Dream Theater - The Astonishing

[The Butterfly Man]

It's become kind of a tradition that I open new DT-topics, so here we go...

Update on DT's facebook page from last Monday:

DREAM THEATER ANNOUNCE MOMENTOUS 2016 EUROPEAN TOUR
DEBUTING NEW ALBUM LIVE IN ITS ENTIRETY
DATES BEGIN FEBRUARY 18TH AT LONDON’S PALLADIUM
NEW ALBUM SET TO ARRIVE EARLY 2016

Roadrunner Records’ group Dream Theater has announced new tour dates for a momentous European headline run which is set to kickoff February 18th at the Palladium in London, England. The winter run will see the prog-titans delivering a one-of-a-kind set in which they will be debuting their forthcoming album live in its entirety. The unique tour is set to make stops at prestigious theaters around Europe including Amsterdam’s Carre Theater, Oslo’s Konserthus, Stockholm’s Cirkus, Paris’ Palais des Congres and Milan’s Teatro Degli Arcimboldi with additional dates to be announced (see attached itinerary). Presale tickets for select dates will be available on Wednesday, November 4th with general onsale for all dates beginning on Friday, November 6th. For up-to-the-minute news and ticket information, please visit http://www.dreamtheater.net/tour.
The European tour comes in anticipation of Dream Theater’s forthcoming album which is expected to arrive in early 2016. The new material will follow 2013’s worldwide smash album “DREAM THEATER,” which earned a second Grammy nomination for the band, topping Billboard’s “Hard Rock Albums” while simultaneously entering at #7 on the Billboard 200. The extraordinary chart position marked the group’s third consecutive top 10 debut, and also saw "DREAM THEATER" making top 5 chart debuts in Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Holland, and Finland, as well as top 10 debuts in Denmark, Austria, and Norway, with career high debuts in the United Kingdom and Australia. Rolling Stone touted the legendary collection as “…the birth of a new era in the band’s career.”

DREAM THEATER
EUROPEAN TOUR 2016
February 18th – March 18th
ADDITIONAL DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
FEBRUARY
18 London, England Palladium
22 Amsterdam, Holland Carre Theater
28 Oslo, Norway Konserthus
MARCH
2 Stockholm, Sweden Cirkus
5 Paris, France Palais des Congres
6 Paris, France Palais des Congres
18 Milan, Italy Teatro Degli Arcimboldi

Update on DT's facebook page from yesterday:

And so it begins…our new album is entitled The Astonishing, and we cannot wait to share it with you early next year! In the meantime, check for new tour dates on our webpage www.dreamtheater.net/tour/"

The tourdates that are confirmed are all in actual theaters. What could this mean?

Anyway, expectation just went through the roof!

Tom

[maddox]

Guess where I am going to, that particular day.

[Bupie]

I didn't get everything but I know that I chose the Ravenskill camp because I found the artwork nicer (or maybe because I am a rebel deep down inside  ).

Let's see what will come out of it. The Threshold live album is coming in a few days to have me wait for a new dose of progmetal until 2016. I think I also read somewhere that a new Circus Maximus album could see the light next year so these are all good news. I wish Seventh Wonder could make the same kind of announcement though ...

[PH]

At first I didn't know what you were talking about, but now I've seen their website.
http://www.dreamtheater.net/theastonishing

Looks really cool.
Were they inspired by LaBrie's involvement with Ayreon's The Theater Equation?

[The Butterfly Man]

They've been giving away sets of songtitles for the last few weeks on the website that Paco mentioned, and now it's confirmed that this is the final, definitive tracklist of The Astonishing:

ACT I
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 Saviour 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

ACT II
1. 2285 Entr'acte
2. Moment of Betrayal
3. Heaven's Cove
4. Begin Again
5. The Path That Devides
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

Tom

[Nicky007]

Hey, looks great! Thanx, Tom

There's no European Headline Concert in Copenhagen or Malmö, so I guess I'll wait till their regular tour in 2016, noticed that Denmark was mentioned, that usually means Copenhagen. They weren't sold out the last two times, so it's probably not a problem to get tickets.

- Nicky

[PH]

I just hope that they haven't forgot how to write a song. I mean, this sort of thing could work out really well, or very bad. Now that they are concentrating on a story, I hope they concentrate as much or even more on the song material.
For now, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt! I'm looking very much forward to it!

[Nicky007]

Hey, Paxi, you don't seem to know DT properly: Have they made anything less than perfect since I&W ? (except for some foolin' around here and there).

One can discuss their lyrics - some are deeper, more philosophical, poignant, poetic etc than others - but their music is always creative and perfectly polished.

This is the flagship of prog ! And they damn well lnow it

So I'm expecting nothing less than DT-perfection

- Nicky

[maddox]

I just hope that they haven't forgot how to write a song. I mean, this sort of thing could work out really well, or very bad. Now that they are concentrating on a story, I hope they concentrate as much or even more on the song material.
For now, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt! I'm looking very much forward to it!

I agree to some extend.
It's a big risk they take, they've certainly never done this before.
Writing a cd is different than writing a story, hope they can pull this together.

[maddox]

Interview with JP about The Astonishing.

Interesting read and interesting story plot.

I do like the song, it has the many DT-influences that we all know to wel, though a bit more melody than real metal.
James sings a bit better as well, melodic as well.
Personally I think that's a plus, he sounds better when he sings like James, instead of doing a thrashy James-Hetfield act.

Curious though how the album will be.
Keeping the listeners interest for about two hours or so can be tricky, not many bands can pull this off.

The Gift of Music, first song release.

[Bupie]

Thanks for the link Mad !

[Bupie]

Unfortunately, after a dozen listens, I can't say that I am astonished by this gift ... 

[PH]

Well, I'm definitely on the positive side this time. I think it already sounds better than anything of the previous album.