Author Topic: - " The Astonishing " - One Year -- er, SEVEN YEARS On.  (Read 173037 times)

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Offline TAC

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #455 on: December 15, 2017, 07:52:02 PM »
I have just listened to The Astonishing after a long period of not hearing it. I have always thought it's a great album and I still have that opinion! It's just brilliantly composed; JP & JR just know how to structure a concept album, by not closing circles in every song, but by letting songs end differently than they began.
With a lot going on with MM these times I also have to say he's done an amazing job. Sure, his sound is far from optimal, but I think that especially in the ballads he did very cool stuff. The double hi-hat pattern on Losing Faythe, as well as the use of the rim of the snare, or the ending of Begin Again (one of the very best passages of the entire album for me).
Sure, some of the lyrics are... well, I get that some of the lyrics might bother some people. Same with some of the sound effects (Faythes parents crying). I always thought they could have ended the whole story with a huge fight and a 12 minute instrumental battle - an instrumental to end all instrumentals (except for The Dance Of Eternity which cannot be ended). But the triumphing end fits the song well and Our New World is a pretty cool rock tune as well. I love the song Astonishing too, it brings back so many themes from the album and for me showcases how great all the motives of the album are composed. Of course, the last word belongs to the initiator behind the whole thing, JP.
I saw The Astonishing live twice and those two concerts were truly amazing. I think JP and the guys have produced an amazing album, and I love that they didn't give a fuck about what everyone would say, they just did it. They put so much effort into it, that (I am so sorry I have to start with that topic again) the 10 days writing and recording session for Psychotic Symphony looks extremely bland next to this huge piece of music.

Amen, brother.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
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Offline nattmorker

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #456 on: December 15, 2017, 08:52:56 PM »
I have just listened to The Astonishing after a long period of not hearing it. I have always thought it's a great album and I still have that opinion! It's just brilliantly composed; JP & JR just know how to structure a concept album, by not closing circles in every song, but by letting songs end differently than they began.
With a lot going on with MM these times I also have to say he's done an amazing job. Sure, his sound is far from optimal, but I think that especially in the ballads he did very cool stuff. The double hi-hat pattern on Losing Faythe, as well as the use of the rim of the snare, or the ending of Begin Again (one of the very best passages of the entire album for me).
Sure, some of the lyrics are... well, I get that some of the lyrics might bother some people. Same with some of the sound effects (Faythes parents crying). I always thought they could have ended the whole story with a huge fight and a 12 minute instrumental battle - an instrumental to end all instrumentals (except for The Dance Of Eternity which cannot be ended). But the triumphing end fits the song well and Our New World is a pretty cool rock tune as well. I love the song Astonishing too, it brings back so many themes from the album and for me showcases how great all the motives of the album are composed. Of course, the last word belongs to the initiator behind the whole thing, JP.
I saw The Astonishing live twice and those two concerts were truly amazing. I think JP and the guys have produced an amazing album, and I love that they didn't give a fuck about what everyone would say, they just did it. They put so much effort into it, that (I am so sorry I have to start with that topic again) the 10 days writing and recording session for Psychotic Symphony looks extremely bland next to this huge piece of music.

Totally agree with all of this, specially the bolded part, I love that ending, MM really shines in that section! I love to airdrum to that!

Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #457 on: December 15, 2017, 09:41:18 PM »
I have just listened to The Astonishing after a long period of not hearing it. I have always thought it's a great album and I still have that opinion! It's just brilliantly composed; JP & JR just know how to structure a concept album, by not closing circles in every song, but by letting songs end differently than they began.
With a lot going on with MM these times I also have to say he's done an amazing job. Sure, his sound is far from optimal, but I think that especially in the ballads he did very cool stuff. The double hi-hat pattern on Losing Faythe, as well as the use of the rim of the snare, or the ending of Begin Again (one of the very best passages of the entire album for me).
Sure, some of the lyrics are... well, I get that some of the lyrics might bother some people. Same with some of the sound effects (Faythes parents crying). I always thought they could have ended the whole story with a huge fight and a 12 minute instrumental battle - an instrumental to end all instrumentals (except for The Dance Of Eternity which cannot be ended). But the triumphing end fits the song well and Our New World is a pretty cool rock tune as well. I love the song Astonishing too, it brings back so many themes from the album and for me showcases how great all the motives of the album are composed. Of course, the last word belongs to the initiator behind the whole thing, JP.
I saw The Astonishing live twice and those two concerts were truly amazing. I think JP and the guys have produced an amazing album, and I love that they didn't give a fuck about what everyone would say, they just did it. They put so much effort into it, that (I am so sorry I have to start with that topic again) the 10 days writing and recording session for Psychotic Symphony looks extremely bland next to this huge piece of music.

