    5. The Path That Divides
    6. Machine Chatter
    7. The Walking Shadow
    8. My Last Farewell
    9. Losing Faythe
    10. Whispers on the Wind
    11. Hymn of a Thousand Voices
    12. Our New World
    13. Power Down
    14. Astonishing

Nailed it!..

Unless you already knew about that...

[dparrott]

I hope these 34 tracks are spread out across three or four CDs.

I think they almost have to be. Even for 2 CDs the average song length would be only 4.7 minutes.

Regardless, I'm proud of DT for tackling something this huge.

Yea, I was thinking just because there are acts 1 and 2 doesn't automatically make it 2 CD's.  It could be 2 CD's for act 1 and one CD for act 2. 

4.7 minutes avg per song?  That would be a huge change! 

[RoeDent]

I've been thinking of albums with a similar number of tracks to each disc of The Astonishing, that are over 70 minutes, and it's quite possible to get a few decent-length songs into the mix, especially if the NOMAC tracks are under 2 minutes. And even then, if each disc plays continuously, it will feel like one long song anyway. And what does it matter if they don't? DT have been doing this for 30 years; at this stage of their career, surely they can do whatever they like.

[Nihil-Morari]

I really think that there are longer pieces, divided by the songs we've seen. Not like Six Degrees, more like The Dark Side of the Moon, or Neal Morse's Testimony. The songs segue, forming larger pieces, but they are still standalone tracks themselves too. That would make it totally possible for songs to be one or two minutes long.

[noxon]

People seem to forget that we're talking rock opera here - which in and of itself is a huge change. Structure wise, you're trying to tell a story, and you have to do this through the music. What's the difference if you call it a long epic, or you break it up? Six degrees CD2 is probably the CD I would think is the most like the structure I would assume to find on "The Astonishing". It all flows together as a whole, but with seperate and very distinct tracks that can stand on its own. Scenes from a memory is probably also a good fit structurewise. Most songs are shorter tracks. So it's actually not that unprecedented.

You can probably assume reoccurring themes. The tracklisting suggests a very strong connection to musical theatre, with act 1 having an overture, and act 2 having an entr'acte.

[BlobVanDam]

I think it will be more like SFAM than SDOIT, perhaps split down even further with more variation, with more emphasis on story. I think some short bridging tracks with narration/story would account well for the abundance of tracks, and fit with the rock opera thing.
I don't think this will be like anything else they've done though, so I don't think it will be too similar to either SFAM or SDOIT structurally.

[Nihil-Morari]

I hope for no narrative tracks. Semi spoken word set to music okay, but not only spoken word. I've seen somebody mention it in this thread, but there's a rockopera called Genius. Which has awesome vocalists, but horrible production and yes, every track is followed by a deep voice stating exactly wat has happened and what is going to happen. It makes it all too obvious.

Not saying that it could't be done better than that of course.