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The Astonishing
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The Astonishing
"Please retry" | Amazon Music Unlimited |
Price | New from | Used from |
MP3 Music, January 29, 2016
"Please retry" | $17.99 | — |
Vinyl, March 18, 2016
"Please retry" |
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| $199.90 | — |
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From the brand
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1 | Descent of the NOMACS |
2 | Dystopian Overture |
3 | The Gift of Music |
4 | The Answer |
5 | A Better Life |
6 | Lord Nafaryus |
7 | A Savior in the Square |
8 | When Your Time Has Come |
9 | Act of Faythe |
10 | Three Days |
11 | The Hovering Sojourn |
12 | Brother, Can You Hear Me? |
13 | A Life Left Behind |
14 | Ravenskill |
15 | Chosen |
16 | A Tempting Offer |
17 | Digital Discord |
18 | The X Aspect |
19 | A New Beginning |
20 | The Road to Revolution |
Disc: 2
1 | 2285 Entr'acte |
2 | Moment of Betrayal |
3 | Heaven's Cove |
4 | Begin Again |
5 | The Path That Divides |
6 | Machine Chatter |
7 | The Walking Shadow |
8 | My Last Farewell |
9 | Losing Faythe |
10 | Whispers on the Wind |
11 | Hymn of a Thousand Voices |
12 | Our New World |
13 | Power Down |
14 | Astonishing |
Editorial Reviews
The Astonishing is undisputedly the most ambitious undertaking by a band whose cerebral compositions already define the vanguard of progressive hard rock.
The Astonishing is enriched exponentially by the integration of a real orchestra and choir, arranged by conductor David Campbell, whose work graces over 450 gold and platinum albums, including watershed releases from Adele, Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Beyoncé, and his son, Beck. The Astonishing was produced by Petrucci with engineering and mixing by Richard Chycki, whose resume includes work with Rush, Aerosmith, and Mick Jagger. Other organic sounds are more abundant than at any point in the band's history, with Rudess in particular relishing the tones from a grand piano and Hammond organ.
Like Tommy or The Wall, the songs on The Astonishing work as both singular compositions and overall story components. Writing the music as a duo, Petrucci and Rudess venture into unexplored corners of their sound without sacrificing their musical identity.
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Language : English
- Product Dimensions : 5.79 x 4.96 x 0.55 inches; 4.3 ounces
- Manufacturer : Roadrunner Records
- Item model number : 016861749323
- Original Release Date : 2016
- Date First Available : December 7, 2015
- Label : Roadrunner Records
- ASIN : B018H6M7CW
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 2
- Best Sellers Rank: #20,192 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #9,659 in Rock (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
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Musically, this is truly different from where the band has gone before. Sure, they’ve done the epic story telling tracks before (“The Count of Tuscany” just one example), but those songs really could stand alone. The Astonishing is an entire theatrical performance (akin to Pink Floyd’s The Wall) and plays out exactly in that fashion, each song dependent on the preceding track for support and context both lyrically and musically. Sound effects are used to create a cinematic vibe and there are some choral and symphonic elements but they never seem to overwhelm what the band is trying to accomplish. It’s cool how the narration of the story is actually worked into the body of the songs so we don’t get corny spoken parts interrupting the flow of music. The way they reference themselves in “When Your Time Comes” is brilliant. And in general, the genius with much of the diversity here is that if you take the work as a whole it actually pays tribute to many different forms of music (rock, jazz, classical, etc.) and in doing so specifically supports the legacy of Dream Theater and in general all forms of musical expression.