Totally agree with all of this, specially the bolded part, I love that ending, MM really shines in that section! I love to airdrum to that!

I'll have to say I agree. That ending is so majestic and amazing. I wish that part were just a bit longer.
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Offline Fritzinger

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #458 on: December 16, 2017, 10:09:06 AM »
Thanks for the nice answers guys!

I also can never stop myself trying to copy that drum pattern from the end of Begin Again on my air drums  :lol Would be cool if the passage were a little longer, yes. But I feel like this album has so many cool motives and ideas, that it can afford to "throw away" an idea as cool as this one so quickly.
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Offline red barchetta

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #459 on: December 19, 2017, 06:53:53 AM »
So it's going on two years now and I finally caved and bought the thing on iTunes to be able to add two or three songs to my "seven string playlist". I'm trying to filter it down to something I can actually listed to. So far I've always turned off at the latest when it came to "Act of Faythe" - even if I made it past "The Answer". Once the whole middle section, everything that has orchestration and sound effects, and all Disney show tunes are gone, there may be an EP's worth of music left that is halfway decent.
I can only hope they never do anything like this again.
I'm really sorry that you can't enjoy it as much as I do. It's hard to believe anyone can refer to anything on this album as "halfway decent" for two reasons. 1. Regardless of whether or not you enjoy the direction they took, as a fan of the band I would think you would be able to recognize the scope of what they accomplished and respect the shit out of it. And 2. This album is filled to the brim with beauty. It's filled with gorgeous melody after gorgeous melody, both vocally and instrumentally. In my opinion this album is a musical and compositional masterpiece. It's something that sets these guys apart from so many bands that are (for some reason) highly regarded. Bands like Metallica, Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, etc would never be able to create something like this in their wildest dreams. So even if it's not to your taste, is it really too much to just be proud of DT and happy for them for what they accomplished?

TA can be anything you want but certainly not a masterpiece.  About  the gorgeous melody, yes there are some very good ones. It's nothing new, DT have always came up with great melody songs.  It's one of the main reason I got interested by this band.  But I would appreciate less and less ballads and more heavy stuff.... filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies.
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Offline SwedishGoose

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #460 on: December 19, 2017, 08:13:56 AM »
So it's going on two years now and I finally caved and bought the thing on iTunes to be able to add two or three songs to my "seven string playlist". I'm trying to filter it down to something I can actually listed to. So far I've always turned off at the latest when it came to "Act of Faythe" - even if I made it past "The Answer". Once the whole middle section, everything that has orchestration and sound effects, and all Disney show tunes are gone, there may be an EP's worth of music left that is halfway decent.
I can only hope they never do anything like this again.
I'm really sorry that you can't enjoy it as much as I do. It's hard to believe anyone can refer to anything on this album as "halfway decent" for two reasons. 1. Regardless of whether or not you enjoy the direction they took, as a fan of the band I would think you would be able to recognize the scope of what they accomplished and respect the shit out of it. And 2. This album is filled to the brim with beauty. It's filled with gorgeous melody after gorgeous melody, both vocally and instrumentally. In my opinion this album is a musical and compositional masterpiece. It's something that sets these guys apart from so many bands that are (for some reason) highly regarded. Bands like Metallica, Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, etc would never be able to create something like this in their wildest dreams. So even if it's not to your taste, is it really too much to just be proud of DT and happy for them for what they accomplished?

TA can be anything you want but certainly not a masterpiece.  About  the gorgeous melody, yes there are some very good ones. It's nothing new, DT have always came up with great melody songs.  It's one of the main reason I got interested by this band.  But I would appreciate less and less ballads and more heavy stuff.... filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies.

It can definitely be a masterpiece.... totaly amazing compositiond, instrumentstions and vocals

To me it is a masterpiece and the best album they have ever done.... yes better than I&W and SFAM even...

Offline mikeyd23

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #461 on: December 19, 2017, 08:19:15 AM »
TA can be anything you want but certainly not a masterpiece.

