New Dream Theater song - The Gift of Music

[Bucks]

Anyone else hearing some Spock's Beard influence with the melodies and texturing? Reminds me a lot of Snow, which was/is a fantastic album.

I have not enjoyed a new DT album this much since SFAM!

Yeah I hear it. Also a load of Rush inspired stuff.

The intro to A Life Left Behind is a nod to the Yes song, Tempus Fugit.
And one particular very Emerson, Lake and Palmer influenced section in the overture.

This is a DT album for the prog fans, definitely not a metal album. It is absolutely amazing what they have achieved with this, it's amazing.

 

[JSanta]

Yeah I hear it. Also a load of Rush inspired stuff.

The intro to A Life Left Behind is a nod to the Yes song, Tempus Fugit.
And one particular very Emerson, Lake and Palmer influenced section in the overture.

This is a DT album for the prog fans, definitely not a metal album. It is absolutely amazing what they have achieved with this, it's amazing.

Exactly what I was thinking, but you did a far better job articulating my thoughts! I'm really glad to hear more of a prog influence. Lyrics are a bit cheesy, but the music, compositions, and textures are just superb. Never thought I'd like an album without MP as much as I do with this one.

 

[TheShreddinHand]

I have not ordered the CD yet, but I will very soon.

Just one more question to those who had a listen already: are there many heavy songs on it that go more into metal territory?

That is one thing I loved about Train Of Thought, it was a very heavy album!

This is not like train of thought. Don't get me wrong there is heaviness sprinkled throughout but it is more sparse. It reminds me of older DT in that they can get heavy but by doing it more on occasion it has a greater impact. Which I personally love!

 

[AxeHappy]

The Pinch Harmonics in 'A Better Life' are the most glorious noise I have ever heard come from a guitar.

 

[saminator]

Yeah... I think a more appropriate album title would be Scenes From A Musical...

 

[wankerness]

What parts of it sound like a musical to you people saying things like that, and what musical? I didn't hear ANYTHING like that.

 

[AxeHappy]

Apparently people nowadays confuse the term, "concept album," with, "musical." *shrugs*

 

[DXL]

What parts of it sound like a musical to you people saying things like that, and what musical? I didn't hear ANYTHING like that.

I think Begin Again sounds straight out of a musical, and I think that's awesome. Definitely my favorite song off the album.

I actually think this might be my favorite Dream Theater album. I've always felt most of their albums have too many annoyances, whereas this one sounds extremely smooth and pleasant the whole way through.

 

[Kwirk]

There are definitely musical qualities to the album. "The Answer", for example.

 

[Genome]

What parts of it sound like a musical to you people saying things like that, and what musical? I didn't hear ANYTHING like that.

Some of it has an Andrew Lloyd-Webber vibe to me. It doesn't sound like specifically anything he has done but it has that kind of tone to it.

Petrucci even said Jesus Christ Superstar was an influence for this album.

 

[ilyti]

DT goes broadway and somehow I don't mind. I've only listened to it once, because it's kind of a commitment. But I think I am going to like this very much.

 

[A-Branger]

I have only giving it couple of listents while working. I love it, much more than the two previous albums

I dont mind DT doing metal stuff. THis record is more prog rock based, and thats awesome, we would get the more metal side of DT on a next album so I dnt care.

nice melodies, James is way much better here than the previous albums, with a much cleaner voice trak too, not taht many effects (which i hated from the last two)

agree that the guitar is a bit burried in the background for the most parts, but not a big issue.

So far I have only "locked" in my mind 3 songs, the rest feels a big mush of the same. I need to listen to the albums more in order to start identifying the songs for each others. This is something that I do like more of 6 degrees and Scenes from aMemory. Theres a more distinct songs, a bigger difference between tracks that makes them more unique of each others. Maybe is the amount of short tracks in here, or again I might need to listen more, but so far its a bit of a big mash up of tracks, hard to tell them apart so far.

