*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[Pragmaticcircus]

I don't know if anyone has said this. but Our New World reminds me of a song from Kings X, I've been thinking that for the last few days.

[Moor]

I don't want to say that much right now apart an honorable mention to Ravenskill for having one of the most intense climax in a Dt song, ever.

All in all very strong melodies spread throughout the whole album.
Let's hope the Double Album curse won't strike Dt again, like what happened after SDOIT.

What if you are cursed? Octavarium, IT and the CoT were all made after SDOIT...

[Bertie_Wooster]

People who complain about the fadeout on new beginning can blame themselves if they buy CD's rather than digital copies.
If everyone switched to digital we would not have the time limitation problem. Also as soon as the mastering was done we could download it.
As it is the people who buy CD's are making everyone wait for them to have them manufactured.

[Darkstarshades]

I highly doubt a New Beginning was faded out because they had no time, but the other way around, it was faded out to fill the timer.

[Bertie_Wooster]

My complaint is that Dystopian  overture ends too suddenly.

[lovethedrake]

What exactly is the issue with A New Beginning having a fadeout?   I actually love the fadeout... it sounds badass.

[Bertie_Wooster]

   I didn't notice anything wrong until people started making a big deal about it Others complained about the drums during the solo.
Who is listening to the drums when Myung is grooving and JP playing that solo?

[jayvee3]

I love many of Dream Theater's slow songs like Wait For Sleep, Space Dye Vest, Another Day, Lifting Shadows, Hollow Years, Through Her Eyes, The Spirit Carries On, Solitary Shell, Goodnight Kiss, Along for the Ride, The Bigger Picture,  The Answer Lies Within etc.  I just don't feel like the melody and quality of these songs match the aforementioned songs.

See, it's interesting - I'm a big fan of DT's melodic side, and I feel these are easily some of the best ballads they've ever written. I do love Wait for Sleep and Far From Heaven, and the BTFW version of Space Dye Vest (the album version doesn't excite me as much as many others here, nor Disappear bar the ending, as I find it a bit of a grind). But I honestly think many of the ballads on the Astonishing blow away some of the others you mention.

But you've documented your stance really well, and how it may take more listens to click. I hope it does, as there is some real quality on this album. But if not, hey, that's the nature of us all liking different things. 

[Moor]

My biggest challenge with this album is to find time for it...working in a law firm and having three kids makes it very difficult 

[BlobVanDam]

My biggest challenge with this album is to find time for it...working in a law firm and having three kids makes it very difficult 

So what you're saying is people just don't have the time for music any more?

[Moor]

My biggest challenge with this album is to find time for it...working in a law firm and having three kids makes it very difficult 

So what you're saying is people just don't have the time for music any more?

Hahaha absolutely...there is a huge nomac in my life following me wherever I go 

[Bertie_Wooster]

Thats why being a truck driver is great.  I can listen to whatever I want all day long.

[dparrott]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but the pacing of the album is very good I think.  Yes there are a lot of ballads, but they are well spread out, the album never lagged for me.

[BlobVanDam]

My biggest challenge with this album is to find time for it...working in a law firm and having three kids makes it very difficult 

So what you're saying is people just don't have the time for music any more?

Hahaha absolutely...there is a huge nomac in my life following me wherever I go 

-HEY MOOR, GUESS WHAT?
-I don't know, NOMAC. What?
BLOOOOOOOOORRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPPP

[TheLordOfTheStrings]

FUCK A Tempting Offer is such a sick song. I love the delay on the kid's yell as the band kicks in to the heavy part. The lyrics are so creepy, it's fuckin awesome.

[Pragmaticcircus]

Anyone interested to hear Portnoy's thoughts on The Astonishing?? I think it'd be interesting....

[TheGreatPretender]

Anyone interested to hear Portnoy's thoughts on The Astonishing?? I think it'd be interesting....

"Well, I can't say anything about it, because the internet would just overanalyze it, but let me just say... I heard Scenes From A Memory already... So..."

Lol, I dunno, TGP is drunk.

[TioJorge]

"So, Portnoy, what do you think of Drea-" "EAT MY ASS AND BALLS."

[Milzinga]

Anyone interested to hear Portnoy's thoughts on The Astonishing?? I think it'd be interesting....

I was wondering that today. I'm sure someone will ask him in an interview and he'll probably respond saying something like that hasn't even listened to it yet or that he has nothing to say regarding it.

[IdoSC]

In regards to Portnoy - not really, it wouldn't be interesting as I doubt that's his style at all. Every critique is legit, but considering how he joined the "ADTOE is exactly the same as I&W" camp a few years ago, I bet he would share those pictures flying around with the cover of The Astonishing that has the author name replaced with "Walt Disney" if he could.

People who complain about the fadeout on new beginning can blame themselves if they buy CD's rather than digital copies.
If everyone switched to digital we would not have the time limitation problem. Also as soon as the mastering was done we could download it.
As it is the people who buy CD's are making everyone wait for them to have them manufactured.

What does a fade out on a song that is not the final song on either disc have to do with buying CD's, time limitations, or how long you have to wait for an album?

I highly doubt they'd just cut a song short with a fade out if they tried to trim the fats for a CD release. They'd just make the song shorter and end it properly if that was the reason, this is the longest song on the album anyways. The fadeout clearly happens because they transition from a very groovy, upbeat song and solo section to a dramatic breakdown and this is one great way to handle it - and it's not unprecedented by DT, either.

