From Elektra Records:
For the last decade Dream Theater has been playing with fire. While some bands seek out a cool safe spot to avoid being burned by risky undertakings, this quintet travels headlong into the blaze, fusing such diverse genres as metal, jazz, and classical. Not many groups could stand that close to the flame and come away unscathed, but Dream Theater has proven it time after time while continuing to ignite a world-wide fan base hungry for the band's next musical challenge.
In 2002, the progressive metal group doesn't disappoint, as it becomes a squadron of well-trained daredevils set to walk across red-hot coals. With the release of their adventurous double CD Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Dream Theater has quite possibly created their boldest, most fiery statement to date.
In the style of classic prog rock masterpieces such as Rush's 2112 and Yes' Close To The Edge, Dream Theater's sixth studio record is packed with jaw-dropping technical proficiency (a band signature), hypnotic hooks, and majestic, otherworldly interludes. The multi-faceted title track, which spans the entire length of the second CD, earns them a place alongside those legendary bands.
"This record is very ambitious and I think it is something we wanted, and had, to do," says drummer extraordinaire Mike Portnoy.
"Besides getting better on our own individual instruments one of our main goals was to become better songwriters," insists guitarist John Petrucci. "We are conscious about giving the listener a complex thematic piece that is rife with melodic elements."
As they did for their last studio record, 1999's Scenes From A Memory, Portnoy and Petrucci took the reigns as producers and called on long-time associates Doug Oberkircher to handle the engineering duties and Kevin Shirley to mix. Having creative control over the writing/recording process led the band to explore countless possibilities.
"Because 'Scenes' was such a world-wide success, it gave us the freedom to do what we wanted," says Portnoy. "That's what Dream Theater is all about."
As a testament to their unbridled musicianship, Dream Theater wrote and recorded simultaneously. The band, comprised of Portnoy, Petrucci, vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, locked themselves in BearTracks Recording Studio in Suffern, New York, in early 2001, and when they emerged, a fluid collection of larger-than-life sagas was committed to tape.
"It's a collaborative process," says Portnoy. "We usually don't work from one individual's ideas -- we just jam and see what comes out. We like working this way."
"The core of the music and the construction of the songs are very instinctual," says Petrucci. "The fact that we know each other so well and have been working together for a while, allows us space to collectively improvise while crafting melodies."
The four instrumentalists form a song structure while Portnoy, Petrucci and LaBrie explore the trials of ordinary life through enlightening, sometimes controversial, lyrics such as those in "The Great Debate." A churning, cacophonic storm rife with sound bytes and voicings, the tune is a sonic equivalent of the ethical debate its theme presents.
"When we were writing this song, the issue of stem cell research was all over the news," says Petrucci. "You have two opposing schools of thought colliding and we really wanted to capture that with this song."
The 14-minute adrenalized "The Glass Prison" swiftly moves through growling guitar riffs, stately keyboard runs, syncopated bass and drum romps and even scratchy DJ-like noises typically found in hip-hop.
"We don't follow any set patterns when writing and I think that song is a good example," says Petrucci. "We just go wherever the music takes us."
"Misunderstood", "Blind Faith" and the ghostly "Disappear" explore the more ominous aspects of the band's atmospheric side. By bringing in influences as far-ranging as Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Tool, Fryderyk Chopin, and Metallica, the band sought to break new ground.
"'Disappear' gets very psychedelic in spots," explains Petrucci. "Since Mike and I were at the helm for this record, we did some things where we sped up the tape, then brought the speed down so what you actually hear is at half-speed. We also did some wacky things with analog guitar effects. There's some backwards stuff in there, too."
The 42-minute title track is as peaceful as a moonlit pond and as venomous as a slithering cobra sinking its fangs into you. Returning to the complex theme of mental illness, last visited on DT's 1994 record Awake, Six Degrees... is inhabited by momentary maniacs, catatonic casualties who spin delusional fantasies, and emotionally disturbed individuals sailing on sad solitary trips to misery-ville.
"The six characters of the song -- hence the six degrees in the title -- all share a common bond: they suffer from emotional distress," explains Portnoy. "Each person reacts differently to the world around them."
Chock full of harrowing instrumental twists and turns, Danny Elfman movie-score creepiness, and fierce rhythmic intensity, the eight-section suite is an acrobatic dance on a musical tightrope. Balancing the dreamy elements of "Goodnight Kiss" (Part V), the quirkiness of "About To Crash" (Parts II and VII), the aggressiveness of "The War Inside My Head" (Part III) and the cathartic decrescendo of "Solitary Shell" (part VI), is not an easy feat to accomplish. Dream Theater makes it look simple.
"It has to be one of our greatest undertakings," says Petrucci. "We are all proud of that one," adds Portnoy.
As the band's music heads into new territories, they embark on a new tour. "We plan on going places we've never been to before," says Petrucci. Their first stop is Europe and then it is off to Asia, South America and the States -- headlining all the way, to the delight of fans.
"The fans are with us through thick and thin, whether we release a triple live CD, like our Live Scenes From New York, or this new double studio CD," says Portnoy "We've survived for over ten years because we have built up a following around the world. It's the fans devotion that makes our music possible. With their support, who knows where we'll go next?"
