Originally published in Times of Oman newspaper · January 2014
Dream Theatre
InterviewJohn PetrucciJames LaBrie4 min read
It Took 24 Years And A Dozen Previous Albums, But The Members Of Dream Theatre Felt A Definite Purpose In Self-Titling Their Latest Release
16 Jan 2014
“Months before we got in the studio,” guitarist/co-founder/producer/lyricist John Petrucci recalls, “we were saying that it might be the time, at this point in our career, to really make a collection of songs that were, like, the quintessential Dream Theatre and call the album Dream Theatre.
“We wanted it to be a strong, powerful collection and have something we could point people toward if they wanted to know who Dream Theatre is right now.”
A modest goal, in other words
“Yeah, it’s definitely a lofty idea,” the 46-year-old Petrucci says with a laugh, speaking by telephone from his home on Long Island. “We do try to set the bar high and, if we make it, we make it. We certainly do our best to get there, but for us I think it’s actually really helpful. I know you can say that you’re setting yourself up for failure if it’s too lofty, but for us it sets us on a very focused mission and it puts all the guys on the same page.
“When we’re together, we’re constantly revisiting ‘What is the focus of this album? What is the purpose? What are we trying to accomplish musically?’,” the guitarist continues. “That helps us to all be more unified in reaching that goal. If you can self-title an album this far into your career and say that you’re trying to make this bold statement, it’s very rewarding.”
The roots of that statement go back to 1985, when Petrucci, bassist John Myung and original drummer Mike Portnoy dropped out of the Berklee College of Music in Boston to form a band that mixed intricate, progressive-rock instrumentation with a heavy-metal edge. Singer James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess joined in 1991 and 1999 respectively, and Portnoy left in 2010 and was replaced by Mike Mangini.
Along the way the quintet established a reputation for musicianship, winning numerous awards from assorted trade publications and organizations. The group has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide, with its past three albums — Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009), A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011) and Dream Theatre, which came out in September — all debuting in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. Live at Luna Park (2013) also hit No. 1 on the DVD chart.
“I think we’re very blessed, in the sense that we’ve really tried to connect with our fans and be as interactive with them as possible,” the 50-year-old, Ontario-born LaBrie says. “I think we’re always kind of reminded how loyal and dedicated our fan base is around the world. It’s about the music and not the individuals, which is how we’ve always wanted it to be.”
For his part, Petrucci thinks that the band’s visibility — frequent touring, regular album releases and solo projects during Dream Theatre’s occasional down time — also has contributed to the group’s success.
“I guess, ever since the second album ( Image and Words, 1992), we knew we were going to be a busy band, constantly putting out music and going on tour in order to support it, because we weren’t really the type of band that had the luxury of the normal, commercial channels of success,” the guitarist says. “We had to kind of build it, and I think we’re seeing the fruits of that now.”
The group began making the Dream Theatre album in a triumphant frame of mind. Though losing Portnoy had been a deep blow, the successful transition with Mangini and the fans’ acceptance of the appropriately titled A Dramatic Turn of Events had bolstered the group’s confidence.
“We almost felt, for a very brief moment, that maybe things weren’t going to continue on as we imagined,” LaBrie acknowledges. “But, through sheer will and faith and belief, we were able to continue, and I think it gave us a new sense that we really have something dear here and we have to embrace it and give it everything we have to give.”
Dream Theater walked into the Dream Theatre sessions, then, with sense of what it wanted to accomplish with the new album. One goal, of course, was to involve Mangini more in the writing than had been possible on A Dramatic Turn of Events.
“We wanted to establish right away that he was going to be in the studio from Day 1, involved in the creative process,” Petrucci says. “We were going to get his influence on the music and his signature, which worked out really great. It’s really evident on the album, I think.”
“It’s really hard to put something like that together,” he says. “We really discussed and outlined that piece at length. It’s almost like storyboarding, musically, with a piece that long. You really have to keep everybody focused and on the same page and really know what you’re doing with it, otherwise you just scatter and it gets chaotic.”
Readying it for live performance is a whole new challenge.