Dream Theater

With a new album in the shops, Nikki Brooks talks to Dream Theater’s John Petrucci about concept albums, guitar playing and crafting the band’s enigmatic lyrics...

Yes, the rumours are all true. As the 20th century drew to a close, Dream Theater produced their first concept album. Clocking in at over an hour and a half long, Scenes From A Memory could be dismissed as 70s prog rock, but this would be doing the American quintet a grand disservice.

To most guitarists, neither John Petrucci or Dream Theater need an introduction. Their concerts are always sold-out affairs in the UK thanks to a strong cult following and the Berklee-trained player is lauded in guitar circles. So what possessed the band to embark upon their current epic in a time where three-minute songs are standard? “We decided to make a concept album before we went into the studio,” John explains. “Our intention was to write only an hour of music, but it kind of ended up going and going.”

Although renowned for his guitaristic prowess, John is also Dream Theater’s main lyricist, especially on Scenes... which deals with the weighty topic of past life regression. “Obviously a concept album has to be about something interesting and there is a lot you can do with that subject,” he states cryptically. “Additionally, I was reading about other related topics like reincarnation, karma and individual déjà vu accounts. Our story is of a murder in this guy’s past life as a woman and he’s trying to figure out who did it, while seeing through her eyes.”

One key factor in the band’s new direction was the addition of new keyboard player Jordan Rudess. “There was a lot of creative freedom to be really dramatic, and Jordan made a major contribution to the music,” says John in recognition of his new bandmate’s input. Diehard fans take note, though. DT haven’t changed drastically. “Fans who like our progressive tendencies – those that expect technical wizardry – won’t be disappointed. But we have done new things stylistically, which hopefully should appeal to new listeners.”

Going It Alone

John’s brutal rhythm sound and soaringly melodic solos have always been a trademark component of the Dream Theater experience. While they have been bewitching guitarists for years, are his guitar solos composed over a period of time or born out of improvisation? “I have done it all ways but I don’t work them out anymore,” he admits. “I record my solos last so I am totally oiled up when I play them. I get really comfortable with the sound and atmosphere then improvise over the track, and it just starts to write itself.

“I don’t come in with anything worked out except where I have an idea from laying down the rhythm tracks. I might play up until a certain section and really like it, then go to another track and continue from there. It can end up being in pieces and then we have to put all the tracks together. By doing this I often come up with something I wouldn’t normally play with solos beyond my ability!” Something that TG finds very hard to believe, but John remains resolute. “This way I can learn from myself and become a better player.”

John is well known for his formidable alternate picking style and there’s a reason he’s such a fan of this picking technique. “I was drawn to the playing of Steve Morse [Deep Purple axeman and featured in TG55],” he says. “His playing was so fast and clean. I was amazed with the clarity and the speed of the notes he was playing so I practised along with a metronome, I listened to Al Di Meola too. The only time I use my fingers is if I am playing more bluesy melodies or for acoustic fingerpicking.”

When touring, John confesses to finding the new songs the most challenging. “Some are more complicated than others; ‘Beyond This Life’ [from Scenes...] is going to be the hardest because it has the most guitar sounds and technically challenging parts. I used effects from a Lexicon MPXI and G2 that are quite wacky.” Check out the band on tour this April to see how he does!