The Alien Listening Party ! ALL SPOILERS !

[chwik]

I always find comments of disjointedness amusing given that Dream Theater defined their musical style with Metropolis Pt. 1.

Anyway, one could only imagine how good the past-MM DT albums would have sounded if we actually heard his cymbal work like in this song. I remember watching Youtube videos of live performances of Illumination Theory and man, a lot of amazing cymbal work was not audible in the studio version.

I find myself smiling in Mangini's "drum solo" with the octobans / cannon drums from 5:25 to 5:35. He is still keeping time with his snare!

Have you listended to the past MM DT albums in the high res versions in Apple music? I crancked DT12 with Illumination Theory in the car yesterday on the Harman Kardon stereo, and I could definitly hear a lot more nuances in MM drumming. In fact the overall sound of the album seems much better than the CD version. 

[lovethedrake]

DT songs usually sound disjointed on first listen… not worried about that.

The mix and production alone will make this an enjoyable record and there’s no sign of them phoning it in.  There’s a ton of energy and creativity going on.

I agree that the vocals are a bit of a bummer until the very end…. I actually loved James on DOT so hopefully this is just one song where they drown him.

Mangini is a beast no doubt but it’s all technical to me.  There’s not a lot of “melody” in his drumming.  Maybe it’s just the way the song is written.  Maybe I’m just crazy.

I’m excited to see where they take the rest of the album. 

That song gave me shades of so many different DT albums so it will be interesting to see what else comes!

[BeatriceNB]

Well look at reaction videos of Metropolis 1 and I think most will say it feels disjointed when the instrumental break comes. I don't mind it but it's easy to see why.

Anyyyyyyway. Kinda thought this song was really cool. Got really scared when people started mentioning Raw Dog as a comparison, something I can happily disagree with  For a long time I have wanted something really chaotic from DT. Most singles plays it very safe but sometimes manages to get my interest (Gift of Music). PBD I thought was going to be that chaotic song but in the end it was just a bit chaotic within the instrumental breaks but played it safe with the overall structure. This one is way more all over the place. Not sure I have a problem with the breaks either, quite the opposite. I keeps the song going and interesting all the way through.

This could go down as one of the best singles they ever released in my book.

Metropolis has the interesting detail of being the only* non-The Astonishing DT song to be through-composed. On top of having a complex instrumental passage. It makes a lot of sense that people don't find it cohesive at first.
*a case can be made for Octavarium and Outcry, but I personally don't count those because they have repeating choruses.

[Pettor]

I will stop spamming now but at around 6:02 there's this JP riff that sounds so similar. Is it Lost Not Forgotten?

https://youtu.be/GlhLcewMORY?t=432

That's it! Thanks!

[BeatriceNB]

I always find comments of disjointedness amusing given that Dream Theater defined their musical style with Metropolis Pt. 1.

Anyway, one could only imagine how good the past-MM DT albums would have sounded if we actually heard his cymbal work like in this song. I remember watching Youtube videos of live performances of Illumination Theory and man, a lot of amazing cymbal work was not audible in the studio version.

I find myself smiling in Mangini's "drum solo" with the octobans / cannon drums from 5:25 to 5:35. He is still keeping time with his snare!

I used to use the disjointedness argument  to criticize some songs/suites until recently (eg Haken's Messiah Complex - which I really don't like). But I realized that there are a lot of prog music that I love that can be called disjointed too. So..... 

Messiah Complex takes the cake for being the worst song I have ever heard. It changed my paradigm about music completely (I used to be a huge technique advocate before that), and I stopped listening to the band since then.

[Dedalus]

DT songs usually sound disjointed on first listen… not worried about that.

The mix and production alone will make this an enjoyable record and there’s no sign of them phoning it in.  There’s a ton of energy and creativity going on.

I agree that the vocals are a bit of a bummer until the very end…. I actually loved James on DOT so hopefully this is just one song where they drown him.

Mangini is a beast no doubt but it’s all technical to me.  There’s not a lot of “melody” in his drumming.  Maybe it’s just the way the song is written.  Maybe I’m just crazy.

I’m excited to see where they take the rest of the album. 

That song gave me shades of so many different DT albums so it will be interesting to see what else comes!

