DREAM THEATER SURVIVOR 2016: Results -> A Change Of Seasons wins!
- Thread starter Night Prowler
- Start date
Lampwick 43
Barstool Warrior
DT12 is a decent album, but I find it to be a pretty big step down from ADTOE. There's nothing on it that I actively dislike, but there just aren't enough stand-out moments to put it up there with the elite albums. Most of the songs fall into that "good but not great" category.
A few general thoughts:
The instrumental songs are nothing special at all as far as DT instrumentals go. The bottom two songs on the album for me.
Enemy Inside and Looking Glass are just meh; see "good but not great." Neither one can hold a candle to On The Backs of Angels.
The Bigger Picture is growing on me. I'd like to see it stick around for a bit.
Behind the Veil is very enjoyable. The chorus is awesome and quite catchy. My 2nd favorite song of the album.
Surrender to Reason is decent. I didn't vote for it in the last round, but I can't say that I'm upset it was eliminated.
Along for the Ride is just a generic DT ballad. It sounds like a song that was written in 5 minutes because they needed the obligatory ballad before the big epic.
Illumination Theory is an interesting one. I absolutely loved it the first few times I listened to it, but my opinion of it has lowered a bit these days. The biggest reason is probably the orchestra section. It used to blow my mind, but it eventually started to become stale for me as the novelty of it wore off. Don't get me wrong now, it's beautiful music, but it kills the momentum of the song and I find myself getting impatient to get through it and ready to just get to the 2nd half of the song already.
The 2nd half of IT rules. It's one of those things where I always forget how awesome it is until I listen to it. As a whole, Illumination Theory is still a great song, but I can't quite say it's their greatest 15+ minute epic.
This round Honor Thy Father and The Looking Glass get regular votes, Bridges in the Sky and The Enemy Inside get strategic votes.
A few general thoughts:
The instrumental songs are nothing special at all as far as DT instrumentals go. The bottom two songs on the album for me.
Enemy Inside and Looking Glass are just meh; see "good but not great." Neither one can hold a candle to On The Backs of Angels.
The Bigger Picture is growing on me. I'd like to see it stick around for a bit.
Behind the Veil is very enjoyable. The chorus is awesome and quite catchy. My 2nd favorite song of the album.
Surrender to Reason is decent. I didn't vote for it in the last round, but I can't say that I'm upset it was eliminated.
Along for the Ride is just a generic DT ballad. It sounds like a song that was written in 5 minutes because they needed the obligatory ballad before the big epic.
Illumination Theory is an interesting one. I absolutely loved it the first few times I listened to it, but my opinion of it has lowered a bit these days. The biggest reason is probably the orchestra section. It used to blow my mind, but it eventually started to become stale for me as the novelty of it wore off. Don't get me wrong now, it's beautiful music, but it kills the momentum of the song and I find myself getting impatient to get through it and ready to just get to the 2nd half of the song already.
The 2nd half of IT rules. It's one of those things where I always forget how awesome it is until I listen to it. As a whole, Illumination Theory is still a great song, but I can't quite say it's their greatest 15+ minute epic.
This round Honor Thy Father and The Looking Glass get regular votes, Bridges in the Sky and The Enemy Inside get strategic votes.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Dying
Endless
Stream (strategic)
Angels (OVERRATED!!!1)
Bridges
Looking
Veil
Endless
Stream (strategic)
Angels (OVERRATED!!!1)
Bridges
Looking
Veil
Who didn't vote yet? Situation is pretty tight at the moment 
You can fix it now.
Will update tonight. Looks like you guys should start brushing up on The Astonishing
Guess I need to take the day off work.Will update tonight. Looks like you guys should start brushing up on The Astonishing
Eliminated:
Behind The Veil - 7 votes
This Dying Soul - 6 votes
Honor Thy Father - 6 votes
The Enemy Inside - 6 votes
Promoted:
Endless Sacrifice
Stream Of Consciousness
In The Name Of God
On The Backs Of Angels
Bridges In The Sky
Outcry
Breaking All Illusions
The Looking Glass
The Bigger Picture
Illumination Theory
The Astonishing joins the game.
