Dream Theater announces 16th Studio Album - Parasomnia

[MinistroRaven]

Any guess as to when single 2 drops?

my guess is by December. and the third one the week of release date

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

Please, could you post a link to this Eddie Trunk's interview with Mike Portnoy?

You can listen to it free on apple podcast. It's a good interview. Mike confirms he had the rejoin convo with John first, sounds like John brought it up. Then the second convo was with the rest of the band. They talked about 'what their goals were.'

It's a good interview with a couple nuggets. Mike thinks NT is 'indicative' of the album at large.

[TAC]

It's on Spotify as well.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/11aFAYTEBcu9jG8wcm7596?si=ed7ace81b8f04cb6

[Tyrannosaurus Chicken]

I was sad to see Mangini go, but excited to see Portnoy back. Bittersweet, I guess you could say. From everything I've read, Mangini handled it very graciously. Guy is a class act. As for the new DT album, I'm always excited for a new DT album!

[Max Kuehnau]

my guess is by December. and the third one the week of release date

would be my guess too (this was what happened leading up to D/T as well IIRC)

[evilasiojr]

Since we heard there's an overture track and a transition track, which leaves with 6 "normal" tracks, I would like to and think it's possible they release only 2 singles instead of the regular 3 the label likes to do. For A View it was already only 2.

[nikatapi]

I'm pretty confident the next single will be Midnight Messiah. Let's see.

[JiM-Xtreme]

Getting the feeling now this will be a concept album in the vein of Six Degrees disc 2 (i.e not necessarily one with a definite story but in a thematic sense) for a number of reasons:

1) MP's reference to an "overture" in the Eddie Trunk interview (likely the first track)
2) The comment from JLB in Zagreb about playing it in full after its release (which isn't something they'd generally do except in the case of say, TA)
3) The fact that there is a clear theme of sleep/dreams/nightmares surrounding the album as a whole

[fadetoblackdude7]

I'm pretty confident the next single will be Midnight Messiah. Let's see.

That's my prediction as well

[durga2112]

Getting the feeling now this will be a concept album in the vein of Six Degrees disc 2 (i.e not necessarily one with a definite story but in a thematic sense)

I've had that feeling for a while. A few months ago there was an Instagram post from the band where Petrucci said "You guys have no clue what's about to happen..." That was after they had finished writing the record. I know bands always love to hype up their latest work like it's the greatest thing they've ever done, but with everything this band has done, that statement makes me feel like they truly believe they've done something special here.

To be honest, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's a full concept album complete with a story. We'll know for sure in a few more months, but I'm really enjoying the anticipation for this album - I haven't been this excited about a new DT album in a long time.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I've had that feeling for a while. A few months ago there was an Instagram post from the band where Petrucci said "You guys have no clue what's about to happen..." That was after they had finished writing the record. I know bands always love to hype up their latest work like it's the greatest thing they've ever done, but with everything this band has done, that statement makes me feel like they truly believe they've done something special here.

To be honest, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's a full concept album complete with a story. We'll know for sure in a few more months, but I'm really enjoying the anticipation for this album - I haven't been this excited about a new DT album in a long time.

They make similar statements each album cycle.

[fadetoblackdude7]

2) The comment from JLB in Zagreb about playing it in full after its release (which isn't something they'd generally do except in the case of say, TA)

Is there a video of this? Did he say it at the show or in an interview?

[CodyWanKenobi]

I've had that feeling for a while. A few months ago there was an Instagram post from the band where Petrucci said "You guys have no clue what's about to happen..." That was after they had finished writing the record. I know bands always love to hype up their latest work like it's the greatest thing they've ever done, but with everything this band has done, that statement makes me feel like they truly believe they've done something special here.

To be honest, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it's a full concept album complete with a story. We'll know for sure in a few more months, but I'm really enjoying the anticipation for this album - I haven't been this excited about a new DT album in a long time.

I don't know man, the lyrics to Night Terror are so vague and blah that I doubt they're part of a proper concept album *with a narrative story running throughout.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

It's likely to be some type of concept album based on the combination of single, song titles, cover art. Nightmares and sleep appear to be a key part of the albums theme. I highly doubt it's an unrelated collection of songs that refer to these topics only in title (on an album called parasols!).

[DTiwbwMP]

Thematic yes, concept no.

[MirrorMask]

Getting the feeling now this will be a concept album in the vein of Six Degrees disc 2 (i.e not necessarily one with a definite story but in a thematic sense) for a number of reasons:

1) MP's reference to an "overture" in the Eddie Trunk interview (likely the first track)
2) The comment from JLB in Zagreb about playing it in full after its release (which isn't something they'd generally do except in the case of say, TA)
3) The fact that there is a clear theme of sleep/dreams/nightmares surrounding the album as a whole

4) It's absolutely stated as such in the press release.