Huh? So it can't be anything you want...  :lol

Online MirrorMask

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #462 on: December 19, 2017, 08:19:56 AM »
The Astonishing can be anything you want to be, just turn the album into anything you think that it could ever be.
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Offline TAC

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #463 on: December 19, 2017, 09:03:47 AM »
, or the ending of Begin Again (one of the very best passages of the entire album for me).

Totally agree with all of this, specially the bolded part, I love that ending, MM really shines in that section! I love to airdrum to that!

I'll have to say I agree. That ending is so majestic and amazing. I wish that part were just a bit longer.

I agree as well. I love the ending to Begin Again. I also love the beginning of it. Unfortunately the song itself, I'm not crazy about and I had to cut it from my Astonishing Abridged.



TA can be anything you want but certainly not a masterpiece.  About  the gorgeous melody, yes there are some very good ones. It's nothing new, DT have always came up with great melody songs.  It's one of the main reason I got interested by this band.  But I would appreciate less and less ballads and more heavy stuff.... filled with beautiful melodies and harmonies.

You certainly don't have to call it a masterpiece, but it is chock full of amazingness. I, too, can appreciate the heavier side of DT, but music like this from them was long overdue.


As much as I love TA, it's criticisms are totally fair. It does drag quite a bit, especially the first disc as it sets up the action on the second disc, which is much more livelier. But I can live with that, because overall, for me, this album delivers.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Offline DragonAttack

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #464 on: December 19, 2017, 09:28:43 AM »
The Astonishing can be anything you want to be, just turn the album into anything you think that it could ever be.

Be free with your tempo,
(Be free, be free)

Surrender your ego
(Be free, be free)....to yourself.......
...going along with Dragon Attack's Queen thread has been like taking a free class in Queen knowledge. Where else are you gonna find info like that?!

Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #465 on: December 20, 2017, 02:48:41 PM »
I just love the ending to the story. Nefaryus begging Gabriel to use his gift to heal Faythe. Gabriel desperately wishes he could. Then the townspeople gather singing joyously, miraculously rejunivates his voice.

Can't wait for the book to go into further detail on this part. Of what they gave us so far, it explains how Gabriel became a saviour using his gift.
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Offline TheLordOfTheStrings

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #466 on: December 20, 2017, 08:49:20 PM »
I just love the ending to the story. Nefaryus begging Gabriel to use his gift to heal Faythe. Gabriel desperately wishes he could. Then the townspeople gather singing joyously, miraculously rejunivates his voice.

Can't wait for the book to go into further detail on this part. Of what they gave us so far, it explains how Gabriel became a saviour using his gift.
I like it too. My only gripe is that I always thought it would have been more powerful if the townspeople's singing was what healed Faythe. I feel it would have been symbolic, almost saying that Gabriel wasn't really special afterall and that the 'gift of music' is inside all of us. Also the idea of everyone saving Faythe, regardless of the oppression that her family had laid upon them is very powerful to me.
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #467 on: December 20, 2017, 10:57:40 PM »
I just love the ending to the story. Nefaryus begging Gabriel to use his gift to heal Faythe. Gabriel desperately wishes he could. Then the townspeople gather singing joyously, miraculously rejunivates his voice.

Can't wait for the book to go into further detail on this part. Of what they gave us so far, it explains how Gabriel became a saviour using his gift.
I like it too. My only gripe is that I always thought it would have been more powerful if the townspeople's singing was what healed Faythe. I feel it would have been symbolic, almost saying that Gabriel wasn't really special afterall and that the 'gift of music' is inside all of us. Also the idea of everyone saving Faythe, regardless of the oppression that her family had laid upon them is very powerful to me.

Thats what I thought actually happens. By the townspeople singing, along with Gabriel, its like a heavenly angelic choir. Which in turn is what gives Faythe renewed life, she hears angels.
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Online MirrorMask

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #468 on: December 21, 2017, 01:08:11 AM »
Also, now that I think of it, it would make more sense from a pure plot perspective: if you introduce the obstacle of Gabriel being without voice, there should be something else to make up for it, rather than just him recovering it anyway.

