Official Distance Over Time discussion thread

[Kyo]

Yeah, I've had similar thoughts. I mostly like the songs, but Jordan's solos on this album leave me cold. A lot of them happen over riffs rather than chord progressions, which I don't think showcases his talent in the best way, and on top of that the backing is often quite simplistic, not giving him all that much to work with. I do think that in the Portnoy era the solos often became more like an obstacle course with very odd and changing meters for Jordan to play over, but here it's almost the opposite extreme with him playing over some very straightforward sections that lack any bite.

[lovethedrake]

I mean think of all his kick ass solos in Fatal Tragedy and Beyond This Life or the amazing run in Blind Faith?   Where is that Rudess!!??      Melodic and awesome. 

This album is just basically void of any of that from him.... the FITL solo and the UA solos are pretty solid.  The rest of the album from him is just meh... in terms of solos.

[Logain Ablar]

I agree that Jordan plays more of a supporting role on this one, and the solos are kinda standard fayre, but I like the organ intro in Viper King. That’s cool.

[KevShmev]

I won't hold it against JR, though, considering how tremendous his work was on TA. 

[bill1971]

For some reason, when I hear PBD, i can’t shake the thought that it’s Lord Nefaryus singing. 

I do like it, but it seems to take more effort to get into, more so than the other songs. Currently BW has shot up in my own internal ranking. I’d say it’s almost as good as AWE, it’s a very close call. The reprise after the piano part is really good.

That's what makes me wonder. I figured too that DT fans would love PBD.

It's amazing though, how much peoples music views have changed....

I'm listening to Scenes and I if they played the entire D/T album I wouldnt complain.

I am surprised too about the split reactions to PBD. It is my favorite on the album.

[rab7]

So I have been really enjoying the album but is it just me or .....

Does anybody else just tune out while Rudess solos now?     His organ solo on FITL is AWESOME but I find the rest of his solos to be completely underwritten. 

I feel the same. I love his organ solos in UA, FITL, and VK, and absolutely adore the supporting piano he plays in all the other tracks, but I'm not sure I can recall a single melody from any of his other solos. All I can say about his S2N outro solo is that it exists. Same with At Wit's End.

[lucasembarbosa]

The part with:
"Deafening, deafening
Shout it out, shout it out
Burning, burning
No way out, no way out"

From At Wits End, really reminds me of something but I can't remember what......anyone know?

"Not within his eyes to see
Open up, open up"

Trial of Tears

---------------------

Loved the production on the album, and the run FitL - AWE is superb
Figures the 5-7th position among SDOIT/ADTOE, have to listen more to give it a proper ranking.

[Zook]

Although it hasnt been nearly long enough to tell if it'll stand the test of time, I'm confident in saying DoT is easily the best of the Mangini Era. I wasn't keen on the first three songs until I heard the album as a whole, but now they rock. Room 137 is the weakest for me though. Yes, that includes Viper King, which is a fun song. Mangini is on fire, and I like that the bass and kick drums are really loud. At Wit's End is my favorite and I wish Pale Blue Dot was five minutes longer. Despite the silly name, Barstool Warrior is a beautiful song. Really, the only low point is 137. Mangini isn't Ripper Owens level lyricist, but they certainly arent my cup of tea. It's kind of the Never Enough of the album. I didn't hate The Astonishing, but I agree it should have been shorter. Distance Over Time is a nice return to form, and the best album since Ocravarium. What I mean by that is that it's an album where I like all the songs, although admittedly it took a long time for a few on 8VM to click. From SC to TA, there are songs I don't care for and have deleted from my phone. For further reference, I like all the songs on FII. Same deal as with 8VM. Prophets of War will always be terrible though.

9/10

[gm5k]

The part with:
"Deafening, deafening
Shout it out, shout it out
Burning, burning
No way out, no way out"

From At Wits End, really reminds me of something but I can't remember what......anyone know?

"Not within his eyes to see
Open up, open up"

Trial of Tears

---------------------

Loved the production on the album, and the run FitL - AWE is superb
Figures the 5-7th position among SDOIT/ADTOE, have to listen more to give it a proper ranking.

Yep that section immediately reminded me of that heavy section from ToT.  Love that they were able to capture a lot of those late 90's/early 2000's vibes with this record.

