Progressive metal titans Dream Theater will release their 15th studio album, “A View from the Top of the World,” on Oct. 22, 2021.
The seven-song album marks the band’s second studio record with InsideOutMusic/Sony Music, and it was produced by John Petrucci, engineered and additional production by James “Jimmy T” Meslin and mixed/mastered by Andy Sneap. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (Rush, Iron Maiden, Stone Sour).
Dream Theater (James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini) was in the middle of a sold-out world tour in support of its last release, “Distance over Time,” and the 20th anniversary of “Scenes from a Memory” when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a stop. The musicians found themselves at home, with LaBrie in Canada and the rest of the group in the States. As fate would have it, they’d just finished construction on DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters)—a combination live recording studio, rehearsal space, control room, equipment storage and creative hive. With LaBrie in Canada, he initially wrote with the band via Zoom on a monitor in DTHQ. In March 2021, he flew down to New York, quarantined and recorded his vocals with Petrucci.
“We just love to play our instruments,” Petrucci said. “That never goes away. I love to be creative, write, and exercise that part of my mind. We’ve been able to do this for a long time, and we don’t take it for granted. Whenever we get together, we know we can’t disappoint ourselves or our fans, so we manage to try even harder.”
“We approach every album like it’s our first,” LaBrie said. “It’s been such a great ride, but we’re not going to stop.”
“A View from the Top of the World” track listing:
1) The Alien (9:32)
2) Answering the Call (7:35)
3) Invisible Monster (6:31)
4) Sleeping Giant (10:05)
5) Transcending Time (6:25)
6) Awaken the Master (9:47)
7) A View from the Top of the World (20:24)
Dream Theater also is planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The “Top of the World Tour” of North America kicks off on Oct. 28 in Mesa, Arizona, and runs through Dec. 14, when it will conclude in St. Petersburg, Florida. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows, as well as VIP packages, can be found at www.dreamtheater.net.
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