A quick note about the new Dream Theater and the reviews I’ve read this far.  Well, two notes.

First, THE ASTONISHING is one of the most ambitious undertakings for an album I have ever seen.  Not just the music, but the story and everything that accompanies the story.  For attempt alone, DT deserves the highest marks possible.

Second, I’ve seen a lot of reviews mock the story as “Young Adult” and ridiculous.  Yes, names such as Faythe and Gabriel and Emperor Nayfarius are pretty obvious.  But, more so than Darth Vader (Dark Invader) ?

Come on, folks, this form of naming is a fairy-tale convention, and it has been for centuries.  It gives us an immediate knowledge of who is good and who is bad, who wears the white hat and who wears the black hat.  If you want to make fun of the band for this, you’re welcome to, of course, but you’re making fun of one of the longest-lived literary conventions in western civilization.

I’ll have a full review of this album after I’ve had more time to listen to it, but thus far I’m just amazed at the scope of it all.  What a treat.