Nevertheless, it's a powerful moment in the story and the album. The uplifting violin melody that starts Hymn is the beginning of the emotional climax of the album that continues through the triumphant Our New World and reaches its peak with one of the best emotional moments of DT's carrer, rivaling with the end of Octavarium and Six Degrees - the final section of Astonishing (People can you hear us onwards).
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Offline Evai

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #469 on: December 21, 2017, 02:32:33 AM »
From now on, I'm gonna assume that's what is intended with HoaTV. The line 'Amazingly, the saviour found his voice' could be saying that the choir is his voice
Jordan took Moore's boring, pedestrian parts and elevated them considerably to take them from barely palatable to stellar.

Offline Ninjabait

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #470 on: December 21, 2017, 05:51:06 AM »
I just love the ending to the story. Nefaryus begging Gabriel to use his gift to heal Faythe. Gabriel desperately wishes he could. Then the townspeople gather singing joyously, miraculously rejunivates his voice.

Can't wait for the book to go into further detail on this part. Of what they gave us so far, it explains how Gabriel became a saviour using his gift.
I like it too. My only gripe is that I always thought it would have been more powerful if the townspeople's singing was what healed Faythe. I feel it would have been symbolic, almost saying that Gabriel wasn't really special afterall and that the 'gift of music' is inside all of us. Also the idea of everyone saving Faythe, regardless of the oppression that her family had laid upon them is very powerful to me.

Well, I think that does kind of happen. The townsfolk singing restores Gabriel's voice, which lets him heal Faythe in return. It took a thousand people to just heal Gabriel, while Gabriel was able to bring someone back from the brink of death alone. I think you could read into it that everyone has the gift of music, it's just that Gabriel's "gift" is much more powerful (hence him being the savior and all). The album doesn't go into much detail about this, and the track description they gave only gives a little detail on this. Might be reading too much into this, but that's how I thought about it. I agree that it's the most powerful moment in the story. I get chills from the ending (specifically from that brief rest, followed by the chorus singing the last lines of the song).

Also, side note, does anyone know what happened to the track descriptions they published around the album release? I can't seem to find it on the band's website anymore. Luckily I still have them saved, but was just curious.

Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #471 on: December 21, 2017, 11:26:34 AM »
I just love the ending to the story. Nefaryus begging Gabriel to use his gift to heal Faythe. Gabriel desperately wishes he could. Then the townspeople gather singing joyously, miraculously rejunivates his voice.

Can't wait for the book to go into further detail on this part. Of what they gave us so far, it explains how Gabriel became a saviour using his gift.
I like it too. My only gripe is that I always thought it would have been more powerful if the townspeople's singing was what healed Faythe. I feel it would have been symbolic, almost saying that Gabriel wasn't really special afterall and that the 'gift of music' is inside all of us. Also the idea of everyone saving Faythe, regardless of the oppression that her family had laid upon them is very powerful to me.

Well, I think that does kind of happen. The townsfolk singing restores Gabriel's voice, which lets him heal Faythe in return. It took a thousand people to just heal Gabriel, while Gabriel was able to bring someone back from the brink of death alone. I think you could read into it that everyone has the gift of music, it's just that Gabriel's "gift" is much more powerful (hence him being the savior and all). The album doesn't go into much detail about this, and the track description they gave only gives a little detail on this. Might be reading too much into this, but that's how I thought about it. I agree that it's the most powerful moment in the story. I get chills from the ending (specifically from that brief rest, followed by the chorus singing the last lines of the song).

Also, side note, does anyone know what happened to the track descriptions they published around the album release? I can't seem to find it on the band's website anymore. Luckily I still have them saved, but was just curious.


All this is why I'm interested in the book. This concept is pretty awesome and the story, so far, I enjoy it.

Now that I reminisce, its cool that JP came up with this story, wanted to make an album and all the other guys were fine with it, then it grew and grew until he sought to release a book. Their was just no way to include all his ideas on the album, or else we'd have like 5 disks. Thats why I feel he wrote up the summary, and found an author.
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Offline RoeDent

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #472 on: December 21, 2017, 02:38:51 PM »
Just finished listening to The Astonishing again, and nope...sorry haters, you're still wrong. It's still a stunning album. Still one of my favourites of DT's.

