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

[RandalGraves]

Interestingly enough, I feel that this album and DOT kind of go hand-in-hand, in terms of the quality of music. This may actually be the first DT album I can remember feeling somewhat indifferent towards on an initial listen but warmed up to over time. I think what makes it comparable to Distance Over Time for me is that I like most of the album and skip three tracks. For DOT, I just skip the first three. For Top of the World, the tracks I tend to skip are right in the middle (IM, SG and TT). It makes for a bit of an awkward album experience, especially since Sleeping Giant is the only track on downright dislike. But at the end of the day, Dream Theater has been doing this for so long that I'm just happy I still enjoy the bulk of the their music on their newer albums. And the production sounds really great here.

[geeeemo]

Sleeping Giant gives me all the great Dream Theater moments.

Spontaneous smiles.
Emotional feels inside - but really not tied to lyrics, just their sound/music is soooo good.
Groovin my body - try to headbang, but with their rhythm sometimes just a body groove.

This song is so Dream Theater at it's finest. But still different
 

[bosk1]

Just ordered my copy, along with A Dramatic Tour of Events and Court of the Dragon.  Amazon will deliver the first two tomorrow.    (not sure why Court of the Dragon will not arrive until 11/10, but whatev)

[adamack]

At the moment, I feel this is their best album since ADTOE. It is nothing groundbreaking at all, but the melodies hit home with me for the most part.

Song Ranking:

1. AVFTTOTW
2. Answering The Call
3. Sleeping Giant
4. The Alien
5. Awaken The Master
6. Transcending Time
7. Invisible Monster

Positives: I love how they kept most everything within James' current vocal range. I love a lot of the chorus melodies. They are not overly involved, but effective. A lot of JR's new leads sound great, and his ragtime-ish section in TSG is awesome. Mangini is amazing as we all came to expect after The Alien. The mix of the album is exceptional.

I also love The Alien now, after thinking it was just "good" before. Sadly though, I don't think I will ever love Invisible Monster.

Disappointments: For the first time, I am a bit disappointed with JP. His solos are not bad, but I love his solos that have more variety in them. As an example - solos like Under a Glass Moon and even Lost Not Forgotten are littered with tons of different techniques, and they are so much more interesting than the shred-heavy ones from the new album. I do really like JP's melodic lead section though, such as the ones in The Alien, the title track and Awaken the Master.

Of the MM-era albums, I would probably go:

ADTOE
AVFTTOTW
DT12
The Astonishing
D/T

As far as its place in my overall ranking, it would probably fall somewhere toward the middle.

[SeRoX]

I have to be honest. Over the years I lost my interest about DT. The band my all time favourite. Since 17 years old to this day (I am 32 now) it remains "all time fav" but starting with Black Clouds I don't connect the band that I used to. Because of their musical direction which they show their technical side more than their melodic/proggy side. And sorry to say that Jordan Rudess is the main reason I lost my interest. The guy is a monster but not my cup of tea. (Though his work on SDOIT and SFAM is awesome.)

Anyway, I don't even remember I visit especially Mangini era albums to listen in its entirety. Maybe a couple of songs. (Like At Wit's End, Breaking All Illusions) Even with DoT, there was an huge hype because guys gathered in a isolated home studio like they did back in SFAM time but BOOM, nothing special about DoT (At Wit's End is the exception). I was like, yeah DT is done in my eyes. In the forum here I was too harsh about the album and gave my honest opinions.

But here we are. I mean it's been just one day. And I spin the album all day TODAY. What a great turn. More melodic, more proggy, new and risky at some point. I'm so happy with the result. I can safely say this album can be in my top 5.

[Peter Mc]

Starting to familiarise myself more with it now.  The three long songs still need some work with Awaken The Master, in particular, not clicking yet at all which is unusual as I am a huge Myung lyric fanboy.  I like parts of Sleeping Giant and AVFTTOTW but not yet from start to finish.

I will never understand how Answer The Call was not the first single which is again unusual as I’m not usually a huge fanboy of JLB penned songs.  This is really catchy though, much more so than The Alien which I enjoy but it took a few listens to get there.