[Progmetty]

The only thing on this record that reminded me of another DT song is the intro to Wit's, made me think of The Test That Stumped Them All.

[jayvee3]

The only thing on this record that reminded me of another DT song is the intro to Wit's, made me think of The Test That Stumped Them All.

To me, it’s the similarity of the riff in BW to TBOT. Almost sounds blatantly identical to the point it’s the only bit of the song I wish was changed to something a little more original.

[wolfking]

I get a lot of Six Degrees moments from this album.

[The Letter M]

Not sure if this was brought up, but did anyone else think of ITNOG while listening to PBD? There's one part in the middle of PBD where they play in 15/8 and subdivide it into 3 chunks of 5, then switch it to 5 chunks of 3, which is something they did in the middle of ITNOG as well.

-Marc.

[Progmetty]

The only thing on this record that reminded me of another DT song is the intro to Wit's, made me think of The Test That Stumped Them All.

To me, it’s the similarity of the riff in BW to TBOT. Almost sounds blatantly identical to the point it’s the only bit of the song I wish was changed to something a little more original.

Oh I guess I got lucky there , see I haven't heard TBOT since the year BC&SL came out as I really didn't like it. I think it's the only song outside of FII that I don't know by heart.

[CDrice]

So I have been really enjoying the album but is it just me or .....


Does anybody else just tune out while Rudess solos now?     His organ solo on FITL is AWESOME but I find the rest of his solos to be completely underwritten. 

I've felt that way for a while to be honest. For me his most memorable solos are almost always the ones where he doesn't use his ''solo sound'' but instead uses things like organs or pianos.


As for the album, I like it a lot. Even Fall Into To Light which is probably my least favorite is pretty solid. So far I'd say S2N is my favorite song. It's just crazy! Mangini has some my favorite drum groove in that song. Speaking of Mangini, one thing I noticed in Room 137 that I though was cool, is that the trippy vocal section goes from being 4 lines to only 3 at the end which make it so that the vocal lines end up beginning 1 measure earlier every time they repeat. Not sure how to really explain it properly, but I thought it was neat.

I also think that Paralyzed and Pale Blue Dot are the strongest perfomance by James on the album, probably because he stay in a fairly safe range in both song. But his delivery is really good and the melodies are interesting enough that it doesn't feel boring at all.

So I'm going to need more time to digest it all, but so far I'd say it will likely end up ranking in the upper half of their discography for me. Great job Dream Theater! 

[Another_Won]

So I have been really enjoying the album but is it just me or .....


Does anybody else just tune out while Rudess solos now?     His organ solo on FITL is AWESOME but I find the rest of his solos to be completely underwritten. 

I loved Rudess on SFAM and SDOIT and I really like TA but am I struggling with him on this album. 

I also think AWE could have been elevated to ALL TIME DT CLASSIC had they not had the fade out and just written something to connect it to the part where the music comes back and make it louder and longer.   

Anyways, nitpicking stuff there but I do wish DT would just cut out keyboard solo's if JR is not going to put any thought into them.

Agreed.  I am liking the album more and more, but while JP, MM and JM are all killing it all on this record, JR is very much in the background for most of the record, and most of his few solos are pretty forgettable.  He is more of a prog guy than metal, and this album is more metal than prog (generally speaking), so this was not his bread and butter, and probably why he did a solo album around the same time.

Good point!  That didn't occur to me when I found out he did the album.

[jayvee3]

The only thing on this record that reminded me of another DT song is the intro to Wit's, made me think of The Test That Stumped Them All.

To me, it’s the similarity of the riff in BW to TBOT. Almost sounds blatantly identical to the point it’s the only bit of the song I wish was changed to something a little more original.

Oh I guess I got lucky there , see I haven't heard TBOT since the year BC&SL came out as I really didn't like it. I think it's the only song outside of FII that I don't know by heart.

Haha, that’s funny man! 😊 I think you’re on the right track - stick to BW my friend, while the riff may be similar, is is also vastly superior in my book 

[DTinTX]

I'd really like to know if all of the jewel's were missing VK, or if just a batch or two went out.  One of my favorites BTW... 