Well, on a scale of 0 to 100, my understanding of the concept of "melodic drumming" is roughly 0.6. 

As I said before, for me MM is the best thing on the single....by far!!!

[ReaPsTA]

Most of the other songs on this album are shorter though so I'm not super worried.

Haha well AcTuaalLY there are 3 songs that are shorter and 3 that are longer 🤓

Whoop missed Awaken the Master

I will stop spamming now but at around 6:02 there's this JP riff that sounds so similar. Is it Lost Not Forgotten?

https://youtu.be/GlhLcewMORY?t=432

That's it! Thanks!

Surely

[Dedalus]

Messiah Complex takes the cake for being the worst song I have ever heard. It changed my paradigm about music completely (I used to be a huge technique advocate before that), and I stopped listening to the band since then.

I decided that Haken's discography is:

2013 - The Mountain.

And that's it.   

[Pettor]

Messiah Complex takes the cake for being the worst song I have ever heard. It changed my paradigm about music completely (I used to be a huge technique advocate before that), and I stopped listening to the band since then.

Hahaha that is the one song from Haken I really like (ok sure Mountain have some stuff as well) The chaotic and disjointed structure is so much fun to listen to. The overall song isn't a masterpiece or something I regularly go back to, but when it comes on Spotify I enjoy it.

[GasparXR]

I will stop spamming now but at around 6:02 there's this JP riff that sounds so similar. Is it Lost Not Forgotten?

https://youtu.be/GlhLcewMORY?t=432

I noticed that one right away. Wasn't sure if I was just imagining it. I thought the same thing listening to In the Presence of Enemies for the first time, there's a part in both parts (lol) where MP uses the exact same drum part from The Root of All Evil.

[erwinrafael]

I always find comments of disjointedness amusing given that Dream Theater defined their musical style with Metropolis Pt. 1.

Anyway, one could only imagine how good the past-MM DT albums would have sounded if we actually heard his cymbal work like in this song. I remember watching Youtube videos of live performances of Illumination Theory and man, a lot of amazing cymbal work was not audible in the studio version.

I find myself smiling in Mangini's "drum solo" with the octobans / cannon drums from 5:25 to 5:35. He is still keeping time with his snare!

Have you listended to the past MM DT albums in the high res versions in Apple music? I crancked DT12 with Illumination Theory in the car yesterday on the Harman Kardon stereo, and I could definitly hear a lot more nuances in MM drumming. In fact the overall sound of the album seems much better than the CD version.

I am actually already happy with my "Mastered for iTunes" versions. I just wish that they managed to make the cymbal work pop out like in The Alien. For years, MM had to suffer the criticism that he doesn't know how to play cymbals.

Speaking of cymbals, there is this portion from 4:48 to 4:55 where Mangini made the highlight on the stacks in the left, and then the next line it's in the right, and then next line back to the left. It's sonically pleasing on good earphones. NERD!

[DoctorAction]

Wow. Fresh, unexpected, crammed with detail, not immediate. The sound is great to my ears. James sounds lovely.

Happy camper here. Can't wait for the rest of the album. 

[BeatriceNB]

Messiah Complex takes the cake for being the worst song I have ever heard. It changed my paradigm about music completely (I used to be a huge technique advocate before that), and I stopped listening to the band since then.

I decided that Haken's discography is:

2013 - The Mountain.

And that's it.   

For me, it is:

2016 - Affinity

 

[Bertie_Wooster]

“Endless Dream”  by YES is very disjointed but also a masterpiece

[Architeuthis]

Wow. Fresh, unexpected, crammed with detail, not immediate. The sound is great to my ears. James sounds lovely.

Happy camper here. Can't wait for the rest of the album. 

I'm with you all the way on this one!    

[Architeuthis]

“Endless Dream”  by YES is very disjointed but also a masterpiece

Endless Dream is perhaps my favorite song of all time by anybody!   

[majo]

how low must've DT fallen if this is considered top-notch production/sound by the fanbase... 
yeah, it sounds much better than previous ones but still mediocre at best... almost zero tonality, reverb or any character at all from drums - great playing though by MM (finally showing some musicality)
i like both Johns' playing on this one

- listened 24/96 qobuz, spotify and yt versions with sennheiser hd600 with dedicated dac and amp.