On Hymn of a Thousand Voices, I think of it as the townspeople gathering at Heaven's Cove. People bring instruments (percussion, a violin), and a few join in with handclaps. And everyone helps revive both Gabriel and Faythe. *end scene*

Offline wolfking

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #473 on: December 21, 2017, 03:27:13 PM »
I should try this again.  I despised it when it came out and never tried again.  I guess I should.
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Offline TheOutlawXanadu

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #474 on: December 21, 2017, 03:52:27 PM »
I really burned myself out on this record when it came out. I listened to it a ton and saw it live twice in the span of a year. I haven't revisited it much if at all in 2017, but I'm starting to feel like that needs to change...
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Offline Evai

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #475 on: December 21, 2017, 04:07:35 PM »
It's really good. I discover new things each time I listen :)
Jordan took Moore's boring, pedestrian parts and elevated them considerably to take them from barely palatable to stellar.

Offline JLa

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #476 on: December 22, 2017, 06:41:35 AM »
Wow, I can't remember any of the songs.

Offline Pragmaticcircus

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #477 on: December 24, 2017, 02:12:39 PM »
Wow, I can't remember any of the songs.

I really tried and failed with that album too.

Though I still remember this:

Quote
My new world was spinning me around
And that was all that could be
"The thing that kills me is all these bands that use huge words in their lyrics, 'I'm swimming in a vortex of apathy.' I'm like, 'What?' I don't walk up to a friend and go 'That's a stylin' looking vortex of apathy you've got there pal. I was swimming up a river of deceit myself."
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Offline Evai

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #478 on: December 24, 2017, 03:34:01 PM »
Wow, I can't remember any of the songs.

I'll help remind you :)

1. Descent Of The Nomacs

WEEOOOBRRRRPB

2. Dystopian Overture

This'll all make sense on the second listen but for now it just sounds like a bunch of random notes

3. The Gift Of Music

People just don't have the time for music!

4. The Answer

Let it go, let it goooo

5. A Better Life

This is the one with the funny joke 'The answers no..... surprise! yes you bet your life!' comedy gold :)

6. Lord Nafaryus

Be prepaaaaared!

7. A Savior In The Square

Pls don't skip I promise it gets heavy

8. When Your Time Has Come

Skip

9. Act Of Faythe

Oh my god skip

10. Three Days

I was joking with the last two they're actually pretty cool ballads. Anyway here's another disney villain song

11. The Hovering Sojourn

BREAEAAOAOOOP

12. Brother, Can You Hear Me?

This is the one with the marching beat

13. A Life Left Behind

Kind of sounds like that other song by that other band

14. Ravenskill

First two words are from Surrounded

15. Chosen

You raise me uuuup, so I can climb on mountains. You raise me uuuuup

16. A Tempting Offer

Nefarious offers gabriel weed

17. Digital Discord

BEEP BEEP BEEP

18. The X Aspect
19. A New Beginning
20. The Road To Revolution
21. 2285 Entr'acte
22. Moment Of Betrayal
23. Heaven's Cove
24. Begin Again
25. The Path That Divides
26. Machine Chatter
27. The Walking Shadow
28. My Last Farewell
29. Losing Faythe
30. Whispers On The Wind
31. Hymn Of A Thousand Voices
32. Our New World
33. Power Down
34. Astonishing

Okay I can't be bothered to do the rest but you should do your best to remember them, they rock :D
Jordan took Moore's boring, pedestrian parts and elevated them considerably to take them from barely palatable to stellar.

Offline gzarruk

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #479 on: December 24, 2017, 04:02:18 PM »
16. A Tempting Offer

Nefarious offers gabriel weed

 :rollin
It sounds like, "ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk, ruk." Instead of the more pleasing kick drum sound of, "gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk, gzarruk."

Offline Pragmaticcircus

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #480 on: December 24, 2017, 04:13:24 PM »
"The thing that kills me is all these bands that use huge words in their lyrics, 'I'm swimming in a vortex of apathy.' I'm like, 'What?' I don't walk up to a friend and go 'That's a stylin' looking vortex of apathy you've got there pal. I was swimming up a river of deceit myself."
- Devin Townsend
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Offline Evai

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Jordan took Moore's boring, pedestrian parts and elevated them considerably to take them from barely palatable to stellar.

Online MirrorMask

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #482 on: December 25, 2017, 03:07:25 AM »
Wow, I can't remember any of the songs.

I'll help remind you :)


If you had finished it could have been the best post ever about The Astonishing  :lol :lol :lol
I use my sig to pimp some bands from Italy! Check out Elvenking (Power / Folk metal), Folkstone (Rock / Medieval metal), Arcana Opera (Gothic/Noir/Heavy metal) and the beautiful voice of Elisa!

