0:00 --- Ring 8 - Poverty 4:35 --- Ring 7 - Industry 9:05 --- Ring 6 - LoTown 15:13 --- Ring 5 - Middle Class 23:55 --- Ring 4 - Patrol 29:59 --- Ring 3 - Luxury (bonus: 33:42 for Pt.2) 39:40 --- Ring 2 - Nature 44:03 --- Ring 1 - Tower
@@seantousseau65 the people who have the resources to understand their message are more than likely happily entrenched in the system, and thus are not interested in listening.
LOVE it! Even though I might have different beliefs in many ways to this band, I still absolutely understand their position. This whole album is an insane experience that somebody described well by saying it is a cynical dystopian society.
Beyond impressed by this album. Some sections may need a few more listens to fully appreciate them but overall my jaw dropped at least once each track. So different yet everything I expect and some from The Dear Hunter. I swear they get even better each album.
A modern prog masterpiece I just happened to stumble across! Original, ambitious and brilliantly performed. Ring 3 - Luxury is particularly impressive, going from distorted crunch to pseudo-psychedelic then finally to a B52's style finish!
if you haven't stumbled across the rest of the dear hunter yet, they did a series of concept albums called acts 1-5 that is absolutely worth digging into if you're enjoying what you hear here. they also did a sequence of smaller albums called the "color spectrum", red, blue, yellow, etc. and it demonstrates a ton of diversity of sound. ring 3 was speaking to me like crazy too! just mind blowing!
I love the Dear Hunter because they are so much more than "just" a prog rock band. There is Indie, Electronic Elements, Metal, Experimental Rock and Classical (Rock and Orchestral) all throughout their catalog.
Tower has become my favorite track on the album by a wide margin. The massive groove drops in the chorus, the most sinister chord progression ever in the "But oh what a nightmare..." part, the audible glee and simplicity of XCV's psyche in Casey's singing. It's up there for me with The Moon/Awake, Mandala, and Lost But Not All Gone.
@@omegamymega I did three days ago! :D It was magnificent. So was the 3 minute jam Casey was on at the end of Middle Class, and the spot lights lighting up the disco ball for King of Swords (Reversed). TDH's sound guy is a miracle worker. I heard _everything_ .
I was travelling for work and had a horrible week. A family member passed away while I was gone and I was entirely too stressed out. Trying to fly home, my flight was delayed over and over again and the frustration was overwhelming. Finally, we got on the plane at 2 AM and I was listening to this song right as we took off. I saw the whole of New York City below me, fading into a smaller and smaller glow. Suddenly I had a moment of clarity that life isn't worth stressing and being upset and wishing for something else. It's about being appreciative for everything that we have and the privilege of living a conscious existence. There were a lot of tears for me on that airplane and I get choked up now whenever I hear this song. I don't think I would have had that moment if it weren't for this band that has been with me for so long.
I hadn't put on music at work for weeks but decided today was the day to grace the whole warehouse with TDH. I FREAKED out when I saw there was a new album, like how did I miss that?? Oh because it came out TODAYYY
They've always been evolving, from Act 1 -- I saw them live for the Act II tour and I was blown away -- all the way through to the epic Color Spectrum. And now there's this. Casey is a genius musician and composer, and so versatile that its insane... these guys can play any kind of music... and they've totallly defied genre... TDH is pretty much a genre on its own
@@ThePuppetTheFriendlyDude I actually met the two people who introduced me to TDH while they were in a DirkJake cosplay, and I was in a Dave cosplay! 😅
Holy double stuffed oreos, this album is making love to me right now! Rings 1 through 4 are definitely my highlights. While the others are amazing as expected from TDH, these tracks just really have that unique funk I'm always excited for with new songs from them. Perhaps I need to stop repeating the last half of the album though, perhaps that's why I have such bias lol. But YOOO, can we talk about that amazing, strong, totally unexpected (at least for me!) intro in Luxury!?!? Slam poetry, hip-hop funk, idk cuz I'm not qualified enough to label it, but hot damn I would pay a car loan's worth of money for an entire album with this sound! Anyway, I gotta go back to the skating rink, lanes 1 through 4. I love you TDH, thanks for more astounding ear porn!
I never thought you'd beat the ACTs but this album is pretty much on par and now tied as my favorite album next to Act 2. FUck this is so damn good. Y'all are such a beauty to this world. Thank you for everything you have given us. Been my favorite band since I first heard Act 3 back in 2009.
They've been my favorite for forever it feels like... I've been along for the ride since the 2000s and its amazing to see them continue to evolve, always doing something new. From Act 1 to the epic Color Spectrum, they've defied genre for sure. They've always been willing to flirt with different genres, and their experimental stuff almost ALWAYS works. Casey is such a brilliant songwriter and composer
How the fuck did I not notice until just now that Tower reprises the ending of “The Indigo Child”?? Oh, cuz it’s been a minute since I listened to that song. But it’s perfect. “You’ll never get in the tower, Unless you’re coming from tower”
Finally got a chance to sit down and listen to the whole thing distraction free. Wow, I’m in love with this album, so many great moments throughout. I’m so excited to see them play it live next month. If there’s one, just ONE thing I had to nitpick, it’s that abrupt ending. I’m sure there’s a reason behind it, idk if it’s like a nod to The Beatles or something, but everything else is goddamn perfection.
