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Post by waunakonor on Jan 29, 2016 18:21:38 GMT
Listening to The Astonishing right now. Dystopian Overture was awesome; listening to Gift of Music which I already know I like. So far it's solid.
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Post by waunakonor on Jan 29, 2016 18:26:22 GMT
The Answer was all right. A Better Life is badass.
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Post by 6StringAddict on Jan 29, 2016 18:27:06 GMT
Good luck.
I don't like it.
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Post by waunakonor on Jan 29, 2016 18:35:21 GMT
Now on Savior in the Square. So far I honestly really enjoy this. The Answer has been the only ballad so far; everything else has ben pretty heavy. Do the ballads come later?
Update: Three Days is fucking amazing. Damn.
Update: On Ravenskill now, it's gotten a lot more ballad-y. Still not boring though.
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Post by waunakonor on Jan 30, 2016 4:27:56 GMT
Finished the album. I think I liked Disc 1 better than Disc 2 but it's pretty strong overall. I was kind of worried that I had wasted a lot of money buying the vinyl pack when I saw all these terrible reviews, but I don't actually regret it at all now. Really solid piece of work, IMO.
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Post by icedguardian on Jan 30, 2016 11:59:05 GMT
Finished the album. I think I liked Disc 1 better than Disc 2 but it's pretty strong overall. I was kind of worried that I had wasted a lot of money buying the vinyl pack when I saw all these terrible reviews, but I don't actually regret it at all now. Really solid piece of work, IMO. I want to get the vinyl pack but I've only ever seen it for $200 and that's far too high for an album that's so mixed that I haven't heard much from yet. MetalSucks gave it a 4.5/5 so they clearly loved it too. |
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Post by waunakonor on Jan 30, 2016 17:51:31 GMT
It's on Dream Theater's site for $99. Still pretty expensive, but whatever. Are you sure you aren't looking at the Ultimate Bundle, which comes with a bunch of other shit? Because that's $200. Unfortunately the vinyl boxset isn't going to come until March apparently. Lame. |
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Post by icedguardian on Jan 31, 2016 1:04:03 GMT
I'm seeing whatever Amazon.ca has, which just looks like the 4LP set. I would go DT's site but I'd get gouged for shipping to Canada (and because of the Canadian dollar).
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Post by trailmix on Jan 31, 2016 8:11:34 GMT
After one listen, it's pretty shit. But I'll give it a few more spins and hopefully it grows on me.
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Post by jorn on Feb 1, 2016 10:19:15 GMT
I have listened to the first CD several times by now.
Now that I got more familiar with it, I can safely say I like the first CD.
I would have liked it a lot more if it was the album we all wanted, but it definately is a nice album.
Having said that, Mangini's mechanic playing is boring.
I wished that there were more "typical DT proggy" moments just like the part towards the end of A New Beginning.
The reviews described it as epic but I don't hear much epic music. TAnother disappointment.
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Post by icedguardian on Feb 2, 2016 2:06:19 GMT
I found a full upload of it on YouTube and I"m 45 minutes or so into it. It's got so much going on and there are parts that I was enjoying, but it's a lot to take in.
I think I need to have it with the lyrics maps etc. to actually take it in cause it's gonna be one of those front to back to really enjoy it albums. Which is always tough for double albums.
But, Ayreon did it with his last.
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Post by jorn on Feb 2, 2016 8:33:53 GMT
Always.
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Post by blackened78 on Feb 3, 2016 16:45:19 GMT
Listened to the album last weekend and nearly fell to sleep (although I enjoyed certain parts)...got to give it a few more listens...
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Post by theglassprisoner on Feb 4, 2016 22:15:11 GMT
I seem to be swimming against the tide here because I am loving this album, I will go as far to say its the best since Scenes from a Memory (Black Clouds and Silver Linings was amazing too). Then again I only listened to their last two albums a few times and found them extremely boring. I agree with Mangini's drumming, they could replace him with a drum machine and I wouldn't notice a difference.
