Looks like DT has already begun the process of writing the new album!

[Tripp]

seems a bit sudden, and soon.

[fadetoblackdude7]

Trying a different approach, are we? No more writing in the studio?

[Zydar]

I was just about to post this

[Tripp]

I was just about to post this

2 slo

[Nel_Annette]

Checks FB page. "Posted 11 minutes ago."

Damn, you guys go fast. XD

[philippaopao]

I find it amusing that they started writing the next album while jet lagged. Reminds me of the DT plane from ADTOE, the next album's predecessor, haha. 

[Addy]

Probably just throwing some ideas at each other and jamming. Great news nevertheless !

[Gadough]

Ashton posting a serious thread about Dream Theater?

Well, now I've seen it all.

[BlobVanDam]

I don't think it's too sudden. This would hopefully mean they spend longer writing the new album, and I assume will involve MM. This is good news, and hopefully results in a better album.

[Tripp]

Ashton posting a serious thread about Dream Theater?

Well, now I've seen it all.

I only posted because no one else had done so in the 18 seconds after Petrucci tweeted about it.

#yolo

I don't think it's too sudden. This would hopefully mean they spend longer writing the new album, and I assume will involve MM. This is good news, and hopefully results in a better album.

To be honest, you're probably right. But, they've also been stuck in this "Album every two years" deal for quite a while, and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if they went ahead and took a little bit longer than usual to actually record this album. A four year wait for an album would be a nice change of pace. Chances are if they're starting the process now, and sticking with the every two year plan, there's a good choice they'll have some good material by the time they hit the studio in the middle of next year.

Can't wait to see what Mangini comes up with, I'd like to see what he could bring to the table.

[Aythesryche]

Each era of the band is so incredibly recognizable. When DS joined the band and FII came out, it was a profound change. When Jordan joined, there was yet another profound sound change and direction. When MM came on board, the band did have a sense of change but it hasn't been fully realized. I think once this new album comes out that is when the new era will truly be ushered in for DT imo. We'll get to hear what this band comes up with as a whole and my bet is it's going to not only be truly different, but it's going to blow us away in the best of ways. I can't wait!

[robwebster]

Ashton posting a serious thread about Dream Theater?

Well, now I've seen it all.

I only posted because no one else had done so in the 18 seconds after Petrucci tweeted about it.

#yolo

I don't think it's too sudden. This would hopefully mean they spend longer writing the new album, and I assume will involve MM. This is good news, and hopefully results in a better album.

To be honest, you're probably right. But, they've also been stuck in this "Album every two years" deal for quite a while, and it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if they went ahead and took a little bit longer than usual to actually record this album. A four year wait for an album would be a nice change of pace. Chances are if they're starting the process now, and sticking with the every two year plan, there's a good choice they'll have some good material by the time they hit the studio in the middle of next year.

Can't wait to see what Mangini comes up with, I'd like to see what he could bring to the table.

They'll be hitting the studio middle of this year, I believe -- middle of next year would be two years since ADToE, roughly release time!

Read "middle of" as "Septemberish," natch. Maybe couple of months later, seeing as ADToE came out a couple of months later than standard. Poooossibly January next year? But if they're sticking to the traditional schedule, going in middle of next year would push the next album to 2014.

[Tripp]

You're completely right, either I wasn't thinking or my sense of time is completely off. Woops!

Anywho, chances are they'll stick to the regular two year basis, seeing as they've begun writing fairly early. How long, before each album release, do they normally take to release stuff like Artwork/Track listings and such?

[Gadough]

Ashton posting a serious thread about Dream Theater?

Well, now I've seen it all.

I only posted because no one else had done so in the 18 seconds after Petrucci tweeted about it.

#yolo

Anything can be justified with #yolo

[RaiseTheKnife]

Jaw dropped at the announcement, didnt expect somethign so fast.  Look forward to the Mangini writing chemistry.  Have to go a whiles back to when DT wrote songs on the road.  Awake maybe?

[hefdaddy42]

Sounds good to me.

[SystematicThought]

GUYS! No, this is not how we write music! We need to go into the studio with no material or ideas. We write from scratch!

In all seriousness, I am pumped for this. It's a new way of them writing the music. This is great

[Dreamer81]

if the video from the backstage in zurich means something, the next album will make the Earth explode...

[OsMosis2259]

Sounds good to me.

[metropofreak]

In all seriousness, I am pumped for this. It's a new way of them writing the music. This is great

[snowdog]

In all seriousness, I am pumped for this. It's a new way of them writing the music. This is great

Well I'm not sure about new.  But I don't think they've done it since the I&W tour.  Possibly the Awake tour.

And I agree that this is great news.

[ResultsMayVary]

if the video from the backstage in zurich means something, the next album will make the Earth explode...

This. Holy shit, that Rudess/Mangini tune was fucking insanity.

Zurrich Backstage "Behind The Madness"

[Dublagent66]

They're probably anxious to get MM involved in the writing process.  Cool...

[kirksnosehair]

Actually, I think it's a GOOD THING that they're not doing the strict "OKWEREINTHESTUDIONOWTOWRITEANALBUM" thing.   I always thought that songwriting is best when it's done on the spur of inspiration, not when it's forced by some scheduled studio time.

[Tis BOOLsheet]

Not too soon. Whenever the creative juices start flowing is when to start.

