I got that, but one thing is to say you don’t like it (and that’s completely fine), but another is to say you cannot understand why someone who’s been a DT fan for over 10 years likes it. I could go on on a long-ass post developing why I love TA (I have been there before) but I see no reason to. It’s perfecty fine that you don’t like TA, it’s just your particular wording that got my attention lol.
I just find that the people who have been with the band the longest seem to be the ones who are least likely to think "The Astonishing" is a great album. I think it's great that it brought some new fans into the fold and it's just my observation that more recent / younger / newer fans seem to appreciate this album more than people who have been with the band since the beginning like me.
People tend to dislike change and the older you are the more you tend to dislike it and I think that may have at least something to do with it.
The reason why I enjoy it is because of the way it is presented actually. I listen to it as a Broadway play, I can imagine the settings, the characters, the acting, all happening on the stage. And why, I feel, it would've been best presented as a JP project, featuring the music composed by Dream Theater, had JLB be Arhys, Gabriel, or Lord Nefaryus, and had other singers guest for the other characters. But I also know, where is he going to get the funding for that, and what about playing it live.
And this is one major reason, I feel, TA wasn't received as well. Most metal, and casual, listeners of music, do not listen to Broadway or Opera, and most do not know the way Music and Songs are presented in these styles. The Astonishing, is presented as an Opera, hence a Rock Opera.
This is not to be confused with a Concept Album. A concept album, is still presented as your casual music album, the only difference is it has a theme, narrative, or story, presented by the music and lyrics. The music, can have themes spread throughout and the lyrics can be the only thing carrying on the story/narrative or theme, if the music has no theme.
If JP would've gotten his way and presented it Live first, and had the album available later after the tour, or better yet if possible at the shows. That would've been a cool experiment, as we the fans are putting our trust in the band and are going in with blind faith that the band will present us with a good live show. The experiment here is...Who would buy a ticket for an album, we haven't yet heard as fans, and that show is that album? I definitely would've went and bought a ticket.