AsSiMiLaTeD
06-23-2009, 11:48 PM
Anyone pick this up yet? I grabbed it on the way home, been through it once already.
I'll post some more thoughts later, but my initial impression is somewhat mixed, here's what I'm thinking on a song by song basis:
A Nightmare to Remember - This is my favorite so far on the album. I like the higher energy of this song, love the way it starts out and the way it ends. There are lots of time changes here, and they can seem a bit disjointed, but overall it works well. I could do without the fake growling that Portnoy has carried over to this album.
A Rite of Passage - This is the single off the album, and is also one of the heavier songs, although the chorus seems kinda wimpy to me. The solo section is good, but where are the unisons between guitar and piano? That's one of my favorite aspects of DT music and it's missing from this album almost completely.
Wither - bleh. Okay it's a ballad, I get that, but it's just so...bland, and wimpy. I feel like I'm watching the intro to Dawson's Creek or something. I'm not a huge fan of ballads, but DT has done some good ones over the years - this isn't one of them IMHO.
Shattered Fortress - Again with the fake growls, jeezus. It's actually a good song, and put together fairly well. The one thing I couldn't help thinking all the way through is 'medley'. This is the last of the songs in the AA series by Portnoy, and you'll hear parts of all the previous songs in this one. In fact, that's the flaw IMO, there's really nothing new and original in this song, it's just a rehashing, albeit a good one, of all the previous songs in this series.
The Best of Times - Rush called, and they want their music back! Yep, this ones' got Rush all over it, at least musically, and that's not a bad thing. I don't much care for their version of the melody of Barry Manilow's "I write the songs" that crops up a couple times in the song, but whatever. I 'get' what the song is about the message it tries to convey, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired IMO. There is a good solo section towards the end, although it's short.
The Count of Tuscany - Here's the 20 minute 'epic' song we've come to expect from DT. I love longs songs! When compared to something like Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies, this doesn't hold up so well for me. It is arguably more progressive than those other songs, but just doesn't reach out and grab you like those other tracks do. The subject matter isn't compelling, and the lyrics aren't the best. The music itself is really good though. It again has some of that Rush vibe near the beginning, but at 11 minutes in or so you're back with early DT, with the general sound being very similar to the beginning of Trial of Tears from Falling Into Infinity. The song has a slower, ambient feel for about 3 minutes from there, somewhat similar to Octavarium but not quite as well crafted. Then at around 15 minutes in or so they go into a kinda Porcupine Tree vibe with the acoustic guitar and keyboard work - the chord structure and key is very different, but the general vibe and feel reminds me of "Drown with me" from In Absentia. The end is rather non-climactic for me - listening to the end of Octavarium where there's all this emotion pouring out and this listening to this, it just doesn't do it for me I guess.
I make it sound like I hated this album, and that's not the case at all. I think they did a great job overall, and know that the more I listen the more I'll like it. Some DT albums are very easy to listen to the first time through, and some take a little more growing on you. This will fall in the latter group, and those sometimes end up being my favorites all time.
I'll post some more thoughts later, but my initial impression is somewhat mixed, here's what I'm thinking on a song by song basis:
A Nightmare to Remember - This is my favorite so far on the album. I like the higher energy of this song, love the way it starts out and the way it ends. There are lots of time changes here, and they can seem a bit disjointed, but overall it works well. I could do without the fake growling that Portnoy has carried over to this album.
A Rite of Passage - This is the single off the album, and is also one of the heavier songs, although the chorus seems kinda wimpy to me. The solo section is good, but where are the unisons between guitar and piano? That's one of my favorite aspects of DT music and it's missing from this album almost completely.
Wither - bleh. Okay it's a ballad, I get that, but it's just so...bland, and wimpy. I feel like I'm watching the intro to Dawson's Creek or something. I'm not a huge fan of ballads, but DT has done some good ones over the years - this isn't one of them IMHO.
Shattered Fortress - Again with the fake growls, jeezus. It's actually a good song, and put together fairly well. The one thing I couldn't help thinking all the way through is 'medley'. This is the last of the songs in the AA series by Portnoy, and you'll hear parts of all the previous songs in this one. In fact, that's the flaw IMO, there's really nothing new and original in this song, it's just a rehashing, albeit a good one, of all the previous songs in this series.
The Best of Times - Rush called, and they want their music back! Yep, this ones' got Rush all over it, at least musically, and that's not a bad thing. I don't much care for their version of the melody of Barry Manilow's "I write the songs" that crops up a couple times in the song, but whatever. I 'get' what the song is about the message it tries to convey, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired IMO. There is a good solo section towards the end, although it's short.
The Count of Tuscany - Here's the 20 minute 'epic' song we've come to expect from DT. I love longs songs! When compared to something like Octavarium or In the Presence of Enemies, this doesn't hold up so well for me. It is arguably more progressive than those other songs, but just doesn't reach out and grab you like those other tracks do. The subject matter isn't compelling, and the lyrics aren't the best. The music itself is really good though. It again has some of that Rush vibe near the beginning, but at 11 minutes in or so you're back with early DT, with the general sound being very similar to the beginning of Trial of Tears from Falling Into Infinity. The song has a slower, ambient feel for about 3 minutes from there, somewhat similar to Octavarium but not quite as well crafted. Then at around 15 minutes in or so they go into a kinda Porcupine Tree vibe with the acoustic guitar and keyboard work - the chord structure and key is very different, but the general vibe and feel reminds me of "Drown with me" from In Absentia. The end is rather non-climactic for me - listening to the end of Octavarium where there's all this emotion pouring out and this listening to this, it just doesn't do it for me I guess.
I make it sound like I hated this album, and that's not the case at all. I think they did a great job overall, and know that the more I listen the more I'll like it. Some DT albums are very easy to listen to the first time through, and some take a little more growing on you. This will fall in the latter group, and those sometimes end up being my favorites all time.