Dream Theater, one of the most prolific and iconic progressive rock bands of the last thirty years, are set to release their eagerly awaited double concept album, ‘The Astonishing’, on January 29th via Roadrunner Records. Yesterday the band premiered the album’s lead single, ‘The Gift of Music’, in an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone in which founding guitarist John Petrucci discussed the origins of the conceptual double album (you can check this out here).
Consisting of 34 tracks spread across 2 Acts (approximately 2 hours 10 mins of music), woven around an absorbing story written by Petrucci, ‘The Astonishing’ is available now for pre-order at all DSP’s, with all orders accompanied by an instant grat download of ‘The Gift of Music’, which is currently streaming on Dream Theater’s official YouTube and below. ‘The Gift of Music’ plus additional Dream Theater material can also be streamed here: (album art and track listing attached/below).
The Astonishing will be available in a range of distinctive formats, including standard 2-CD set, 4-LP vinyl box set and a limited edition deluxe box set. The limited edition box set contains a 32-pg screenplay, a poster, a map, 20 trading cards, and a 3D figure of a NOMAC (from Petrucci’s story), as well as the 2-CD album, all housed in a special box. All formats are currently available for pre-order here.
In addition, Amazon UK are running a very limited exclusive pre-order offering customers the choice of a free patch (while stocks last) with their 2-CD purchase. There are two patches fans can choose from, representing the two sides in the story, which fans have gradually learnt about via the band’s microsite, new character-based Twitter handles, and email missives. Links as follows:
With The Great Northern Empire patch here.
With Ravenskill Rebel Militia patch here.
The double album was recorded at Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York, with John Petrucci producing, studio luminary Richard Chycki (Aerosmith, Rush) engineering/mixing and legendary arranger, composer and conductor David Campbell orchestrating (whose extensive credits include work for film, Broadway, and more than 450 gold/platinum albums by the likes of Paul McCartney, Adele, Rush, Beyonce, Muse, My Chemical Romance, Justin Timberlake, and Campbell’s son, Beck). Campbell comments, “Probably the most ambitious album project I’ve known, for its stylistic scope and epic forces. In addition to being ace musicians at a stellar level, Dream Theater are masters of melodic and rhythmic excitement, which is dramatically demonstrated when you hear their music accompanied by full orchestra and choirs.” ‘The Astonishing’ paints a tale of a retro-futurist post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by medieval style feudalism. It’s a place aching for a Chosen One to rise above the noise and defeat an Empire defined by the endless drone of noise machines and the illusion of safety in bland conformity.
Dream Theater kick off their first tour of ‘The Astonishing’ album cycle in the UK in February 2016, with 2 momentous nights at the Palladium in London. The band will perform the double album in its entirety while transforming venues into immersive and interactive settings for a unique and unparalleled live experience. European dates are already announced with US dates to follow shortly. For up-to-the-minute news and ticket information, please visit here.
The Astonishing follows 2013’s worldwide smash album ‘Dream Theater’ which earned a second Grammy nomination for the band, topping Billboard’s “Hard Rock Albums” while simultaneously entering at #7 on the Billboard 200. The extraordinary chart position marked the group’s third consecutive top 10 debut, and also saw the record making top 5 chart debuts in Japan, Germany, Italy, Canada, Argentina, Switzerland, Holland, and Finland, as well as top 10 debuts in Denmark, Austria, and Norway, plus career high debuts in the United Kingdom and Australia. Rolling Stone touted the legendary collection as “…the birth of a new era in the band’s career.”
For additional news and information, please visit www.dreamtheater.net, www.facebook.com/dreamtheater, www.twitter.com/dreamtheaternet, www.youtube.com/dreamtheater, www.roadrunnerrecords.com, and www.instagram.com/DTImages.
Dream Theater is: John Petrucci (guitar), John Myung (bass), James LaBrie (vocals), Jordan Rudess (keyboards and continuum) and Mike Mangini (drums).
DREAM THEATER – ‘THE ASTONISHING’ TRACK LIST
ACT 1
1. Descent Of The NOMACS
2. Dystopian Overture
3. The Gift Of Music
4. The Answer
5. A Better Life
6. Lord Nafaryus
7. A Savior In The Square
8. When Your Time Has Come
9. Act Of Faythe
10. Three Days
11. The Hovering Sojourn
12. Brother, Can You Hear Me?
13. A Life Left Behind
14. Ravenskill
15. Chosen
16. A Tempting Offer
17. Digital Discord
18. The X Aspect
19. A New Beginning
20. The Road To Revolution
ACT 2
1. 2285 Entr’acte
2. Moment Of Betrayal
3. Heaven’s Cove
4. Begin Again
5. The Path That Divides
6. Machine Chatter
7. The Walking Shadow
8. My Last Farewell
9. Losing Faythe
10. Whispers On The Wind
11. Hymn Of A Thousand Voices
12. Our New World
13. Power Down
14. Astonishing
DREAM THEATER EUROPEAN TOUR 2016
February 18th – March 23rd
FEBRUARY
18 London, England Palladium
19 London, England Palladium
22 Amsterdam, Holland Carre Theater
23 Amsterdam, Holland Carre Theater
24 Amsterdam, Holland Carre Theater
26 Oslo, Norway Konserthus
27 Oslo, Norway Konserthus
28 Oslo, Norway Konserthus
MARCH
1 Stockholm, Sweden Cirkus
2 Stockholm, Sweden Cirkus
4 Hannover, Germany Kuppelsaal
5 Paris, France Palais des Congres
6 Paris, France Palais des Congres
8 Copenhagen, Denmark DR Koncerthuset
9 Berlin, Germany Friedrichspalast
10 Bochum, Germany Ruhrcongress
14 Nurnberg, Germany Meistersingerhalle
15 Frankfurt, Germany Alte Oper Hall
17 Milan, Italy Teatro Degli Arcimboldi
18 Milan, Italy Teatro Degli Arcimboldi
19 Milan, Italy Teatro Degli Arcimboldi
22 Stuttgart, Germany Liederhalle Hegel-Saal
23 Zurich, Switzerland Kongresshaus
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