In an interview with Billboard, he explained, “I was thinking of all of the things now that people used to do that they don’t do anymore because they’re automated or done by robots: lots of jobs, self-driving cars coming right around the corner … My thought was, ‘What would happen if … music became all artificial?’”Ĭlocking in at over two hours in length and containing 34 tracks, The Astonishing was planned as an immersive experience that would be best enjoyed as a full album as opposed to a collection of singles. The album’s story was inspired by Petrucci’s love of fantasy and science fiction franchises such as Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars, as well as his observations on the role of technology in modern-day society. 2112 also revolves around music being used to achieve freedom in a futuristic setting. Described as an “honest-to-God rock opera” by Rolling Stone, it has been compared to The Who’s Tommy (1969), Rush’s 2112 (1976), Pink Floyd’s The Wall (1979), and Queensrÿche’s Operation: Mindcrime (1988). The Astonishing is Dream Theater’s second concept album after 1999’s Metropolis Pt 2: Scenes from a Memory. With music as a moving force, the choices each player must make will bring them to a shared moment of pain. And the resulting conflict may yield lasting consequences. Those plans may find an unlikely challenger in their own family. And he believes Gabriel’s gift is the key a key he hopes will help him keep a promise he made his wife on her deathbed.īut the emperor and his son have different plans–to maintain control. Gabriel’s brother, Arhys, leads a rebel militia that is trying to liberate the people. In the village of Ravenskill lives a young man, Gabriel, who comes with a gift of power. This music suppresses hope.īut what is old will be made new again. This music suppresses that part of humanity which might be inspired. No, this new music is engineered entirely by machines. Only this time, those in power control the servant class with the very thing that once inspired men to rise up and take back their lives-music. Īll lyrics written by John Petrucci, all music composed by Petrucci and Jordan Rudess.In a not so distant future, our world has returned to the ugliness of feudalism. Track listingĪll track information taken from The Astonishing liner notes. The band is currently touring in support of the album. It has received generally favorable reviews and currently holds an average score of 80/100 on the review aggregator Metacritic. It debuted in the top ten of the Norwegian, Hungarian, Italian, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Austrian, and Canadian charts, and became the first Dream Theater album to reach number one on the US Billboard Rock Chart. Leading up to the The Astonishing’s release, the band marketed the album with its own website, fan mailing lists, and trailer. In their effort to match the album’s narrative, Dream Theater wrote songs in a wide variety of styles ranging from mellow ballads to their more conventional progressive metal sound. It was inspired by contemporary fantasy and science fiction franchises such as Game of Thrones and Star Wars, as well as Petrucci’s observations on the ubiquity of technological automation in modern-day society. The Astonishing is set in a dystopian United States and follows the Ravenskill Rebel Militia in their efforts to defy the Great Northern Empire of the Americas using the magical power of music. Mixing and sound engineering were performed by the band’s longtime collaborator, Richard Chycki, with Petrucci producing. Recording was completed throughout 2015 at Cove City Sound Studios in Long Island, New York, with the exception of vocals, which were recorded in Canada. Composer David Campbell was hired to assist with orchestrating the album’s string lines and choirs. The album’s story was conceived by guitarist John Petrucci and its music was written by Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. The Astonishing is a rock opera, released as the thirteenth studio album and second concept album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater on Januthrough Roadrunner Records.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |