DT15: A View From The Top Of The World (Timeline for DT15)

[Max Kuehnau]

This will be the timeline thread for DT15, thanks to Sebastiàn for the idea. I'll post any updates here, as and when I find them. So here we go:
-----preface-----

Tuesday, February 18th, 2020: Mike mentions studio time for DT15 (+his solo album) (https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/photos/a.114728775242556/2770915996290474/?type=3&theater)

Tuesday, April 14th, 2020: JP is collecting ideas (https://www.instagram.com/p/B--WziQB0sd/)

Monday, April 20th, 2020: James is building a home studio (https://twitter.com/jameslabrie/status/1252245658922364928)

Wednesday, May 20th, 2020: Jordan is collecting ideas (https://www.instagram.com/p/CAbEicpApE6/)

Friday, August 7th, 2020: JP announces change of scheduling for DT15 cycle (meaning earlier than anticipated!) (https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjlmm4qGlb/ skip to around 18:30)

----end of preface----- (studio time is happening in October and November of 2020, see here: https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/posts/3239221159459953)--------
Sunday, October 4th, 2020: Mike heads to DTHQ (https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/posts/203868131102662) (note: he mentions the capture date was October 4th, so that is it then)
Monday, October 5th, 2020: John mentions DT15 being recorded at DTHQ and them starting over fresh with nothing pre-written. (https://www.revolvermag.com/music/dream-theater-new-live-album-onstage-mishaps-rehearsing-meat-shops?fbclid=IwAR39v9x6B-V6PnGhZGfHLxzglOnvn8W1qDoUry58GykePv_GXIWevrl1tcM)

Thursday, October 8th, 2020: Mike mentions progress and seems pleased (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3366150066767061&id=111860865529347&
comment_id=3367919896590078)

Sunday, November 17th, 2020: James mentions vocal parts, contributing via Zoom (https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/james_labrie_announces_dream_theater_is_writing_new_album_without_him_in_the_studio_were_writing_by_zoom.html)


Wednesday, October 21st, 2020: Jordan mentions DT15 will not be a concept album, but will have an interesting basic idea anyway. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IES9GIB8U3Q)

Friday, October 23rd, 2020: John mentions documenting the album process. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li9kJdJ5L9c)

Tuesday, December 8th, 2020: John records guitar parts. 8-string guitar in use. (https://www.instagram.com/p/CIis2p_h9Ay/)

Thursday, January 14th, 2021: Mike mentions more work needing to be done (https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/posts/248803349942473)

Tuesday, January 20th, 2021: Jordan writes keyboard parts (https://www.instagram.com/p/CKR-T2IgVvj/)

Saturday, January 23rd, 2021: Mike finished recording the drum parts (https://www.facebook.com/100044384291096/posts/254438016045673/)

Friday, February 5th, 2021: Mike mentions progress, most likely for September release: https://mistresscarrie.com/the-mistress-carrie-podcast-35-mike-mangini/

Tuesday, February 16th,2021: Jordan is recording keyboard parts. (as per Patreon)

Sunday, February 21st, 2021: Preliminary mixing in progress (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLjsG-GJy6s/) Engineering is again handled by Jimmy T.  Jordan is still in the process of tracking his parts.

Wednesday, March 10th, 2021: Jordan finishes recording his keyboard parts (as per his Patreon)

Thursday, March 18th, 2021: Mike mentions DT15 featuring energetic songs: https://rockoverdose.gr/mike-mangini-dream-theater-on-rockoverdosethe-most-intense-memory-was-my-first-show-in-europe/
Monday, March 22nd, 2021: Final week of recording (as per Jordan's patreon) (as well as: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMw4rfHM34K/)
Saturday, March 27th, 2021: James finished recording. Recording process completed. (https://www.instagram.com/p/CM8IAmlMtIb/)
Friday, April 2nd, 2021: Final mix initiated. Andy Sneap highly likely confirmed to be mixing DT15 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B9zussZbwQ&t=2202s)
Sunday, April 25th, 2021: Mike mentions "time consuming DT work will come in May" (my guess is some kind of promo related thing, more on that as it happens, of course) (https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/posts/309637230525751) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuxETd-iFm0) James confirms video shoot for single 1 and photo shoot for DT15
Monday, May 24th, 2021: Interviews finished (https://www.facebook.com/MikeMangini/posts/327762202046587)
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021: Mastering initiated. (as per Jordan's Patreon)

