Very late to the party... "The Astonishing" just 'clicked'!

[energythief]

Not sure why this one took so long, but this past weekend "The Astonishing" finally 'clicked' with me, and I'm awestruck at how good it is.


Anyone else had a tough time digesting this one?

[ZKX-2099]

No.

[Evai]

Nope, blown away first listen, appreciated all the different elements more with each subsequent listen. Wasn't that way with the previous two albums...

[bosk1]

Not in terms of it not clicking; only in terms of just digesting it all.  But it's been kind of a different DT experience than the "norm" for me in that, although I liked the album right away, I have been pretty even keeled about it, and my level of "like" for the album has not really changed.

[SystematicThought]

Yes and no. The first half of disc one was an instant love. Brother, Can You Hear Me through The X Aspect took me awhile to fall in love with. But now I really enjoy all of it. Same for the last half of disc 2. I still feel like Act 2 is rushed a and musically a bit more tame, but I love it, despite feeling rushed.

[KevShmev]

Anyone else had a tough time digesting this one?

No.  I was a big fan pretty much right away and still am.  Despite it meandering a bit on Disc 2 (which seems to be the norm whenever any band does a double disc concept album), it's still pretty great overall.

[Shattered Glass]

My perception probably changed when it stopped being the dutiful listening that you do when your favourite band releases a new album to when you just listen to it for the sake of listening to it (as with most new albums I guess).  I'm listening to it today for the first time in a few weeks and am all goosebumpy, and feeling all the beats, and lines, and choirs and strings. I still haven't listened to it all the way through though.

It's not a rock opera though -  it's a musical. It's got way more in common with Les Mis than Tommy or the Village Green Preservation Society.

[AboutToCrash]

I was really disappointed and surprised when I first heard it, and I don't know why, maybe because It seemed like all the tracks were ballads or in similar vain, but that was because I was going into the album expecting it to be a bit heavier or energetic. A Better Life, Lord Nafaryus, Three Days, New Beginning ect all clicked straight away though for that reason. In time I have appreciated it more and more, It's one of my favourite albums now.. A Life Left Behind was the track that took me the longest to get into, Purely because I found the incredible Tempus Fugit style intro completely overshadowed the actual track. I think if you listen to it with the story in mind you end up appreciating it a bit more from a compositional standpoint. Kudos to Dream Theater though, they took a risk and a lot of people appreciate the album

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I liked it straight away, but it took me a long time before I felt like I knew it well. I'm probably a couple dozen listens in at this point, and I'm still noticing new things.

[MirrorMask]

Not in terms of it not clicking; only in terms of just digesting it all. 

Yeah, this. My first listening(s) were not at all a case of "OMG what the hell has DT done", but it took a while to finally absorb it all.

I remember however that since the second listening, Dystopian Overture started to sound familiar, it was fun to try and remember all the themes.

[TAC]

I thought the Dystopian Overture was a complete cluster when I first heard it. In fact I pretty much still skip it everything I listen to the album.

[gmillerdrake]

Not in terms of it not clicking; only in terms of just digesting it all.  But it's been kind of a different DT experience than the "norm" for me in that, although I liked the album right away, I have been pretty even keeled about it, and my level of "like" for the album has not really changed.

Completely this. I've always liked the album....but for me at least it needs to be listened to in one sitting....and that's difficult to do which has only afforded me the chance to listen to the album maybe 10-12 times. I haven't found myself just jumping to a certain song just to listen to it.

[Kotowboy]

I thought the Dystopian Overture was a complete cluster when I first heard it. In fact I pretty much still skip it everything I listen to the album.

The first couple of minutes of Illumination theory are worse in my opinion. Riffs just start and stop awkwardly and suddenly ( I.T )

[Kotowboy]

I've not once listened to all 130 minutes in one go.

Either I listen to a side or i pick and choose my fave tracks.

[TAC]

I thought the Dystopian Overture was a complete cluster when I first heard it. In fact I pretty much still skip it everything I listen to the album.

The first couple of minutes of Illumination theory are worse in my opinion. Riffs just start and stop awkwardly and suddenly ( I.T )

Can't agree. I love the beginning to IT. I love everything about IT except for the orchestra part stuck right in the middle.

[Mladen]

I loved some of it from the get go and had trouble with certain aspects for a little while. But I believe it took me a week or so to come to the conclusion that it's fairly great.

[kaos2900]

I pretty much instantly liked it. I'd probably put in the middle compared to all other DT albums.

[cramx3]

Definitely didn't love it on first listen, but didn't disike it either.  Just needed a few listens to digest and then a few more listens to love.  I still really like it a lot.

[hefdaddy42]

Despite it meandering a bit on Disc 2 (which seems to be the norm whenever any band does a double disc concept album), it's still pretty great overall.

See, for me, I find Disc 2 to be fantastic, and that Disc 1 loses me a bit.

[ytserush]

If the lyrics even came close to matching the music, I'd have bought into this on every level. I'd even have a Nomac sitting on my shelf. A live DVD/CD from somewhere in South America would be nice though.

[don_waka]

Definitely. I was so looking forward to the release and once I could get ahold of it I listened to it like 4 or 5 times.

I haven't listened to it ever since. Will give a try over the weekend and see if it clicks with me.

Something slightly similar happened to me with SFAM, though, back in 1999.

[fischermasamune]

I went through a process similar to AboutToCrash.

