*Official* A View from the Top of the World discussion thread

[Kram]

Invisible Monster is my least favorite of the album, but it's my favorite out of all my least favorites from each album

I agree 100%. This is me as well.

[KevShmev]

I remember that Constant Motion (their worst single ever and a bottom 5 song from any DT album) and The Dark Eternal Night were the songs released prior to Systematic Chaos as both had videos, although I think the latter might have been just a studio one, but still.  Not sure if either was considered a single, or just pre-release promotional videos.  I don't remember Forsaken and its video hitting until after the album was out. 

The Alien might be the best lead single of the Mangini era, but I cannot recall, what was the lead one from The Astonishing?  The Alien is certainly better than On the Backs of Angels or Untethered Angel.

The two singles from the Astonishing were The Gift of Music and Moment of Betrayal, if I am not wrong.

I actually like both them, more that The Alien (that's not a bad song though)

Ah, that's right. I like both more than The Alien, but I still think The Alien is a good, solid tune.  Not a favorite, but it's a good song.

[Glasser]

Cannot decide yet which is the one song on the album i like the most. Could pick any of them and feel any option is a good answer, same on any kind of combination songs order based on preference.

Still difficult not to repeat the album right away on every listen.

Every few days I have a different "favorite" song, but I love them all. Its always changing based on what I'm feeling. THAT is what makes this album a work of art.

[Elite]

I was throughly enjoying the album for a week or two and now I haven't had the urge to listen to it again. Is it wearing out on me already? It's been a week without the new album by now.

[Kotowboy]

Invisible Monster > Sleeping Giant > Transcending Time.

Reverse for me

Emit Tnidnecsnart < Tnaig Gnipeels < Retsnom Elbisivni

I was throughly enjoying the album for a week or two and now I haven't had the urge to listen to it again. Is it wearing out on me already? It's been a week without the new album by now.

I do the same with all albums. I just means that it won't already sound tired the next time you do listen.

[BelichickFan]

This is now a top three CD for me.  It's in my top group with I&W and Awake.  Maybe that will change over time but I doubt it.  My order, I think, is:

A View From the Top of the World
Awaken the Master
(side note, bonus points for my favorite tracks ending the CD)
Sleeping Giant
The Alien
Answering the Call
Transcending Time
Invisible Monster

[cramx3]

A couple weeks ago while on a flight, when the pilot mentioned we will be on the ground in 25 minutes, I changed my music to the title track and watched out the window.  It felt perfect. 

[hefdaddy42]

A couple weeks ago while on a flight, when the pilot mentioned we will be on the ground in 25 minutes, I changed my music to the title track and watched out the window.  It felt perfect. 

[Kram]

I was throughly enjoying the album for a week or two and now I haven't had the urge to listen to it again. Is it wearing out on me already? It's been a week without the new album by now.

I had the same thing happened to me.  Took a week off from listening to it - then when I went back to it, it kicked even more ass!!

[geeeemo]

A couple weeks ago while on a flight, when the pilot mentioned we will be on the ground in 25 minutes, I changed my music to the title track and watched out the window.  It felt perfect. 

I mountain bike. I can ride from my house to this "motocross" type trail system on the side of a steep mountain. It's a long up ride home - starting from when I reach the bottom of the trail sytem to my house. I live up a steep hill from the trails. I always listen to DT when I ride and about 1/4 of the way back up the other day, A View came on. Perfect song to power me up and push through what can be a long slug at times! 

[Kotowboy]

Well I was really enjoying the new album two weeks ago...








..I still am, but I was two weeks ago too.

[Mr.Mister]

Random thoughts while i wait a few more weeks to write my full review:

- Sleeping Giant gives me the feels a lot of people expressed with Barstool Warrior. I'm a huge fan of James using his voice as an instrument with the whole "ohhh ohh ohh ohhhhh" section. It'll be badass when they play it live. Also the arrangements on the second chorus.... (chef kiss).

- If ever a DT song deserved an apology from me it's IM. It's the perfect song on the context of the album and where it's placed. That solo from JP won't make any top 10 in my book but it's pure ear candy.

- I love how the 8 string song is actually one of the most melodic songs on the album. I think of it like one of those super friendly pitbulls you see on TikTok. JP did great by not doing a generic Djent song.

- The Alien is the perfect song to start the album. It's almost like taking the baton from PBD, and with both songs talking about space themed I think of it like Disappear-> Vacant -> Medicate: separate songs that thematically could be connected with a bit of imagination.