For the last decade Dream Theater has been playing with fire. While some bands seek out a cool safe spot to avoid being burned by risky undertakings, this quintet travels headlong into the blaze, fusing such diverse genres as metal, jazz, and classical. Not many groups could stand that close to the flame and come away unscathed, but Dream Theater has proven it time after time while continuing to ignite a world-wide fan base hungry for the band's next musical challenge.
In 2002, the progressive metal group doesn't disappoint, as it becomes a squadron of well-trained daredevils set to walk across red-hot coals. With the release of their adventurous double CD Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Dream Theater has quite possibly created their boldest, most fiery statement to date.
In the style of classic prog rock masterpieces such as Rush's 2112 and Yes' Close To The Edge, Dream Theater's sixth studio record is packed with jaw-dropping technical proficiency (a band signature), hypnotic hooks, and majestic, otherworldly interludes. The multi-faceted title track, which spans the entire length of the second CD, earns them a place alongside those legendary bands.
"This record is very ambitious and I think it is something we wanted, and had, to do," says drummer extraordinaire Mike Portnoy.
"Besides getting better on our own individual instruments one of our main goals was to become better songwriters," insists guitarist John Petrucci. "We are conscious about giving the listener a complex thematic piece that is rife with melodic elements."
As they did for their last studio record, 1999's Scenes From A Memory, Portnoy and Petrucci took the reigns as producers and called on long-time associates Doug Oberkircher to handle the engineering duties and Kevin Shirley to mix. Having creative control over the writing/recording process led the band to explore countless possibilities.
"Because 'Scenes' was such a world-wide success, it gave us the freedom to do what we wanted," says Portnoy. "That's what Dream Theater is all about."
As a testament to their unbridled musicianship, Dream Theater wrote and recorded simultaneously. The band, comprised of Portnoy, Petrucci, vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, locked themselves in BearTracks Recording Studio in Suffern, New York, in early 2001, and when they emerged, a fluid collection of larger-than-life sagas was committed to tape.
"It's a collaborative process," says Portnoy. "We usually don't work from one individual's ideas -- we just jam and see what comes out. We like working this way."
"The core of the music and the construction of the songs are very instinctual," says Petrucci. "The fact that we know each other so well and have been working together for a while, allows us space to collectively improvise while crafting melodies."
The four instrumentalists form a song structure while Portnoy, Petrucci and LaBrie explore the trials of ordinary life through enlightening, sometimes controversial, lyrics such as those in "The Great Debate." A churning, cacophonic storm rife with sound bytes and voicings, the tune is a sonic equivalent of the ethical debate its theme presents.
"When we were writing this song, the issue of stem cell research was all over the news," says Petrucci. "You have two opposing schools of thought colliding and we really wanted to capture that with this song."
The 14-minute adrenalized "The Glass Prison" swiftly moves through growling guitar riffs, stately keyboard runs, syncopated bass and drum romps and even scratchy DJ-like noises typically found in hip-hop.
"We don't follow any set patterns when writing and I think that song is a good example," says Petrucci. "We just go wherever the music takes us."
"Misunderstood", "Blind Faith" and the ghostly "Disappear" explore the more ominous aspects of the band's atmospheric side. By bringing in influences as far-ranging as Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Tool, Fryderyk Chopin, and Metallica, the band sought to break new ground.
"'Disappear' gets very psychedelic in spots," explains Petrucci. "Since Mike and I were at the helm for this record, we did some things where we sped up the tape, then brought the speed down so what you actually hear is at half-speed. We also did some wacky things with analog guitar effects. There's some backwards stuff in there, too."
The 42-minute title track is as peaceful as a moonlit pond and as venomous as a slithering cobra sinking its fangs into you. Returning to the complex theme of mental illness, last visited on DT's 1994 record Awake, Six Degrees... is inhabited by momentary maniacs, catatonic casualties who spin delusional fantasies, and emotionally disturbed individuals sailing on sad solitary trips to misery-ville.
"The six characters of the song -- hence the six degrees in the title -- all share a common bond: they suffer from emotional distress," explains Portnoy. "Each person reacts differently to the world around them."
Chock full of harrowing instrumental twists and turns, Danny Elfman movie-score creepiness, and fierce rhythmic intensity, the eight-section suite is an acrobatic dance on a musical tightrope. Balancing the dreamy elements of "Goodnight Kiss" (Part V), the quirkiness of "About To Crash" (Parts II and VII), the aggressiveness of "The War Inside My Head" (Part III) and the cathartic decrescendo of "Solitary Shell" (part VI), is not an easy feat to accomplish. Dream Theater makes it look simple.
"It has to be one of our greatest undertakings," says Petrucci. "We are all proud of that one," adds Portnoy.
As the band's music heads into new territories, they embark on a new tour. "We plan on going places we've never been to before," says Petrucci. Their first stop is Europe and then it is off to Asia, South America and the States -- headlining all the way, to the delight of fans.
"The fans are with us through thick and thin, whether we release a triple live CD, like our Live Scenes From New York, or this new double studio CD," says Portnoy "We've survived for over ten years because we have built up a following around the world. It's the fans devotion that makes our music possible. With their support, who knows where we'll go next?"
