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

[Frankgate]

Bagpipes and tango are all the way better than evil riffs and scary-(Portnoy)-vocals 
a breath of fresh air is much appreciated

[bosk1]

Sadly, I think many fans (not me) are going to complain about the lack of metal on this record...

I don't think so.

[noxon]

Fans have always complained. Thats what you get when DT has four MAJOR styles that they try to balance. Some fans (like me) like all four styles and are happy regardless. Some don't like the pop style. Some don't like the melodic rock style. Some don't like the metal style. Some (strange people) don't like the progressive style.

I don't think i've seen a single album release that hasn't split the fanbase. Never. Not even SFAM.

[home]

Sadly, I think many fans (not me) are going to complain about the lack of metal on this record...

What's more metal than bagpipes and tango?     

I really love the fact that they are actually doing something they haven't done before

[Train of Naught]

I just hope the bagpipes are, ya know, real bagpipes and not JR using the bagpipe sounds on his synth.

The album's going to start with Jonathan Davis from Korn playing them.

Thank you for dredging up one of the worst concert memories of my life.  The dialog between me and my friend Shane went along the lines of (imagine in Beavis and Butthead voices if you like, and it is strangely fitting):
Me:    Uh...
Shane:  What the...
Me:  Does that dude have bagpipes?
Shane:  Yeah. 
Me:  This sucks.
Shane:  Yeah, yeah.  This sucks.
Jonathan Davis:  Are!  You!  Ready?!
Me:  Arghghgh!  Mosh pit!
...but this still sucks.
Shane:  Yeah.  This sucks more than suck itself. 
Me:  Alex, I'll take "things that suck for 1,000 please."  The answer is, "this band."
Shane:  Yeah, yeah.  This sucks.  Bring on Megadeth already!

 

I remember rocking out to Shoots & Ladders or something and then Jonathan came in with the damn bagpipes. Still love the pre-dubstep KoRn though, but they're definitely not for everyone.

[YouMakeMeSick]

Daryus has been revealed. I think a new piece of the map has been added too.

[Train of Naught]

Wow! They really do save clock guy for last.

[ariich]

STILL NO CLOCK GUY

[ResultsMayVary]

Daryus looks like Nafaryus' brother. Names are similar as well. He has a very interesting smirk.

[wideworldofmike]

Daryus looks like Nafaryus' brother. Names are similar as well. He has a very interesting smirk.

LET ME INTRODUCE.....

[ResultsMayVary]

Daryus looks like Nafaryus' brother. Names are similar as well. He has a very interesting smirk.

LET ME INTRODUCE.....

MY BROTHER

[fischermasamune]

So the missing characters are Faythe and the clock guy?

[Frankgate]

Daryus has been revealed. I think a new piece of the map has been added too.

so if they keep going on this way, it'll probably take another two weeks before any videos are revealed..... damn......

[Evermind]

So I guess we know one more potential rhyme for those Lord Nafaryus track lyrics.

[RoeDent]

Several thoughts I've just had: 1. What if the "moment of betrayal" is Daryus joining the Rebels? I was thinking it might be a Rebel joining the GNE, but it could easily be the other way round.

2. What if Clock Guy is Marhys, father of Arhys and Gabriel? I know that will mean it will be 5 RRMs vs 3 GNEs, but it might be that.

[fadetoblackdude7]

I only just realized that all of the Empire characters so far are older people, while the Ravenskill characters are younger.

I'm a little slow....

[Train of Naught]

I can already imagine the number of times people are going to type 'Darius'.

[BlackInk]

2. What if Clock Guy is Marhys, father of Arhys and Gabriel? I know that will mean it will be 5 RRMs vs 3 GNEs, but it might be that.

By the look of the silhouette, with the size of the head compared to the body, it looks like Clock Guy is a child.

[emtee]

A child or a woman, and possibly an elder woman. Looks like very short hair, small petite neck and narrow shoulders.

Still waiting for confirmation of teeth 

[noxon]

Darius, the hand of noxus...

[rab7]

2. What if Clock Guy is Marhys, father of Arhys and Gabriel? I know that will mean it will be 5 RRMs vs 3 GNEs, but it might be that.

By the look of the silhouette, with the size of the head compared to the body, it looks like Clock Guy is a child.

This, coupled with JR saying "it has a really cool ending" means that there's some crazy time travel going on

[Prog Snob]

Daryus looks like Jaime Lannister.

[Ben_Jamin]

What if clock person is faythe?

[BlackInk]

Daryus looks like Jaime Lannister.

I had typed this in my earlier post, but decided to go with the Glock Guy comment instead!

So yeah, I agree.

[YtseJamittaja]

Where's hadi and his theories??

[MirrorMask]

I love bagpipes and I'd love to hear some Theremin too.

Sadly, I think many fans (not me) are going to complain about the lack of metal on this record...

I love bagpipes as well, I'm into folk metal so I welcome any kind of "weird" and additional instrument.

Ironically, you made me remember something I thought after the first times I heard SFAM: "Ok, this album is unbelievably awesome, but damn, I still didn't get an album as heavy as Awake". With time I didn't care for this detail, and I won't mind either any lack of heaviness there will be in the new album. I'm sooooo loking forward to it with a wide open mind, as long as the songs will be great, I won't mind their style!

[Evermind]

Daryus looks like Jaime Lannister.

I had typed this in my earlier post, but decided to go with the Glock Guy comment instead!

So yeah, I agree.

Glock Guy, I like that. Maybe that's how Faythe dies in that Losing Faythe song, the Glock Guy shoots her.

[Zydar]

[BlackInk]

That dude is obviously gangstah 

[Saxman]

2. What if Clock Guy is Marhys, father of Arhys and Gabriel? I know that will mean it will be 5 RRMs vs 3 GNEs, but it might be that.

By the look of the silhouette, with the size of the head compared to the body, it looks like Clock Guy is a child.

Or an alien.

[RoeDent]

I would be surprised if Clock (Girl) was Faythe, because the silhouette above definitely looks like a girl, so that one is more likely to be Faythe.

I can already imagine the number of times people are going to type 'Darius'.

People are already calling Nafaryus everything from Nefaryus to Nefarious.

[wideworldofmike]

Daryus looks like Nafaryus' brother. Names are similar as well. He has a very interesting smirk.

LET ME INTRODUCE.....

MY BROTHER

Is this going to turn into an Edward and Julian fighting over Victoria type of situation?

[GandL]

Speaking about bagpipes, there's a band I like a lot, NEMO, in that song they use bagpipes in a prog/metal context with a great result (starting at 18:21), you can also listen to the complete song which is really great, a nice 24 minutes epic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFgwLBCdL0E

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

THIS IS GONNA BE LEGEN...

WAIT FOR IT...

....

DARYUS

[Pax]

That other mystery character (not the clock guy) looks like from assassin's creed