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

[RMGadelha]

The embargo may not be lifted and thus the vague and incomplete review

That would be strange, because they already gave a score.

[Prog Snob]

First review

https://metalhammer.teamrock.com/reviews/2016-01-07/dream-theater-the-astonishing

So the embargo was lifted

No offense to the reviewer, but man, is that a lazy review. Such few words for the magnitude of the album.

Energy?

Power?

[dparrott]

I have to sign in to read a "lazy" article?  Pass.   

[RMGadelha]

First review

https://metalhammer.teamrock.com/reviews/2016-01-07/dream-theater-the-astonishing

So the embargo was lifted

No offense to the reviewer, but man, is that a lazy review. Such few words for the magnitude of the album.

Energy?

Power?

Lazy.

[BlobVanDam]

3 pages of new posts since I last checked, so I assumed that there was some new info. Nope. DTF.

"Clock guy" isn't all that exciting, but we've still got two videos to look forward to at some point! And of course the album itself, which will be worth the wait.

[RMGadelha]

3 pages of new posts since I last checked, so I assumed that there was some new info. Nope. DTF.

"Clock guy" isn't all that exciting, but we've still got two videos to look forward to at some point! And of course the album itself, which will be worth the wait.

Well, we've got some new info. The laziest review ever written for a 2 hour album. Lol.

[BlobVanDam]

3 pages of new posts since I last checked, so I assumed that there was some new info. Nope. DTF.

"Clock guy" isn't all that exciting, but we've still got two videos to look forward to at some point! And of course the album itself, which will be worth the wait.

Well, we've got some new info. The laziest review ever written for a 2 hour album. Lol.

The page wouldn't even let me read the full article, so I got nothing from it.

[RMGadelha]

Don't worry, you're not missing anything.

[YouMakeMeSick]

You know what I would love the album to have? Moments that sound as epic and beautiful as "Who Cares?" From Extreme's "III Sides To Every Story". It would be amazing if we got a prog metal equivalent of that album.

[YouMakeMeSick]

Sorry for the double post, my tablet's insane.

[porcacultor]

One silly thing I'd like to share with you, one that comes to mind whenever an album by a band I love is about to come out, is:

Cherish these moments in which you have no idea about how the album sounds like. You might end up forgetting how some of it goes, but we all (well, all of us who weren't privy to press versions, and those people had this moment before too) have no idea how this sounds like and will have a chance of listening to it for the first time ever. For now it's all a big question mark in our minds, and that'll never happen again with this album.

I dunno, this makes me feel excited. In a way, it's a once in a lifetime thing.

[Prog Snob]

Ugh...no matter how many times I see you post, I keep seeing your name as PornCalculator.

[ariich]

Why are people being so disparaging about that review? Ok it's a short one, but it seems well informed and gets across well the fact that the reviewer liked it. Not every review needs to be a 10,000 track by track dissertation.

[noxon]

Yeah, im not doing a track by track this time around. It'll spoil too much of the story.

Publishing as soon as my new thing goes online, which I hope is no later than next week.

[|KirK|]

3 weeks to the release!! It's the right moment for another song!!!
Don't you think it's a little weird that my first thought when I wake up in the morning is to check for some updates here on DTF?!
However I'm so hyped and optimistic!!! I've just ordered my copy and started to inform people not to bother me on the 30th, cause that is gonna be my "Astonishing Day"!!

[Kotowboy]

Prog metal voyagers go off the deep end
Whether you already love or hate these US/Canadian prog metal messiahs, The Astonishing will only amplify that opinion.

Dream Theater: The Astonishing Cover
Since drummer Mike Portnoy’s shocking exit in 2010 consecutive Grammy nominations have brought the band new respect, despite some hardcore fans accusing DT of coasting across two Portnoy-less releases. Enhanced by a choir and an orchestra, The Astonishing is the statement they needed to make to reclaim those doubters: stupefyingly complex, cinematic and ambitious almost to the point of lunacy.

Spread over two hours, its 34 chapters document a rivalry between warring factions The Great Northern Empire and The Ravenskill Militia, James LaBrie summoning multiple voices for the main characters, including its hero The Chosen One. Imagine Lord Of The Rings meets Star Wars with paradiddles, Flying Vs and a drum riser the size of the average Channel Island.

The sheer grandness of scope intimidates, but the album includes many classic-sounding Dream Theater songs, including The Gift Of Music, Act Of Fayth and A Life Left Behind. You won’t appreciate The Astonishing’s depth, value or melodic content during a single sitting, but rest assured – it’s a grower.

[Frankgate]

I've got a feeling that today is january 8th.
Hope I'm right.

[SwedishGoose]

I've got a feeling that today is january 8th.
Hope I'm right.

A man with feeling on a friday 

[Ben_Jamin]

Act of Faythe and A Life Left Behind. Hmm...Me thinks this gonna kick our asses.

Also, I think tomorrow's announcement will be huge.

[|KirK|]

I've got a feeling that today is january 8th.
Hope I'm right.

Funny feeeeling...