[Dream Team]

Gotta say, I’m ready for DT to move on from the “internal struggle” lyrical subject matter. The AA Saga, The Answer Lies Within, These Walls, Panic Attack, The Enemy Inside, Untethered Angel, Paralyzed, Room 137, etc etc. Most of the Awake stuff.

[Architeuthis]

I really like Jordan's parts on this album. His piano parts are very well done, and synth progressions are atmospheric and serve the songs well.  His use of different sounds is nice and diverse. I do agree about the Hammond organ sounds better for the soloing on this record, but his other patches are cool too. He's a innovator of sound and he did some nice soundscapes on D/T.   

[Bacong]

at wit's end is one of their best songs in the last 15 years. pale blue dot is fun, so is room 137. untethered angel is workmanlike but i'm with it. i don't like fall into the light or s2n. barstool warrior is solid. paralyzed is dece. out of reach is a song on the albu

it's not bad. 6/10. roughly as good/bad as their output since 2007 (i really like the astonishing though)

hi everyone :3

[Nel]

I'd really like to know if all of the jewel's were missing VK, or if just a batch or two went out.  One of my favorites BTW...

I picked up the standard jewelcase that I saw at Walmart, and it had VK on it. Not listed, but on it. Going to cancel that special request I made for the digipak at the record store. This is so confusing. Did VK just get put on to a bunch of standard copies by accident? The website selling the digipak made a big deal about it having the bonus track. 

[fischermasamune]

I really like Jordan's parts on this album. His piano parts are very well done, and synth progressions are atmospheric and serve the songs well.  His use of different sounds is nice and diverse. I do agree about the Hammond organ sounds better for the soloing on this record, but his other patches are cool too. He's a innovator of sound and he did some nice soundscapes on D/T.

I agree. Really like his parts, even if not that prominent. For example (one of many), the piano player at AWE is excellent, even if in the background.

[jimbosile]

Really solid album. I think At Wit's End is phenomenal and the line where James sings "something's missing" and that whole little section is probably my favourite part of the whole album. The drumming, the guitar, James' voice. Really excellent.

[lovethedrake]

This album just continues to grow on me and is rising up the album rankings.   Best album since train of thought!   

Pale blue dot is finally clicking.. the first half is just amazingly cool.

I’m also loving paralyzed more every time I listen and I’ve already heard it like 25 times haha.

Viper king is so fun... please make more stuff like this!

Bw, s2n, awe, oor just great dt tunes.  Love that they brought the cheese back on out of reach... that’s where James shines imo... hair metal cheese.  Sounds like an insult but it’s honestly where I love him as a vocalist.  He does that far better than sinister stuff.

Very excited!!!    So happy to hear Myung loud and clear again! And Petrucci, my favorite musician really brought the goods on this one.  His solos are really hitting home now.   Well done gents!

[ariich]

at wit's end is one of their best songs in the last 15 years. pale blue dot is fun, so is room 137. untethered angel is workmanlike but i'm with it. i don't like fall into the light or s2n. barstool warrior is solid. paralyzed is dece. out of reach is a song on the albu

it's not bad. 6/10. roughly as good/bad as their output since 2007 (i really like the astonishing though)

hi everyone :3

[erciccio]

My thoughts of the day.

I dared to look at the Facebook comments on the Dream Theater page, and they were EXTREMELY positive!
The first slightly negative comments showed up something around the 40# position, and I still have to find one "bring Portnoy back" whine.
That's surprising...I like this album but for me is nowhere as good as The Astonishing or ADTOE
Clearly "playing safe" helps at least with the Internet..ehm...fans base

I know really love Pale Blu Dot.
It's one of the (several) cases where I moved my judgment from "what the hells is this" to "wow" in 8-10 listens...
It really takes some effort to digest, but it's worth the pain.
When it clicks it's truly a masterpiece..
Even the instrumental section, that sometimes feels a bit "clichè", has its moments of genius...
There are moments where it really feels like being in a space ship spinning out of control close to a black hole..
Love it

[undertower]

Well, I absolutely disliked this Untethered Angel song and still do (a bit less, as I got used to it), but, damn, the album just gets better from track 2 up until the inevitable ballad but then returns with pretty solid PBD. My favs - S2N, AWE and that intro to PBD.

