*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[emtee]

I
Can't
Stop
Listening
To
This
Album


I'm getting closer and closer to calling this something that starts with M.

[Gromit1710]

Noob question but can somebody say which are each characters' themes/melodies? Faythe is quite obvious (Act of Faythe)  but others?

Faythe - Act of Faythe themes
Gabriel -  The Answer Themes and it's variations
Arhys - Brother Can You Hear Me? / A better life themes
Nefaryus - Anything dark, evil and edgy (with a Disney villain feel)   

Xander, Evangeline and The Empress don't really seem to have a reoccurring theme of their own.

Nearest I can tell anyways. You can hear the different themes revisited on the final track 34 Astonishing.

[Gromit1710]

And here's another reason why you have to listen to DT albums like this several times...

I'm on probably the the 10th listen through or so, and just now caught the forshadowing of "Our New World" as the intro to "A Savior In The Square"

[pantsofeternity]

Noob question but can somebody say which are each characters' themes/melodies? Faythe is quite obvious (Act of Faythe)  but others?

Faythe - Act of Faythe themes
Gabriel -  The Answer Themes and it's variations
Arhys - Brother Can You Hear Me? / A better life themes
Nefaryus - Anything dark, evil and edgy (with a Disney villain feel)   

Xander, Evangeline and The Empress don't really seem to have a reoccurring theme of their own.

Nearest I can tell anyways. You can hear the different themes revisited on the final track 34 Astonishing.

Themes seem less assigned by character and more assigned by emotion / mood.

There's a "musical analysis" thread that might have more on this (but I haven't checked it recently).

[thosava]

I'm generally a fan of this guy, but he just doesn't get prog rock/metal it seems... He's almost always bashing prog when he reviews it, but to call The Astonishing "All proficiency, no soul" is just wrong.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=3m3s

[Gromit1710]

Noob question but can somebody say which are each characters' themes/melodies? Faythe is quite obvious (Act of Faythe)  but others?

Faythe - Act of Faythe themes
Gabriel -  The Answer Themes and it's variations
Arhys - Brother Can You Hear Me? / A better life themes
Nefaryus - Anything dark, evil and edgy (with a Disney villain feel)   

Xander, Evangeline and The Empress don't really seem to have a reoccurring theme of their own.

Nearest I can tell anyways. You can hear the different themes revisited on the final track 34 Astonishing.

Themes seem less assigned by character and more assigned by emotion / mood.

There's a "musical analysis" thread that might have more on this (but I haven't checked it recently).

Yeah, you're not wrong in the slightest. The themes are more based on events or emotions rather than character. But if you had to draw a dotted line to each one, that's how I'd do it.

[Randaran]

I don't see how any DT fan could hate on Moment Of Betrayal.  Snare sound aside, and no it doesn't sound like Awake, but isn't songs like this why you listen to DT???  It is for me. 

Heh...yea...when I first saw Ravenskill I thought of the killing of ravens.

MoB is my second least favorite song on the album. I attribute this largely to the rhythm guitar, which sounds awful. I would like the song a lot more if the distorted guitar tone from Heaven's Cove was used instead.

[Thoughtspart3]

Man, I just love the main rift and grove of Our New World.  Have never heard anything like this from DT before.

This is definitely such a fresh and inspired album.

[pcs90]

Faythe - Act of Faythe themes
Gabriel -  The Answer Themes and it's variations
Arhys - Brother Can You Hear Me? / A better life themes
Nefaryus - Anything dark, evil and edgy (with a Disney villain feel)   

Xander, Evangeline and The Empress don't really seem to have a reoccurring theme of their own.

Nearest I can tell anyways. You can hear the different themes revisited on the final track 34 Astonishing.

And Daryus, I would say, is the main theme of A Tempting Offer and its variations near the end of The Path That Divides.

[Progmetty]

I'm generally a fan of this guy, but he just doesn't get prog rock/metal it seems... He's almost always bashing prog when he reviews it, but to call The Astonishing "All proficiency, no soul" is just wrong.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=3m3s

He's full of shit, he says he's hoping the album would put the final nail into rock opera's coffin, what fan of music would wish something like that on fellow fans? I fuckin hate rap but I don't wish it to die since I know that brings it's fans joy!
Except dance music that's made for the sole purpose of dancing in big parties/raves, these fuckers deserve joy to be taken away from them. /hypocrisy in the afternoon

[Prog Snob]

I'm generally a fan of this guy, but he just doesn't get prog rock/metal it seems... He's almost always bashing prog when he reviews it, but to call The Astonishing "All proficiency, no soul" is just wrong.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=3m3s

I generally don't pay attention to people like that. They're never going to get it, and they don't want to. It could be the most soulful prog CD ever, and this guy would find some way to denigrate it.