So what about the music that supports this epic story? Well, there are a few things that really surprised me. With the exception of the “overture” type songs that we hear at the beginning of Act I and Act II (not new to Dream Theater), it has been a long time since I heard these guys emphasize the melody and really serve the song in this regard. Some of these songs are a bit mellow (especially Act I), so don’t expect huge technical riffing and endless soloing. That is definitely de-emphasized here to the point that I almost didn’t believe what I was hearing at first (only because it was such a departure for DT), but with repeated listens these melodies are strikingly beautiful. Even Mangini takes a back seat to the song – his normally mathematical machinations supplanted by supporting rhythms injected with the occasional flamboyancies. Interestingly, much of this music reminds me of the Images and Words/Awake era in that regard, as well as Scenes From A Memory. The piano plays a huge role, especially in Act I. More surprising though is that LaBrie handles the vocals of (in addition to the narrator) ALL EIGHT of the key characters! Those familiar with Ayreon – Arjen Lucassen is the master of 2 CD concept releases – will recall his “thing” was to give each character in his stories a different “voice” in the form of an individual singer. Folks, James LaBrie does all of the voices here, which is extremely challenging. And while I would have loved to have heard some guest vocalists on a release like this, LaBrie makes it work. He is truly brilliant on this record. Look, I’ve been a sceptic of his voice in the past, at times when his voice was less than stellar. But his performance here is THE focal point of The Astonishing … and to me that is “astonishing” in and of itself since the history of this band has always been that the vocals kind of take a back seat to the instrumental wizardry. Not so here. Although I will say that while Act I feels a bit more melody driven, Act II brings some of the heaviness, instrumental wizardry and soloing that fans will want. My final surprise with this release musically is that the NOMACS don’t play a bigger role here. Their "music" only occupies 5 short tracks on the entire 2CD set. I really thought there might be more “warring” between traditional music and robotic music, but as it turns out the NOMACS are a very small part of the story here as this is really a story about humanity vs. humanity – the machines are controlled by the behavior of the humans, and the ultimate outcome dictated by human actions.
So where are the negatives? Well, more vocalists would have been more fun in my opinion but I applaud LaBrie’s performance here – his best in nearly 2 decades. I don’t like the long lag between tracks which makes no sense if this is actually to play out like a musical. The digipak presentation is very average, the insert booklet (which is bound to the inside of the digipak) very hard to read. And while I realize the deluxe packages and vinyl packages will provide more in the area of “presentation” I still can’t help but think the label could have done a better job with a release of this magnitude. And so the deluxe editions (ridiculously delayed due to manufacturing issues until later this spring despite the “money grab”) should shine in this regard and provide even more depth into the story, but I’ve yet to hear about any kind of 5.1 formats. I suspect that will come with a BD/DVD live presentation most likely after the tour has concluded. For me, I can’t wait to hear the vinyl version. Although it was well advertised ahead of time that the deluxe box version was not going to be available until March, I was disappointed that the vinyl box set has been delayed since as it was originally slated for release today.
In summary, The Astonishing is a different beast, one that might frighten some fans away while simultaneously entice others to explore. But one thing is for sure – this is Dream Theater through and through, and I for one am really glad to see them not only revisit their more melodic roots but also bring something this inspiring, positive and this hugely theatrical to the stage.
3/17/16 - The vinyl version consists of 4 LPs housed in an impressive thick cardboard case containing Act I and Act II - each act a double gatefold 2LP – the impressive fold-out map one side/poster on other, and the FLAC download card. The 180gm black LP’s (mine nice and flat) are contained within non anti-static, printed sleeves (a character on each side) and the lyrics themselves are printed on the inside of the gate-folds. I have to say, for the most part the packaging is primo but I do not understand why the lyrics are printed in the same small white font as the CD version and they don’t fill the entire inner double gate-fold, so it looks awkward and it’s hard to read the lyrics. This is quite disappointing, to say the least. The artwork on the outside of the box does stand out, though, so that’s a plus.
So how does this version sound? Well, with the criticisms about the overly compressed CD version being mostly valid, some fans will be glad to know that the vinyl version does really impart to these songs a more open and vibrant quality, although the difference between the CD and vinyl is not quite as noticeable on this release as that on, say the new Iron Maiden album where the vinyl sounds worlds better than the CD. The bass end does gain traction on the vinyl, but it still seems a bit suppressed (bass drum and guitar that is). What really stands out here are the vocals and some of the nuances in the music (like crowd and background noises) that really jump out of the speakers on the vinyl and really were “background” in the CD mix. And, the vinyl master sounds really great at high volumes (no distortion) and its here that the bass lines start to assert their power. Overall, I prefer this version, and I’m not an audiophile snob as I realize that digital to analog has its pitfalls. In general, I still prefer D to A vinyl to overly compressed CD/mp3 quality most of the time (unless it’s HD 96/24 digital). Still, until we hear the live performances (which steal the show sound-wise from what I’ve read in reviews so far) I think it is fair to say that the vinyl version, which sounds more dynamic and less compressed than the mp3/CD versions, does this composition more justice but still seems a bit lacking in the low frequency punch. Rotating 4 LPs through 8 sides is a lot of work for some so I think this will mostly appeal to those truly looking for the total “listening” experience to The Astonishing. To me the vinyl experience is a step up from the CD/mp3 version (these are clear/crisp sounding records), but for some the cost may be too steep to justify.
