Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events

[Blitzkrieg]

I can't find the page/interview I originally read with more info than this one, I think it was linked off Portnoy's forum. Anyway, this has some info about it:


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IC: Would you mind sharing more about that? What we know is that it’s based on an experience that you had in Italy.

JP: It is. Funny enough, I told that story many times, and it’s kind of like ‘Well, why don’t you write a song about it?’ My friend Mark [Snyder], who builds my racks and everything, and Mike’s drum tech at the time and John Myung – we all went to a winery in Tuscany. My friend Mark actually imports wine and was interested in this winery, and the count of the family, this young guy, took us through the castle. The setting was kind of a combination of Old World hills and stone quarters for the servants, animals walking around and old-time castle, but then also a modern winery with stainless steel vats and things.

So it’s about the whole experience that we went through, and it was so bizarre, that every time we would encounter something, we would look at each other and say ‘Okay, nice knowing you!’ We’d walk down into a dark cellar, and John’d be like ‘Oh, look in that corner. Put your head in that corner.’ And you’re like ‘Okay.’ Everything was innocent, but it was just funny.

I think the whole thing that got us going was that the count had told us that the movie Hannibal with Anthony Hopkins, that character that he plays in Hannibal where he’s the curator of the family library, that’s actually based on his brother and that was the house where they grew up. So I was like ‘Oh, that’s really great. We’re going to see Hannibal.’ [laughs]

So that kind of set the mood for things being strange, but that’s pretty much it. We tasted some really old, old wines that were so old that it was ridiculous, and in this one room there were these giant floor-to-ceiling oak barrels, and he would tell us how the brother would smoke on his pipe and everything ‘Oh, yeah, during the war the soldiers would come to hide from the Germans, but some of them never escaped and they’re still in the barrels.’ And we’re thinking ‘Alright, we’re gonna be in a barrel, that’s how we’re gonna die!’ So it was my creative license take on that experience.


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In the other interview I read he elaborates more about the stories of soldiers dying in the wine barrells in WWII, the eerieness of meeting the counts brother who was really distinguished but seemed like a bit of a freak, and being taken down into a chapel and shown where the mummified remains of some saint are kept. He also mentioned how being given samples of amazing and rare wine seemed out of place and perhaps like part of a ritual etc. There was a great build up to being taken into the cellar with his guitar tech, and they really did fear for their lives....in the above interview he seems to ham it up a bit though. I think its a great story and despite some slightly cheesey lyrics, it makes for an awesome song.

 

[Spruce Goose]

Portnoy is out. Mangini is in. Deal with it. Not to dumb down the situation – drummer Mike Portnoy’s departure from DREAM THEATER is as shocking an event as Rob Halford ditching JUDAS PRIEST and Bruce Dickinson leaving IRON MAIDEN – but it’s been almost 10 months since he opted to call it quits due to a nasty case of burnout. The internet babble over the hows and whys of his decision continue unabated, there’s plenty of discussion about his replacement, Mike Mangini, and whether or not he’s good enough for the castle that Portnoy built, but the reality is that the band has moved on. Bottom line: the fans should face front and prepare themselves for a bold new chapter in the Dream Theater legacy rather than look back.

“We’d like to move on to greener pastures,” vocalist James LaBrie says of having to rehash the Portnoy story interview after interview, even though he accepts this need to know from the people he comes in contact with. “Let me put it this way; the band is in a very positive light right now, we’re all mutually involved in the music, we’re all really receptive to one another, so there a really big and open communication going on. It’s probably the closest that a band possibly get to a democracy. Rock n’ roll bands are generally dysfunctional democracies (laughs) but this does tend to work and it’s proven itself.”

LaBrie does address the issue of Portnoy wanting to put the band on a lengthy hiatus in order to get his mojo back, and the refusal to do so that led to the drum legend’s unprecedented departure.

“To be honest with you, when it all did go down, we didn’t see it coming. But now in retrospect, when we look back at the tour we did with Iron Maiden and the last shows we did, we can kind of see it. There was a lot of thought and apprehension as to where Mike wanted to go with the band, and how much further along he wanted to go with the band at this particular point in his life. There weren’t any telltale signs to say that he was miserable and not into it, but it was undeniable for us that there was nothing else to do but continue. We weren’t ready to sit back and take a break, we weren’t ready to say ‘Let’s do other things for the next three to five years.’ Mike was hinting at a hiatus of that length and we were like, ‘No. We’re coming off a great tour, the album did really well for us even in today’s, no way.’”

Portnoy was never “just” the drummer in Dream Theater. As one of the founding members he was a major creative force, and as the band’s popularity grew, the filter through which most if not all aspects of Dream Theater’s development passed. It stands to reason that the band’s creative dynamics have changed considerably without him in the mix.

“Mike was involved in a lot of aspects of the band,” confirms LaBrie. “If you look at how he orchestrated the DVDs, things with the label, the tours and the setlists we presented every night, and wanting to have the whole visual thing come across to the audience. Truth be known, though, two of the main writers are still in the band; John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess, who are both monsters when it comes to the creative end of things. That dynamic has always been extremely powerful. John Myung (bass) also contributed to the music on this album much more that he has in quite some time, and that’s because of the how the dynamic changed in the band. So, was Mike involved? Absolutely. Has the dynamic changed? Yes, in the sense that he wasn’t there when we were making the new album. In the past he would be a presence, so to speak, he would be very verbal and involved, whereas this time it was basically the four of us in there.”