Also, CD's are not going away anytime soon, buddy, no need to be so hostile to people who prefer them or whatever drives them to get them over digital downloads. I live in a country where virtually every streaming or digital music service except for iTunes has not been enabled in yet, and I don't have an iDevice so for the most part the choice is clear. Also, no other DT album except for maybe SFAM and Octavarium ever needed a booklet as much as this one does.

[legenden1]

I think it is amazing that The X Aspect rarely been mentioned yet. When I first heard Dystopia Overture I immediately got goosebumps by 0:45-1:00 thinking and hoping the theme would return many times during the album. As far as I have noticed it is only returning in The X Aspect and by doing so making it my favourite song on the album. It should have been used as the main theme throughout the album IMO, it amazing. That being said, this record is unbelievable the way it is! My only real complaint is that the ending isn´t as epic as expected, given the size of this story.

[Tomislav95]

Don't know, I love Brother, can you hear me/us reprise in The Astonishing, it's IMO great way to finish the album. What bothers me is nomac track before The Astonishing because it kind of kill the atmosphere.

[Dreamer]

I think I prefer the last two albums to this. This is not what I wanted from DT.

[TioJorge]

I can respect that! On that note, I'd really like it if this were the last venture like this from the guys. With this and SFAM, I'm pretty rock-opera'd out. At least I will be once I get tired of TA.

[wasteland]

I just read a frankly astonishing review on progarchives by a self confessed "former" DT fan. Here's the closure:

I'm sure one can still be impressed by the talent these 5 guys have in their fingers. They can still play scales and fills faster and more smoothly than nobody else in the rock world....

... What they have forgotten is how to write a damn song.

The question is: have the two of us listened to the same album? 

[TioJorge]

Yeah that's confusing. This is by far and away the least "technically show-offish" album in their entire catalog by a long sight. He must have accidentally put on The Majesty Demos. It happens.

[ariich]

2 acts is because thats the broadway way...

I guess, but then there are many 3-act operas and operettas that still only have one interval when staged (usually between acts 2 and 3) with only a short break in the other one. Not like it really matters much at all, but I think the pacing works so much better (musically and narratively) when thinking of it in 3 parts.

[Outcrier]

I just read a frankly astonishing review on progarchives by a self confessed "former" DT fan. Here's the closure:

I'm sure one can still be impressed by the talent these 5 guys have in their fingers. They can still play scales and fills faster and more smoothly than nobody else in the rock world....

... What they have forgotten is how to write a damn song.

The question is: have the two of us listened to the same album? 

It's not like everyone is forced to love the album. I myself think this album (and most of their latest stuff) got nothing on old DT so, that's why he said what he said.

[Enigmachine]

I just read a frankly astonishing review on progarchives by a self confessed "former" DT fan. Here's the closure:

I'm sure one can still be impressed by the talent these 5 guys have in their fingers. They can still play scales and fills faster and more smoothly than nobody else in the rock world....

... What they have forgotten is how to write a damn song.

The question is: have the two of us listened to the same album? 

It's not like everyone is forced to love the album. I myself think this album (and most of their latest stuff) got nothing on old DT so, that's why he said what he said.

However, the issue there is not that the reviewer dislikes the album, it's that the reason doesn't make any sense. The reviewer implies that the technical showmanship overshadows the songwriting, but anyone who has listened to it can gather that that is opposite to what DT have actually done.

[Outcrier]

However, the issue there is not that the reviewer dislikes the album, it's that the reason doesn't make any sense. The reviewer implies that the technical showmanship overshadows the songwriting, but anyone who has listened to it can gather that that is opposite to what DT have actually done.

He didn't mean that. He meant that, while they are great musicians, that doesn't necessarily translates in good songs.

[Enigmachine]

However, the issue there is not that the reviewer dislikes the album, it's that the reason doesn't make any sense. The reviewer implies that the technical showmanship overshadows the songwriting, but anyone who has listened to it can gather that that is opposite to what DT have actually done.

He didn't mean that. He meant that, while they are great musicians, that doesn't mean it translate in good songs.

Ok, that makes sense. Still, it's hardly a review (though there are a ton of these so called reviews of RYM and I have just as much issue with the positive reviews that are like that). It's more like a comment than anything, using the format of a review to make his opinion more visible to others.

[Outcrier]

He actually wrote a long review, wasteland just quoted the very last part from it.

[Enigmachine]

He actually wrote a long review, wasteland just quoted the very last part from it.

Fair enough. I have seen many reviews on RYM that are that short, though.

[MirrorMask]

Anyone interested to hear Portnoy's thoughts on The Astonishing?? I think it'd be interesting....

I was wondering that today. I'm sure someone will ask him in an interview and he'll probably respond saying something like that hasn't even listened to it yet or that he has nothing to say regarding it.

Yeah, I think Portnoy is in the weird position of being the only one who can't publicly comment on DT.

He says something good = people would find something in it to over-analize anyway
He says something bad = Blabbermouth headline "Portnoy slams DT" in 2 seconds
He praises it and applauds it beyond any doubt = "Portnoy is asskissing 'cause he wants to be back".

So he can't really win.

[Peter Mc]

In terms of Portnoy liking or disliking this, I really don't think we'd get this album if he was still in the band and running the show. Don't think he'd be a massive fan. It would be easy for him to answer the question and just congratulate the guys on a huge undertaking and wish then well with it. That would be the classy thing to do unless he actually does like it of course and then what's the harm in saying so.

I suspect however that he won't answer or it will be "good but not really his type of thing".

Really listened intently to disc 2 just now and really loved it. Album keeps getting better.