Awake Japanese liner notes

John Petrucci:

Being prepared was a key element that contributed to the successful recording of “Awake”. Unlike our previous studio releases, this one had the benefit of hundreds of live performances shaping sounds and developing new ideas for equipment and instrumentation. This, coupled with a trusting relationship with our producers, resulted in a truer expression of creative vision. We are very pleased with this recording and excited about playing it live.

James LaBrie:

I had a great time recording, and working with John and Duane was a pleasure because not only do they get amazing sounds, but they truly understand the music.

John Myung:

With the recording of this album, sonically I think we’ve all made individual improvements. Each of us has a distinct sound, you can hear each instrument by itself and also hear how they all work together.

Mike Portnoy:

Upon finishing the never ending world tour for “Images & Words”, the five of us found ourselves bursting with creative excitement ready to explode.

The shrapnel of these ideas is what you are now listening to. I feel that “Awake” is our most diverse and complete work to date, and I hope it is as enjoyable for you to listen to as it was for us to create.

Kevin Moore:

I had fun experimenting with keyboard sounds with John & Duane. I’m very happy with the raw quality we came up with.