Saturday, July 10th, 2021: Promo cycle initiated. Art by Hugh Syme: https://www.facebook.com/TheDreamTheaterWorld/posts/5788515877890372
Tuesday, July 20th, 2021: Epic confirmed (https://www.instagram.com/p/CRj6Wu-DtmY/)



July 28th: Press release day:

A View From The Top Of The World

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)

https://dreamtheater.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/DT-TopWorld-Cover-HR-1-scaled.jpeg

Engineering by James Meslin, Production by John Petrucci and James Meslin, Mixing and mastering by Andy Sneap

Release date: October 22nd, 2021



Friday, August 13th, 2021: The Alien released (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V462IsOV3js)

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021: Invisible Monster released (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Wmg7Tq4Pk)





(sheet music excerpts: https://www.instagram.com/p/CL_Ha4kA7oM/
)

[pg1067]

That would be an awfully quick turnaround for DT, who has been taking progressively more time between albums lately.

37 months between TA and DOT.

28 months between DT12 and TA.

24 months between ADTOE and DT12.

[MirrorMask]

37 months between TA and DOT.

Well, this could be partially justified by the unexpected success of the Images and Words tour, which as far as I remember Bosk's comments, was meant to be a quick run before every promoter in the world wanted it "forcing" them to tour a year for it.

[bosk1]

37 months between TA and DOT.

Well, this could be partially justified by the unexpected success of the Images and Words tour, which as far as I remember Bosk's comments, was meant to be a quick run before every promoter in the world wanted it "forcing" them to tour a year for it.

Exactly.  I don't think the 37 month gap was something they had pre-planned or something they plan on repeating in the near future.  If they started work on a new album the latter half of the year, and it came out in early or mid-2021, that would fit their typical cycle.

[Lowe2005]

It seemed to me that they could have released DOT a few months earlier than they did but held it back to be closer to the tour or something. Where was the original 'short run' for I,W&B meant to be? Anyway, it's nice to know that the 2.5 year and upwards gaps between albums haven't been intentional - TA took longer than expected because it took so much work and then DOT got pushed back by a big tour and then slightly by not getting it lost in the December/January period.

[bosk1]

It seemed to me that they could have released DOT a few months earlier than they did but held it back to be closer to the tour or something.

Not really.  They finished recording it in late September.  Allowing for mixing, mastering, and post-production, and then the typical 10-week pressing and promotion cycle, that would put the release around mid-January to mid-March.  Since we got a February release, that's pretty much right on schedule.

[gzarruk]

Looking forward to all of this

[Max Kuehnau]

Looking forward to all of this

very much so yes. I'm thoroughly interested to hear both what he will write on his solo album as well as how that will evolve on DT15. I'm sure he has good ideas (and he had them on every DT album already)

[KevShmev]

Looking forward to The Astonishing Part 2.

[Adami]

Looking forward to The Astonishing Part 2.

The Great Northern Empire Strikes Back.

[Architeuthis]

Looking forward to The Astonishing Part 2.

The Great Northern Empire Strikes Back.

Followed by "Return Of Ravenskill"

[Mladen]

How about The Faytheom Menace as a prequel?

[Sebastián Pratesi]

thanks to Sebastiàn for the idea.

Oh, thanks buddy. It's amazing to know that a new album is already being talked about.

I hope you are well.

[MirrorMask]

I wonder how they can make this unique, or if it will "just" be another DT album.

Since Mangini joined we got:

- The classic back to the roots album
- The album with shorter songs and a bigass long epic
- The rock opera
- The heavy and concise album

Where do they go from here?

[hefdaddy42]

The super crazy full-on prog album.

I mean, I hope.  But whatever they want to do is fine.

[gzarruk]

The super crazy full-on prog album.

I mean, I hope.  But whatever they want to do is fine.

This

[YtseJamittaja]

I would like to hear more Octavarium style material. I just listened to that album and it sounds really fresh. Those songs are also in a good range for JLB.

[the_silent_man]

The super crazy full-on prog album.

I mean, I hope.  But whatever they want to do is fine.

This, and I would like to see a return to (some) longer songs.
They've done well on DOT (and to a lesser extent the self titled) in proving they can still make shorter songs that are heavy proggy and classic DT - not just ballads!
Now I would like to see a couple of 10min+ songs chucked in to see how these would be tackled these days. Will have been 10 years since we've had an album like that when the new album comes out.