Online Evermind

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #483 on: December 25, 2017, 08:42:47 AM »
7. A Savior In The Square

Pls don't skip I promise it gets heavy

8. When Your Time Has Come

Skip

This actually made me laugh. :lol
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Offline Evai

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #484 on: December 25, 2017, 06:00:12 PM »

If you had finished it could have been the best post ever about The Astonishing  :lol :lol :lol

I was trying to be serious but gave up  :lol Eh I'll finish up with disc 2


21. 2285 Entr'acte

If you can't sing along then go back to disc 1

22. Moment Of Betrayal

You are acting very strange!

23. Heaven's Cove

It's beautiful, Listen to those arpeggios

24. Begin Again

Petrucci stole Neal Morse's lyric notebook

25. The Path That Divides

The callback to When Your Time Has Come. Hopefully you didn't skip that one :)

26. Machine Chatter

BZIP BDEEP VROOM BEEP

27. The Walking Shadow

The one where Faythe dies

28. My Last Farewell

Everyone is sad about Faythe dying

29. Losing Faythe

Yup... still sad

30. Whispers On The Wind

Gabriel is sad too!

31. Hymn Of A Thousand Voices

The whole town is sad!

32. Our New World

Wait nevermind. Lets rock

33. Power Down

REOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

34. Astonishing

"You know Gabriel, this really was Astonishing, wasn't it? *looks at camera* *fade to black*

Jordan took Moore's boring, pedestrian parts and elevated them considerably to take them from barely palatable to stellar.

Offline nattmorker

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #485 on: December 25, 2017, 09:36:08 PM »

If you had finished it could have been the best post ever about The Astonishing  :lol :lol :lol
27. The Walking Shadow

The one where Faythe dies

28. My Last Farewell

Everyone is sad about Faythe dying

29. Losing Faythe

Yup... still sad

30. Whispers On The Wind

Gabriel is sad too!

31. Hymn Of A Thousand Voices

The whole town is sad!

32. Our New World

Wait nevermind. Lets rock


Awesome!  :rollin :rollin :rollin

Online MirrorMask

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #486 on: December 26, 2017, 03:22:23 AM »
Let's remember that if it all plays out in real time, poor Faythe lies down in agony for 10 minutes straight while everyone is despairing all around  ;D
I use my sig to pimp some bands from Italy! Check out Elvenking (Power / Folk metal), Folkstone (Rock / Medieval metal), Arcana Opera (Gothic/Noir/Heavy metal) and the beautiful voice of Elisa!

Offline IDontNotDoThings

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #487 on: December 26, 2017, 03:57:50 AM »
That's always been one of my biggest issues with the album. Everything else in the story takes 1 or 2 songs to happen, but once you get to disc 2, every tiny little detail needs its own song. Especially with how many repeated themes they throw in, it just gets tedious.

From a story perspective, here's how many of the Act 2 songs are relevant:

Moment of Betrayal - uh oh maybe betraying gabriel was a bad idea
The Path That Divides - arhys v daryus, one of them dies (spoilers lol)
The Walking Shadow - xander's also here but i killed faythe instead whoops
My Last Farewell or Losing Faythe - oh no
Hymn of a Thousand Voices - let's all bring back faythe to life (who the hell is arhys)
Our New World or Astonishing - duh end

That's 6 songs & 26-28 minutes of music. So that's 22-24 minutes where nothing of value is said. Good storytelling, gg.

That said, I do really enjoy The Astonishing on a song-by-song basis & I think it's their best album with MM, I just wish it wasn't so tedious in its storytelling. I'd probably play it in full a lot more often if that were the case.
ドリームシアターはあまり好きではありませんが、ペンと紙を持っていたので、なんてこった。

Offline Evai

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #488 on: December 26, 2017, 02:23:59 PM »
I always thought that after all of those songs where they're sad about Faythe dying.. Instead of going into Hymn of A Thousand Voices, they go into Dissappear and have a very sad end to the album   :biggrin:
Jordan took Moore's boring, pedestrian parts and elevated them considerably to take them from barely palatable to stellar.

Offline RoeDent

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Re: - " The Astonishing " - One Year On.
« Reply #489 on: December 28, 2017, 09:34:31 AM »
Hymn of a Thousand Voices is more than just the whole town being sad. It's the whole town coming together in glorious song to revive both Gabriel and Faythe.