“Mike Mangini wasn’t with us yet, so it was the four of us being able to sit around and really sink into ideas, and not feel pressured in any way to move on and get to the next idea. Everything kind of unfolded and everyone let things develop in a very relaxed atmosphere. As intense as it might have been, it was extremely relaxed. It definitely worked, and I think that’ll be very clear when people hear the new album. The Dream Theater identity, it’s undeniable that it’s still very much intact.”

LaBrie isn’t one for trash-talking, but hearing him discuss this change of atmosphere opens up questions about just how much of a death grip Portnoy had on the Dream Theater formula. He certainly sounds like a control freak…

“That’s just his personality. He’s OCD, so he likes to have things a certain way (laughs). He’s also opinionated and strong-headed, so it comes with the territory with people that have that kind of personality. They want to be in charge, they want things to be done their way because they have a clear vision of what they want. That was absolutely a part of Dream Theater, but now people also have to realize that there are five extremely capable individuals that are able to contribute creatively. I’m not talking about just musically, I’m talking about the whole. How do we want to present ourselves visually on the next tour? What are the setlists going to be like? The involvement of Mike Mangini, who is just phenomenal; I can’t wait for people to hear what he did on this album.”

“We’ve come up with some frickin’ incredible stuff, and I think the fans are going to be freaked out when they hear it. The fact is, Mike was great at what he did – his vision was well put into plan – but now you have five people that are constantly shooting ideas back and forth. It’s more of a unified contribution with regards to how we’re going to come off. On a creative end we’re all more involved, and that continues with every other little aspect of this band. We feel that if we’re going to do this, if this is a new chapter, we all need to be completely on the same page and very unified. It just makes for a stronger front.”

Slipping into this new groove, says LaBrie, proved to be far easier than one might expect of a band that’s lost a core member.

“In a way, Mike leaving really did show us that there is another side to Dream Theater that maybe we never would have discovered if something like this hadn’t gone down. It’s really opened up a whole new avenue, with us realizing some of our wants and needs and having some of out opinions being fulfilled. If this hadn’t happened we wouldn’t have known all this potential is here.”

Word has it, however, that Portnoy did in fact change his mind and asked to come back to the fold a few months later. According to LaBrie there wasn’t much soul searching on the band’s part; they refused his “offer” and locked the door.

“How it actually went down was that in early November 2010, Mike had contacted us about the possibility of looking at the situation again because he wanted to come back. At that point we’d already auditioned the seven drummers and made the documentary of the process. We’d already decided who our new drummer was going to be, but we didn’t let the world know because of all the logistics involved in making the documentary and keeping it exciting in the way it would unfold. We’d already let Mike Mangini know he was in the band and we weren’t about to go back on that. Mike Portnoy was saying ‘I don’t want to have anything to do with the band at this point, my heart’s not in it…’ and then 10 weeks later saying he was interested again. It just didn’t feel right, it didn’t strike a good chord with us. We’d already taken on somebody we knew was unbelievably committed to what was going on and where we wanted to go, so it would have been an insult to Mike Mangini to suddenly change our minds. The game was well into play and we weren’t about to change it.”

Asked to describe the new album, which is due to surface in September as the aptly titled A Dramatic Turn Of Events, LaBrie feels the new energy in the band has turned out a record that will be embraced wholeheartedly by the fans.

“It all comes down to what the listener interprets. To me it’s a classic album of great progressive moments. I think we’ve really gone back to some of our classic glory, and at the same tine there’s still some of that progressive metal Dream Theater in there, but in a more controlled and less bombastic sense. It’s harnessed in a more complimentary direction that maybe Scenes From A Memory or Images And Words was. Progressive, but with those heavy elements in there, and not having one side overshadow the other. Melodically, the new album has come up to a whole new level; I was involved from beginning to end with the melodies. It’s extremely well balanced, and there’s some unbelievable interaction going on instrumentally on this album.”

“John Petrucci (guitars) produced the album and he’s been unbelievably committed to this. He’s put so much time into the album and he’s had a pretty clear vision of how he wanted it to unfold. When we were recording he did the drum programming, and some of the stuff he was coming up with was insane (laughs). It was great. We’d send the songs in completed form with the drum programming to Mike Mangini, he would take it and figure out what worked for him and where he wanted to put in some of himself. When he was laying down the drums, trust me, Mangini is all over this album. He was absolutely phenomenal.”

“I’ve worked with him on three albums already, so my jaw had already hit the floor several times before he came in to do this one (laughs). And the other guys were doing the exact same thing when they saw him play for this album.”

As for Mangini putting his signature on the band’s older material – the biggest concern amongst diehard Portnoy supporters – LaBrie admits it’s still a question mark. Chances that the fans will be disappointed are slim to none.