3 songs from each CD will be promoted.
Collin
Chasing Ponce De Leon's Phantoms
Voted for as much I could. I hate the album a lot. Here's the only songs I like...
- Dystopian Overture has some cool parts
- Gift of Music is decent
- A Life Left Behind has the best guitar part on the album
- A New Behinning is by far the best song on the album
- Moment of Betrayal is cool
- Our New World is musically great, lyrically it is very lacking
- The title track is the most underwhelming thing I've ever listened to.
Bad album. That's it
- Dystopian Overture has some cool parts
- Gift of Music is decent
- A Life Left Behind has the best guitar part on the album
- A New Behinning is by far the best song on the album
- Moment of Betrayal is cool
- Our New World is musically great, lyrically it is very lacking
- The title track is the most underwhelming thing I've ever listened to.
Bad album. That's it
I won't vote for a while. There's just too much material here. Even if the story was awesome (but it's not), you just can't justify the length of this. More than 2 friggin' hours. This album really needed an outside producer to do some major culling and rearrangement.
I really can't think of a double album that can't be compressed into a single one if you cut the least good material. I love Priest's Nostradamus but I'd still cut enough stuff to fit in one awesome single album. Same goes for The Book Of Souls.
IMO only valid reason for a double album is when you go into the studio with the intention of writing two stylistically different albums that are only released together. Like Swallow The Sun's last release.
I really can't think of a double album that can't be compressed into a single one if you cut the least good material. I love Priest's Nostradamus but I'd still cut enough stuff to fit in one awesome single album. Same goes for The Book Of Souls.
IMO only valid reason for a double album is when you go into the studio with the intention of writing two stylistically different albums that are only released together. Like Swallow The Sun's last release.
Agreed with this. A double album today is usually just an indication that the band isn't able to edit. Biggest disappointment about The Astonishing is that the two discs are stylistically very similar. I think the first disc is really strong, but the second has a lot of story filler.
They could've still made this a pretty good double album, but 45 minutes for each disc would've been better. Not only is it over long, but first disc is nearly 80 minutes while the second is only 50. It feels lopsided.
The first disc is awesome though and has very few duller moments.
Edit: I'll give Iron Maiden a pass because it was only one song that pushed them into double album territory. There are less strong moments on TBOS but nothing feels like they were trying to fill up the CDs.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
Why did four songs from Dramatic Turn get promoted? Especially when one is weak and shouldn't have?
I will not be voting for The Astonishing until the later rounds because my votes would be unfair and be doing the poll a disservice. The songs I want to be promoted will definitely be there in the later rounds, anyway.
Agreed.
I think they definitely could've trimmed some fat (like the entire ridiculous ending of the opening track) to make the album 80 minutes. But it's still light years beyond The Astonishing.
I will not be voting for The Astonishing until the later rounds because my votes would be unfair and be doing the poll a disservice. The songs I want to be promoted will definitely be there in the later rounds, anyway.
Agreed.
I think they definitely could've trimmed some fat (like the entire ridiculous ending of the opening track) to make the album 80 minutes. But it's still light years beyond The Astonishing.
MrK
clap hands
I will get into a full analysis of The Astonishing soon, but for now I can only say this about the album:
- has Petrucci and Rudess' largest collection of gorgeous, emotive melodies ever recorded, all treated with the utmost care and respect musically.
- has too many gorgeous, emotive melodies treated with musical respect.
- has Petrucci and Rudess' largest collection of gorgeous, emotive melodies ever recorded, all treated with the utmost care and respect musically.
- has too many gorgeous, emotive melodies treated with musical respect.
Detective Beauregard
Leviathan of Doggerland
The problem I have with The Astonishing, aside from it being too long, having too many tracks, and having a lame story, is that Petrucci and Rudess do all the cool things on the album. Can you name a standout bass line other than the end of A New Beginning? What about cool drum parts? Nope. The album just falls too flat and is too tiring to hold my attention. Perhaps with less ballads, a better story, and more riffs it would actually be interesting, but I'd honestly rather listen to their debut album.