I also didnt like the Overture and Finale of this opera album. Not really that strong, specially for a 2 CD album. 6Degrees was much much powerful. Even the opening track of the previous album seemed better than this


cant comment on the cheesiness of the lyrics since I never pay attention to them, maybe after I read them on the book lol

either way, its a great album

 

[psycle_1]

I haven't stopped listening to this album since Friday. At first I was very nervous because I didn't care for The Gift Of Music when it was released, but now after listening through both discs 5 times over (at least) I dig it, since it all fits in and makes sense.

This album a million times better than the snoozefest self titled. I did not care much for ADTOE either. But they have totally redeemed themselves in my eyes. Overall production and mix is great. That was one of the things that disappointed me on the self titled... Guitar tone was horrible, and the snare sounded like dirt. Granted this time the snare and bass drum sounds way too consistent for the most part on this album, they still sound good and fit the mix.

The biggest thing that helps this album is Labrie's singing. It's his best singing hands down in a long time. IMO it stands head and shoulders above everything else the band is doing, which it should since he's telling the story through his singing. His "whiney" vocals are very few and far between.

Lastly, there are some great choruses in there, my favorite being on "A Better Life" (Evangeline, you lived a life....). Man, the lyrics along with the music itself is so damn strong. It's been a long time since DT has done anything to invoke an emotional response from listening to their music. They did it multiple times across this album.

I've been listening to DT since hearing Pull Me Under when it was first released on the radio. This definitely ranks among their top albums in my book. All the songs are cohesive and gel very well together. Lyrics are strong, and there are hints of classic prog in there as well. Certain parts remind me of something you'd hear on an LTE album. Nothing is overplayed and excessive. Very cool. The album is a grand slam IMO.

 

[vividox]

Absolutely loving the album and keep spinning it.

Favorites are Lord Nafaryus and Three Days.

Award for cheesiest lyric of the album goes to: "My music player / my music player".

 

[wankerness]

The lyrics are the same brand of cheesy that's on SFAM. It's just lots of "I dedicate my life to set you free!" "I'll never let your memory die in vain!" harmless BS. They're dumb across the board, but there's nothing that stuck out to me like a sore thumb like "SHE WAS AN ORDINARY TEENAGE GIRL WITH A KIND AND ECCENTRIC LOVING FATHER AND EVERYONE THOUGHT HIGHLY OF HER" or whatever that really egregious section of "about to crash" was. They never distracted me from the music.

 

[electriceye]

I'm having a very hard time getting through this album, frankly. All I envision is either a BWay show or a Cirque du Soleil performance. I find myself cringing quite a bit so far. I'm sorry, but this is some horrid sh*t. VERY disappointed. Glad I have the new Megadeth and Primal Fear to satisfy me.

 

[electriceye]

What parts of it sound like a musical to you people saying things like that, and what musical? I didn't hear ANYTHING like that.

Seriously?? How about ALL of it? I completely agree with what he said.

 

[RustInPeace]

I'm having a very hard time getting through this album, frankly. All I envision is either a BWay show or a Cirque du Soleil performance. I find myself cringing quite a bit so far. I'm sorry, but this is some horrid sh*t. VERY disappointed. Glad I have the new Megadeth and Primal Fear to satisfy me.

Im with this. SO boring.

 

[GraemeH]

Managed to listen to it through 5 or 6 times now (hard to find >2 hours uninterrupted) and the overall effect of the album is far, far greater than I'd have thought from individual songs here or there. It really does become more than the sum of its parts once it all goes together and the "story", derivative and perfunctory as it sounds at first, carries the whole album a good bit higher.
My favourite overall album of theirs.

It doesn't sound like any instrument is too dominant (how often do you hear Myung in Dream Theater songs? But he's very clear here). The technical excellence seems to be purely serving the needs of the songs, not just because "we're Dream Theater, people want lots of wanking so let's just give them it."

And what about characters singing their dialogue, actions and thoughts aloud back and forth to each other isn't musical-ey?

 

[vividox]

I'm having a very hard time getting through this album, frankly. All I envision is either a BWay show or a Cirque du Soleil performance. I find myself cringing quite a bit so far. I'm sorry, but this is some horrid sh*t. VERY disappointed. Glad I have the new Megadeth and Primal Fear to satisfy me.

What's wrong with Broadway or Cirque de Soleil?