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DREAM THEATER Keyboardist: ‘We Feel That This Is One Of The Best Albums That We’ve Done’

Manos Spanos
Brian Giffin of Australia's Loud magazine recently conducted an interview with keyboardist Jordan Rudess of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. Loud: Does releasing a self-titled album mark some sort of new beginning for DREAM THEATER? Rudess: I think it was more that we wanted to put the stamp of a self-titled album here because we felt very strong about it. We felt like we're at this great point where we felt that people should take notice. We've been very clear — we're all getting along so well; musically we're having a great time together in the studio; and we felt that we've made a great album that we want people to know about. If you want to know what DREAM THEATER is about, check this album out, because we feel that this is one of the best albums that we've done. Loud: What was it like reconvening to record this time with [new drummer] Mike Mangini a part of the band? Rudess: He was really well behaved, so it was good. It was a lot of fun to have him there, unlike the previous album where we brought him in for the drum parts after the music was written. For this one, he was there the whole time. Some people know it, some people don't, but Mike Mangini is a very upbeat character. He's very funny, he's got a very good nature, he's lively and in front of the drums, he's a madman. He can play things no one else can play. So him being there personally, with his upbeat personality, and him contributing to the dynamic to the music we were writing really gave the music a real spark. So we enjoyed that quite a lot. With "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", we had a good time writing that, but this time, all being together working on the album as a band was great. We had been on tour with Mike Mangini for a year, we knew that we all got along, we knew that we were a very effective unit with each other playing music. The fans had all voiced their opinions and they all loved our shows. Loud: Tell us something about "Illumination Theory", because that's quite an extensive piece.
04 min read

DREAM THEATER: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

Manos Spanos
The new self-titled album from progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER is available for streaming in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget here. "Dream Theater" — the band's 12th studio release overall, and fourth with Roadrunner Records — will be released on September 24. Speaking to Ultimate-Guitar.com, Petrucci stated about "Dream Theater": "I think it's building on [what we did on the "A Dramatic Turn of Events" album], but taking it to the next level. One of the things I really wanted to do on 'A Dramatic Turn of Events' was to create something that was sonically very rich and high-def and powerful and I think we accomplished that. But on this album, I wanted to take that even further…. [I wanted to] get more cinematic with it and more earthy and aggressive and bigger. I wanted a bigger, more forward in-your-face kind of sound. I think that kind of dictated the sounds we went for while we were writing and recording and then ultimately how it was mixed. So yeah, it was kind of building on that, but taking it to the next level. You always need to progress and to try and do something different and kind of have a little bit different take on it and a different perspective. But hopefully make it better as you go."
03 min read

DREAM THEATER Guitarist: MIKE MANGINI ‘Can Do Things On The Drums That Nobody Else Can Do’

Manos Spanos
In a brand new interview with Grammy.com, guitarist John Petrucci of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER spoke about what fans can expect from the band's forthcoming, self-titled album, which is set for release on September 24 via Roadrunner Records. "I think it's really hard to describe music without alienating somebody," he said. "You can say that this album sounds a lot heavier, and people would say that sucks. Some people might be really happy about that. Or you could say it's a lot more melodic, and people could get mad like you said. To me, that mentality where it's one or the other drives me nuts. "To give you an example as a guitar player, there has always been this argument, like these two sides where guitar players can only be technical or play with feeling; it's one or the other. But to me, that makes no sense whatsoever. My favorite guitar players have both. Just because you have developed the craft on your instrument doesn't mean that you don't have the ability to be expressive emotionally on that instrument, or vice versa. Just because something is melodic or catchy doesn't mean that it doesn't have depth and substance and progressive sensibilities. Just because something is very technical or heavy doesn't mean that it's not melodic. You know what I mean? To me, it's not one or the other. That's part of the progressive spirit, that's part of the spirit of DREAM THEATER — we try to keep all of those elements in mind when we write." Petrucci also discussed how involving drummer Mike Mangini in the writing process for the first time affected the sound of the new album. "[Mike] was amazing in the studio," Petrucci said. "After getting to know him and recording [our previous studio album] 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events' with him [and] then going on tour for 15 months, we spent so much time together as a band and played so many shows, we really got to know Mike Mangini, the person and the drummer. So by the time he got to the studio with us [again], everybody was comfortable and relaxed. We had this incredible musical chemistry, and because of that, it was just a real natural and creative environment. He was able to come in, not as the new guy anymore, but as an established guy and share his ideas in a really respectful way and help us take the music even further.
02 min read