[erwinrafael]

So in TA, MM drummed two simultaneous snare rolls to simulate a marching band for the song Astonishing.

In PBD  at the 3:31 mark, MM does a marching snare roll. Then at 3:45, another snare comes in. That's when one realizes that he is playing one-handed snare rolls again. LOL

[DreamerTV]

The only thing on this record that reminded me of another DT song is the intro to Wit's, made me think of The Test That Stumped Them All.

Try to sing Losing Time over the piano part in Barstool Warrior

[Logain Ablar]

I haven't seen anyone say this yet, but the intro to Barstool reminds me of Glasgow Kiss from JP's solo album..

[jayvee3]

I admit Pale Blue Dot's first impression was pretty bad for me. It grows fastly. I still think outro is the weakest part.

Absolutely agree here. As the "true" album closer, this is probably the most underwhelming outro among the rest of the discography. I was pretty disappointed on my first listen, and I was very relieved that Viper King followed immediately, because it very quickly washed away that feeling.

After many many listens, I still feel that it's not as good as other outros, but the solo in a vacuum is pretty solid. And the rest of the song has really really grown on me as well. I find myself randomly blurting out "GOD CREATOR" during the day.

While I actually really like PBD, I wonder if the outro might actually be enhanced with some more of the “space” samples that begin the track... While I’m not crazy about a ridiculous amount of samples, I think a few seconds more of the samples heard at the beginning to round it out may have helped in the overall vibe and subject matter, and a good way to bring it all together and finish it up. Again, nothing overblown, just enough to tie it all together...

[The Curious Orange]

Amazon delivered this yesterday, and I gave it its first listen last night.
Initial thoughts:

Hmm - not sure I like the black border around the digipack edition. Is it supposed to make it look classy? It doesn't. But at least the booklet isn't glued to the case this time, so that's something.

First three songs I'm already familiar with, of course, but they sound great on a proper hi-fi rather than on my phone. The production here is stellar, and I don't think DT have ever sounded so good.

Barstool Warrior - not sure about this one, needs more listens. Room 137 and S2N are both fantastic, I love the way they sound like DT without sounding like DT. Am loving this so far.

I don't like the way At Wit's End fades out - DT songs shouldn't fade out IMO. Out of Reach made no impression on me whatsoever, and Pale Blue Dot - Wow! This is going to take repeated listening to really appreciate, but on first hearing, a classic in the making. Viper King is fun, and actually does fit in surprising well with the rest of the album.

It left me exhausted, this really is a relentless barrage on the senses. It's not only heavy, it's heavy in a new way for DT, they really have stripped back their sound into something much more direct. It'll be interesting to see how well this one ages.

It left me exhausted. That's often a sign of excessive compression or "brickwalling". Be interesting to see what the next few listens reveal.

So on first listen - yes, I like. Roll on the tour!

[YtseJamittaja]

Okay, ranking time!

10. Room 137 - Might be one of my least favourite DT songs, overall feeling just doesn't do anything for me.

9. Out Of Reach - Nice ballad but not even near from their bests like Wither

8.  Pale Blue Dot - I think they really lost their songwriting in this one. Just riffs after riffs and it sounds like everybody wants to do a solo after another.

7. Unethered Angel - Nice song, reminds me of OTBOA

6. S2N - Really great intro but verses are just chaos and not really melodic. Outro slays

5. Paralyzed - This has a potential to be one of my faves from these more straightforward songs but it lacks a good chorus. The chorus sounds like pre-chorus and then it goes to another verse 

4. Fall Into the Light - Same arguments than in Paralyzed. It could be really strong song but the chorus is so weak... Metallica part is gold!

3. Barstool Warrior - This could be from The Astonishing but it could as well be from I&W. That song is just like what Astonishing should have been, strong individual tracks which could have connected musically and lyrically.

2. Viper King - The song I find listen a lot lately. Only argument is that James's voice in the first verse sounds quite bad.

1. At Wit's End - Liking this song more and more. Definitely their best song for a while.

[genome]

Giving the album a break for a couple of days. I've listened to it so many times since last week I'm worried about getting worn out with it 

I'll cleanse the palate with some other music for a little while. If it's still as good when I come back to it then I know this album is a winner.