edgeofthorns
24 Hours Ago...
Not me...I've had this on pre-order for weeks. Looking very much forward to it!
Wow...now that's hardcore!
~Brian~
New Dream Theater
- Thread starter MelbCro
- Start date
Not me...I've had this on pre-order for weeks. Looking very much forward to it!
Wow...now that's hardcore!
~Brian~
Mardoch
Defender of the Universe
I'm pretty sure that's the worst trailer I've ever seen.
I'll always have Images and Words and Awake, so I'm good on DT.
I'll always have Images and Words and Awake, so I'm good on DT.
Not to brag but I've seen them 79 times. OK I'm bragging.
75 times with MP but only four times since he left. The shows are all the same now since MP left so I quit traveling to see them.
KingsGene
God of Thunder
KingsGene
God of Thunder
Well listen to the second cd right and it is hard to digest. There's only one long song 7min the rest are fillers, introductions of the next song et. So far only 2 songs that I like Moments of Betrayal and The past that Divides. As far the song As far the song title is less that Astonishing. I'll come back when I'm done listen the first cd. I'm not impress at all. :-(
Just boring, uninspired overall release. I don't get the connection between songs. Beware of this one fans. Beside few other songs on the first cd, I just think the buy its not worth it. Beware. I just cancelled my copy. Your choice and good luck. This band lost the edge.
KingsGene
God of Thunder
Oblivion Ocean
Member
I am a few listens through and it is a lot to take in at once (not a criticism, just a fact). There is no way I could offer a thorough critique of this without many more listens. I would warn to people to be cautious of people proclaiming definitive truth statements good or bad about this for awhile until people have really had time to get through it. This is not an album for the distracted to put it on in the background while they are doing 3 other things. This is an album that us slightly older folks will remember as one you sit down with headphones and the lyrics and absorb.
Some simple first impressions; this is a concept album/rock opera first and foremost. SFAM is a DT album, that happens to be a concept album. So the structure and songs are much more in service of a double cd rock opera than songs on their own. Not a criticism, more just a decision they made to write with the album taking precedence over stand alone songs. There are amazing moments all over it. The test upon further listens is to see if all the moving parts can come together. I am optimistic, though like I said up top, it is going to take some real time and energy to determine that.
The key to me is that they spread their wings and made a truly progressive album. A quality retread album would have been acceptable at this point in their career. But they went for it. You can tell that creating music still get the juices flowing as much now as it ever did for JP & JR. The fact that they tried something this radical is a victory. As I mentioned before, they put out a complex album you really need to dive into in an era of listening to Mp3's while working and looking at Reddit etc. This album is going to come together for some people and it won't for others, but the fact they did not take the safe path should be commended.
Some simple first impressions; this is a concept album/rock opera first and foremost. SFAM is a DT album, that happens to be a concept album. So the structure and songs are much more in service of a double cd rock opera than songs on their own. Not a criticism, more just a decision they made to write with the album taking precedence over stand alone songs. There are amazing moments all over it. The test upon further listens is to see if all the moving parts can come together. I am optimistic, though like I said up top, it is going to take some real time and energy to determine that.
The key to me is that they spread their wings and made a truly progressive album. A quality retread album would have been acceptable at this point in their career. But they went for it. You can tell that creating music still get the juices flowing as much now as it ever did for JP & JR. The fact that they tried something this radical is a victory. As I mentioned before, they put out a complex album you really need to dive into in an era of listening to Mp3's while working and looking at Reddit etc. This album is going to come together for some people and it won't for others, but the fact they did not take the safe path should be commended.
Mardoch
Defender of the Universe
Given your flair with words, that's the best we can get on this? I'm hoping for some real passion in a few days!
LarryD
Member
*** Best take on it yet ^^^ It's time for Dream Theater to break out of their own box, and they did on this disc. I usually don't like when my favorite bands do that, but in this case, it worked wonders.
The album is conceptually ambitious, but musically its incredibly safe and by the numbers. There is very little genuine experimentation here at all, in fact its one of the least progressive things they've ever done. You know safe DT can be fine, unfortunately most of the music here is really unmemorable and as a whole this album is such a chore to get through, its tedious. Everything just bleeds together as a lot of it just sounds the same, its stacked with so much filler and to me there is no flow at all, its just an absolute mess. There are so many ballads on here as well, and I'm not anti-ballad but I'm certainly anti boring ballads. These ballads just leave me cold, there is no emotional kick to these really bland songs. But to be fair the are definitely a bunch of good songs on the Astonishing, I've had to make a custom playlist to make this album listenable. Its 11 tracks and goes for 53 minutes, works together quite well and its a decent listen. Its unfortunate that this genuinely good music all gets drowned out by the monotonous mess that makes up the majority of this 130 minute album.
How's that Mardoch?
How's that Mardoch?
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Mardoch
Defender of the Universe
Fantastic CDs as long as you aren't expecting the metal side of DT. Some of the best written "pure songs" that they've ever had with most checking in around 4-5 minutes. Effective choirs, orchestration and even bagpipes and a banjo (or similar country sounding instrument). James sounds great which is critical as this is more vocal based than any other DT CD yet. It sounds like DT but sounds completely different, that's the definition on progressive for me but it's prog rock not prog metal. It is really long. I mean REALLY long. But there are several great runs of tracks. Maybe a little filler, I'm not sure about that yet but there's nothing that I don't find interesting.
Oblivion Ocean
Member
I know musical opinions are just subjective, but I am baffled how anyone could call this album safe. Yes it sounds like Dream Theater, but releasing a 2 hour and 10 minute album in the age of short attention spans in and of itself is not safe. Also, this album is written as almost a soundtrack or musical, thus why some sections bleed into another. That is not safe to me. SFAM part 2 where they just write standard songs and link them with a story would have been safe. Plus Labrie's vocal approach and singing as the different characters seems pretty daring for them. Putting out a Dream Theater album that is devoid of long instrumental sections full of fast trade off solos which newer fans weened on ToT, SC, and BC&SL have grown to expect seems pretty daring to me.
This album is a thick bowl of porridge and it is not going to click with all fans, and I get that. But to call it safe blows my mind.
LarryD
Member
You are talking as if Dream Theater is the only band to have released a double album? The idea of a double album is not daring, this is the second time the band has done it themselves. Anyway I explained why I think its safe dude, musically it is absolutely safe. You keep going back to the more conceptual stuff, I'm talking about the content of the music and the quality of the song writing. And its lacking.
What does 'pure songs' mean? Not sure how a purity of a song is based on how many minutes it goes for. And the metal side thing has nothing to do with my thoughts at all, I'm prog fan first and foremost. I'm a metal head second.
Like I said I've made my own playlist which I do genuinely enjoy. But the fact I needed to cut out close to 80 minutes of it for me is a failure of epic proportions.