“Aside from the auditions, where we did three songs, I haven’t heard him do any of the old stuff,” LaBrie reveals. “He knows there are certain sections of various songs when he has to stick to the mold, and he knows when he can be himself. Mike Mangini is very intuitive and incredibly musical, and he’s made it clear that he’s going to be putting some of himself into the old songs, but when the sections or the pieces really call for him to stay on the MP train, he’ll do so. That’s admirable and that’s professional.”

http://www.bravewords.com/news/163672

 

[FerretallicA]

I've been listening to a lot of DT side- and solo projects from over the years lately. Safe to say that all of the remaining members are more than capable of producing brilliant music with pretty much anyone they work with (except Myung, but they're not BAD albums just kind of... flat?) so I don't think there's anything to worry about as far as their ability to write awesome material. I don't doubt the album will have moments of brilliance. My main annoyances with recent albums which I'm dreading will continue to rear their ugly heads are the blatant radio-grab attempts ("Wither" is probably their worst song since "Another Day") and how with a lot of the more epic songs they don't even seem to be trying as far as making it feel like a 'song' ("A Nightmare To Remember" probably being the biggest offender that comes to mind). I hope the opportunity to take an extended look at themselves and where they want to go with their music isn't wasted.

[edit] RE: A Nightmare To Remember, I mean it seems like they start out with what could be a solid song then try to stuff as much into it as possible when it really doesn't belong there. They could have easily gotten two complete, enjoyable and cohesive songs out of the various riffs/grooves/etc they threw into ANTR.

 

[FerretallicA]

What he said

Really? Is that what he said?

 

[Southy]

You bet that's what he said

 

[Spruce Goose]

New song available to stream: On The Backs Of Angels:

 

[FerretallicA]

For those that just want to listen to the track without YouTube:
On The Backs of Angels

 

[Spruce Goose]

I have only listened once so can't really form a strong opinion so far.
I am not going to listen to it again until the album comes out.
But from what I am reading everyone saying, they think it is a return to the form of Images and Words....
I don't see it. My one listen sounded like more of the same from the last few albums (apart from the intro).
Might change after I listen more in Septebmer.

 

[FerretallicA]

But from what I am reading everyone saying, they think it is a return to the form of Images and Words....

The drum parts lack the fluid "springy" feel and groove of IAW tracks. If anything I guess it feels kind of like somewhere between SFAM and TOT with the drums but still nowhere near as lively. Rudess' keyboard style still stands out like dogs nuts compared to Moore's far smoother and more integrated sound and composition. Just my 2c. I still like the song but as far as 'teasers' go it doesn't have anywhere near the impact the Systematic Chaos or Octavarium material, and definitely doesn't rate anywhere near In The Presence Of Enemies as an album opener.

If this track is anything to go by I'm expecting an album which is by no means crap but sounds more like something a DT clone band would put out than a classic album to ring in a new era of DT like SFAM did.

 

[Spruce Goose]

Interesting interview with James LaBrie..... Very interesting comments:
http://www.prog-sphere.com/2011/07/11/resurfacing-an-interview-with-james-labrie/

Resurfacing – an interview with James LaBrie
July 11, 2011

We got to meet James LaBrie on the day of Dream Theater’s performance at this year’s Night of the Prog Festival at the Loreley, Germany. The popular DT story these days is that of the band who lost its star drummer and carried on without missing a beat, and it’s a good one. But we decided to try to tell another story – it’s not about the guy who left or the guy who replaced him, it’s about the others and how that change affected them.

Michael Schetter:
How does it feel to be the undisputed frontman of the band for the first time in 20 years?
James LaBrie:The undisputed frontman? You know, I mean… it was such a weird dichotomy, if you think about it. It’s funny, you mentioning that, because we, the guys in the band, we were talking about that everything is much more balanced, everybody is in their role or in their position. So it’s where things should be on stage, where it’s not somebody in the background trying to grab the limelight when maybe they should just be grooving or whatever. But I mean, that’s his character, that’s just his personality. He’s big and he wants to be in the limelight. But unfortunately the problem with that is that it takes away from the bigger picture – and that is the band as a unit. And a lot of people have been commenting on that since we started out on this tour, saying „it feels more like I’m watching a band, with somebody up front singing and interacting, everybody else just back there and (makes drumming and guitar playing gestures). Everyone kind of assumes what they’re doing. And then there’s always moments in the night when there is the spotlight on these other members and it should be. But it creates more a balance. And we were talking about this, we were saying „you know, this is really cool“ – it feels like a unit. So it’s a lot better.

How is the tour going so far?
Excellent. M’n'M is just… Not the rapper Eminem! Mike Mangini – or Genie, as we call him. Although I do love Eminem, believe it or not! I love his stuff. But… It’s going great! Mike is playing amazing. He’s a gem of a drummer, he’s a phenomenal drummer. He’s very musical. So he just fits in and he’s just driving us, he’s like a a driving force, a monster backbone to the band. So it feels good, it feels very natural and we’re having a great time!

I don’t want to dwell on this for too long, but several people have asked me to bring it up: Are you still in touch with Mike Portnoy?
No.

Have you talked to him at all this year?
I haven’t talked to Mike since the announcement he was considering leaving the band. And then… Actually, I should say the last time I verbally spoke to him and I heard his voice was on the conference call when he finally said „Yes, I’m leaving the band“. So that was it.

Let’s move on to more positive things. How has the songwriting approach changed?
Most notably there was four of us in the studio – there was no drummer there. Any of the drumming was… John Petrucci would do drum programming as we were writing the songs.