The album just feels very organic to me, like they didn’t have any agenda, they just made a Dream Theater album and it went where it went. DOT felt like a conscious effort to make a modern sounding metal album with concise songs.  The Astonishing obviously had its own agenda to make a musical theatre type album, even the self titled seemed to consciously be trying to make shorter, more accessible songs.  This is more in line with ADTOE but with an unleashed Mangini.  It just feels natural.

I’ve seen loads critical of the vocal melodies but I think that there’s some really strong DT choruses on this, at least by their standards.  I’m enjoying the vocals a lot.  JLB still manages to sound incredibly youthful considering he must be pushing 60.  I don’t mean that he’s going for huge high notes, just that his voice is still really clean and smooth, he doesn’t sound like an old singer.

Overall, I think this will definitely be yet another worthy addition to their catalogue (15 albums and not a dud amongst them for me) and possibly finish higher up the list than I was expecting.  It’s a very pleasant surprise so far.  I had semi given up on them making a modern classic but I think they may have done.

[ReaPsTA]

I’ve seen loads critical of the vocal melodies but I think that there’s some really strong DT choruses on this, at least by their standards.  I’m enjoying the vocals a lot.

I know what you mean. Most of the vocal melodies are really good. But there are a few spots where the melodies are awkward or the delivery isn't so good that really stand out.

[emtee]

Home from work and impatiently waiting for my Amazon delivery. No free download with this one. Wife is out of town for a week. Sound system is ready. Wine glass is full. All I need is the album!

[Dellers]

I really do enjoy this, but I don't enjoy the vocals as much using earplugs or headphones. I can't unhear the extreme amount of pitch correction when not using my speakers, which honestly is far more distracting than vocals that are just slightly out of tune. About a third or maybe more of the notes sung have that really artificial sound, and 17:56 of the title track is just not ok for a finished product. Artificial sounding vocals is one of the reasons why I can't listen to pop music, but if it's supposed to be this obvious in anything I might as well give up on most of the music out there. One thing is using something like this sparingly to fix a few notes here and there, but if I can hear it on a professional record it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Just like botox or whatever it gives me those creepy uncanny valley vibes. Again, great album, but this really takes something away from my enjoyment since it's audible throughout.
Edit: 4:15 of Sleeping Giant is also very robotic on the word by.

[TAC]

The band portraits in the CD booklet are outstanding. I love Mike's pic.

I also like the pic of the kid standing on the chair looking down at the little globe. That would've made a cool album cover. Maybe a bit too BC&SL-ish maybe.

[bosk1]

I really do enjoy this, but I don't enjoy the vocals as much using earplugs or headphones. I can't unhear the extreme amount of pitch correction when not using my speakers, which honestly is far more distracting than vocals that are just slightly out of tune. About a third or maybe more of the notes sung have that really artificial sound, and 17:56 of the title track is just not ok for a finished product. Artificial sounding vocals is one of the reasons why I can't listen to pop music, but if it's supposed to be this obvious in anything I might as well give up on most of the music out there. One thing is using something like this sparingly to fix a few notes here and there, but if I can hear it on a professional record it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Just like botox or whatever it gives me those creepy uncanny valley vibes. Again, great album, but this really takes something away from my enjoyment since it's audible throughout.

DT have used a lot of different kinds of vocal effects throughout the years, which is probably what you are hearing.  But I highly doubt that it is pitch correction.

[Architeuthis]

I haven't listened to the album yet, but I noticed something about the album cover that I can't unsee now.  It looks like the rock is stuck between two elephants having a stare down or a faceoff.. 

[TAC]

I haven't listened to the album yet, but I noticed something about the album cover that I can't unsee now.  It looks like the rock is stuck between two elephants having a stare down or a faceoff.. 

 

The elephant olympics.

[Kotowboy]

A Dramatic Turn Elephants 😅

[TAC]

The Count Of Trunkscany

[MarkFitDT]

The Count of Tuskany.

[Lonk]

for those interested, JBL and MM are live with Nick Nortunal on Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/niknocturnal

[Architeuthis]

A Dramatic Turn Elephants 😅

The Count of Trunksany, Elephant Olympics, and Tuskany are good ones too.     

[TAC]

for those interested, JBL and MM are live with Nick Nortunal on Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/niknocturnal

Is there a way to start at the beginning?

[SeRoX]

for those interested, JBL and MM are live with Nick Nortunal on Twitch

https://www.twitch.tv/niknocturnal

Is there a way to start at the beginning?

