Four years after their last album, “A View from the Top of the World” —which earned DREAM THEATER a Grammy Award for ‘Best Metal Performance’ for the track “The Alien”— the band returns with their sixteenth studio release, titled “Parasomnia”. The announcement of the album was accompanied by news of an upcoming tour, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the legendary band.
Making headlines, the return of Mike Portnoy to the drum kit after sixteen years marks a historic milestone for the group. Alongside this monumental reunion, the band embraces a concept album approach once again, with a fascinating central theme that delves into the bizarre adventures one may encounter in the dream realm – exploring the peculiarities and disturbances of sleep.
The rest of the band’s stalwart lineup —James LaBrie on vocals, John Petrucci on guitars, John Myung on bass, and Jordan Rudess on keyboards— remains as solid as ever, clearly thriving in a phase of impressive creative inspiration. It’s hard not to connect this creative surge to the reintegration of the powerhouse that is Mike Portnoy.
Let me start by laying my cards on the table when it comes to DREAM THEATER and their discography.
First of all, I respect and admire them immensely, even if I wouldn’t consider myself a die-hard fan.
Secondly, I adore their early years, but I genuinely enjoy every phase of their journey.
Third, I was thoroughly impressed by their ambitious magnum opus “The Astonishing”, despite its polarizing reception among fans —a divide I’ve always found undeserved.
And finally, I’ve been loving their recent era under the Inside Out Music/Sony Music umbrella, which continues to deliver high-quality, satisfying releases leading up to their new album.
So, the burning question is: does “Parasomnia” live up to the expectations of fans and skeptics alike?
My answer is a resounding YES —and I’d argue it surpasses them, with room to spare.
And now that I’ve made such a bold claim, let me back it up…
If I had to spotlight just three tracks, they would be the epic-scale “The Shadow Man Incident”, the intricate and multi-layered “Midnight Messiah”, and the emotionally charged duo “Are We Dreaming?” / “Bend the Clock”.
In these shining examples of prog-metal excellence, DREAM THEATER accomplishes what only bands of their caliber can: unparalleled technical prowess fused with intelligent structural evolution and a sprinkling of truly enviable ideas —both harmonically and in orchestration.
But there’s MORE!
Tracks like “Night Terror” (the first single) and “Dead Asleep” showcase sharp, intricate rhythmic shifts, crafting a musical atmosphere where the labyrinthine guitar and keyboard solos take on a life of their own.
The album opener, “In The Arms of Morpheus”, is a sprawling instrumental overture that introduces themes revisited throughout the record, while the second single, “A Broken Man”, brims with intensity, melody, and explosive moments from both the drums and keyboards.
As a conclusion, the whole tracklist evokes a reflective look back at the band’s monumental past —especially the era when this quintet last shared the stage— while also acting as a springboard to a future full of surprises.
So, what exactly is “Parasomnia”?
For me, it’s a mind-bending experience of theatrical transcendence, a spectacular dream in musical form!
“Parasomnia is a term for disruptive, sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors”, Petrucci explains. “Since our band name is literally a theater that plays while you’re dreaming, it’s crazy we didn’t think of this sooner”, he laughs.
Produced by John Petrucci, engineered by James ‘Jimmy T’ Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap, the album’s creative vision extends to its stunning cover art, once again crafted by the Hugh Syme.
“Parasomnia” will be released on February 7th on all formats and limited Deluxe Box Set by Inside Out Records.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
You can pre-order both the CD, LP and the Box Set here.