I read that you were playing drums at a young age. Did you get to play any drums with the band now?
No. I played drums from 5 years old till I was 17. But I haven’t touched them since, really. Well, I did, my son has a set at home and I got behind it and I quit very quickly. I was like „Oooh, I forgot everything“, so…

Dream Theater have been known for pretty much writing in the studio and the last album was the first time in a long time that John brought in a demo – for Wither. Did you have any demos this time?
There was one song that John brought in called Beneath the Surface. But he had… he had written a song and he thought it would be… Just because of the way that this album seem to unfold musically, it was an afterthought. And he was like, „You know, guys, I was thinking… There’s a song that I have and I think we can make it beautiful, make it Dream Theater.“ So we did – and it just came out beautiful, it’s a great tune.

You’ve been around during the writing of the music this time.
Yeah, absolutely.

Have you been involved in the writing?
I was making suggestions here and there and definitely very much involved in all the melody structuring for the vocals.

Was that something new for you?
I’ve always been involved to a certain extent with the melodies of the song, but not to this extent. So that was new. And also, suggesting riffs and stuff like that. But, I mean, minimal, because… Here is the truth of the matter: The main composers of this band have always been John and…

Petrucci…
Yes, let’s make sure of it – John Petrucci and Jordan have been the main contributors with riffs and stuff. John Myung really stepped up to the plate this album, contributing a lot as well.

This was something that kinda leaked out around Black Clouds: Jordan kinda admitted that John Myung hasn’t really been around when they were writing albums.

Well, he was around, but he wasn’t…. He was around, he was there, but he wasn’t involved. So…

How long has this been going on?
Put it this way: When Dream And Day Unite, he was very much involved. Images, very much involved. Awake, involved. From there it started to kinda like… (indicates steps) a little less, a little less, a little less. To the point where in Black Clouds and Silver Linings, it wasn’t… probably anything. Same with me! I was kinda like sitting back, going (gives an annoyed look) „What’s going on here?“ And that was a lot of the reasons why I needed to do my solo albums. Because I needed to get my ideas out and let people see that I write music. I write riffs. I write like this. I write lyrics like this. And so on. And it did me well and it did just the whole perception, so that people don’t think I was like (in a spoiled singer voice) „When am I singing?“ – I didn’t want that coming across, so it was very important for me to do that.

John Myung wrote lyrics this time. How many songs?
Just one.

What has changed? There was a lot of talk about this infamous rule that he has to bring in lyrics in a song format and that’s why he had stopped.
I think because of the internet there’s a lot people that just start these rumors and they say „supposedly, John is doing this“ or „John isn’t doing this“, or „why is he doing this?“ or „why isn’t he doing that?“ – the thing is that he never felt connected. He just got away from it, he just lyrically got away from it. He didn’t feel that, 1., he was being invited to write lyrics, and 2., he didn’t feel that he was connected enough to want to write a lyric. With this song, there is a particular song that really struck him when we were writing and he was like „I’d love to do that song“. And it came out great, he came up with some beautiful lyrics, very nice lyrics. That song is called Breaking All Illusions and it came out great, it came out very cool.

OK, let’s talk setlists. Who’s in charge now?
It’s kind of collaborative. What we did is we all wrote down our favorite songs and then we took all of everyone’s favorite songs and we kind of broke it down. OK, this would be A, this would be B, this C and D… And that’s how we figured out what made sense for the setlist.

Not sure if you realized that when you were putting it together, but the setlist doesn’t feature a single song where the lyrics were written by Mike Portnoy…
That’s coincidental, that’s very coincidental. Yeah, I know. We were saying that, too. We were saying that everyone’s gonna think we’re throwing that stuff away. No. That’s coincidental.

The setlist is pretty varied, but kinda safe – it’s all album tracks. Are you going to add some B-sides or really rare stuff like Speak To Me, Eve or Space-Dye Vest, which hasn’t been performed by the full band yet?
At this point there’s no talk about that. The fact is that this is a whole new chapter for us, obviously. We have a new album coming out September 13, so the focus is really on making sure that that is set up properly, that that is going to get the attention it deserves because we’re extremely proud of it. At this point anything like that, any of the b-tracks or whatever you want to refer to – any extraneous parts to Dream Theater are still going to remain in the background – right now! I’m not saying it’ll never happen – right now!

Are there going to be any B-sides for the new album?
No. Everything that was written is on the album.

You haven’t had any B-sides since 1999…
What does that tell you, huh? What does that tell you? Haha! I think that if the opportunity avails itself, then it would be something that would definitely make sense. But at this point, too, I think the reason it hasn’t happened since 1999 is that when we’re writing an album right now, it’s very concise. „Let’s write! This is how long we’d like the album to be approximately, with this many songs“…

How long is the album?
Well, there’s nine songs… I think it’s 80 minutes?

So did you have a specific goal what you wanted the album to sound like, …
Yeah, we definitely knew where we wanted to bring it.

