Impressions/Thoughts:
Dream Theater has
been the leading band to push the genre of Progressive Metal to new heights. The Astonishing was released on January 29th, 2016 and is Dream Theater’s 13th studio album. This album is
actually a concept album and follows a man through a dystopian future. The
album has a total of 34 songs and clocks in at around 2 hours and 10 minutes.
This is their longest album to date.
Personally, I am a fan of Dream Theater’s heavier albums like Train of Thought and Awake.
For this album, The Astonishing took me 10 months to make this review. Just
kidding, but this review was a large undertaking for me to do.
The Music:
I’m not going to explain the meaning of each lyric, because
this is a concept album and each song tells a part of the story. If you want to
check out the cool concepts and the overarching story being told through each
song, go click on this page on Dream
Theater’s official website, where it details what transpires during the
story and provides the lyrics for the songs. Instead, I will be discussing the music and how it relates to the theme and overall story.
Disc 1:
Part 1 [Tracks 1-5]
The first couple of songs, especially “Dystopian Overture”, really set the mood for the album. By having
this epic and dark tone for the dystopian future concept portrayed through the
music, each song sets the stage for the story, giving the audience an
understanding of what is happening or what has already happened for the
characters and world. The following songs present the perspective of the
narrator, ‘the chosen one’ Gabriel and his older brother Arhys. The way that the songs on this album are
presented is similar to that of a musical or an opera.
Personally, I love the beginning of “The Gift of Music” because of its upbeat sound and catchy
progression. I also like the part when the song does down to this serene beat
and changes the perspective from the narrator to Arhys. The vocals are very
clear which helps us understand the message of the song. Shortly after the song
builds up from the serene part of the song, some of the lyrics have a chorus added
behind the vocals.
“The Answer” is
more of a serene song that still is able to give the emotion of insecurity of
the character Gabriel. The song “A
Better life” has this great marching sound at the beginning of the song that
sets a darker mood. Another part of that song I like is the were he says the
lyrics “I shall give him a better life, I swore this vow to my dying wife” and all
the subsequent lines after that. I also liked the part where a line would be
said then the name ‘Evangeline’ would be said after.
Part 2 [Tracks 6-10]
The first song “Lord
Nafaryus” gives the audience a foreboding feeling as well as the
motivations behind the actions of the character. The next song ,“A Savior in the Square”, begins with a melodic,
serene, acoustic sounding piece that starts off the track. Then as does in the
story, the song transitions to a tone that is reminiscent of heralding the
arrival of someone important. I love the progression of this song as it changes
tones throughout as situations unfold in the story.
In the next song, “When Your Time Has Come”, it has an
awesome wailing guitar solo. The following track, “Act of Faythe”, goes into the feelings one of the characters. It
starts with a beautiful orchestrated piece then changes to a lone piano and
vocals. The track progresses as more instruments are added into the mix, ending
with something reminiscent to the song “Lord
Nafaryus”. The riff for the song “Three
Days” is really rhythmic and catchy. The vocal melody aligns closely with
the riff. I really like the part where the vocals are sung above the riff as it
slows down, giving the character that is based on those lines a chance to
really stand out. I also like the chaotic ending of this song.
Part 3 [Tracks 11-15]
After a short mechanical instrumental from the NOMACS, “Brother, Can You Hear Me?” starts with
this militant sounding music piece that sounds like it could be in an old
military propaganda film. The first part of the lyrics sounds like a chant from
a group rather than from a singular character. After the music dies down, it
starts up again with a serene riff that builds up as it goes on. The lyrics are
the response from the main character comforting the previous group. “A Life Left Behind” starts with a chord
progression on acoustic guitar. The other instruments join in after a few of
these chords take place. The riff changes to a softer tone as the vocals start.
I like how the riff goes up when the line “I’m waking up” is sung. The next
track, “Ravenskill”, opens with
piano and what sounds like chirping birds in the background. In-between the
vocals, other noises like running water are added to the soundscape. After
about 2 minutes, the bass guitar and drums jump in and make the song much
heavier. A few minutes later, the song returns to only vocals and piano but
this later transitions into a different sound by the addition of the other
instruments which end out the song. “Chosen”
is a pretty dramatic song. It’s simple and melodic but the simple message of
the hope that the characters have is what makes this song shine.
