From this JR interview
https://m.musicradar.com/news/tech/jordan-rudess-talks-new-apps-keyboards-pledgemusic-and-dream-theaters-next-album-579066And on top of all of this, you're finishing the new Dream Theater album. What can you tell me about it at this point?
"We're mixing it as we speak. It's all very, very exciting. One of the cool things about Dream Theater is, we don't slow down, and I don't mean just work-wise. You see some of these groups that have been around, and sometimes they drift away from their core fundamental styles. They get a little tired or their chops get tired.
"With our group, that isn't the case. I don't know how everybody does it, but we all stay energized, excited, focused. We practice, and we're into it. I really see us as being more vital than ever before. I'm listening to the new record, and it's giving me chills. It's that great! And I have to say that sonically we've never sounded better."
This is the second album with Mike Mangini. On the last album, he was definitely "the new guy," but now he's played many, many shows with you –
"That's right. And you can tell. He's totally dialed in. People will be smiling when they hear this. There's so much Mangini on this album. [Laughs] To me, in a lot of ways, this is his album, because he's now a total member of this group – the shining star."
The record is self-titled. What went into that decision?
"We really feel as though we got to this level where the music is what we truly are. Even though we've had a long career, and some of the albums are really, really good, at this place in time we felt like this record is so representative of what we want Dream Theater to be and who each of us is, both as individuals and collectively. We felt like we could honestly say, 'This is Dream Theater.' That's what it's about. We wanted to make a strong statement, and we felt proud enough and secure enough to announce to the world, if you will, 'This is what it is. This is who we are.'"