A View from the Top of the World

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A View from the Top of the World
Dream Theater - A View from the Top of the World.jpg
Cover art by Hugh Syme
Studio album by
Dream Theater
ReleasedOctober 22, 2021
RecordedOctober 2020 – March 2021
StudioDTHQ, New York City
Length70:19
LabelInside Out
ProducerJohn Petrucci
Dream Theater studio albums chronology
Distance over Time
(2019) 		A View from the Top of the World
(2021)
Singles from A View from the Top of the World
  1. "The Alien"
    Released: August 13, 2021

A View from the Top of the World is the upcoming fifteenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, due for release on October 22, 2021.[1] It marks the band's first album to be recorded at their own studio, DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters), and their first since Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009) to include fewer than nine tracks. Additionally, this is their first album since Dream Theater (2013) to both contain a track of at least ten minutes in length and end with the longest track.

Background and production[]

The band began work on A View from the Top of the World about a year after the release of their then-latest album, Distance over Time (2019). Metal Addicts reported in April 2020 that Dream Theater (who had recently rescheduled and eventually cancelled their touring plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic) was planning to work on a new album in 2021.[2] On the direction of the album, guitarist John Petrucci stated in an August 2020 interview with Ultimate Guitar: "The eight-string project with Ernie Ball Music Man is something we are working on and hoping to have developed as this year goes on. I'm hoping that on the next Dream Theater record I'll be able to explore that."[3] Petrucci later confirmed, during an October 2020 interview with Revolver that, within the next few weeks, the band would be heading into DTHQ (the band's newly-constructed studio) to get started on a new album.[4]

Four of the five members wrote together in-studio, while frontman James LaBrie instead contributed via Zoom meetings remotely from Canada, as not to risk any potential compromising of his voice. When asked in a November 2020 interview about the album's progress, Petrucci said that the writing sessions were "off to a great start".[5] These sessions spanned over the next four months until March, after which LaBrie, at last, flew from Canada to meet them in New York to record vocals.[1] This recording session also marked Dream Theater's first collaboration with Andy Sneap, who mastered and mixed the album, having recently worked with Petrucci on his second solo album Terminal Velocity (2020).

Dream Theater teased the album on July 26, 2021, revealing the initials of each of the seven song's titles and their respective run-times.[6] Two days later, the name of the album, A View from the Top of the World, was revealed and is planned for release on October 22, 2021.[1] The album's first single, "The Alien", was released on August 13, 2021.[7]

Track listing[]

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."The Alien"James LaBrie[8]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
Total length:70:19

Personnel[]

Dream Theater

Production

  • James "Jimmy T" Meslin – recording, additional production[9]
  • Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering
  • Hugh Syme – art direction

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c Lewry, Fraser (July 28, 2021). "Dream Theater announce new album A View From The Top Of The World". Louder Sound. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  2. ^ "DREAM THEATER Reschedule Australian Tour To November". metaladdicts.com. April 25, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  3. ^ "John Petrucci Explains Why He Left Ibanez, Announces Plan to Use 8-String Guitar on New Dream Theater". Ultimate Guitar. August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "Dream Theater on New Live Album, Onstage Mishaps, Rehearsing in Meat Shops". Revolver. October 2, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "DREAM THEATER Is 'Off To A Great Start' With Writing Sessions For New Album". Blabbermouth. November 27, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  6. ^ "DREAM THEATER Teases New Album". Blabbermouth.net. July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "DREAM THEATER Teases Music Video For New Single 'The Alien'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  8. ^ DiVita, Joe. "Dream Theater Unveil Epic Single 'The Alien' From 15th Album". Loudwire. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  9. ^ DiVita, Joe (July 28, 2021). "Dream Theater Announce 15th Album 'A View From the Top of the World' + 2021 U.S. Tour". Loudwire. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
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