Translated from Greek review:
For too many years, listening to the new album -ekastote- of DREAM THEATER, is a ritual, which usually share with dear friends cent-plus followers of the band (because the good is even better when you share). The matchmaking is not spoiled in the case of "The astonishing". When he got the link to the disk, I worked night and I could not hear it. Armed with patience, I waited almost a whole day, until at my leisure and fine company, we were in the offices of inkognito ROCK HARD for the hearing of their 13th studio disc, for whom I had wondered if I was grousouzikos ...
Many people know the 'stones throw' I've eaten here about 25 years with a specific shape, but I am one of those who were disappointed enough by the first, self titled album. What I emphasize every word, was that I seemed to have lost the ingredient "dream" of the band, which sounded as a simple, earthy complex, as several very good schemes out there. But not magic. No dream. And I waited with great impatience in "The astonishing", especially since the information saying that it is double, concept album !!! Listening unique piece that has been leaked to the moment of this writing, the "The gift of music", meant that I could not get out a conclusion, as I'm not at all from a song. Especially when it comes to the first passage of a double disc. Even though I remember George KOH, calling me on the track leaked while I was coagulated in traffic drive I did at the edge with alarm, I walked to the internet from the phone and I heard, twice to come to me equal ...
As I understand it's going to speak for very long, I will try to be as the most effective with the introduction of possible "The astonishing", then. The first question that I created, that is OK, can we talk about a double album, but for how long we talking about? The rascally wrote an album that lasts 130 minutes !!! Yes, 2 hours and 10 minutes duration. With the exception of one minute four imports to the sounds of the NOMACS (robots that are on the cover), talk about 125 minutes of pure music. Neither samples, or inclement weather (he once told one soul) or recitations. The inspiration for the album, it seems that overflowed from John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess, who wrote almost entirely the music (the Petrucci wrote the concept, which took almost two years to complete). As for its quality? A cinematic album, verging on paranoia of music, with lots of 70's influences, like in many places with the atmosphere and produce the "Scenes from a memory" and "Six degrees of inner turbulence". It's outrageous how much original music has been written, with few places to be repeated, with songs that last an average of 4-5 minutes each, have incredibly loose structures in places that there are some that do not even have distinct choruses. As for the traditional way of writing, that verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus-solo-chorus, "to leave, go elsewhere" saying and the amiable Gerontakos advertising.
I have always believed that it is much harder to write five-minute, solid pieces, than to write ten-minute epics, which can be "stretched" as much as you want. The same think and members of DREAM THEATER in every conversation we did. And this album has 30 (!!!) such songs !!! Songs in the style of "Spirit carries on" (with more feature "Brother can you hear me") and "Solitary shell". Style Tracks "Fatal tragedy" or "The test that stumped them all". Salemenes changes tango rhythms (yes, listen to the mad "Lord Nafaryus"), magical melodies and a LaBrie interpret eight different characters, men - women, good - bad, happy - angry, in far more demanding interpretation of his career and dare Say, if not the best, certainly the most varied. The Jordan Rudess, trying every possible and impossible sound to the keys while playing with vintage instruments, giving a different dimension to the sound of the group. The Petrucci do magic, since there are many times that there are no distinct main riff to pieces, but based on melodies that have been written about the keys and guitar, while many pieces "built" in the process, starting with a simple piano or guitar and in the process become huge and unexpected take final form. The Mangini, finally acquired personal sound and identity of the group, playing as himself, not as its predecessor, while Myung sounds less than you would like, the truth is ... As for chorus and orchestral parts, the only I will say, is that the sophisticated Phil Campbell, who has worked with artists of the size and caliber of MUSE, RUSH, METALLICA, Adele, U2 and countless others, stated that 'The astonishing "was the biggest project that has worked in his career (and is 68 years with more than 450 gold and platinum albums to his credit).
I hear and I can not believe it. 130 minutes album. In destroys. Whenever you hear this process takes more than two hours, you discover so many different things, influences and sounds, that when it reaches the final product with the lyrics and the story that seems complicated, you will probably close 2-3 months to hear only this album. An album that I think is so crucial, as "Scenes from a memory". Not because they can "save" the career of DREAM THEATER, as was done after "Falling into infinity". Right now DREAM THEATER is the high point of their career, with sales higher than ever, with concert unreachable productions for data groups of the range, with very new world that has entered the tripaki to monitor and of course very highest cassette before. But it is crucial, because the band decided to take him perhaps more adventurous album of his career, the most ambitious, a very difficult project in a period is "on top", showing once again that the difficult not scaring.
Let's forget about copy-paste discs in their early contract with Roadrunner, disks with identical structure, the pieces that say "this is METALLICA, this is TOOL, this is MUSE» etc., the medley for alcoholism. We are talking about an album in my opinion, I sound only "gulp", without being able to easily isolate some detachments, an album that will bring back behind many old school fans who were removed or steer with the recent music course. Hence the fact that will be presented in full on tour following the release, in a show that is expected to be a lifetime experience (even wonder how to teach LaBrie by heart many verses and other such music !!! ). He used to be "fashion" and hip to say that listening DREAM THEATER. As with other large, in recent years it has launched an effort to degradation, to the point considered "obsolete" and putting at the forefront more "mondernous" progressive musicians. Let's get all these in the Yob "The astonishing", to enter into their burrows to be inspired, to be able to make something that approaches the quality, even writing 40-50 minutes of music, not 130 ... Once again leaders. Once again, the absolute gods ...
Topic: Dream Theater: The Astonishing (now with moment of betrayal!) (Read 1200813 times)