I'm glad everyone's enjoying this, but I'm heartbroken. I was already with the last two albums, but they were alright. At least they still had a little rock 'n roll to them. Don't get me wrong, I like DT's ballads for the most part. But the amount here is just cringeworthy, story or no story. Also, I'm baffled by the amount of seven-string guitar here while not sounding heavy at all.. it's like the band have no idea about what makes music cool in the first place. I honestly can't say I prefer The Astonishing over When Dream and Day Unite.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=180
'Hearbroken'? A bit too self pitying, isn't it? Come on, it's just an album that disappointed you just because it doesn't allign with your tastes. Also, is seven string supposed to be always heavy? If anything, it's probably more creative that they used the extended range for something other than heaviness.
About the link, Anthony Fantano hates prog metal, so it's invalid. Also, holy crap are some of those comments so terrible. "I hate Dream Theater so much. On a personal level. What pisses me off is they know that no one respects them for what they're doing, yet they still insist on not putting any feel into their music. They don't understand that their idols, while they sound technical at times, achieved what they achieved through 100% feel. Technical playing was just an after thought". Wow.
Hey, why don't Dream Theater do something different for their next album, put some FEEL into it! Hell, it may even get someone to respect them! I get that people can dislike the album, but to do it in such a gloriously douchey way (not talking about you, PixelDream) just irritates me to no end.
Sorry if I came off too aggressive, there.
it seems as if the band has forgotten to make a good album from start to finish, that is in its entirety.
B.Lee
I disagree with this, but I may be in the minority.
A couple more days of letting it sit and I only feel much more strongly that When Dream and Day Unite is a greater work. That album is so absolutely glorious in so many ways, and it's funny how listening to/thinking about that album really brings out to me so many of the most important aspects of powerful song writing that is so missing from The Astonishing.
For many, it is difficult to hear these aspects on WDADU because it's hidden behind low quality production and bad singing (no offense to CD, who I fully respect), and because some of these aspects are a bit deeper and more intricate than what the average (or even DT) listener picks up on at first.
But it is a certain purpose behind the song that drives the direction and makes the writer search for perfection in every note and lyric. That can only be fueled by a passion in the writer to express something, and it's what will ignite that same passion in the listener when they feel it.
I will also add that A Dramatic Turn of Events is a great example of music with that passion and direction. I don't, by any stretch, believe that DT has lost that; I just find Astonishing to be the weakest.
That's probably a fair observation, it seems many see WDaDU as the anti-sacred cow of the DT discography when there's still some enjoyable stuff on there, if people are willing to listen for it. I don't really agree that TA is worse, but I respect your opinion.