In my first listed, I really liked the heavier songs, but it felt like too many ballads. Like SFAM with Through My Eyes played 5 times. Already in my second listen (that same day, the release) I started listening to more stuff beyond the most obvious, and looking at the lyrics, I started making more connections. For example, it took me a while to figure out if Faythe had died or not, and what was up with Daryus' deafness. When I understood the story, I liked it. As positive and borderline cheesy as it is, it's better than a bloodshed finishing with no characters alive. I liked that things could improve and effectively change without any heads being cut in a revolution. And I think Ahrys, and his sacrifice and change of heart, were interesting (that, of course, after I understood what went on!).

Now I like the ballads too, and think most of all are good, and well placed. Pretty much every song has clicked, even Astonishing, Losing Faythe (I like the second half), and even the NOMAC tracks are fine. I consider it to be among my top 5 DT albums, perhaps in the third position.

[erwinrafael]

Happy to hear that it finally clicked for you. It instantly clicked with me, and I think it's because from the get go, I approached the project as a musical, not as a concept album. So when I heard it the first time around, the thought that came to my mind was, "Wow, what other metal band was able to write a musical like this?" It's pretty much stage-ready, if you imagine it, with a few of the story details not caught in the lyrics that could be easily shown through the actions of the actors.

[energythief]

The more I listen to it, the more I think CD 1 should have ended with Ravenskill.

[Ben_Jamin]

Happy to hear that it finally clicked for you. It instantly clicked with me, and I think it's because from the get go, I approached the project as a musical, not as a concept album. So when I heard it the first time around, the thought that came to my mind was, "Wow, what other metal band was able to write a musical like this?" It's pretty much stage-ready, if you imagine it, with a few of the story details not caught in the lyrics that could be easily shown through the actions of the actors.

I'm the same way. I could already envision the characters during each part. Even with the acting like Arhys and Daryus fight. And seeing Gabriel run to Faythe while Daryus stands or kneels in disbelief.

[Adami]

Happy to hear that it finally clicked for you. It instantly clicked with me, and I think it's because from the get go, I approached the project as a musical, not as a concept album. So when I heard it the first time around, the thought that came to my mind was, "Wow, what other metal band was able to write a musical like this?" It's pretty much stage-ready, if you imagine it, with a few of the story details not caught in the lyrics that could be easily shown through the actions of the actors.

While I like the album just fine, I just want to make sure you're not implying that people who don't like the album, only feel that way because they approached it incorrectly.

It's very possible to see this as a musical, to see Mangini and Myung in a more orchestral way, etc. and still not like the album.

[Dublagent66]

Happy to hear that it finally clicked for you. It instantly clicked with me, and I think it's because from the get go, I approached the project as a musical, not as a concept album. So when I heard it the first time around, the thought that came to my mind was, "Wow, what other metal band was able to write a musical like this?" It's pretty much stage-ready, if you imagine it, with a few of the story details not caught in the lyrics that could be easily shown through the actions of the actors.

Like Adami said, it doesn't matter how you approach it.  You either like the album or you don't.  It's that simple.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I think that approaching The Astonishing like a musical can add a little color to it, so to speak. For example, when I first heard the album, I felt like "Our New World" would have been a better closer than "Astonishing", but then I read about how musicals usually end a certain way, and "Astonishing" fits that bill, so it all made a little more sense to me.

That said, if you don't like songs that start with a piano, get kind of ballad-y, and have lyrics about whimsical characters, approaching The Astonishing like a musical ain't going to do much for you.

[erwinrafael]

While I like the album just fine, I just want to make sure you're not implying that people who don't like the album, only feel that way because they approached it incorrectly.

It's very possible to see this as a musical, to see Mangini and Myung in a more orchestral way, etc. and still not like the album.

Well, I am sort of implying it, but of course at the end of the day it's really just a matter of liking it or not.

For example, because I approached this as a musical, I never expected extended instrumentals ala SFAM's Beyond This Life or Fatal Tragedy. I expected that there would be more time devoted to lyrics because it will try to tell a story. I also expected lots of recurring themes because that is a staple approach in musicals where distinct musical themes mark the appearance of characters. Some songs also make sense only if the album is viewed as a musical. Road to Revolution and The Astonishing, for example, are best appreciated as songs where each actor gets to go back on stage and sing a line so that they can be applauded by the audience at the end of each Act.

[Adami]

Do you like every single musical?

Do you like every single rock album that you know is going to be a rock album?

No. Sometimes we just don't like things. I have no clue why you have such a hard time with the idea of someone just not liking it, and this is coming from someone who DID like it. But man, enough with the idea that those who didn't like it just didn't understand it like you did or expected something they shouldn't have expected.

I mean, I get that the lyrics are supposed to be narration/dialogue, but that doesn't make me like the lyrics whatsoever. We can all just....not like things while completely understanding the intention and expecting exactly what it is.

[erwinrafael]

This is why I said that at the end of the day, it's just a matter of liking it or not. I am just saying that approaching it as a musical might just help set expectations and make some elements make sense. That's all. If people really just don't like it, then they just don't like it.

[oh8wrx]

Yes and no. The first half of disc one was an instant love. Brother, Can You Hear Me through The X Aspect took me awhile to fall in love with. But now I really enjoy all of it. Same for the last half of disc 2. I still feel like Act 2 is rushed a and musically a bit more tame, but I love it, despite feeling rushed.

I felt the same way with this. The first half of the album was great but then it seemed rushed. After seeing the show, everything made more sense and I appreciated it way more