MIKE PORTNOY ‘Couldn’t Relate’ To DREAM THEATER’s New Material

Manos Spanos
In the October 2013 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ADRENALINE MOB) spoke about how the combination of his obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and having a memory unlike most other people's would make him an obvious choice for taking on more of a leadership role in a band setting. "With DREAM THEATER, I very much ran the show because my OCD allowed me to handle the additional roles," he explained. "Luckily, those guys [the other members of DREAM THEATER] always trusted my direction. OCD can be a detriment, though. I know it sometimes makes my wife crazy, and I'm sure it must have driven the guys in DREAM THEATER crazy at times too, but they rolled with it. " He continued: "It was never about being a control freak because I was an egomaniac. It was just my obsessive-compulsive nature. "When I first met [future DREAM THEATER bandmates) John Petrucci and John Myung when we were eighteen years old, I think they immediately recognized that part of my personality, and they were very comfortable with that dynamic. John Petrucci and I balanced each other out through the years with our strengths and weaknesses. He never cared much for all the little details and organizational stuff, and I never cared about the business or financial aspects, which he was very good at.
03 min read

DREAM THEATER: Complete ‘Live At Luna Park’ Details Revealed

Manos Spanos
On November 5, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release "Dream Theater: Live At Luna Park" on 2DVD, Blu-ray, visual digital formats and a deluxe edition. The deluxe edition is an 11.5" square 60 page hardback photobook containing the Blu-ray, 2 DVDs and 3 CDs presenting all the key physical formats in one release; the CDs are only available in this deluxe edition. These releases boast the 160 minute main show — accompanied by a wealth of bonus material — and feature many of the band's classic tracks, including "Metropolis Pt. 1", "The Silent Man", "Pull Me Under", "The Root Of All Evil", "The Test That Stumped Them All", "The Spirit Carries On" and the recent "On The Backs Of Angels". DREAM THEATER began their mammoth "A Dramatic Tour Of Events" world trek in July 2011 with the final leg in South America taking place in August 2012. It was here at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that they decided to film the two nights that make up this DVD release. The "Live At Luna Park" band lineup for this show is James LaBrie (vocals); John Petrucci (guitar); Jordan Rudess (keyboards); John Myung (bass); and Mike Mangini (drums). This was DREAM THEATER's first tour and album with their new drummer and all the tracks from that album, "A Dramatic Turn Of Events", are included in either the main show or the bonus performances.
06 min read

MIKE PORTNOY ‘Would Love Nothing More’ Than To Be ‘One Happy Family’ With Former Bandmates In DREAM THEATER

Manos Spanos
Drummer Mike Portnoy (THE WINERY DOGS,DREAM THEATER,AVENGED SEVENFOLD,ADRENALINE MOB) was interviewed on last night's (Friday, August 23) edition of Eddie Trunk's "Eddie Trunk Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM. Asked if he has heard the new, self-titled album from his former bandmates in DREAM THEATER and what he thought of it,Portnoy replied: "I haven't heard the album. I know it's out there and I know they've been promoting it and I've seen a lot of the interviews. And, you know… It seems like there's a lot of excitement about it, but I really can't comment beyond that." He continued: "I actually got a really nice text today from Jordan [Rudess,DREAM THEATERkeyboardist], and got a nice text a few weeks ago from John Petrucci [DREAM THEATERguitarist], so it seems like the air is clearing and the dust is settling. Which I would love nothing more than for us to all be one happy family and friends again, so… We'll see. But I'm doing this 'Progressive Nation' cruise next year and Jordane-mailed me to congratulate me on that, and they also heard about [the success of] THE WINERY DOGS album, and they were congratulating me on that. So it's nice to be in good spirits with at least a couple of the guys." DREAM THEATER singerJames LaBrie recently ruled out the possibility of a reunion withMike, saying that Portnoy's replacement,Mike Mangini, "will be our drummer until the day that we finish doing this." On July 30, Portnoy was asked by Chile's Radio Futuro whether he would one day be willing to reunite with DREAM THEATER and rejoin the band as their drummer. "Sure," he replied. "I would do it in a heartbeat. They are the ones that have closed the door on it. I've only needed a break, and I've had that break. So I'm ready, willing and able. But I honestly don't think they ever will; they've closed their door on it and I think they're too headstrong in having to prove themselves without me. So I wouldn't count on it. But my door is always open."
04 min read