Part 4 [Tracks 16-20]
“A
Temping Offer” opens with a few notes from a piano then followed by a riff that
comes crashing down which immediately grabs your attention. The song is pretty
intense as the story unfolds. The sound is dramatic just like the choice that
the character has to make. “Digital
Discord” is another NOMAC instrumental. It’s different and breaks up the
pace of the story to allow the circumstances to set in. The following song “The X Aspect” portrays the desperate
situation placed upon the character and the choice he has to make. The song
starts with a soft piano, then an acoustic guitar and an organ take over the
riff. The drums enter and the pace of the song picks up. I’m a sucker for
bagpipes so when they joined in, I thoroughly enjoyed their addition to the
song. “A New Beginning” has this heavy riff that is really exciting to the ear. As the song continues, the riff has a really catchy rhythm. It also has some resemblance to some of the other songs we’ve heard so far like “The Gift of Music” and “Lord Nafaryus”. This song also has some great guitar solos and keyboard solos. As choices and story plans of the characters are being played out, the consequences of their actions are played out in the music of the song “The Road to Revolution”. The riff changes tonally as it goes between each of the characters. As the first disc closes out, it seems that Act 1 is finally over and the next Act will see those choices played out to fruition.
Disc 2:
Part 1 [Tracks 1-3]
Act 2 of the album starts with an instrumental that reacquaints us with the themes from the previous act while also setting the tone of the second Act. The song “Moment of Betrayal” is where the act truly begins and paves the way for rest of the second act. It’s a darker, heavier song which continues to get heavier as the song goes on. The next song, “Heaven’s Cove”, has this eerie opening as if we were in the hallowed halls of an old long forgotten building. The song has bursts of heavy sound and then fully transitions into a heavy sound as the vocals start.Part 2 [Tracks 4-7]
“Begin Again” has
this emotional riff that seeps hope. The way the orchestration and vocals come
together is masterful to say the least. “The
Path That Divides” starts with what sounds like crickets chirping in the
night. After a mechanical noise, a dramatic riff plays as the character is facing
the moment of truth. As the song progresses, it gets heavier and more symphonic
in some places. The vocal melody closely follows the riff in this song. The next
song “Machine Chatter” is another
NOMACS instrumental. Even though the song itself is rather quiet, the beat of
this instrumental is exceptionally catchy. “The Walking Shadow” continues the dramatic theme from the song “The Path That Divides”. In some parts
of this song, the riff is very percussive. The track stops around the 2-minute
mark and has the sound of walking footsteps. It then ramps up the riff again as
the vocals tell the events in the story.
Part 3 [Tracks 8-11]
“My Last Farewell”
is a somber song which is in response to the dark event that had transpired. As
the song progresses, it follows the emotions being released by the character. “Losing Faythe” starts with a sadder
tone of the characters mourning. Later in the song, the tone becomes more hopeful
sounding as the situation unfolds, when an opportunity comes into the mind of
one of the characters.
“Whispers of the
Wind” continues the somber tone as the vocals portray a hopelessness of the
character, draining away any hope for the situation. In the next song, “Hymn of a Thousand Voices”, what seems
like a hopeless situation is uplifted by the events that follow in the story. The
song sounds epic as a choir can be heard in the background behind the vocals.
Part 4 [Tracks 12-14]
With the crisis now over, the song “Our New World” begins the last chapter in the story. It is an uplifting
and upbeat song expressing hope for a new better world. “Power Down” is the last of the NOMACS instrumentals on the album
and it’s the signal that the story is nearing its end. The album ends with “Astonishing”. This song incorporates elements
from other tracks on the album. It wraps up the story and album nicely as the
song builds up touching upon all the elements of the story being told through
the various pieces of music from the album.
Verdict:
I like the dystopian future concept that Dream Theater has brought. To me it
could have been generic, as many stories with a setting similar to this usually
deal with the survival of the character or the politics associated with such a
world. Dream Theater, mainly by John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess who wrote the concept and music for the album, deal
with something that most writers do
not and that is the cultural aspect of such a future, especially music. Even
though this album was written mainly by John
Petrucci and Jordan Rudess, each
of the other members of Dream Theater
still get to shine within the music, whether it be in vocals or instrumental
solos.
I would love to see this album be adapted into a comic book
or movie. A musical might work, but those usually have dance numbers and this
music would not work in that kind of setting. Although, I could see this as a
movie rock opera. It really depends on how it’s handled, but a production with something
visual would be great. I really like this album and if you love progressive music
and/or concept albums, this is one of the best that I have found.
If you want to hear this album for yourself, here is the album
stream from Dream Theater’s official YouTube page:
Top 6 Songs:
1) “Gift of Music”
2) “A Better Life”
3) “Lord Nafaryus”
4) “The Answer”
5) “Three Days”
6) “A New Beginning”
 |
| From left to right: Jordan Rudess, John Myung, James LaBrie, Mike Mangini & John Petrucci |
Dream Theater’s
US tour of The Astonishing is now over as of today, because today is their
last show of the tour. Next year, when they go to Europe they are going to be
celebrating the 25th anniversary of their second album Images
and Words by playing that album in its entirety.
You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter. You can
also check out their official website for tour dates and other events.
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