[TM172003]

I just listened for the third time, I do really like it now. It’s a shame that James and Jordan are a bit buried, but it doesn’t feel nearly as disjointed as it did last night. The transition between the heavy intro to the hopeful intro solo still feels a tad abrupt but the whole song makes a lot more sense now. That, and I’m really happy with how the drums sound and, as everyone on Earth has already said, MM is playing out of his mind on this track. I really hope they keep it up for the rest of the album.

[PixelDream]

Nice fat bottom end to the bass here, definitely liking that. Production is for me the best it’s been since MM joined the band.

The song is uh, pretty busy and complex haha. Listened twice at a nice loud volume through my beloved headphones.

Vocal melodies are just ‘there’ but JLB sounds fine to me. Very safe, but I can live with that. Some FX in the opening sentences but overall the vocals sound more natural to me than on the last couple of records.

I don’t know, it just sounds like pretty complex Dream Theater so far. What stands out to me are the sections where they let stuff breathe where JP’s rhythm guitar and the keys are left out during the guitar solo.

I liked UA and Paralyzed a lot more on first listen because those songs make a lot more sense LoL, but I can definitely appreciate the increased ambition here.

Have to say the song comes together quite well when James sings his last sentences and the outro that follows. Really dig how JP’s last bended note lands on that half-time groove.

[Eroma]

I like this new song. Especially the mix overall. People talking about the drums, but the bass is also very present. A job well done i'd say. The composition for me is 'typical' DT. So depending on what meaning typical has for you (common, expected, regular, normal ...) this is good or bad? ;-)
For me it's recognisable but pleasant to hear, great - really supurb - guitars, a lot of details to discover (each time I listen I find something new) and most of all the song in it's whole sounds just right. It's really complex music and if you have ever tried to mix so much instruments the way like this sounds, you can't have but respect. Really well done DT!

So, bring on the next song please 

[DTA]

Feels very much lifted from the SC/BC&SL era but I'm already liking this a lot better. The first verse remind anyone of Count of Tuscany?

[jingle.boy]

This song is pretty generic, predictable DT if you ask me, but I usually always have a more negative opinion on first listen on most things.  I'm sure it'll grow.

Just find it lacks a bit of energy on a whole, but the middle solo section was cool.  Got a Obfuscation (BTBAM) vibe from it.  The outro was very nice too.  JLB has become a shadow of his former self, a shame.

This is exactly how I felt about the 1st act of the song.  The solo sections were terrific though.  And JP's outro solo was pretty fresh.  JLB is the most generic part of the song.  Not bad, just bland (imo)

[devieira73]

Only 2 listens, but I'm really loving it. I love when DT goes a bit more over the top in its instrumentation as they never lose their musicality (that's the very reason I love this band so much). Great performances by all (ok, James isn't the focal point here) and Mangini and Myung sound gloriously well (killer, killer mix!). So I'm very happy with the overall direction of the sound.

[Lonk]

I can't do it, I said I wouldn't listen but I have no self control...hold on *loads youtube*

Alright, I can start my work day now. Not a bad song at all. About what I expected honestly in terms of heaviness and nice solos. The ending was really cool. It reminded me of a lot of their older songs, and honestly it has a lot of similarities (vocal melodies at least) to PBD.

[genome]

It does seem like it's continuing the same kind of "vibe" we found on Terminal Velocity and LTE3, just with added JLB this time. Same sort of sound, similar riffs and parts.

It's a bit of a chaotic mish-mash (found the same with LTE3 on some tracks as well) but I enjoyed it. The one thing it's really lacking for me is a good hook. The chorus is a bit underwhelming. Didn't have a problem with the vocals though, it sounds like JLB's in his comfort zone, which for me is a good thing.

[wideworldofmike]

This song feels like an intro to the rest of the album?...is the whole album one big epic/or threading theme?

Vocals at begining melody is untethered angel which confused me, right down to the guitar chunking on the one low chord / choice of scale for melody, but the rest of the song was much fresher. I think Labrie sounded great, he's not singing "another day" who gives a crap if he's not hitting what my wife calls "that one high note" lol. He's a story teller w a great voice. Besides everyone in dtf seems to be hoping for him to sing in range and not blow out his voice, seems like this is the intro/will be for the shows, let a guy warm up, let the music build!