[theseoafs]

Trying a different approach, are we? No more writing in the studio?

Thank. God.

[Millais]

We'll get to hear what this band comes up with as a whole and my bet is it's going to not only be truly different, but it's going to blow us away in the best of ways. I can't wait!

Sounds good to me! Also sounds good that it's not being forced, as if they 'have' to write something.

[novenpeter]

Forsaken ...... I have come for you tonight

[Setlist Scotty]

They'll be hitting the studio middle of this year, I believe -- middle of next year would be two years since ADToE, roughly release time!

Dunno about them going into the studio *that* soon Rob. Even if they don't do one more leg after the North American leg, they'll be finishing at almost the same time that they did for BCaSL (not including the final 2 "one-off" dates in Japan). When the band met to discuss their plans at the beginning of September (when MP dropped the bomb of wanting a hiatus), they had planned on going into the studio at the beginning of 2011 even with MP. So my guess is that they'll probably follow a similar pattern once again, unless you can reference something the guys have said that proves otherwise.

Jaw dropped at the announcement, didnt expect somethign so fast.  Look forward to the Mangini writing chemistry.  Have to go a whiles back to when DT wrote songs on the road.  Awake maybe?

The last time you could say was probably on Touring Into Infinity, maybe Metropolis 2000. I know at least one of the riffs in The Glass Prison actually came out of soundcheck jam that MP and JM did while on the road for Touring Into Infinity. MP told me he threw it out there during the writing for SFaM but it didn't fit, then threw it out there as a possibility during the writing for SDoIT. Granted, they weren't probably fleshing out full songs at that point, but it's hard to say how developed the song ideas that JP's speaking of are at this point.

Once the band started doing Evening With tours, I think a lot of their time was spent rehearsing and maintaining (keeping their chops up) of material for upcoming shows, so the chance to jam and develop new ideas fell by the wayside; I don't believe it was strictly because of MP's insistence of writing together as a band in the studio.

 

GUYS! No, this is not how we write music! We need to go into the studio with no material or ideas. We write from scratch!

LOL! Well I know MP was always about collaborating, but there were times when ideas from the past would be included, tho of late, typically from a previous album-writing session (a lot of I Walk Beside You was actually developed during the Train of Thought sessions, but set aside since it didn't fit the vibe of the album; also see my reference about The Glass Prison riff above). Nonetheless, I agree with KNH's point that it makes more sense to write when inspired than being forced to do so because of scheduled studio time.

[Mladen]

Very nice news. They've always been jamming and bouncing ideas off each other while touring, but they must have come up with a really great idea that's gotta be on the album. 

[robwebster]

They'll be hitting the studio middle of this year, I believe -- middle of next year would be two years since ADToE, roughly release time!

Dunno about them going into the studio *that* soon Rob. Even if they don't do one more leg after the North American leg, they'll be finishing at almost the same time that they did for BCaSL (not including the final 2 "one-off" dates in Japan). When the band met to discuss their plans at the beginning of September (when MP dropped the bomb of wanting a hiatus), they had planned on going into the studio at the beginning of 2011 even with MP. So my guess is that they'll probably follow a similar pattern once again, unless you can reference something the guys have said that proves otherwise.

Nope, no extra info here - I bow to your superior knowledge!

Come to think of it, the "entire" cycle is happening three months later than is traditional, too. So yeah, middle of this year's just as mad an assertion. Whoops!

Still fairly happy with my between Sept. and Jan. guess, though. Feels right...ish, possibly?

[ResultsMayVary]

They'll be hitting the studio middle of this year, I believe -- middle of next year would be two years since ADToE, roughly release time!

Dunno about them going into the studio *that* soon Rob. Even if they don't do one more leg after the North American leg, they'll be finishing at almost the same time that they did for BCaSL (not including the final 2 "one-off" dates in Japan). When the band met to discuss their plans at the beginning of September (when MP dropped the bomb of wanting a hiatus), they had planned on going into the studio at the beginning of 2011 even with MP. So my guess is that they'll probably follow a similar pattern once again, unless you can reference something the guys have said that proves otherwise.

Nope, no extra info here - I bow to your superior knowledge!

Come to think of it, the "entire" cycle is happening three months later than is traditional, too. So yeah, middle of this year's just as mad an assertion. Whoops!

Still fairly happy with my between Sept. and Jan. guess, though. Feels right...ish, possibly?

It seems right for a May 2013 release if they are in the studio between September and January. However, if they get the majority of the writing done on the road, then they would ultimately spend at least half as much time in the studio as normal, which could lead to a February or March 2013 release, if we're lucky.

[robwebster]

Well! I was more thinking somewhere between September and January as the ballpark for the start date, rather than a duration, but May-ish / June-ish would be right if they started in September, yeah!

Keeping in mind they've got to have a break after the tour, plus John Petrucci'll be needed to help make the DVD... I think Feb. or March is a tad pie-in-the-sky, whether they were to write beforehand or not.

Would be lush, though!

[Phoenix87x]

Fantastic news 

[theseoafs]

THIS JUST IN: Dream Theater's next album to be called "The Count of Tuscany Part 2: Scenes from a Memory". It will tell the story of The Count of Tuscany but from the point of view of the aged wines (and 76 minutes).