What the hell going on with DT and "The Astonishing"?

If people think it will sell, they will back the idea. If DT includes some provisions where they bear some risk, it's even better for the sellers. I don't even get DT most of the time in general, so this doesn't really surprise me.

Remember, Slayer once had branded shoes. $$$ is all that counts.

 

Yeah, they've gone completely mental on this. The music was very sub-par, if you ask me, and the concept was a generic re-hash of every generic dystopian story ever. I've just watched the trailer for The Astonishing Game (I think that's what it's called), and it's basically just a chess games with the story's characters in it. The novel might prove interesting, but given the album's concept, it's highly improbable. The movie won't be something big, it just cannot be. It will most probably be a sort of 30 min. to 1 hour-long thing, either with the same kind of horrible animated paintings we've all seen or a rather cheap cast of actors with an unexperienced director, etc. I didn't hear about the Broadway musical, but I don't want to.

 

DT fanboys will buy anything. it's a terrible album.

 

Lots of conversation around here about how "the biz is dying" - so it makes perfect sense to me that a band would try to grow the brand and create as many revenue streams as possible. This is exactly the whole "sell the brand, not the music" thing we always talk about. That's how a lot of business functions. It's not exactly a new concept in music either - I mean just look at KISS. They're rich because of merchandise, not because the music is any good.

 

Examples of such.

 

It's because no one apparently has the cajones to tell JP it was a stupid idea. This is his brainchild, he wrote the whole story, and he said all along that he envisioned it having all this extra crap (game, book, etc.). Yes, he and JR wrote all the music together, but I can't believe no one stepped up and told him the overall story is pretty dumb and all this other crap isn't needed.

Ultimately it must have gotten through because they think they'll make more $$ than it takes to produce but I'm a huge DT fan and I have zero interest in the game, book etc. The album was OK at best with a couple really great songs (gift of music, our new world), but the other 2 hours was laborious.

Guarantee this wouldn't have flown if MP was still in the band.

 

Astonishing how bad this all is... Trooch has gone mental

 

Suffice to say, this album made me not care about Dream Theater, anymore. I listened to it all the way through once. I can only think of one song that's actually interesting to me, and the story is just too cliched and boring. I'm baffled they're doing this much crap with it.

 

+1 Like

 

Just like with everything in life, there'll be people who will love, hate and don't care.
The same with The Astonishing.
What is crap to you, it's a masterpiece to another one and vice-versa.
Opinions are only opinions and not facts.
So this thread is nonsense.

 

Just a way to further monetize the release. The band is obviously very proud of it, and think they're on to something. Honestly I'd be more interested in seeing the movie than listening to it again.

 

I thought it was a bit presumptuous for them to have show programs with a "cast of characters" for their recent tour dates to accompany the reject Final Fantasy cutscenes playing on the video screens. It's not an interesting story and, unfortunately not a good album. Kind of like Metallica, DT seems to have no one around them to advise them if something is a crummy idea.

 

Man, don't diss FF cutscenes like that; The Astonishing atrocities are nowhere near as good as FF

As far as the album goes, I actually didn't hate it and there a couple of decent tracks but I agree all the surrounding media campaign and the story itself is utterly insipid.

 

Simple, they don't get used to the idea of this album sucking hairy monkey balls and they want us to like it no matter how...

 

I have to say the album has grown on me. I haven't read the lyrics though so just going on the music. It's too long and the main theme could be stronger but there are some vintage prog moments. I still hate the drum production and even the drum playing is far weaker than Portnoy...

 

the tour has been a complete failure.
the images and words tour they are doing in europe in 2017 was supposed to be a 2nd run of the astonishing but they have been forced to change as ticket sales have been so awful.

 

The album on its own was whatever. I don't hate it but there's not enough cool moments to hold my interest. Watching it live was sick though, Petrucci did some lead work throughout the show that is no where to be found on the cd. The guy still has some insane chops and melody. Hope they drop this astonishing stuff and go back to what they do best. On another note those JP-2C's sound incredible in person and Petrucci is working on an 8 string majesty shape !

 

I can account only for the show I went to in October, but the venue was only about half-full while they typically draw well in the region. The whole "we're playing the new album in its entirety" deal is a prog tradition, but maybe it was too hard of a sell.