YES, ASIA, DREAM THEATER Members Featured On ‘All-Star Tribute To Steve Miller Band’

Manos Spanos
A whole host of space cowboys, gangsters of love and legendary music icons from around the globe gather together to pay special tribute to classic rock legends the STEVE MILLER BAND! Now available on Purple Pyramid Records, "Fly Like An Eagle" features performances by members of YES, ASIA, XTC, DREAM THEATER, SURVIVOR, THE TUBES,CURVED AIR, DEEP PURPLE, GONG, NEKTAR and others! With exciting renditions of Steve Miller's classic hits, "Fly Like An Eagle - An All-Star Tribute To Steve Miller Band" is sure to please music fans worldwide. It also includes some final recordings by guitar legend Peter Banks. Producer Billy Sherwood of YES/CIRCA: fame explains: "Steve Miller has written so many great songs. Working on this record gave me a chance to look deeper into the inner workings of the material and explore it all with so many amazing guest artists. "It was an honor producing and playing on this project. I think the fans of the music will appreciate the contributions of all the artists involved."
01 min read

DREAM THEATER Singer JAMES LABRIE: ‘Back On The Ground’ Lyric Video Released

Manos Spanos
The official lyric video for the song "Back On The Ground" from DREAM THEATER frontman James LaBrie's new solo album, "Impermanent Resonance", can be seen below. "Impermanent Resonance" will be released on August 6 in North America and July 29 in Europe via InsideOut Music. In addition to the standard CD and the digital download format, the effort will be made available in Europe as a limited-edition digipak featuring alternate artwork and two bonus tracks ("Unraveling" and "Why"), as well as on limited LP version (with the full album as bonus CD). The previous LaBrie album, "Static Impulse" from 2010, will be released for the first time as LP (with the full album as bonus CD) on the same street date as
04 min read

MIKE PORTNOY On Leaving DREAM THEATER: ‘It Was Liberating, But It Was Also Scary’

Manos Spanos
Mark Diggins of The Rock Pit recently conducted an interview with drummer Mike Portnoy (ADRENALINE MOB, FLYING COLORS, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below. The Rock Pit: There is a great chemistry between [all the members ofTHE WINERY DOGS]. Was that there from the start and do you think you managed to bring out the best performances in each other? Mike: It was all very natural, but granted, there was already a built-in chemistry between Billy [Sheehan, bass] and Richie [Kotzen, guitar/vocals], from working together in MR. BIG. There was also the built-in chemistry between me and Billy, as we had already done various things through the years. I had to ease in to the relationship, but realistically, it all came together very naturally. I don't know the reason for that, as there's only the three of us. I've been in many bands with four or five people in them, and
04 min read

DREAM THEATER: New Album Release Date, Cover Artwork, Track Listing Revealed

Manos Spanos
Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER will release their new, self-titled album — the band's 12th studio release overall, and fourth withRoadrunner Records — on September 24. Says guitarist John Petrucci about "Dream Theater": "I see every new album as an opportunity to start over. To either build or improve upon a direction that has been evolving over time or to completely break new ground. "This is the first self-titled album of our career and there is nothing I can think of that makes a statement of musical and creative identity stronger than that. We've fully explored all of the elements that make us unique, from the epic and intense to the atmospheric and cinematic. "We're incredibly excited about 'Dream Theater' and can't wait for everyone to hear it."
03 min read