…was there something that you wanted to avoid that has happened in the past?
We just wanted to make a very classic Dream Theater album and to us a classic Dream Theater album would be the progressiveness with the metal, but very balanced and very complementary of one another, not one overtaking the other and not one seeming predominant throughout. So it was kind of a very conscious effort to make sure that we were touching upon some of the really classic moments in our history that really spoke loudly to us, saying „you know, that was cool when we did something like that, or when we had that kind of vibe or that direction musically going. That’s what we need to recreate, but make it sound like it belongs today.“

On the Backs of Angels sounds very much like classic Dream Theater, especially since it doesn’t sound like any other bands. There are no bits that sound like Metallica or Muse, for example. Many people complain about these things - does this ever get discussed within the band?
No, we don’t sit down and go „we can’t sound like Muse, we can’t sound like…“ – we don’t do that. But I think that we’re all subconsciously thinking „Whatever we’re doing here, we gotta feel right about it – that it sounds like us, first and foremost”. And especially with this album, because we knew there was going to be a lot scrutiny, there was going to be a lot of room for skepticism. So we knew that the best thing we can do here is be true to ourselves, first and foremost – which we always have been –, but let’s bring it to another level. Let’s really push the envelope here of who and what we are and really make it something that is undeniable, that it’s definitely who and what we’ve always been – but better.

The way it was communicated to the outside world was that when Mike and John were producing the albums together, John would take care of the acoustic side and Mike would do more of the arrangements and the conceptual stuff.
Yeah, a lot of that was true.

So how is John’s approach different now that he’s doing most of it?
Well, he produced the album – he was the producer and I think he did an exceptional job. He was extremely dedicated, very focused.Endless hours spent making sure that everything was going exactly… I mean, we were all together, we were all unified. Constant conversations just making sure that everything was going exactly where we wanted it to go. But he’s very specific, he’s very particular, he is extremely connected to who and what we are – obviously, being one of the main composers. So I think he was in a perfect position to really oversee everything and the thing is that it wasn’t from a dictatorial standpoint. It was like, „Hey, I’m a bandmate, but you let me produce this, so I’m really going to be doing that the best I can.“ – so I think it was great in that sense. I think, too, just him approaching that field and knowing that there were all these other elements to Dream Theater, that we were also saying „if the music is saying this and the lyrics are saying this, this really lends itself to a lot of visually exciting things to be done and to be added to the whole presentation.“ So, like I said, it’s very transparent what we’re dealing with now as a band. If we have something to say, we’re gonna say it. We’re not worried about offending someone or being defensive or walking on eggshells. It’s all about „you know what, I’m gonna be honest with you. If I really don’t feel something or don’t like something, I’m gonna tell you. And I expect the same from you! And I wanna know where everything is going and I wanna know what’s going on“ – and it’s working out amazing.

Do you think it makes sense to talk about future live releases?
It doesn’t make sense… I mean, do we wanna do another DVD? Absolutely! Is this tour gonna be the right one to do that? I would think so personally, but nothing has been taken further than to say „Maybe this is the album to do another DVD, a really cool one.“ It hasn’t been taken any further at this point. But there is a strong possibility.

It would be cool if you would discuss releasing previous DVDs like Budokan and Score on Blu-ray Disc because they were filmed in HD and they’d be great on the new format.
Yeah, absolutely. There is a lot to be considered, for sure.

Speaking about older live releases – did you ever consider, because it’s been so long, doing another semi-acoustic gig like Rotterdam in 1998 ?
Yeah, I would love to do another acoustic setting. I thought that was very cool and our fans really appreciated it, it put us in a whole new light. I can see that coming back. I think… whether it would be this tour, I doubt it. Because I think this tour is all about „It’s a new beginning, it’s a new chapter,“ and I think once everyone hears the album, they’re gonna be going „Frickin’ give me it! Play it! We wanna hear it!“ – but it would be nice consider that maybe the next world tour. Or if not that tour, the next tour. But I think it’ll definitely come around again where it will make perfect sense. And it would have to be something that is really very well thought out, it has to be planned. Cause I don’t want it to just be „hey, let’s get up there, guys, with a little low lights, and let’s keep it really cool, like show up in our street clothes“… It has to be something that creates excitement and that makes for a very incredible evening, a memorable evening.

You sounded very happy that you got to record your vocals in Canada. Why didn’t you do this in New York with the other guys around? Were the lyrics just not ready at that point?
No no no… What happened was I said to… everyone! I said to everyone: „You know, I wanna record the vocals, first and foremost, with Richard Chycki“. Because him and I have a long history and we work amazing together. And just by the way that the schedule was unfolding, I said „you know, this makes sense for me to start singing, the first couple of songs that we have ready, I’m gonna start doing them in Canada“. And everyone was like, „Yeah, man – you know what you’re doing!“ So I started doing the first two songs and then we said „why don’t you come down and finish the rest of the album in New York?“ So what happened is, I went down to New York, thinking „sure, we’ll all be together, be a big happy family and whatever.“ So I got down there and the one day that I was there, the first day that I got there to start singing, it just didn’t feel right. And I said to John, cause he’s the producer, a bandmate, I said to him, as a bandmate, I said „this isn’t working. I’m going back to Canada and I’m gonna sing up there and finish my recording up there. Because I’m in my zone, I know exactly what I wanna do, I don’t need anybody guiding me. I never did, really. Ever. I never did with my solo albums and I never did with Images and Words or Awake – so, I rest my case! But anyways, the fact is that this album lent itself to everyone really being able to start anew, really being able to be who and what they are, right? That’s what this album also signifies: We are who we are and this is our moment. This is our resurfacing, so to speak. So I recorded the rest of the album up in Canada. The very last song we did, John came up cause he just wanted to be there because he had some specific ideas – Build Me Up, Break Me Down. So he came up, he flew up and he came to the studio and we hung out. It was great, we had a great time. Everything’s great!