[Northern Lion]

The super crazy full-on prog album.

I mean, I hope.  But whatever they want to do is fine.

This, and I would like to see a return to (some) longer songs.
They've done well on DOT (and to a lesser extent the self titled) in proving they can still make shorter songs that are heavy proggy and classic DT - not just ballads!
Now I would like to see a couple of 10min+ songs chucked in to see how these would be tackled these days. Will have been 10 years since we've had an album like that when the new album comes out.

This, oh please this!  I love D/T, but I need more songs I can sink my teeth into, with plenty of noodling 

[Fritzinger]

I'd love an album with longer songs, too. Whatever they do, I'm sure I'll like it.

However, please don't put your awesome compositions in such a compressed sound please 

[Max Kuehnau]

I'd love an album with longer songs, too. Whatever they do, I'm sure I'll like it.

However, please don't put your awesome compositions in such a compressed sound please 

yes, I'd love longer pieces too
That was my attitude as well ever since Mike joined. And then D/T came out and that attitude was challenged. (that being said we are being spoiled by their consistency ever since he joined, so D/T is a step down for me). I'd love for Mike to use his larger kit again and that the music be more complex than D/T, and as hef said, the full on prog album. (or in other words, them not making D/T part 2 if you catch my drift.) Otherwise I'm grateful and I'm ready for DT15 now. (and of course, Mike's album as well)

[EPIC Outro]

I think they should write 14 tracks, with each one meant to sound as if it could fit on one of their previous albums. That way, track 5 would logically have to be Metropolis pt. 3!

[Cool Chris]

(or in other words, them not making D/T part 2 if you catch my drift.)

It seems like when they make an album there is a conscious effort to not make too similar of an album as the most previous release.

[Renzo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sDyhyC8A5k

Apparently writing/recording session will start in winter. I expect DT15 to come out in May 2021. 

[MirrorMask]

If they hole up again in the studio they used for d/t (and I seem to understand that everyone loved the idea), I hope the atmosphere will inspire them for some emotional, moody winter-ish crazy stuff 

[noxon]

It seemed to me that they could have released DOT a few months earlier than they did but held it back to be closer to the tour or something.

The first version I heard was JUST out of mastering, which was late november. And then I raised some issues with how I thought the master sounded (too loud, too compressed) which was taken to heart and they actually did an on the fly remaster right there and then which was done a few weeks later. Then it went to pressing/printing. So there wasn't really a lot of time between finished version and release.

[MirrorMask]

You're actually responsable for making a DT slbum sound slightly better? wow 

[geeeemo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sDyhyC8A5k

Apparently writing/recording session will start in winter. I expect DT15 to come out in May 2021. 

...and in the fall another tour with someone else....is what I thought I heard....

[Zydar]

You're actually responsable for making a DT slbum sound slightly better? wow 

Not all heroes wear capes.

[Mladen]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sDyhyC8A5k

Apparently writing/recording session will start in winter. I expect DT15 to come out in May 2021. 

...and in the fall another tour with someone else....is what I thought I heard....

Maybe they will be opening for someone? 

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I wonder how they can make this unique, or if it will "just" be another DT album.

Since Mangini joined we got:

- The classic back to the roots album
- The album with shorter songs and a bigass long epic
- The rock opera
- The heavy and concise album

Where do they go from here?

As long as it sounds as amazing as DOT, they can just shut up and take my money.

[hunnus2000]

How about a double CD in a similar vein of SDOIT?

[gzarruk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sDyhyC8A5k

Apparently writing/recording session will start in winter. I expect DT15 to come out in May 2021. 

...and in the fall another tour with someone else....is what I thought I heard....

Maybe they will be opening for someone? 

Most likely a co-headlining tour with another band. Either way, i'm hoping they play new D/T songs on that tour.

[Blokhut]

Looking forward to The Astonishing Part 2.

The Great Northern Empire Strikes Back.

Followed by "Return Of Ravenskill"

Followed by Metropolis part III 

[Fritzinger]

It seems quite a few people here have an issue with the loud/compressed sound of D/T. I would LOVE to hear a DT album recorded/mixed/mastered by Steven Wilson.

Yeah I know, but one can dream, right?