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Post by waunakonor on Feb 4, 2016 22:17:25 GMT
I will go as far to say its the best since Scenes from a Memory I wouldn't go that far but good to know someone else loves this album.  |
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Post by theglassprisoner on Feb 4, 2016 22:30:54 GMT
I will go as far to say its the best since Scenes from a Memory I wouldn't go that far but good to know someone else loves this album. What album is the best since Scenes for you ? I didn't mind 6doit but some of the songs just seemed overly long and could have been edited down. Train of Thought I loved but it doesn't really hold up well 10 years on. Octavarium was ok at best, but the rest excluding Black Clouds I found to be forgettable. |
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Post by waunakonor on Feb 4, 2016 22:46:29 GMT
Octavarium is my personal favorite.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 23:51:50 GMT
To me - The Astonishing would have carried on where Octavarium left off. It has the feel of the amazing run of Scenes - Six Degrees - Train - Octavarium.
1. I think it's definitely Mangini's best album with the band
2. And definitely their best RoadRunner album so far.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2016 23:52:25 GMT
Octavarium is my personal favorite. Mine too. The title track has not been beaten yet. |
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Post by karma on Feb 5, 2016 0:31:47 GMT
I was very excited about the album but the posts about it really killed my buzz and now I'm not sure I wanna devote 2 hours to a musical. I might check it out down the road.
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Post by waunakonor on Feb 5, 2016 1:40:22 GMT
For anyone who cares, on The Astonishing website they added bios for all the characters and there's a bunch of information about each track and how it relates to the story. It might help people appreciate the album a bit more. There is a lot of stuff to read, though. 1. I think it's definitely Mangini's best album with the band 2. And definitely their best RoadRunner album so far. If it's their best RoadRunner album doesn't that automatically make it their best Mangini album too by default? |
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Post by SeDelby on Feb 5, 2016 2:07:58 GMT
I haven't listened to this yet, but I've seen a bit of a video clip on instagram. I cringed. They look like they're trying way too hard to be 'metal'. I know they've always tried with their image, but seriously...
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Post by jorn on Feb 5, 2016 10:26:42 GMT
I haven't listened to this yet, but I've seen a bit of a video clip on instagram. I cringed. They look like they're trying way too hard to be 'metal'. I know they've always tried with their image, but seriously... well the album is everything but metal. I don't know wht's going on with their image but musically, thsi album is not metal at all. Actually it's a little bit disappointing. |
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Post by jorn on Feb 8, 2016 9:58:43 GMT
I like this album.
I wasn't expecting to say this but the Astonishing is the album I listen to most at work and while traveling.
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Post by forgotten in space on Feb 8, 2016 16:21:25 GMT
On the penultimate track of Disc 1, this is completely unbearable so far. No musicality, just midtempo plodding while the characters deliver their lines, which are too freaking literal. And the descriptions on the website are cringeworthy.
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Post by Slipstream on Feb 8, 2016 18:52:51 GMT
It's pretty inconsistent. Sometimes I'm very much into it then something takes me completely out of it. A Savior in the Square is a good example how the first half is very beautiful and the second half a complete lackluster.
Disc 1 is pretty solid but Disc 2 is quite weak. The themes already introduced on Disc 1 are the best parts about the second disc.
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Post by theglassprisoner on Feb 17, 2016 10:21:00 GMT
I am loving the album so far, but I always thought that Dream Theater did rock better than they did metal. Train of Thought while an excellent album is a good example of how metal just seems out of place for them.
I gave Octavarium another listen...that title song is terrible. The intro is good and thats about it.
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Post by Moonloop on Feb 17, 2016 15:31:41 GMT
^ I always thought that was only album where it [the metal sound] didn't sound forced.
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Post by Metallicanatic on Feb 17, 2016 15:43:10 GMT
It's funny. I find that DT sounds more forced now than when they were ever doing the metal stuff. Seems like they're trying too hard to sound like themselves from the Images and Words era, as opposed to letting their sound progress naturally.
At some point it seems as though they made a conscious decision to cut the heavier stuff down to a bare minimum, and, as a result, it's left their newer material somewhat ball-less and underwhelming.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2016 16:33:57 GMT
RE: cutting the metal
It's also meant that LaBrie gets to do his fucking godawful "breathy" singing. Which is utter shit. Now and again, I can deal. Over the course of that album? RAGE LEVELS INCREASING.
Never has there been a singer whose surname is an apt description of his singing style.
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