@@AlmightyKegger - the *only* issue with that is that the actual music doesn't wrap around quite correctly. It's just a straight cut at the end of Tower into nothingness. But maybe it's meant as sort of a call back to Poverty that we got turned away at the end? Just a little conjecture on my end.
My first listen: Track 1 - Nice, similar enough in sound to Industry for some cohesion, and overall awesome intro song setting a vibe. Track 2 - This song is actually somehow better after the intro song (and leads into the next well.) Track 3 - Hmmmm . . . good, but we might be falling into some habits and patterns here. Track 4 - Beginning - still in that semi-predictability concern. Tempo shifts - ooooooooooo nvm hell yes! Track 5 - Cool but confused by the vibe until POWER! Got it, carefree and naive untoucheableness highlighted by a subtle melancholy in that the power you impose is ultimately opposed upon you. Track 6 - Whoa, definitely more what I was expecting from Patrol, making that level seem even more naïve which helps it’s vibe to make even more sense. Until of course another surprising and welcome energetic shift. Wow just awesome song-writing - so free and unique, but supported by decades of honing their craft creating great cohesion amongst all these different musical (and conceptual) ideas. This is a true album where every song informs the ones surrounding it. Track 7 - Little to say other than probably my favorite song upon first listen. The only one so far I felt necessary to look up the lyrics. Just amazing! At a loss for words Track 8 - Such a beautiful blend of this like child-like innocence and fun underscored by a menacing existentialism. Whole song is amazing - end is super badass. Ummmm, this far exceeded my expectations. Especially after just listening to the new Coheed album yesterday and being 100% disappointed in their brazenly formulaic approach - basically flanderizing the sincerity of sounds and musical concepts that them great in the first place. TDH’s Acts 4 & 5 in some ways did the same thing, but very intentionally calling back to older songs. In that context it wasn’t awful. It was like nostalgic and really cool and creatively done upon first listens, but it did kind of run it’s course and become something of a gimick upon many listens. This album is just something else entirely. Other than the fact that his voice and vocal tendencies are what they are as an individual, all the song-writing on this is not only unlike anything TDH has done before, but really unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. Funk, theatre, pop, rock, jazz, new-age, electronic all somehow blended together to make something that actually really works. So grateful for this band and their fan-base that keeps ém goin! 💚🙏.
You're saying the new coheed album is brazenly formulaic? Come on dude its super experimental and some of their best work! An antimai/vaxis 2 tour would be incredible!
@@tigtheastronaut Coheed has gotten into a super boring lull in their song writing. You're going to say Vaxis 2 is more creative than GA1 or 2? Nah, fam.
Casey Crescenzo needs to write a film score already, or straight orchestral pieces. This guy is a monumental once-in-a-lifetime talent, and the fact that not many people are aware of him is a testament not only to his humility, but to how visionary and ahead of his time he is. Because of him, I believe 15 years from now orchestral ensembles (and superb talent and creativity) will become the standard for rock music.
I would love to see this album in a play format. Two Characters, a man and a Woman being show the rings of society, coming across representatives of that class, finally meeting the king and asking him to break the separation of the people.
Casey and company have already composed an incredible discography so far: Acts I-V, Migrant, a great EP called Branches, and then there's the absolutely EPIC Color Spectrum and the little indie masterpiece All is as All Should Be EP. How they've managed to release this experimental but exceptional piece of work after all the prog rock-creativity they've already pumped out, its beyond me. I really think Casey is a genius musician and composer, and TDH really deserves some real attention for once. They're defying genre for sure
Astounding. Not as dark as prior works, but love the energy. Pops Edit: Had to remark after 48:50, that segment was cold AF. That's some classic DH right there.
This album is so so so awesome, and even more awesome live! Saw them perform in Baltimore, MD last weekend, and WOW what a treat. Worth driving 6 hours round trip, absolutely. They played whole album, plus some more songs from other albums/Acts! They were so incredible and I can’t wait for the new album next year. Hope to see them in Richmond VA for their next tour 😭💜
Pretty new to this band- an interesting amalgam of melodic progressive rock with many other streams- nearly hip-hop flavors, steel drumming, pop...great vocals and arrangements, lots of variations in the tracks. I like this.
I like how this album represents so many different perspectives in our culture. Each song represents a different groups thoughts about themselves as well as what others may think about them and how these differ greatly sometimes. A very unique idea lyrically and thematically.
I'm really digging this ne era of TDH, but it seems like they're gonna have to team up with Thank You Scientist or add some members with all these different instruments taking such huge roles in the music.
