*OFFICIAL* A Dramatic Turn Of Events discussion thread -- **SPOILER ALERT!!!**

[tri.ad]

Not sure what this really means..."noch unveröffentlicht!" which is now posted in the German link provided, but I think it means I don't get to hear ADTOE until tomorrow! No music anymore... 

Basically, yes. It means "not yet released".

[farsight]

Dream Theater: Lost Not Forgotten, I choose you! Lost Not Forgotten, use Tickle Section!
Its super effective! Fans are confused!

[MetalJens]

I never thought this day would come, but after 20+ plays, I have concluded that DT once again has created a masterpiece that is on par with the "untouchables", I&W and SFAM 

Bold statement yes, but this album is just SICK. It keeps getting better and better with each listen, and there isn't a single song I don't like. They are all either amazing or just great . SFAM and I&W are the only DT albums I could say the same thing about.

[Dreamer81]

BITS is such a riff factory!!!!Amazing!!

[Elite]

Both Outcry and Endless Sacrifice are exactly the same length: 11:24.

There is only one explanation for this...
DT clearly ran out of ideas for the new album, and is now blatantly recycling old song structures.

False.

Outcry and Endless Sacrifice are both 11:24.
24 is a multiple of 8: 8 times 3.
11 is 8 plus 3.
3 is 8 minus, you guessed it, 5.

This proves the similar song structures were in fact nuggetz.

Or alternatively, if you add both song lengths up, 11.24 + 11.24 = 24.48

24/3=8
48/9.6=5

5 and 8

Nuggets.

Learn to count.

[BlackInk]

Learn to count..

.. of Tuscany.

[Sketchy]

Dream Theater: Lost Not Forgotten, I choose you! Lost Not Forgotten, use Tickle Section!
Its super effective! Fans are confused!

Was it a critical hit?

[DP_Gumby]

Anyone here that almost cries when they listen to Beneath the Surface? I'm almost on that "stage"..  Must say one thing about BTS, I feel that it is the best ballad/mellow song they have created since The Spirit Carries On imho. 

[BlackInk]

Tear inducing moments:

01 - Build Me Up, Break Me Down
           "The price I pay, to live this waaaaaaaaaaaayyy"
02 - Bridges In the Sky
           "Crossing bridges in the sky, on a journey to renew my life"
03 - Outcry
           "Rise up be counted, stand strong and unite"
04 - Breaking All Illusions
           "New realities, singularities, breaking all illusions"
           "Life's biggest battles, often are fought alone"
05 - Beneath the Surface
           Ehh.. yeah pretty much the whole thing.

[Kotowboy]

  *Easily* The Best album since Scenes From A Memory.

It sounds so fresh and effortless. Also LaBrie sounds the best he has done since SFAM for sure.



Breaking All Illusions is 

EDIT - haha wtf disco section 


Gonna iPod this and take a nice long walk listening to it - same as I did for BC&SL.  Can really focus on the music then with no distractions

EDIT 2 -  Breaking All Illusions Blues solo 

[petrucci07]

Yeah, so the postman just made a delivery to my house.

It wasn't ADTOE.

I am mad.

[DP_Gumby]

Yeah, so the postman just made a delivery to my house.

It wasn't ADTOE.

I am mad.

You should have beaten down the postman for not bringing ADTOE to you

[petrucci07]

Hardly ever had a pre-order from Amazon that didn't arrive on release day. Weird. Here's hoping for tomorrow.

[Super Dude]

I was skeptical of the Linkin Park comments before I heard the album (after all, it could be the same people that would have you believe Honor Thy Father sounds like Linkin Park) but I'm pretty familiar with Linkin Park since they were my favourite band eight or nine years ago, and when Build Me Up, Break Me Down started I really did think the sound was similar.

For reference, since I know a lot of people probably won't know Linkin Park other than the singles, this is probably what people are thinking of:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoRqeYgAGuI
Or maybe this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnU4mFonxoo

You just need to listen to the first few seconds to get the idea. Basically it's just the electronic drums starting off with the similar sounding riff coming in before the rest of the band kicks in with the riff. Obviously BMU,BMD is a lot more technical and it definitely sounds more like DT than anything else, but with the sound at the beginning, the vocal effects, screaming etc. I think the LP / "Nu-metal" comparison makes sense (for once )

Not insulting DT in this post at all - like I said Linkin Park were my favourite band when I was younger and I still like them now, and I like Build Me Up, Break Me Down. Just wanted to shed some light on why some people (or I, personally) might compare it with Linkin Park in case people don't hear it.