Man, I just love the main rift and grove of Our New World.  Have never heard anything like this from DT before.

I thought the same thing. I said this in another thread but it reminds me of a hair metal band riff.

[thosava]

I'm generally a fan of this guy, but he just doesn't get prog rock/metal it seems... He's almost always bashing prog when he reviews it, but to call The Astonishing "All proficiency, no soul" is just wrong.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=3m3s

He's full of shit, he says he's hoping the album would put the final nail into rock opera's coffin, what fan of music would wish something like that on fellow fans? I fuckin hate rap but I don't wish it to die since I know that brings it's fans joy!
Except dance music that's made for the sole purpose of dancing in big parties/raves, these fuckers deserve joy to be taken away from them. /hypocrisy in the afternoon

Couldn't have said it better myself! I just lost most of my respect for that guy. He was bashing the latest two Steven Wilson albums as well.

Edit: mistyping

[Gromit1710]

I'm generally a fan of this guy, but he just doesn't get prog rock/metal it seems... He's almost always bashing prog when he reviews it, but to call The Astonishing "All proficiency, no soul" is just wrong.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=3m3s

He's full of shit, he says he's hoping the album would put the final nail into rock opera's coffin, what fan of music would wish something like that on fellow fans? I fuckin hate rap but I don't wish it to die since I know that brings it's fans joy!
Except dance music that's made for the sole purpose of dancing in big parties/raves, these fuckers deserve joy to be taken away from them. /hypocrisy in the afternoon

 "Stop liking what I don't like"

[bosk1]

He was bashing the las\test two Steven Wilson albums as well.

Wait...so now he does have good taste?  I'm confused. 

[King Postwhore]

He was bashing the las\test two Steven Wilson albums as well.

Wait...so now he does have good taste?  I'm confused. 

[TheOutlawXanadu]

Just realized what an amazing one-two punch "Heaven's Cove" and "Begin Again" are. Late to the party as always...

[Zydar]

He was bashing the las\test two Steven Wilson albums as well.

Wait...so now he does have good taste?  I'm confused. 

[thosava]

He was bashing the latest two Steven Wilson albums as well.

Wait...so now he does have good taste?  I'm confused. 

I know you don't like him, but it was just an example of some other prog rock that reviewer guy was bashing  . I've only seen him liking one prog rock album, and that was "In the Court of the Crimson King".

[dparrott]

Can't help but think this album would be a little better with MP's drumming.  I miss all his different percussion sounds he'd make.

[kirksnosehair]

And here's another reason why you have to listen to DT albums like this several times...

I'm on probably the the 10th listen through or so, and just now caught the forshadowing of "Our New World" as the intro to "A Savior In The Square"

Yup, I'm just starting my second listen to disc 2 which, when complete, will be twice through the entire album and I can already tell that this thing will be revealing little nuggets like this for months.


I have to say, this is what I have always wanted from Dream Theater ever since....oh....Six Degrees.   That's the last album they've made that I could compare to this.   It reminds me at times of disc 2 of 6DOIT


Anyone else think the snare sounds vaguely remeniscent of the snare sound in I&W?  It's got a little more of a woody sound but it's also got that kind of long decay that you hear on the I&W triggers.

[kirksnosehair]

Can't help but think this album would be a little better with MP's drumming.  I miss all his different percussion sounds he'd make.

As much as it bugs me to admit I agree with this, I do.  That's not to say I don't love what I'm hearing here from Mangini.  But....yeah....I'd love to hear Portnoy's take on this.  Wait, no, that doesn't sound right.  I don't want his opinion on this album.  I already know what that will be 


I mean, I'd love to hear him play what he'd like to play on an album like this. 

[pringkaarwanda]

Sorry for noob question, but is it true, there's no stem or isolated track from The Astonishing? Really?? They have 34 song, and cant give us stem track just for one song?? 
I really wanna hear orchestra stem from Dystopian Overture, that would be very great you know, especially the choir from BCYHM theme 

[Architeuthis]

This album has a bitter/sweet feel for me. I Love it the whole way through and gets better with each listen.  My wife (who's name is Victoria) passed away last summer, she loved DT's softer side and was a huge fan of James Labrie. Everytime I listen to TA, I know how much she would have been enjoying listening to this. Probably more so than any other album. Her fav song was Beneath The Surface.. This album is loaded with songs with feel and emotion and JLB shines! I personally dedicate this to her...

