Dream Theater announce 15th studio album, A View From The Top Of The World

Dream Theater have announced their upcoming album A View From the Top Of The World, which will be the pioneering prog band’s 15th full-length record.

Set to be released on October 22 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music – the second of the group’s efforts to have dropped on the label – A View From The Top Of The World will follow up 2019’s Distance Over Time.

It will also be the first time that the five-piece’s resident electric guitar wizard John Petrucci uses an eight-string on a studio recording – a prospect that has been hotly anticipated since it was revealed that he was developing an expanded version of his Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty.

The upcoming effort – penned by Petrucci and his bandmates James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess, John Myung and Mike Mangini – was recorded at the recently constructed Dream Theater Headquarters DTHQ), which is described as a hybrid recording studio, rehearsal space, control room and creative hive.

After having their sold-out world tour suddenly stopped in its tracks due to Covid, and with the band split into two camps across the US and Canada, Dream Theater began writing over Zoom, with LaBrie projected through the DTHQ’s in-studio speakers while they collaborated.

Of the unusually crafted album, Petrucci commented, “We just love to play our instruments. That never goes away. I love to be creative, write, and exercise that part of my mind. 

“We’ve been able to do this for a long time,” he continued, “and we don’t take it for granted. Whenever we get together, we know we can’t disappoint ourselves or our fans, so we manage to try even harder.”

The record’s lead single has yet to be shared, meaning we’ll have to wait a little while longer before we can hear Petrucci wield his eight-string for the first time.

Speaking of the upcoming effort, Petrucci previously described the experience of using his eight-string as “a similar experience to back in the day when I got my first seven-string”.

On learning to get to grips with his as-yet-unreleased eight-string Ernie Ball Music Man Majesty, Petrucci continued, “It's totally inspiring and awesome and I can't wait for people to hear it. I'm so glad it made it on the new record. In due time, you'll be able to see it and hear it

“When I got my seven-string, I had never played one before and I didn't know what to expect. The way I approached it was that it was just an extension of the range of the guitar.

“It doesn't sound like I'm trying to mimic a style or a genre or anything like that. I'm just playing it in my own way, with my own approach. That's the way I did it. It was so comfortable.”

The full tracklist for A View From The Top Of The World is as follows:

1. The Alien 
2. Answering The Call 
3. Invisible Monster 
4. Sleeping Giant
5. Transcending Time 
6. Awaken The Master
7. A View From The Top Of The World

The news of the upcoming was joined by the announcement of a three-month Top Of The World Tour of North America, which will see the iconic band take their new tracks on the road, starting with a show in Mesa, Arizona on October 28 and ending with a gig at St. Petersburg, Florida on December 14.

For a full list of tour dates, head over to the Dream Theater official website.