It keeps growing. My copy of the disk hasn't arrive yet(international delivery)so I had to get the lyrics after already listening the album through Spotify and boy, did it make it better!!! My mind is set like I am watching a Play or reading an audio book. Even though I still have my original minuscular complain, I believe this is an amazing experience of an album. Advice: Listen to the act diveded more by the Nomac's sections than "Act 1 and 2". It easier and better that way.
Still 9/10
Original Review:
Before my review: I really don't understand the comments here. People are getting surprised/dissapointed they go a Prog Musical-like Album? "I have been fan for blah blah years..." "Not DT..." The album was presented as it is, a Conceptual Rock ""Opera"" and that's what you got, A Dream Thearter style musical... Getting that clear. Let's talk about "The Astonishing":
I got thoughout my 2nd listening to the whole thing and I feel this album is everything it needs to be. It's not as heavy or balls-out metal driven as some people might like, but as a creative, extremely well organized and beautifully orchestrated narrative master piece, there's nothing but applauses to give to these guys. The amount of themes, dynamic changes, characters, ideas you are going and you need to find, the connection between the story and the music, the consistency that this 2 hours + album has is honestly beyond me.
You have all DT standard: Amazing composition, Odd times, Solos, dynamic and thematic changes, all that good thing, but in a more structured, bigger picture way. No, is not "Scenes Part 3", this is a more ambicious version of a concept album, more directed towards emotions and characters. The music is so well written that you don't get overwhelmed by it to the point you forget about the plot, but is not as subtle to forget that is DT either. Each character has their own musical section and everything gets connected really well. There are some really heavy DT parts as well as really mellow sections, really Progy part(Yes-ish) all working together, first to serve the story and then to work with the characters. Speaking of characters
Labrie's performance is flat out amazing. I can say he is the Star on this album like he hasn't been before. The composition level and the detailing of the whole thing gave him the perfect stage to show how really expressive as a singer he can be how you can get an amazing ride on a Story that can be surprisingly envolving.
This isn't a perfect album.
On my opinion,"Scenes" still holds that title of best DT album, even though is not my all time favorite, but this one stands on his own. I do have my issues with this album. Personal things that do not affected my overall enjoyment of it .And again, people that are more into the Metal, Lightning-Fast chops side of DT may encounter this album a little bit hard to dig in as a whole( A lot of the songs have simpler sections, with voice, acustic and piano parts) But as it happened to "Octavarium" back in 2005, this is going to get a lot more love on the prog side of the fans first. I am more on the metal side of the fans, but I cannot stop appreciating that this album is everything it needs to be great.
Final thoughts: If you are going to love this album or not is completely subjective, but I can assure you that most of the people complaining now are going to get more and more into it with time, as it usually happens with DT. This is a "Multiple-Listening-Required" type of piece. It worth you time and money
Score: 4.5/5 or A-
Top reviews from other countries
Reviewed in Mexico on February 19, 2020
Casualmente descubro que Dream Theater ha sacado un nuevo disco. Este es, naturalmente, "The Astonishing". Escucho los sencillos "The gift of music" y "Our new world". Me quedo estupefacto. ¿En esto se había convertido Dream Theater despues de todo este tiempo? A pesar de mi mala impresión inicial, escucho algunas de las canciones del album que la propia banda ha subido. Y entonces mi apreciación cambia. «Es como si estuvieran hablando un lenguaje que, si bien debe transmitir un gran mensaje, no soy capaz del todo de entender» me digo.
Efectivamente, una vez escucho el trabajo leyendo las letras, me doy cuenta de que este disco es un vehículo para algo más que la música. A todos nos gustan las buenas historias, aquellas que hablan de seres humanos como nosotros, que sienten emociones como las nuestras y aspiraciones que pueden recordarnos episodios de nuestra propia vida. Hay muchas formas de contar una historia y la música es sin duda una de las más difíciles, pues es un arte que percibimos sólo con un sentido. No obstante, cuando se consigue, el resultado es, como en "The Astonishing", asombroso. Hay mucho que descubrir entre las capas y capas que componen cada una de las canciones. Escuchar un disco de Dream Theater siempre ha exigido un nivel alto de atención. En "The Astonishing" la banda nos exige, como subiendo un nuevo peldaño cualitativo, también una implicación emocional. El reto es grande y muchos se quedaran por el camino; el disco no está hecho para ellos. Pero para el resto, hay en este doble CD un mundo al que dejarse llevar lleno de algunos de los momentos más sublimes en los 30 años de historia de esta inigualable banda.