[kirksnosehair]

I'm generally a fan of this guy, but he just doesn't get prog rock/metal it seems... He's almost always bashing prog when he reviews it, but to call The Astonishing "All proficiency, no soul" is just wrong.
https://youtu.be/BFK3H5Tl_Lo?t=3m3s

He's full of shit, he says he's hoping the album would put the final nail into rock opera's coffin, what fan of music would wish something like that on fellow fans? I fuckin hate rap but I don't wish it to die since I know that brings it's fans joy!
Except dance music that's made for the sole purpose of dancing in big parties/raves, these fuckers deserve joy to be taken away from them. /hypocrisy in the afternoon

wurd

[SystematicThought]

Is Rich Chycki the voice of Arhys as well? The credits say he does Nafaryus, but we only hear him cry.

[Kotowboy]

Who does the " Troops fall in " etc etc at the beginning of The Answer ??

[lovethedrake]

This album has a bitter/sweet feel for me. I Love it the whole way through and gets better with each listen.  My wife (who's name is Victoria) passed away last summer, she loved DT's softer side and was a huge fan of James Labrie. Everytime I listen to TA, I know how much she would have been enjoying listening to this. Probably more so than any other album. Her fav song was Beneath The Surface.. This album is loaded with songs with feel and emotion and JLB shines! I personally dedicate this to her...

That must be very tough.  I had a girlfriend dump me named Vicki which for a while made it tough to listen to SFAM.   I can only imagine how tough it must be to lose your wife.  I am sorry for your loss and hopefully she is listening to The Astonishing somewhere above.

[SystematicThought]

Who does the " Troops fall in " etc etc at the beginning of The Answer ??

Do you mean A Better Life? Because that's what I'm talking about as well

[Architeuthis]

Thanks lovethedrake,  I appreciate that..  I'm on the same page, I can't even listen to SFAM right now.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

This album has a bitter/sweet feel for me. I Love it the whole way through and gets better with each listen.  My wife (who's name is Victoria) passed away last summer, she loved DT's softer side and was a huge fan of James Labrie. Everytime I listen to TA, I know how much she would have been enjoying listening to this. Probably more so than any other album. Her fav song was Beneath The Surface.. This album is loaded with songs with feel and emotion and JLB shines! I personally dedicate this to her...

Really sorry to hear about this. I hope that TA would make her proud! Amazing how DT finds a way to make such a personal connection with people.

[YtseJamittaja]

Faythe - Act of Faythe themes
Gabriel -  The Answer Themes and it's variations
Arhys - Brother Can You Hear Me? / A better life themes
Nefaryus - Anything dark, evil and edgy (with a Disney villain feel)   

Xander, Evangeline and The Empress don't really seem to have a reoccurring theme of their own.

Nearest I can tell anyways. You can hear the different themes revisited on the final track 34 Astonishing.

And Daryus, I would say, is the main theme of A Tempting Offer and its variations near the end of The Path That Divides.

Thanks dudes! 

[hefdaddy42]

And here's another reason why you have to listen to DT albums like this several times...

I'm on probably the the 10th listen through or so, and just now caught the forshadowing of "Our New World" as the intro to "A Savior In The Square"

When I first realized this, I literally yelled "YES!"

[MirrorMask]

Anyway, to sum up about all those big discussions on the title of the album:

- Gabriel is The Astonishing, for his gift of music.
- The Astonishing event is Gabriel singing Faythe back to life.
- The title track doesn't have "The" in front 'cause Astonishing is used as an adjective to describe the lives of the characters from then on.

[YtseJamittaja]

This album has a bitter/sweet feel for me. I Love it the whole way through and gets better with each listen.  My wife (who's name is Victoria) passed away last summer, she loved DT's softer side and was a huge fan of James Labrie. Everytime I listen to TA, I know how much she would have been enjoying listening to this. Probably more so than any other album. Her fav song was Beneath The Surface.. This album is loaded with songs with feel and emotion and JLB shines! I personally dedicate this to her...

So sorry to hear that. I hope you can still enjoy the music and hopefully it brings you just good memories. Remember, The spirit carries on. We are here with you.

[Mike PornToy]

I
Can't
Stop
Listening
To
This
Album


I'm getting closer and closer to calling this something that starts with M.

The best DT for all public, less metal, more prog rock !