Interesting post, I'm very excited to hear how that track sounds. In any case, it might be more accurate to describe it as the "classic" LP sound, considering they've long since abandoned that style of music.

[TAC]

Beneath the Surface: This could have been a timeless ballad. Beautiful guitar. Excellent vocals... but it lacks one final, one piece of melody that will make you remember it forever. Had that part existed, we would be looking at DT's biggest hit. All and all it's a beautiful song. After the moog solo I feel the build-up that I felt with In the Presence of Enemies Pt. 2 but it suffer that it couldn't reach a climax. This song lacks a climax. That's it.

The part in that last chorus where James lets loose is pretty climactic to me. I think the song is perfect the way it is.

I'm guessing that that is the solo that JR was talking about where he said JP wanted him to come up with something special.

[Super Dude]

I can tell you this: I spoiled LNF for myself yesterday, and I definitely reached a climax.

[Psy]

Just listened to it and...it's definitely up there with the best! Astonishing album with not one bad song.

[GandL]

Lost Not Forgotten: Did anyone else noticed that the song opens with a piano that resembles the melody of Lawrence of Arabia?

I had exactly the same impression 

[lordxizor]

I have a 8 week old son who wakes up twice a night to eat, so I get up and change his diaper and give him to my wife. I usually go use the bathroom after that. I'm singing songs from ADTOE in my head the whole time. I think that's a good sign about this album!

[RazielSR]

It's incredible. I see in a lot of music forums that people is amazed with this new DT album, and it is just here where I see more blaming against the album.

If they had follow the same "modern" path started with Octavarium and mainly in SC and BC&SL, then is shit. If they are now releasing music like the classic DT is shit too. Do you enjoy something about music? I mean, what's the point of being analyzing that way an album? It's hilarious...what do you want people? Why don't you start a band and release the perfect music for you?

The album is AMAZING and WONDERFUL and if you don't like it is because you are burned of music and DT. Itis better that you stop listening to DT and start to listen other kind of music. That happens sometimes.

[Fluffy Lothario]

After a fair bit more listening, this album doesn't have as many really high highs as I had anticipated it would from early listens. But it boasts more or less consistent quality, which is something none of their recent albums did. It's all either good, very good, or excellent. That's enough for me.

For me, BITS and BAI are the only excellents at this point though. But other tracks might make it up there still.

[erciccio]

Rich Wilson was right, this album is a massive grower.

I loved it at first sight, but almost every song grows after each listen...I think that there are just too many things in each song, you have to enjoy them one by one, slowly..

Also my ranking has changed...now it would be something like

1) Outcry (just fell in love @ 8.30, after the instrumental section..) + LNF
3) Beneath the Surface, BAI, Far From Heaven
6) BITS, OTBA
8) BMUBMD (great riff, great outro, great chours, just the verse is a bit annoying)

9) TITL (the only "shrinker" IMO) I like the main idea in 5/8 and the first couple of minutes, then it becomes a boring 12/8 ballad



PS
As concerns other "infamous threads" I read, I can only comment that UAGM doesn't have any piano intro, doesn't have any Chopinsque crazy  piano arpeggio in the background while the main riffs kicks in, doesn't have a crazy instrumental unison in the intro and the main riff during the verse is in 6/4 and not 4/4.
I stopped reading the "similarites" (?) thread there.

PPS
If we really want to play the game, I would say that the piano arpeggio + heavy riff section is very Muse-sque and the main riff reminds me of FT much more than UAGM...but this is really a silly game.

[bosk1]

EDIT:  The Jersey Shore lingo being used in this thread makes me smile.

It's more I have just violated forum rule #1--please ban me/internet forum lingo than it is Jersey Shore lol.

Samara, there are certain sites that may not, under any circumstances, be referenced here as they clearly violate this forums rules.  Please do not do so again.