Hit the vidoes section on the channel and you can watch from the beginning by selecting the first recorded video.

[LKap13]

So who wrote the vocal melodies on this album?

[SeRoX]

In a Turkish interview James said, JP and JLB wrote them together.

[LKap13]

They're a lot more melodic than recent albums. Wonder if jlb contributed more

[LKap13]

@barstoolwarrior you've been hyped about this album. What are your thoughts?

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I am still chewing on this album but I am very happy with it. My first impression is that it is not best MM-era album (ADTOE) but we'll see how this ages. I am not sure where it fits in my mind but I really like it a lot. The lyrics and compositions are mature. Yes, I understand the most echoed criticism thus far-- that there's nothing new. I get it. Some riffs do remind me of other riffs from prior records and you are right that it isn't a bold sonic evolution. But it doesn't necessarily need to evolve the band's sound just as long as they aren't repeating themselves (if that makes sense). This is a logical successor album to DoT. It is not exactly the same but maybe an outgrowth. I think I am going to enjoy this for a long time.

The first thing that stands out is the production...WOW. I feel like this is the best so far. I can hear the drums; they sit really well in the mix. People are rightly gushing over MM but I think he was playing like this on DoT and DT12 and it's the mix enhancing his awesome playing. The guitar sounds great as always but in particular the 8 string sounds amazing. Sometimes when guys play 8 string, the extra string can sound like a muddy fart. Not the case here at all...very easy to listen to.

The 2 worst songs are the Alien and Invisible Monster but neither is a bad song at all.

Transcending Time is a beautifully composed song. Right now it is my preliminary favorite by a hair. There was a prior comment that it's filler. That has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever read about a DT song (and I've read a lot of dumb things about DT).

Anyway initial ranking is below.

1. Transcending Time (9.5/10)
2. Awaken The Master - still digesting but I think this is going to be my favorite. It's haunting, dark, and powerful.
3. A View From the Top - still digesting
4. Answering the Call (8.5/10)
5. Sleeping Giant - I feel like this may change. I listened to this song a few times today but I want to spend more time with it. I was expecting it to be an instant hit based on everyone else's feedback but it didn't grab me that way.
6. Alien (7/10)
7. Invisible Monster (6/10) - great idea to have a more mid tempo song but those are hard to pull off for DT and this one just has a vocal melody I am not thrilled by

The awesome thing is that there are no duds on this album. I may not listen to the two singles very much but this is definitely an album I can put on and listen all the way through.

[Glasser]

Someone mentioned a Haken comparison. In the title track at the 7:20 mark Haken would be grinning ear to ear. I love it!!! Haken, especially the first 3 albums are outstanding. I know JP is a huge fan!

[WardySI]

The band portraits in the CD booklet are outstanding. I love Mike's pic.

I also like the pic of the kid standing on the chair looking down at the little globe. That would've made a cool album cover. Maybe a bit too BC&SL-ish maybe.

Agreed 100% and expect yes was too BC&SL to use 

[Peter Mc]

The band portraits in the CD booklet are outstanding. I love Mike's pic.

I also like the pic of the kid standing on the chair looking down at the little globe. That would've made a cool album cover. Maybe a bit too BC&SL-ish maybe.

I assume they are the same as the ones in the art book and I agree.  The Mangini one balancing the stick on his hand is great.  Love the Jordan Rudess one as well.  As for the artwork, I think the picture of the kid laying on the roof looking out over the city would have made a great album cover.

[Zook]

It took several listens to really get into this album. The worst part for me initially were the vocal melodies, which sound like an afterthought, but the solos/instrumentals are the biggest disappointment, because I can't remember any of them. They're all interchangeable, and stock DT. They aren't as uninspired as the trade offs in ANTR, but they aren't memorable at all. The only solos I can remember are the ones after the mellow section in the epic because they sound like Megadeth, and those aren't long enough... Great songs meander with the solos, and when I should be jamming out, I'm just waiting for the chorus to come back. The Alien has a decent solo break, and it's one of the better songs on the album. Answering the Call, Sleeping Giants, and Transcending Time are great. The epic isn't bad either. I'mma keep listening.