- Jordan is a fn monster in this album setting the tone on the background. Also his patches are less "pin-ball machiney"

I've said this before and I say it again about AVFTTOTW:

 - It's the epic that if Haken had written it I'd be like "oh man I wish DT would do something like this".
 - I'm a big fan of ditching the crescendo + solo ending and instead doing that odd yet catchy loopy riff to send the album off. Talk about not doing the same over and over again.
- The instrumental section at ~7:15 still gives me chill and that change of time signature from Mangini at 8:13 is my only regret on this album because I wish it was just a bit longer.
- The False ending makes me giddy
- The section at ~16:24 still surprises me - it's something I'd expect more from Symphony X than from DT. Love it.

Only 2 weeks in there is no a single skip song for me. I have a strong feeling this one will rank very high on my list. I wish they'd play the entire thing 

[jammindude]

Well I was really enjoying the new album two weeks ago...








..I still am, but I was two weeks ago too.

MITCH!!!

[Glasser]

Well I was really enjoying the new album two weeks ago...








..I still am, but I was two weeks ago too.

MITCH!!!

Mitch Hedberg was the best!!! 

[TAC]

I used to like AVFTTOTW.

I still do, but I used to too.


Mitch was awesome!

[TheCountOfNYC]

“I like the FedEx driver, because he’s a drug dealer and he don’t even know it”.

[TAC]

"An escalator can never break. It just becomes...stairs."

[LudwigVan]

I've said this before and I say it again about AVFTTOTW:

 - It's the epic that if Haken had written it I'd be like "oh man I wish DT would do something like this".
 

Absolutely!!

[TAC]

Not sure I understand. It's an awesome song, though to me it's a bit undercut by the non epic ending.

[hefdaddy42]

Not sure I understand. It's an awesome song, though to me it's a bit undercut by the non epic ending.

I think the reason some of us like it is that the "epic ending" is expected, so much so that it's almost a cliche.  We like that they refused the expectation, and went a different route.

Like, ANYONE that writes these epics gives them the "epic ending".  Subverting expectation every once in a while is a good thing.

[Mr.Mister]

Not sure I understand. It's an awesome song, though to me it's a bit undercut by the non epic ending.

I think the reason some of us like it is that the "epic ending" is expected, so much so that it's almost a cliche.  We like that they refused the expectation, and went a different route.

Like, ANYONE that writes these epics gives them the "epic ending".  Subverting expectation every once in a while is a good thing.

Bingo

This is exactly it for me. I was caught off guard with the ending in a good way - I think the easy thing would have been to do an ending ala IT, or 8V or TA or SDOIT but it's been done to death. The "epicness" of this song for me comes not from the length or the ending but from the entire journey and it's a wild one for me.

[LKap13]

The ending is brilliant. You just don't find this kinda stuff in much music today (or in the past for that matter)

[Elite]

The ending is brilliant. You just don't find this kinda stuff in much music today (or in the past for that matter)

What 'kind of stuff' do you mean exactly?

[fischermasamune]

I really like that AVFTTOTW has a "handbrake" section when approaching the end, in which the sound slows down but each instrument kind of does it at its own pace, creating that syncopated feeling. The same happens in the "pre-ending" of Scarred, and it aggrandizes Scarred as it does AVFTTOTW.

Regarding the very end of its ending, AVFTTOTW has it mimicking the starting motif. The same happens on the first song, The Alien. The meaning is, for each individual song as well as for the album as a whole: the story ends where it began.

[LKap13]

The ending is brilliant. You just don't find this kinda stuff in much music today (or in the past for that matter)

What 'kind of stuff' do you mean exactly?

Change of pace, surprising to the listener, extreme syncopation, fantastic sound of the instruments

[Elite]

The ending is brilliant. You just don't find this kinda stuff in much music today (or in the past for that matter)

What 'kind of stuff' do you mean exactly?

Change of pace, surprising to the listener, extreme syncopation, fantastic sound of the instruments

Well, all of that stuff can in fact be found in music today (and in the past).

[LKap13]

Hey man I just really love the album. This album has been 90%+ of my entertainment past few weeks (i.e. Music, movies, TV, books, sports etc) and I'm still not tired of it

[Wim Kruithof]

Hey man I just really love the album. This album has been 90%+ of my entertainment past few weeks (i.e. Music, movies, TV, books, sports etc) and I'm still not tired of it

Same here. Both the artbook and vinyl have been given many hours already in my house. And later on, when I grap a nice La Trappe, I will give the reaction vid from Orullian another chance.