[krands85]

I'm singing songs from ADTOE in my head the whole time. I think that's a good sign about this album!

This for me too. I often randomly sing parts of my favourite songs    But I keep getting not only vocals, but instrumental parts stuck in my head from this new album. And it's not even only when I'm bored or not concentrating on anything either - last night I was watching The Sopranos but BAI kept popping into my head for no reason 

As you say, it's definitely a good sign and it's still getting better with each listen, noticing new things and getting more familiar with the songs etc. 

[John94]

I got mine today. Just gunna put the headphones on and listen. I will probably Mangini whilst listening to it.

[reneranucci]

So, Jordan didn't get rid of the wanky solos without melody. He sometimes does that very well (TROAE) but I don't like the one on this album.

[Chrissalix]

(I just thought I'd edit this in to point out that this is making fun of the entire stupid debate, and not at all insulting or accusing DT)

A+. would lol again.

[Zydar]

JLB's latest tweet:

"The continued excitement and positive response is the best we could have hoped for. You all raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawk."

Carry on.

[composure77]

I haven't been on this forum that long and I have been pretty shy for the most part, but how were your initial reactions regarding the release of BCSL compared to the release of ADTOE? I mean, there is always high expectations and loads of hype for new albums, but were people saying the same things now as they were then? for instance:

How can it not be ok anymore? If RR themselves release the album to the public?

Ok, I'll say it first: DT are back. baby. This is their strongest since 6DOIT.

rumborak

Not so much that DT are back, because its obviously different with the new changes, but more so the second statement. Or is it too early to say?

[RuRoRul]

I haven't been on this forum that long and I have been pretty shy for the most part, but how were your initial reactions regarding the release of BCSL compared to the release of ADTOE? I mean, there is always high expectations and loads of hype for new albums, but were people saying the same things now as they were then? for instance:

How can it not be ok anymore? If RR themselves release the album to the public?

Ok, I'll say it first: DT are back. baby. This is their strongest since 6DOIT.

rumborak

Not so much that DT are back, because its obviously different with the new changes, but more so the second statement. Or is it too early to say?

One of the BC&SL threads has been bumped recently so you can look for yourself and see what people said about it at first:
https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=2330.0

I think you're right though, when a new album comes out it's usually either "Wow, amazing!" (usually if it's a follow up to a not so well recieved album) or "Wow, disappointing" (usually if it comes after a well recieved album), and you have to wait a little bit for initial reactions to wear off before you see how it is eventually recieved.

Edit: Also, we're allowed to just post threads about ADTOE now yeah? I know there's already the Bridges In The Sky intro thread, but I think the 12th was when we were allowed to discuss more specific stuff (with spoilers until the 13th) instead of just having this thread?

[theseoafs]

Yeah, so the postman just made a delivery to my house.

It wasn't ADTOE.

I am mad.

You should have beaten down the postman for not bringing ADTOE to you

You should have built up and broken down the postman for not bringing ADTOE to you.

This is so easy. Should I stop this?

[BlobVanDam]

My judgement for now is that it's definitely DT's most consistent album since SDOIT or maybe ToT, although at the moment none of the individual songs are top 20 for me, although over time some of them might edge their way in there (LNF, TITL, BITS could definitely end up rising). But then again, nothing from SFAM is top 20 for me, and that album still floors me every time I listen to it.

Right now ADTOE isn't close to the SDOIT/SFAM/IaW trinity for me. Beyond that, its consistency could put it in 4th place, but going by individual songs, every other post-SDOIT album has songs I enjoy more, so I'm not sure how I'd rank it yet.

So a maximum of 4th place. I don't want it to sound like I'm down on the album, because I think it's a fantastic album, and there's not a song I hate on it, but it's not going to crack the top 3 for me.

[energythief]

Also, had I not been familiar with OTBOA before the album's release, it'd be a couple notches higher.

Maybe that's a sign that you shouldn't be ranking the album yet? How do a couple of extra listens diminish whether or not the song is good?

[Mat JB]

The album is great. Dream Theater have returned to form at last.

[John94]

Wow. Just amazing. I love BITS and TITL. Gunna have a few more listens to rank properly but qt the minute I put Bridges top. And it was my least favourite snippet.