Speaking of your solo albums, the US tour got cancelled. (James rolls his eyes.) Will you do some other tour once the Dream Theater tour is over or is that…?
Well, tell you what, I’m only gonna agree to do another tour if everyone else that is involved in the business side of things really picks up and really gets organized. Because it was so disorganized last time. That’s why I basically said, „you don’t have the visas yet. Where we’re at this point, by the time you get the visas processed, we’re gonna have one rehearsal and then we’re gonna go out.“ And I said, „I’m not doing that. I’m not compromising myself in front of my fans. With one rehearsal? We’re gonna go out and do an hour and 45 minute show?“ So I said, „No, I’m pulling the plug, sorry!“ But it had to go down a certain way, that’s it.

Here’s a question that a fan asked me to bring up: What are your favorite and least favorite songs to perform live?
Uuuuuh… Least favorite… I would say, probably… I don’t know… New Millennium. That song, I just didn’t feel it. There were some cool moments in it, I just didn’t… whenever we performed it, I didn’t feel it. The favorite song for me is… I love Scarred, I love performing that live. And… well, Octavarium, that whole frickin’ thing… Ministry of Lost Souls and that… I don’t know… Octavarium in itself, this song, I loved performing. I thought it was an amazing song. It’s kinda hard. That’s a hard question to answer cause there’s so many moments that I know… cause 99 percent of the songs, I love singing.

I think it’s a question that lends itself more to an e-mail answer, really…
Yeah. The fact is that I also have to consider where I’m at at this point in my career. You know, it’s great to sing the older material, but let’s face it – the older material is very demanding because I’m singing in the frickin’ stratosphere. And the newer material is more… it shows more my mature voice. So it depends. And we know we’re always gonna play the old stuff because that’s what’s dear to our fans, but at the same time we have to be very selective and we have to make sure that it’s in a balanced way.

You’ve been shortening some of the old songs on recent tours, like Voices and Take the Time. Whose idea was that?
Yeah… I don’t know! (gives a sarcastic look) Heh! Wasn’t mine, but… You know, I’m not saying… That’s what Mike wanted and he was partly right, because to sing those songs every night and all those sections would’ve been extremely taxing on my voice. But the way we like to work it out now, like doing Learning to Live and doing all these songs where I’m singing like F#s and stuff like that, is, „let’s put that in the set, but I’ll sing it one night here and I’ll sing it another night here, but I won’t sing it every night.“ – and that way, I can do the whole frickin’ tune.

So you’re not doing rotating setlists right now because Mike is still new to the band, but you will keep changing songs from night to night…
Yeah, we’ll keep saying, „OK, let’s take that tune out and let’s put this tune in“, but I don’t think it’s ever going to be like it was, where it’s like, here’s one set and you come tomorrow night and it’s completely different. No.

It’s too much…
I think it is. I think this way we’ll be a well-oiled machine and we’ll be just like (assumes aggressive pose). And we’re already feeling that now. But there will be some substitutes. There will be like, „OK, that song’s tonight, but I’m not singing that song tomorrow night. I’m gonna sing this other older tune tomorrow night. And this other older tune the next night. And then we’re gonna come back to that one.“ So it just kinda floats it around, but it helps me. My voice healed and I’m back to normal, but I’m also cognisant of what I’m capable of doing. And if I keep it balanced then I can do it. So I’m not gonna try to be Superman and prove that (in a cheesy voice) „I’m gonna go out there and sing these songs like hell!“ – no, I’m not gonna do that. I’m gonna be mature and I’m gonna say „I can do these songs only if we do this, and we scope it out and we space it out“. And there you go!

Let’s just wrap this up with one more question: Name one somewhat recent CD that everyone should hear.
Well, I was talking about it for quite some time, but Soundgarden – their last album I loved. Just cause Chris Cornell blew my mind. But… Sevendust? I love those guys, so check it out!

 

[Southy]

Interesting

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Yeah great read!

 

[Goreripper]

I may be interviewing one of them in a few weeks, so if there's anything you haven't already seen answered, pass it on to me.

 

[FerretallicA]

Ask what protein shake mix Petrucci uses.

 

[Stonewall]

lol

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Rock juice. Urgh.

 

[phlogiston]

Another snippet of another song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGrrapMGIx8&feature=youtu.be

 

[Spruce Goose]

Petrucci gives a track by track analysis of the new album

http://www.musicradar.com...album-preview-488940/2

'Spine-tingling' is a term that can be applied to the whole of the album, MusicRadar can report after hearing an advance preview of Dream Theater's stunning new masterpiece, which sees the band - Petrucci, LaBrie, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and new drummer Mike Mangini - performing at the top of their game. Mixed by Grammy Award winner Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine), it's a sonic wonder that keeps revealing surprises even after multiple spins.

“I’m so happy when I listen to the record," says Petrucci. "We had goals in mind, and we achieved them. All of the conversations everybody had about what kind of album we wanted to make had meaning because we accomplished what we were aiming for. I only hope that everybody enjoys the record as much as I do.”




