Quite possibly my favorite album since ToT. I’m blown away by how awesome it is. I got into DT right after ADToE dropped, and this is the first “new” album since DT12 that has made me this happy. Not a single throwaway song. As amazing as everyone is on this album, Mangini absolutely takes top performance of the album by a fucking landslide. Without a doubt the best drumming on any DT album ever. Even disregarding the inhumanely fast single-limb cymbal playing, this will be the hardest album for me to learn for sure. JP has some of his best solos to date for me as well, which is crazy impressive this late in his career. All the solo and unison sections feel inspired and fresh. The production is incredible and this definitely the best sounding DT album by far. The clarity on the 8 string with the ability to still clearly hear the bass and other instruments is outstanding. The whole album sounds heavy but SO CLEAR. Goddamn impressive!!
JLB sounds excellent throughout. I agree that not all of the vocal melodies are my thing, with some parts really sounding weird, but the majority of them are catchy and well done. The only other complaint I can make about the album is how every song’s 1st verse except Transcending Time follows a palm muted guitar riff, which is the only part of the album that feels repetitive, but the album is so great that it becomes a non-issue for me.
I don’t wanna make a suuuper long review and clunk up the thread, so some quick thoughts:
I’ve loved The Alien since it came out, and I enjoy Invisible Monster, but it’s the clear bottom of the album for me. Answering the Call really blew me away. Probably my favorite chorus on the album, and the unison before the final chorus is outstanding. Sleeping Giant and Awaken the Master are both amazing as well, and Transcending Time really surprised me! Their “Rush” sounding songs can sometimes feel cheesy to me (like The Looking Glass), but I thoroughly loved this one. One of my favorite JP solos on the album.
View was not at all what I was expecting. Very different from any of the epics, and I think the song is all the better because of that. The intro with the syncopated riff has some crazy synth and symphonic stuff going on, and the first 2 verses and choruses are excellent. But the instrumental section after that second chorus through the end of the song is some of the best DT music of all time. The unison that leads into the soft break is such a heavy punch to the face, and it being so loud in the mix makes it so impactful. The cello in the soft part is amazing, and the melodies feel very new for DT to me. The whole song has a dark, haunting feel and I adore it. While I love Illumination Theory, I’ve always felt like the ending was trying too hard to be like Razor’s Edge and it fell flat for me. I’m so happy they didn’t try a typical epic ending like that with this song. The last vocal part is by far my favorite JLB part on the album, and taking the riff from the intro and slowing it down with Mangini doing some crazy shit and the awesome keys/orchestral instruments in the back was unexpected and GREAT. This might end up one of my favorite songs of theirs of all time. (Ok so my thoughts on this song weren’t all that quick but there’s a lot more I could’ve said so it’s the best I could do haha)
Ranking for now:
1. A View From the Top of the World
2. Answering the Call
3. Sleeping Giant
4. The Alien
5. Awaken the Master
6. Transcending Time
7. Invisible Monster
Topic: *Official* A View from the Top of the World discussion thread (Read 142131 times)