Dream Theater’s brand new self-titled opus is a masterpiece of ambition, adventure and redefined purpose. ‘Dream Theater’ heralds an exceptionally energized and profoundly dynamic emergent chapter for the melodic, progressive and consistently heavy masters of hard rock invention. It is an album that at once recalls the brilliant hallmarks that have made the band icons to fellow musicians and hard rock fans alike, while simultaneously a bold declaration of a future yet to come.

Dream Theater fixture James LaBrie’s supernaturally compelling and instantly identifiable vocals soar within the framework of Petrucci’s unmistakable guitar wizardry and steadfast co-founder John Myung’s rhythmic yet brightly expressive bass playing. The keyboard and atmospheric work of multi-instrumentalist Jordan Rudess has become essential and integral to Dream Theater’s sound, while formidable and near-unbelievable drum giant Mike Mangini pounds a territorial stamp upon the album, his second since joining the band in 2010.

‘Dream Theater’ delivers all things Dream Theater in every sense of the phrase, including a return of their mind-bending instrumentals: cinematic album opener ‘False Awakening Suite’ and ‘Enigma Machine’. There are also epic storytelling centre-piece songs, like the multi-dimensional album closer, ‘Illumination Theory’, taken from the playbooks of Dream Theater spiritual forefathers like Yes and Rush. ‘Along For The Ride’ is emboldened by a free-spirited, inspired vibe. The lyrics are incredibly optimistic and the song itself is uplifting. ‘Dream Theater’ boasts the band’s heaviest production sound ever, courtesy of Petrucci and engineer/mixer Richard Chycki, whose resume includes work with Rush, Aerosmith, and Mick Jagger.

For a band with 20 years and 11 albums already under their belt, Dream Theater show no signs of slowing down – in fact they are getting more powerful with every new album. Last Roadrunner release ‘A Dramatic Turn Of Events’ gave the band their first Top 20 album in the UK and they have now sold over 10 million records worldwide. “It’s unusual for a band like ours, doing our own progressive metal mixture, to have stayed focused, to still be producing music that’s as vital and energetic as ever,” observes Rudess. “This is our strongest point since I joined the band, where the personalities are really united and creating a large statement with a lot of power. This album has all of the crucial elements of Dream Theater. This is us saying, ‘Okay, this is Dream Theater. This is our mark, right here.’ It’s bold.”