Though, as much as I love all the tracks, I still have some difficulty to appreciate the epic ending. The last seconds, where it ends like it starts is beautiful, but I really do mis that 'Razors Edge' feeling along the way. For now... but heck, it might age nicely.

[Elite]

Hey man I just really love the album.

And that’s great!

[MrMike]

Sleeping Giant is still my favorite track.  Love the riffs, vocal melodies, chorus, drumming...yeah pretty much everything.  To me, it's the most classic DT sounding song.

Bringing up the rear for me is The Alien.  Love some bits of it (especially the drum fills), but overall it just feels like a bunch of ideas thrown together and not really a cohesive song.  I also don't like its placement as the leadoff track.

My order at the moment:

1.  Sleeping Giant
2.  Answering The Call
3.  Awaken The Master
4.  A View From The Top Of The World
5.  Transcending Time
6.  Invisible Monster
7.  The Alien

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Hey man I just really love the album. This album has been 90%+ of my entertainment past few weeks (i.e. Music, movies, TV, books, sports etc) and I'm still not tired of it

That is great to hear. I had that experience with ADTOE, DT12 and DOT when they came out. I am enjoying DT15 but it's not hitting me like those 3 did. You feel like you are on cloud 9 when that happens.

[Wim Kruithof]

If I had to pick my favorites this far, it would be Answering the Call (unbelievable rhythm, chordprogressions and Petrucci's solo-start sounds exact like Lie did on Awake) and Transcending Time. That song is so harmonious and brings joy in every bone of mine. Really it is a work of art.

But the funny thing is, I liked both the Alien and Invisible Monster when they came out but they sounds so much better in the frame of this album. I just can't follow the fuzz about Invisible Monster. That song keeps constantly changing in both melody and rhythm and I would never skip it, while listening to the whole album. Again.

And again.

[LKap13]

If I had to pick my favorites this far, it would be Answering the Call (unbelievable rhythm, chordprogressions and Petrucci's solo-start sounds exact like Lie did on Awake) and Transcending Time. That song is so harmonious and brings joy in every bone of mine. Really it is a work of art.

But the funny thing is, I liked both the Alien and Invisible Monster when they came out but they sounds so much better in the frame of this album. I just can't follow the fuzz about Invisible Monster. That song keeps constantly changing in both melody and rhythm and I would never skip it, while listening to the whole album. Again.

And again.

*claps hands*

[AVFTTOTW]

Even though I preferred Invisible Monster over The Alien as a single, I too follow the thought that Invisible Monster is more effective in it's album context. On the other hand The Alien is just hard for me to listen to at this point, even though it's not the one track I dislike (TT) from the album.

[fluojn]

Greetings from Finland. I post here very seldom so I try to make it count.

Have listened the new record non stop driving to work from the moment it was released.
After the first listen I was feeling the same thing many have noted on this forum:
No many things were stuck to my head or stood out particularly. But being a person who
very much likes the music I already know I was sure this was going to change after listening
it more. Now being quite familiar with the record I agree with the claim that the new album
is a grower and very THICK.

Also something I feel after listening to the interviews and noting the rhythmic personality of the album
is that MM has a very big influence in the songwriting within the band. The Alien was written around the
17/16 signature Mike had in mind. Mike was adamant about including one mid-tempo song which became
the Invisible Monster. I wouldn't be surprised if A View, ATC and ATM were also built up from the rhythmic
motifs. And that leads me to a conclusion how A View as an album is one of if not THE most rhythm based
DT album. That might be the reason why some are not feeling JP, JR or JLB are not that stellar this time
around. For me A View is the most balanced effort from the band for quite some time. Every member
compliments the overall sound and make it more than the sum of it's parts.

I don't understand the complaints about album not having melody or emotion. Individuals appreciate
different things and for some a DT album without a soaring guitar solos like in Razor's Edge or Barstool Warrior
is lifeless. Same thing if JLB is not hitting those high notes he used to. I think the new album has memorable
melodic passages everywhere and also feeling the emotion. The cheerful ending theme of the Alien, ATC's
beautiful chorus, SG's tasteful last vocal passage, all of TT, the cello section from A View and so on... The
album fills me with joy from start to finish. Are the emotions like the ones I get from, say, I&W,
6DOIT or SFAM? No, but this record has an identity of it's own. Maybe I'm just easy to please, but that
is how I feel.

I'm just so happy about getting a quality album from my favorite band of all time again! DT forever