The Astonishing review

Minute By Minute

The Astonishing (Roadrunner)

Legendary progressive metal titans go the whole nine yards for epic double album

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Excellent)

6:32 – “Far in the distant future, beyond the pages of our time”, sings James LaBrie after a six-and-a-half-minute fairytale instrumental build-up that only Dream Theater could devise. He’s setting the scene for this double album’s dystopian concept a revolutionary future world where real music has been outlawed by dronelike machines, told over 34 tracks, split into two acts and spanning 130 minutes. Better get comfortable, then.

16:30 – Sixth track ‘Lord Nafaryus’ sung from the perspective of The Narrator and Nafaryus himself, of course revisits some of the gothic splendour enjoyed on fan-favourite Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory. It’s meticulously crafted and ridiculously over-the-top. As expected.

19:58 – One of the many characters voiced by James LaBrie, Gabriel finds a guitar and begins playing forbidden music in ‘A Savior In The Square’. Cue one of the cheesiest guitar solos John Petrucci has put his name to, which is quite remarkable, really.

37:14 – This might be the closest Dream Theater have ever come to drum’n’bass – but fret not, it’s just ‘The Hovering Sojourn’, whatever that is...

42:52 – It wouldn’t be complete without a love story, which is why thirteenth track ‘A Life Left Behind’ pulls the heartstrings to soundtrack the tragic romance between the aforementioned Gabriel and Faythe.

71:59 – ‘Moment Of Betrayal’ picks up the pace with some frenetic trade-offs from John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. It’s the kind of thing that really hammers in just how much you suck at guitar.

99:17 – The grieving cries that introduce ‘Losing Faythe’ mark her tragic end, but thankfully Gabriel’s miraculous healing powers bring the hope of her reawakening. Minutes later, as his ‘Hymn Of A Thousand Voices’ resurrects the fallen princess, Gabriel realises why he was the chosen one.

114:22 – ...And they all lived happily ever after. The album’s main motif returns one final time to conclude an epic adventure that is, in every single way, truly astonishing indeed.

chart

This album is mostly made up of...

48% Big massive ideas

9% Moody gothic ballads

43% Brain-bursting musicianship

0% Fart jokes