 

(And +1 for the "it' a themed album, not a concept that tells a story" crowd)

[Dream Team]

I hope they don't release 2 more singles, there's only 6 non-instrumental tracks total. Plus I'm too weak to resist listening. 

[dparrott]

Are we dreaming isnt much of a music track. Its more similar to the nomacs tracks of the astonishing...

So In the Arms of Morpheus and Are We Dreaming?, consecutively. Interesting. The first one does sound like an instrumental song title.

WOW.  Something different than on the last two albums.  Nice!

Have they ever had two instrumentals on the same album before?

[devieira73]

On The Astonishing there are 2 overture tracks and the Nomac tracks.

[devieira73]

Also on DT12. and on Scenes.

[durga2112]

SFAM had a pair of instrumentals as well.

[Parasomnia]

I hope they don't release 2 more singles, there's only 6 non-instrumental tracks total. Plus I'm too weak to resist listening. 

I just love how amusing it is, some pop artist releases like 7 singles for their 18 track album. If DT released 3 singles for most albums, it'd be over half the album already 

[Progmaniac1988]

Hey all, had a hellish couple weeks which is why I haven't been around much, but today I found myself really thinking about this album!

After hearing the news that in the arms of Morpheus is most likely an overture it made me realize that the opening of night terror is definitely fading in from the previous track. So I'm really excited for this album even more now. Will these tracks kinda all be connected like SFAM?? It's possible, and I feel it could go in any direction. I have a feeling night terror will be even more enjoyable when listening to it during a full listen of parasomnia! Super excited for this album and the possibilities of how it'll be as a whole!

[Tyrannosaurus Chicken]

Is there a video of this? Did he say it at the show or in an interview?

If you check out the full show from Poland that I posted in the tour thread, he says it there too.

[gzarruk]

False Awakening Suite would be a perfect thematic companion to Parasomnia (Sleep Paralysis, Night Terrors, Lucid Dream) and when the album was announced I had a little hope this one would finally get played in the actual album tour*, but now that we know the first track is a sort of overture and that they're most likely playing the album in full, there's no way FAS will ever be considered. It's sad that such a cool and short full band instrumental never got played live and was only used as intro tape to their shows for a while.

*Tourasomnia anyone?

[Wim Kruithof]

False Awakening Suite would be a perfect thematic companion to Parasomnia (Sleep Paralysis, Night Terrors, Lucid Dream) and when the album was announced I had a little hope this one would finally get played in the actual album tour*, but now that we know the first track is a sort of overture and that they're most likely playing the album in full, there's no way FAS will ever be considered. It's sad that such a cool and short full band instrumental never got played live and was only used as intro tape to their shows for a while.

*Tourasomnia anyone?

Based on lyrical phrases, Awaken the Master, Lifting Shadows Off a Dream, Sleeping Giant, The Dark Eternal Night and Wait for Sleep could also have their influence on this particular piece. But when you call yourself Dream Theater I guess it's obvious the theme interests them.

But I do agree, False Awakening Suite is lovely. And I also think 'a sort of overture' is still a wide margin for In the Arms of Morpheus to be in. I hope it's False Awakening Suite-inspired.

[Dedalus]

All these years, how come Neal Morse didn't teach Mike Portnoy that when you have an overture track it has to be called  "Overture"? 

[EPIC Outro]

I have always wanted DT to release an eerie album. They have certainly had individual songs that fit that bill in the past, but never a whole album. Parasomnia looks like it has the potential to be that, with the creepy song titles and moody cover art. Even if not, it's sure to be a beautiful album!

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

I have always wanted DT to release an eerie album. They have certainly had individual songs that fit that bill in the past, but never a whole album. Parasomnia looks like it has the potential to be that, with the creepy song titles and moody cover art. Even if not, it's sure to be a beautiful album!

What about SC? That's got a similar kind of vibe to eerie.

[Tyrannosaurus Chicken]

What about SC? That's got a similar kind of vibe to eerie.

Yep, In the Presence of Enemies and The Dark Eternal Night, particularly. Even Repentance has a slightly eerie vibe.

[EPIC Outro]

Hmmm. I never looked at SC that way before! It never struck me as an eerie album (maybe in part due to the cover art), but now that I think about the subject matter, you may be on to something!

[MirrorMask]

Imagine if the next album is a companion to this, and after a heavy dark album about "nightmares" we get a super proggy, positive, uplifting and space-y album about dreams, lucing dreaming, wondrous dreams and the likes 

[hefdaddy42]

Hmmm. I never looked at SC that way before!

Me neither.  Those songs aren't spooky enough to be "eerie" IMO.

[Tyrannosaurus Chicken]

I guess it depends how we define eerie, and what eerie means to each person.

[dparrott]

Have they ever had two instrumentals on the same album before?

SFAM of course  I knew that.  I forgot about the others.