[darkshade]

I didn't listen to the singles. I hadn't heard one note until the CD came in the mail. I put it on, made sure it was nice and loud. First impressions were pretty positive. I thought The Alien was a good opener, and felt longer than 9+ minutes. On the contrary, I thought the 10 minute Sleeping Giant flew right by. Invisible Monster was good. Can't say much about the rest because there was a lot of crazy things constantly going on, a lot to take in. Definitely need time to digest the epic title track. I thought it was a lot more enjoyable and cohesive than the previous side-long epic, Illumination Theory, but it also felt like it just... ends. Will need more listens.

Production is the best of the modern era. It's bright and airy, with a hint of darkness. Everyone in the band is perfectly clear from what I can tell so far.
I really like Myung's tone on this album. He should at least always sound this good on a DT album.
JP's tone is fat and meaty. Lead tone cuts right through. This is the best he's sounded on a DT album since BC&SL, easily.
I thought JLB sounded better as the album progressed.
JR sounds like JR, but well mixed in with the rest of the band, and doesn't do anything really annoying.

Mangini's drums finally sound good for once. Not only that, I found his playing really cool throughout. At this point, I've accepted that they aren't going to sound like Portnoy era DT, but this album really feels like MM is part of the band now, and not a hired gun. I thought he did some cool stuff on ADTOE, despite being mixed too low, but I've found his playing hit or miss since, while also not sounding too great either. AVFTTOTW really sounds like his style is organically integrated into the DT sound, and he sounds more live and natural-sounding.

[Peter Mc]

As an aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the making of documentary.  It’s not super long but feels a decent length and was really fun to watch, made me laugh out loud a few times.  It’s great seeing the chemistry they have in studio, looks like they were having a blast and DTHQ looked pretty cool too.  Hard to think they built this if they didn’t have the intention to make a bunch more albums.  Was nice to see JP go out of his way to try to ensure Mangini got the sound he wanted on this record too.  Also nice to see them go back to just crediting the music to Dream Theater.

[emtee]

Where to start?

I have published four novels and have multiple others in various stages. Bottom line: I've written a buttload of words over the last several years and yet I am struggling to find the words.

When a profound musical experience occurs, I always question why? Why did X album connect and Z album didn't? It's an unknown.

I placed my headphones on, shut my eyes, and in the solitude, I pressed the play button.

My God! Is this one of the best sounding albums in my collection, regardless of genre? I think so. A DREAM THEATER album...a band that has so mightily struggled with sonics since 8V. Every single instrument is astoundingly clear. I can hear every single thing Mangini is doing. Myung...holy shit! MYUNG!!! Wow. Imagine trying to view the brilliance of a Monet through a pane of glass smeared with mud. That's how ADToE speaks to me. Brilliant compositions covered with blankets and foam. Music is an aural experience! Clarity is essential. This album is the best sounding DT album ever. Period. For me at least.

I was transported and deeply moved from beginning to end. I've been on board the train since the beginning and I don't know if I have ever been affected like this from a first spin of a DT album. Wow. I just don't know what to say. I'm blown away. When the last note of the title track finished, I was almost in tears. Deeply, deeply moved by a band that hasn't had this affect on me for many, many years.

Bravo, DT! And Bravo, Andy Sneap!!!

Unbelievable piece of musical brilliance.

[Kotowboy]

I'm looking forward the Doc tomorrow on Youtube. I hope the video stays up after the Premiere. I'll be at work when it's on.

[Revenge319]

Just finished listening to the album for the first time. I don't have much in the way of detailed first impressions, but I can say that from one listen, it's yet another great Dream Theater album. I can see this one growing on me, but how much it'll grow on me, I'm not sure. I can't see it getting into my Top 3 or 4, but it could end up ranking pretty high once I've really absorbed it. Very awesome album, I can't wait to listen to it some more.

[Kotowboy]

Listen to it a few times throughout the day, and each song continues to grow more and more for me except 1, Transcending Time. Not a bad song at all, but I think I need to listen to it a lot more before making a judgment. The rest of the album is pretty good. Would not be surprise if it becomes my 2nd favorite from the MM era.

Also, all my worries about the 8-string song are gone. The song rocks and sounds massive.

Yes I was worried it would just be awkward Junga Junga Djenty rhythms but of course Petrucci made it catchy AF. Which a lot of tech/djent is NOT.