On The Backs Of Angels
“From day one it was always going to be the first track on the record. It’s also the first song that Mike Mangini really brought to life, so right there it’s special.

“I came up with the intro guitar riff while I was playing an acoustic at home by the fire. I was thinking, How should this record begin? What should be the first thing that people hear? The idea that came to me was a little bit Pink Floyd – moody, foreboding, this drifting arpeggiated guitar pattern.

“We were very conscious when writing the song that it should reflect the signature sound of the band. We wanted it to have all of the elements of Dream Theater. It would be progressive, it would be metal, and it would be melodic. There would be some big shred moments mixed with very dramatic breakdowns. It’s got everything that we love to do as a band.”


Build Me Up, Break Me Down
“This song and Bridges In The Sky were written pretty far into the album. We felt as though the record needed some balance to it, some songs that were more driving and in your face. There were many progressive elements happening already, so we wrote a couple of songs that were direct and full of attitude.

“The hook at the end of the chorus is very interesting. I sang an idea to James, but I didn’t know how he would finally go about it. Basically, I shouted the words into a microphone and sent the demo to him.


“What James wound up doing was a three-layer hook, which I totally love. The chords were already written, but he picked up on the keyboard line that was there. I should also point out the work of John Myung, who created a bass riff that he perfectly integrated into the song. John's a very quiet guy, but he always comes up with parts that knock you out.”



Lost Not Forgotten
“To me, it's one of the most technical songs on the album. It has a lot of twists and turns and some crazy ideas that were confusing to us as we were writing and recording. It took a while to get it all under our fingers.

“Guitar-wise, it’s the one song where I tune down to D. I thought it would sound heavier that way. And it does – I think the song kicks some serious ass!

“One of the things that was a lot of fun to do is this diminished passage of unison playing. I wrote it out and built it piece by piece, programming drums as I went. I showed it to Jordan, who said, ‘That’s crazy!’ He learned it and put a harmony to it.

“We played it for some of the people from Roadrunner who came by as we were recording, and they went crazy. One of them remarked that the diminished section was like being tickled – that feeling you get where you’re saying, ‘Stop, stop!’ but somebody keeps tickling you anyway. So we started referring to that part as ‘The Tickle Section.’

“The mood of the song always reminded me of an old-time epic film like Ben- Hur. So I wrote lyrics that are somewhat historical about this ancient Persian elite fighting force that kind of died out. Again, a good example of my love for storytelling and linking music to words.”


This Is The Life
“I demoed this song early on and brought it to the band. I had an idea for a ballad, but when I sent it to the guys I definitely said that I was open to anything, all thoughts and suggestions.


“I worked a lot with Jordan on bringing the middle bridge section to another place. He’s such a master at coming up with the coolest chord and melodic movements. It cascades in ways that you don’t expect, the way the chords are modulating and moving. From the demo process, we kept a Moog solo that Jordan did – I absolutely love it.

“The title came about one day when I was driving in the city with my mom. My sister was about to have a baby. So we were stopped at a light behind this pickup truck, and on the truck was a bumper sticker in Spanish that I interpreted as ‘This is the life.’ At the same time, I was playing the song for my mom. Right then, I looked at her and said, ‘That’s the title of the song: This Is The Life.’”


Bridges In The Sky
“A total riff factory. One of the challenges that I like to present myself with on a song like this is to try to make each riff original and unique and have them weave in and out of different syncopations. As they go by, no pass is ever the same; they’re constantly changing.

“Doing this can be tricky, because it makes everything harder to play and difficult to remember. But I think that’s ultimately what makes the song original and interesting - putting that kind of thought into it.

“The cool thing about Mike Mangini is he’s very aware musically of whatever everybody’s doing. He matches things so effortlessly. Even if it sounds like a groove is going by, he catches little rhythmic elements with his kick drums, or he’ll match fills that go in the same direction as the guitar. And he’s constantly changing things up as well. Seeing and hearing him work his magic is incredible.

“Actually, right at the end is one of the sickest drum parts I’ve ever heard. It’s like a machine gun, the intensity. When he would play it, I would be watching and listening to him, and I was in awe. ‘How is this even happening?’ I said to myself. ‘How is a human being doing this?‘ He’s remarkable.”


Outcry
“Another example of writing a song with a specific purpose. We wanted Outcry to be the anthem for the album, so it has a very strong theme, and it’s totally insane instrumentally. It’s like Dream Theater defined, but way over the top!

“I was playing a riff while we were doing drummer auditions, and it really inspired me. So I programmed the drums and played the riff over it, but I ended up changing it around quite a bit, making it larger and more anthemic.

“In a song like this, the goal for Jordan is to come up with a keyboard part that’s right out of the movies, like a big John Williams soundtrack, something that’s strong and that everybody will be able to sing and remember. Because he’s so amazing, Jordan always has five million ideas, so we tweak and work on things until the melody is right there.

“After the intro, the theme kicks in. The way it made me envision flying through the air in slow motion really influenced the lyrics, which are about the uprisings in the Middle East, people fighting against oppression.”



Far From Heaven
“This is James’ centerpiece, for sure. There is bass on the track, along with a string section, but for the most part it was written as a piano/vocal.

