Quote from: Schurftkut on February 06, 2025, 10:07:41 AMDead Asleep is kinda silly, plus the one with the most WDADU vibes
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They missed big on the chorus and lyrics in my view. I'm a fan of the subject matter and the riffage but it's just kinda middle of the pack.

Quote from: Schurftkut on February 06, 2025, 10:07:41 AMplus the one with the most WDADU vibes

that might not be a bad thing in and of itself. The writing (and only that) on that album did get a nice start already IMHO (Afterlife, The Killing Hand, The Ones and Only A Matter being examples for that IMHO)

I'm on my third lesson now as I'm driving around doing inspections today. I have to say that for everyone here talking about how "dark" the album is (and it's not without merit) I feel a pure joy coming through in the playing.

Granted, there may be no way to measure this, but in spite of the dark subject matter, I feel a "happiness" in the playing that feels very different from anything that I've heard from them in a while.

Quote from: jammindude on February 06, 2025, 10:18:24 AMI'm on my third lesson now as I'm driving around doing inspections today. I have to say that for everyone here talking about how "dark" the album is (and it's not without merit) I feel a pure joy coming through in the playing.

Granted, there may be no way to measure this, but in spite of the dark subject matter, I feel a "happiness" in the playing that feels very different from anything that I've heard from them in a while.

Instrumentally how is it any different from the last 6-7 albums?

Quote from: Awaken on February 06, 2025, 09:53:13 AMI can definitely see where he's coming from w the Gilmour reference.  The first time I heard it I thought parts sounded like a cross between David Gilmour and Reb Beach (odd combo, I know, but that's where my mind went)

I can dig that combo!

Quote from: jammindude on February 06, 2025, 10:18:24 AMI'm on my third lesson now as I'm driving around doing inspections today. I have to say that for everyone here talking about how "dark" the album is (and it's not without merit) I feel a pure joy coming through in the playing.

Granted, there may be no way to measure this, but in spite of the dark subject matter, I feel a "happiness" in the playing that feels very different from anything that I've heard from them in a while.

I have yet to get to it (snow here and plans changed last night), but that makes me happier than any single thing I've read about this album.

Quote from: TheBarstoolWarrior on February 06, 2025, 10:21:12 AMInstrumentally how is it any different from the last 6-7 albums?

Well, it's obviously way different than the astonishing. But I would definitely say that it feels like a natural progression from View.

And I kind of get the comparisons to BCSL, but that album to me sounded completely lifeless. So I guess you could say that it's a far more happier and energized version of BCSL. And while the lyrics do feel somewhat phoned in, they're not as glaringly awful as they were on BCSL.

Ever since I got the box set on Monday, I've had the album on repeat. I think this weekend, I want to do an experiment - listen to their last three albums back-to-back-to-back, and see how they've evolved and changed, if at all, and try to get a better grasp on the continuity of John's and Jordan's writing (assuming they were the majority of musical ideas on Parasomnia).

After four days of spins, I'd say it's pretty amazing for being their 16th album. Is it groundbreaking? Not really, but it didn't need to be. The band doesn't need to prove anything 16 albums in, but it definitely doesn't sound like a complete rehash of their SFAM-to-BC&SL days either, though there are hints of those albums peppered throughout Parasomnia, both musically and even lyrically. On first blush, this is definitely shaping up to be a Top-Half album for me, so in the Top Eight right now, but it's been so long since I've listened to a lot of Dream Theater, so I'm not sure if my opinions on many of their later albums have changed.

I'm considering bringing back the Dream Theater Survivor here, over in the Polls & Survivors subforum, which would be a good excuse to dive right back into the DT Discography. If there is enough interest in participating in a new survivor (which I last did in 2022), then I could start it later this month. I'd go probably one album at a time with daily rounds, which would give us a few months to absorb Parasomnia's album survivor. Based on the amount of songs, I'd say the whole thing would probably take about 5-6 months to run. I went through all of 2024 without running a survivor (the last one I did was Haken in 2023), so I think it's about time I get back to it!

-Marc.

Quote from: Zydar on February 06, 2025, 09:51:14 AMTwo minutes into The Shadow Man Incident and I almost think I'm suddenly listening to Overture 1928.

With a bit of the intro of AVFTTOTW as well.

Quote from: Schurftkut on February 06, 2025, 10:07:41 AMDead Asleep is kinda silly, plus the one with the most WDADU vibes

Funnily enough, this is by far my favorite song on the album. Part of it because I like over-the-top aggresive low-string metal, but also because based on the picture in my head of what DT was trying to do with the album, Dead Asleep gets closest to the target.

Quote from: jammindude on February 06, 2025, 10:18:24 AMI'm on my third lesson now as I'm driving around doing inspections today. I have to say that for everyone here talking about how "dark" the album is (and it's not without merit) I feel a pure joy coming through in the playing.

Granted, there may be no way to measure this, but in spite of the dark subject matter, I feel a "happiness" in the playing that feels very different from anything that I've heard from them in a while.

I also felt this. This whole album feels like it felt good to the band "in the room", for better and for worse.

Quote from: Max Kuehnau on February 06, 2025, 10:13:39 AMthat might not be a bad thing in and of itself. The writing (and only that) on that album did get a nice start already IMHO (Afterlife, The Killing Hand, The Ones and Only A Matter being examples for that IMHO)

If WDADU was recorded decently and with JLB singing it would be regarded as an upper-tier DT album.

(and MM playing on it too, but you're right) And as we know, James sang it in 2004 (and he did a great job of it IMHO)

Quote from: ReaPsTA on February 06, 2025, 10:53:46 AMFunnily enough, this is by far my favorite song on the album. Part of it because I like over-the-top aggresive low-string metal, but also because based on the picture in my head of what DT was trying to do with the album, Dead Asleep gets closest to the target.

I am very excited to hear Dead Asleep based on your comments and a few others.

Quote from: Max Kuehnau on February 06, 2025, 10:58:04 AM(and MM playing on it too, but you're right) And as we know, James sang it in 2004 (and he did a great job of it IMHO)

That is the definitive version imo. I never listen to the original, but I listen to that version a lot. It's a great album with James singing it.

Quote from: ReaPsTA on February 06, 2025, 10:53:46 AMFunnily enough, this is by far my favorite song on the album. Part of it because I like over-the-top aggresive low-string metal, but also because based on the picture in my head of what DT was trying to do with the album, Dead Asleep gets closest to the target.

That opening riff of Dead Asleep has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it. Such an awesome riff. It might actually be my favorite riff from the record and there are several of them I love on the album.

Quote from: faizoff on February 06, 2025, 11:13:45 AMThat opening riff of Dead Asleep has been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it. Such an awesome riff. It might actually be my favorite riff from the record and there are several of them I love on the album.

And the way they build the song around different variations of it is so good.