There are some great JP moments, wondering if there are themes that appear throughout album and that's why people feel "disjointed" feels like 6 degrees or astonishing intro at times; either way also just opinion but i think we can mostly all admit "disjointed" is a common complaint for most people listening to any DT song w multiple parts, so let's be real it is endearing at this point or we wouldn't be listening, more is more.

Jordan playing with some interesting sounds; i dig the intro how the sound builds w JP's harmonics; also 6:50 the modulation on that note on headphones is really fun (probably will be nuts live if its loud enough), hope there are more moments like that re: the solo build in "a rite of passage" (also around 6:50) would love to see him just go nuts w the sounds. (side note when JP kicked off this section i was caught a little off guard that this type of slower solo section appeared so early on in the album - had a sort of S2N vibe for a second). Again they mixing it up and will be great in a show.

John and Mike totally holding it down as usual. I also really enjoyed the final section of the song and how upbeat it was, like the characters in the song have a fighting chance but they're also gonna go through some sh*t. Also they left in some tasty MM stuff like the hat at the end, tight but loose, "just fun" as he would probably say.

The concept of us becoming the aliens is great, would be cool if the vfttotw (sorry i never saw the answer to how we are abbreviating this title, lol) was sort of the climax of colonizing and building a new world to the point of having to leave again.

But what do I know, I thought the title the astonishing was going to be like a vaudevillian hey look how amazing these guys are the astonishing dream theater and was going to be a pure shred album where they let MM totally off the chain; but my guess was pretty wrong there (definitely didn't complain at the show in nyc though ).

For me DT just brings me back to growing up and wanting to shred guitar and getting to actually feel some real emotion other than standard cliche's through heavy music. Whatever they make will be fun and I hope we all get to see them live this year, cause I have feeling this particular set will be pretty exciting to watch.

[Chino]

This song feels like an intro to the rest of the album?...is the whole album one big epic/or threading theme?

Several times throughout I said to myself "This feels like an overture".

[lovethedrake]

Am I crazy or does the video released on YouTube sound better than the iTunes release?

The volume on the video is way louder on my phone and it seems to give it better range when I turn it down slightly.

Any audiophiles have any input here?  It sound good on both but seems more colorful and vibrant on the YouTube video just released.

Again, perhaps I’m just crazy but it’s weird that it’s the max volume is coming  through so much louder on YouTube.

[hunnus2000]

Overture ehh? Interesting.....

I agree, this seems like a follow-up to PBD. From JP's intro solo to the vocal refrain. And yes - I too hear shades of previous albums.

Love it!! 

BTW - I am not going to comment on the musical production until I have the CD/DVD although I guess I can run it through the Bluetooth in the car to get an idea.

[Adami]

It was decent. Drums were really good and I'm not a fan of much of MM's work in DT thus far.

The instrumentation was fun but very DT by the numbers and didn't offer anything new to me personally.

Vocals were just not very good sadly.

Might skip this album actually. We'll see how some of the others are.

[erwinrafael]

So...DT released a music video that is not bad at all!

[HOF]

Ok, that was awesome. Very cool song. When the instrumental kicks in with those toms and then JP’s solo, that was magnificent. They even won me over with a somewhat cheesy sci-if themed lyric. A lot of it felt like it would have fit on SDOIT (vocals reminded me a lot of that album). Might be the best thing they’ve done since SDOIT.

[LKap13]

The song is awesome!

[Peter Mc]

Ok, with more repeated listens, I’m enjoying this now quite a bit.  I always like giving my instant reaction to see how it changes over time but it’s a pretty cool song.  I don’t think it’s destined to become an all time favourite or anything but perfectly fine.

Not understanding all the talk of JLB being buried.  He’s crystal clear to me when listening on Apple Music.

[CrimsonSunrise]

Very disjointed, no melodic hook to me at all in the vocals.  There are some nice Petrucci moments here and there and I’m sure it’s a technical masterclass but left me cold.  Lots of notes but none of them memorable..

That could all change in time but first impression is that there’s no danger of me overplaying this before the album release.

At the end of my first listen now and these are my initial thoughts first spin.  Stand outs to me are MM for sure, and JM sounds good.