“Jordan and I intended it to be a ballad, but it would also be the Part 1 for the next song, Breaking All Illusions. In fact, in Breaking All Illusions, we use the themes that are in Far From Heaven. Doing that isn’t new to Dream Theater.

“For a few days James, Jordan and I worked on the vocal melodies. James had some very strong ideas, which were great. He recorded his parts up in Canada with Rich Chycki. We never did anything like that, where I as a producer wasn’t present when the vocals were being sung, so it was a bit of an experiment.

"I was blown away when I heard what they had done, not only by the vocal sound but the emotional quality that James put into it. He has such a beautifully unique voice. The way that Andy Wallace mixed it, putting James right up front, gives me shivers.”


Breaking All Illusions
“It’s the Part 2 of the previous song. We specifically wanted to write a more epic piece, and when we do that, we know that we’re not bound to any sort of structure as far as verses and choruses.

“Arrangement-wise, it’s very non-traditional, so you hear a lot of breakdowns. There’s a great John Myung moment where he does an ostinatto part in the first verse. He’s going in something of a circle, and it has a real hypnotic effect, drawing everybody in.

“The song is extremely proggy, with a lot of keyboard breaks. As a guitarist, I had a great time on the section that’s very La Villa Strangiato [by Rush]. It starts out kind of bluesy, then it’s kind of jazzy, and it builds and builds. I got a chance to use so many aspects of guitar playing: phrasing and melodic elements, blues, jazz, shred. It was very satisfying to record. Alex Lifeson was definitely in my mind as I was playing.”



Beneath The Surface
“Beneath The Surface is the last song we wrote for the album. We had tracked all of the drums on the other cuts, and I think we were working on keyboards. At this point, we realized that the record needed something. Everything else was very intense, so a cool-down felt right.

“With the exception of This Is The Life, I was writing about very heavy topics: political unrest in America, uprisings in the Middle East, ancient Persian armies, shamans. For the closing song, a lighter, more poignant lyrical message was in order, something that would reach deep into your soul in a very honest way.

“Actually, I wrote the lyrics without the music; it was before we even went into the studio. Once we started working on the song, I had a guitar part that seemed like it would work, but I ended up changing it around. There was a bit of a process with marrying the words to the music. I demoed the song and recorded it, and the guys were totally open to it.

“It’s mostly acoustic, and it could exist as an acoustic/vocal song. We did put an arrangement to it. I really like the keyboard solo in the middle. We searched for just the right Moog-esque sound, picturing the lighters, or I guess cell phones, coming out in the audience. It takes it away from being a folkish ballad and makes it more Genesis or ELP. I love it. I think it’s a great way to end the record.”

 

[Spruce Goose]

Some "interesting" and shocking details on DT/MP split:
Disclaimer:

the following information are taken from the German Metal Hammer and Rock Hard magazine which both came out 3 days ago !
For the parts listed below, I have translated the German text which in itself MIGHT not be a proper reflection of what John P and James have said in English.
I have only focused on some new information not the whole very long interview.
The interviewer(s) seems not to be a pro Mike looking at the question and comments they make.
Last but not least, I am a big MP and DT fan and really hope they will have success with everything they do.

----------------
Mike said he likes to take a break, after 5 years or so the band will come back stronger than ever.
When everyone else refused to take the break, he said "ok then I need to quite. I don't feel connected to DT anymore !"
John P did try to convince Mike to stay. The band said that he is doing a huge mistake and the AX7 gig is like a affair and one day he will be overtaken by the reality
Around 8 weeks later, after AX7 and Mike separate ways, Mike has send an Email to DT asking for rejoining, which the band refuses (They had already selected MM and where wondering how in 8 weeks the passion for DT did came back)

The interviewer (Metal Hammer) is asking:
"So to take revenge Mike is now suing you for a lot of money, claiming share of ownership of the band's name"
James: It is correct that there are some legal issues which we need to sort out. Fact is that Mike took a lawyer and we have informed ours. We are are not allowed to share more"
John P: at the end theses are some private issues which we should not talk about in public. Fact is we the band own Dream Theater's name/brand

Interviewer: It must be a real torture as musician to have to deal with these kind of issues:
James: the times of friendship with Mike, when we where friends and would hug each other and wishing him success for the future are definitively over. He needs to clarify everything via the lawyer now, there no other way. It is unpleasant but he did decide to take this path and now the judges will have sort things out "
John: I don't see a massive issue/deal. These things are part of life, no matter if you are a cookie seller or musician

With regards to the new album:
The Interviewer: "The situation for James did not significantly changed. His demand to have more involved in the lyrics was not approved"
James: Well, for this album, I have submitted 3 lyrics but for some reasons only one was picked up. You never know, maybe the other two will be reconsidered next time

From Rock Hard:

When Huge Syme did create the art work for the album, the working title was "Bridges in the Sky" !!
Later it was changed to "A dramatic turn of events" and the original title which came from the song "The Shaman's Trance" was used to rename the actual song !

 

[FerretallicA]

Final album has leaked to the masses. Not much has changed from the unmastered version.
Given how long they've been hyping it up and making a media circus of everything surrounding it, it's hard to be excited about it. Kudos to DT and Roadrunner - they've succeeded in making an album feel stale before it's even officially released.