THE ASTONISHING

I can understand why the reviews are divided for this because I was originally disappointed when this album was released, but it has really grown on me as of late. I thought a lot of the mellow parts were cheesy and some of the heavy parts were cliche, so after about two full listens I put the album away.

Well, I picked it up this week and honestly I think it might be one of their best works. Now I go all the way back to Images & Words and Awake which are still two of my favorites along with Scenes from a Memory. After taking some time off from DT I gave this album another try and now really appreciate how all the music fits together and I've found many more pieces that I really now like. The Gift of Music and Our New World stood out right away but now some of my personal favorites include Dystopian Overature, A Life Left Behind, Three Days, The X Aspect, A New Beginning, Moment of Betrayal, and The Path That Divides. I think the album may have been too long for me intially to find these highlights, but now I'm glad I went back.

From a performance standpoint I think it could be considered Labrie's and Rudess's best work. There's enough here for any progressive rock fan to appreciate, but this won't win you over if you've never been a fan of DT. Definitely worthy of any prog rock collection as it is a standout album.