Dream Theater
The Astonishing

The thirteenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on January 29, 2016. It debuted in the top ten of nine countries and became the first Dream Theater album to reach number one on the US Billboard Rock Chart. I recommend.

“The Astonishing” is the thirteenth studio album by Dream Theater, the recognized leaders in progressive metal. It is a not uncommon example of the victory of conceptuality over musicality. The album is double, the first disc ("Act I") lasts about 80 minutes, the second ("Act II") - about 50 minutes, together - as many as 34 tracks. At the same time, the leitmotifs that would tie the album into a single whole are somewhat lacking. The history of the album, "retro-futuristic dystopia", strongly resembles the plot of the song "2112" from the disc of the same name Rush. (As you know, the Canadian trio are almost the main inspirers of Dream Theater.) This creation even attracts a rock opera, although the parts of all the characters are voiced by one person - the band's staff vocalist James Labrie. Imagine a much less heavy and at the same time much less inspired version of “Scenes From A Memory” or the second disc of “Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence” ... There are no “prog metal hits” on “The Astonishing” with catchy riffs like in “Pull Me Under ”, nor the breathtaking bells and whistles of“ Metropolis - Pt. I ”or“ Breaking All Illusions ”, not“ epics ”like“ Octavarium ”or“ The Count of Tuscany ”. And there isn't much prog metal on "The Astonishing" either. This is by far the softest sounding album of the American quintet. On some tracks, you can hear a symphony orchestra, a solo violin, a choir, female vocals, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess uses the piano more than usual. Of course, there is more than enough pomp and pretentiousness, as before, and there is much more sentimentality than before.

This is double cd. some song is like rock opera. there is not dream theater original sound and playing. but cd i2 is not bad. try on cd 2 firstly.

Consider this NOT a traditional DT album. It is a musical, with a story and a long time musical description of this. Consider these are two cds and they require you mind disposition and, more than this, lot of free time to enter all passages between songs. What I criticize here is not the idea of making a musical, but the fact musical contents are almost like fregments. We have long musical sequences fragmented in episodes and this, imho, goes to ruin the base of inspirational effort that is main source of listeners' pleasure when listening to music. It's first time since they released an album, I had difficulties to listen at their music.