Act of Faythe and A Life Left Behind. Hmm...Me thinks this gonna kick our asses.

Also, I think tomorrow's announcement will be huge.

Actually all of us could have written a much more detailed review...
However, which announcement?!

[Ben_Jamin]

Just speculation. It just feels like tomorrow they're gonna announce something good.

[SwedishGoose]

Just speculation. It just feels like tomorrow they're gonna announce something good.

Since there will possibly be reviews coming out this weekend I think you might be right....

[RMGadelha]

No need to wait for clock guy. The image has leaked!

[BlobVanDam]

Prog metal voyagers go off the deep end
Whether you already love or hate these US/Canadian prog metal messiahs, The Astonishing will only amplify that opinion.

Dream Theater: The Astonishing Cover
Since drummer Mike Portnoy’s shocking exit in 2010 consecutive Grammy nominations have brought the band new respect, despite some hardcore fans accusing DT of coasting across two Portnoy-less releases. Enhanced by a choir and an orchestra, The Astonishing is the statement they needed to make to reclaim those doubters: stupefyingly complex, cinematic and ambitious almost to the point of lunacy.

Spread over two hours, its 34 chapters document a rivalry between warring factions The Great Northern Empire and The Ravenskill Militia, James LaBrie summoning multiple voices for the main characters, including its hero The Chosen One. Imagine Lord Of The Rings meets Star Wars with paradiddles, Flying Vs and a drum riser the size of the average Channel Island.

The sheer grandness of scope intimidates, but the album includes many classic-sounding Dream Theater songs, including The Gift Of Music, Act Of Fayth and A Life Left Behind. You won’t appreciate The Astonishing’s depth, value or melodic content during a single sitting, but rest assured – it’s a grower.

Is that legit what it said? You could have written that review without even listening to the album.
Act of Faythe is absolutely amazing tho.

[noxon]

I'd never thought I see the day when people highlighted a ballad on a DT album in front of other more technical tracks

[BlobVanDam]

I'd never thought I see the day when people highlighted a ballad on a DT album in front of other more technical tracks

Man, I haven't heard a ballad I've liked from DT this much since possibly SDOIT days. It's beautiful, and downright epic, and different to anything they've done in a while. That kind of strong melodic songwriting is what excites me about this album.

[SwedishGoose]

Why is the album not in my hands yet.... everyting you two say makes me more eager to hear it.
Three weeks left... 

[Panar]

Actually is less than 3 weeks because it will leak anyway. Either 2 or 4 days before the release date it will leak. Its inevitable.

[noxon]

We don't talk about leaks here.

[SwedishGoose]

Not going to listen until I can follow the lyrics in the booklet...

[noxon]

Yeah, that's actually one of the things that are hard with promos - they rarely have artwork and lyrics. So when *BLEEP* *BLEEPS* *BLEEP*, I can't quite grasp -exactly- who *BLEEPED* who. I mean, there's obviously some intricacies here to the story that I'm missing, because I don't know if I understood it correctly when I heard that *BLEEP* on the *BLEEP*, which had such a huge effect on th *BLEEP* and I mean, that's why *BLEEP* to the *BLEEP* after they *BLEEP* and so forth.

I mean, I still don't quite get why *BLEEP* is so Astonishing...

[The Stray Seed]

A question for Noxon, and for anyone who has already heard the album in its entirety.
How would you judge the story? Does it flow well, is it interesting from beginning to end? Is it well woven? And how does the setting feel? Is it deep and 'realistic' enough? We've talked a lot about the music and much less about the story.

[BlobVanDam]

Yeah, that's actually one of the things that are hard with promos - they rarely have artwork and lyrics. So when *BLEEP* *BLEEPS* *BLEEP*, I can't quite grasp -exactly- who *BLEEPED* who. I mean, there's obviously some intricacies here to the story that I'm missing, because I don't know if I understood it correctly when I heard that *BLEEP* on the *BLEEP*, which had such a huge effect on th *BLEEP* and I mean, that's why *BLEEP* to the *BLEEP* after they *BLEEP* and so forth.

I mean, I still don't quite get why *BLEEP* is so Astonishing...

I know exactly who bleeped who.

[Thematt202]

Yeah, that's actually one of the things that are hard with promos - they rarely have artwork and lyrics. So when *BLEEP* *BLEEPS* *BLEEP*, I can't quite grasp -exactly- who *BLEEPED* who. I mean, there's obviously some intricacies here to the story that I'm missing, because I don't know if I understood it correctly when I heard that *BLEEP* on the *BLEEP*, which had such a huge effect on th *BLEEP* and I mean, that's why *BLEEP* to the *BLEEP* after they *BLEEP* and so forth.

I mean, I still don't quite get why *BLEEP* is so Astonishing...

*ahem*  see my comment the other day about cryptic teasers....

Anyway, it was clearly (Digital) Clock Guy doing the bleeping.

[SwedishGoose]

I mean, I still don't quite get why *BLEEP* is so Astonishing...

So the Astonishing is indeed a person and not as some would have you think an event....