It’s the second record to feature Mike Mangini on drums after Mike Portnoy’s shock departure in 2010 – but it’s the first time Mangini’s had the opportunity to contribute as a writer, since the material for 2011 album A Dramatic Turn Of Events had been completed before he joined the band.
Guitarist John Petrucci recently said of the work: “I see every new album as an opportunity to start over – to either build or improve upon a direction that has been evolving over time, or to completely break new ground.
“This is the first self-titled album of our career and there is nothing I can think of that makes a statement of musical and creative identity stronger than that. We’ve fully explored all of the elements that make us unique, from the epic and intense to the atmospheric and cinematic.”
The album will be available in multiple formats including special edition CD, double-vinyl and limited-edition box set. Dream Theater launch a DVD entitled Live At Luna Park in November, and tour the UK in early 2014:
Feb 13: Manchester O2 Apollo
Feb 14: London Wembley Arena
Feb 15: Wolverhampton Civic Hall
Tracklist
01. False Awakening SuiteI. Sleep Paralysis
II. Night Terrors
III. Lucid Dream
02. The Enemy Inside
03. The Looking Glass
04. Enigma Machine
05. The Bigger Picture
06. Behind The Veil
07. Surrender To Reason
08. Along For The Ride
09. Illumination Theory
I. Paradoxe de la Lumière Noire
II. Live, Die, Kill
III. The Embracing Circle
IV. The Pursuit of Truth
V. Surrender, Trust & Passion
source: classicrockmagazine.com