I just want to say thank you to everyone involved in the creation of this beautiful work of art! I just lost my family dog, my best friend of 17 years, and Antimai has been like a warm dystopian hug for me these past days. I've been listening to your music for almost as long. With every album I've been impressed, thinking that I was seeing the pinnacle of what you could create. But here I am in awe of this new world you're creating. I cannot stop listening to this, and I can't wait to see it live! Also, side note: As a non-binary person, the term "bio-pariah" is one of my favorite things, and Ring 7 in general speaks to me on so many levels.
Absolutely legendary! I love the chord progressions. My god the lyrics too! 💕❤️ Antimai reminds me of Rapture and Bioshock I can’t get that out of my head.
I'm still wondering why, right after 50:30, one of the song titles (Ring 6 - LoTown) disappears. Probably a meaningless accident, as I don't figure they'd hide any secrets in the video...? edit-- Here I was feeling like an overreacting fool, but it seems to resonate that it's meaningful :o And if so, that'd be grim for the entirety of Antimai, since Casey seems to have confirmed that LoTown is where the city's food is grown. There's already much talk of starvation, so I can't imagine what would happen if LoTown _was_ razed. (Source: Check the subreddit for the fan-compiled Lore Ledger, which links to all of Casey's input and lore divulging across various platforms.)
Interesting. I can't really come up with a logical reason for that to happen accidentally. I'm kind of perplexed by this whole visual presentation tbh lol. Perhaps it will make more sense in time with other releases. The entire song is from the perspective of the Tower until the very last verse which is clearly from someone speaking to Tower. Might have something to do with it?
The Tower did talk about their joy in leveling areas to the ground. Perhaps a rebellion was brewing in Lotown, or perhaps the Tower just felt like it because they had a bad day.
@@OhOkayThenLazySusan If I had to guess, I would bet you that the presentation here is meant to vaguely approximate in-universe technology of some kind. We saw some of that arc-lightning in the Prologue film, I believe, and the whole thing is giving off the same "really shitty future-tech" vibe that a lot of what we've seen from this universe has had. This is probably how the best monitor you can possibly acquire anywhere but Rings 1 and 3 looks like.
@@TemporalShrew I agree that makes sense. When I said I couldn't come up with a logical reason for that to happen, I meant irl while editing the whole album and video together, meaning it had to be intention and relevant to the story 🙏. Back for 3rd listen now - whole album is great! 🙏
I gotta point out that this is a great instrumental and vocal accomplishment, but the lyrics are fuckin great too!! Some of it is a little cryptic and left up to interpretation, but there's a strong cinematic presence in all of it, especially once you combine the words with Casey's melodies and compositions... I dunno, it's just very well written. Overall this album is masterful in all the right ways. This is the type of record that you cant wait to listen to again
There have been several rounds of both our new merch company, and members of our band posting and asking for people who haven't received anything. You need to email the customer service contact on the Cave and Canary Goods contact page.
I've emailed from every public email address I have thinking that maybe my email was going to spam. But no matter what I do I never get a response. I filled out the form specific for this issue like 7 or 8 times, even though it said it only needs to be done once, because I waited for a month between attempts for a response. This is the only form of response I've had to any inquiry about my order since the mass email announcing the vinyls were finally ready.
The last email I sent was on Aug 10 and it was a plea to just respond even if the response was "you're not going to get anything" so I can just take the loss and move on. But I've been totally ghosted
I'm only about halfway through the album, but I'm blown away by what I've heard so far! I found this album through hearing one of the songs on a mediashare livestream, and I think I'm gonna have to check out more of The Dear Hunter
This album makes a good companion listen to the Red Rising series. The songs match up with quite a few of the colors. Patrol is perfect for the Grays. Tower is perfect for Gold.
Can we all agree that this album has some of the best bridges in the history of TDH. Especially the end section of LoTown, it gives me goosebumps every time of read the lyrics.
One of the best albums I’ve listened to in the last couple years. Y’all knocked it out of the park AGAIN! Another classic to an already legendary discography 😭
Now I have to go back and listen to my whole Dear Hunter library to re-rank my favorites! This album is so freaking good! Can't wait until my vinyl arrives!!!!!
Literally all of the songs are bangers especially the tower. The vocals, instruments, storytelling, all of it is just sooo good. Favorite line is "oh what a nightmare, I could provide ya." So evil but sang so beautifully
I had not gotten around to listening to this album before seeing them live in Buffalo last week, so I got to hear this for the first time live! Absolutely amazing!
Love their music a lot, but to get their Records here in Germany is nearly impossible. The ordering in the US is to expensive. I think the Band don't look to the european market, sadly.
We’ve actually tried a number of times to find overseas distribution, but haven’t managed to gain any traction. We’re just a small band, and labels/distro companies aren’t too interested in what we’re doing… hence why we have resorted to releasing our records out of our friend’s house.
@@caseybluecrescenzo Man that is a shame, seems unfair considering the amount of work and talent in your music. I don't think the number of physical copies sold is the most relevant in our age of digital media, you definitely have fans in Europe. I would love to see you in Paris !