Just last week, Dream Theatre's drummer of twenty-five years, Mike Portnoy, announced his departure from the band. In a recent statement, vocalist James LaBrie commented on the band's current situation as well as its plans for the future:
"Hi everyone. Thought I would give you time to digest the news of Mike's departure. Mike stated that he was burnt out with the DT world and needed a break. We have to respect where he is at and where this will lead him at this particular point in time. With that being said, we are more than pumped to continue the legacy of DT and jump full on into the next chapter. Rest assured it will be great. You can count on it." (Read More)
Dream Theatre has announced that they will be heading to Mexico in March 2010. The progressive metallers are scheduled to perform three shows:
March 5: Monterrey, Mexico (Esenica) March 7: Mexico City, Mexico (National Auditorium) March 8: Guadalajara, Mexico (Diana Theatre)
Dream Theatre has recently been noted for contributed a new instrumental song - "Raw Dog" - to the digital EP soundtrack for PlayStation 3's highly anticipated God of War III. The EP, titled God of War: Blood & Metal, is set for release in March and will be a part of the God of War III: Ultimate Edition package. The release will also feature five previously unreleased tracks from artists such as Trivium, Taking Dawn, Killswitch Engage, and Opeth.
When asked about the exclusive instrumental track for the soundtrack, drummer Mike Portnoy said, "This is the first time in 24 years that we've written and recorded a song for anything other than one of our own albums, so we're up for the challenge and excited to have been asked."
Those who purchase God of War III: Ultimate Edition will receive a voucher code that will allow them to download the EP soundtrack. They will also receive a code that enables them to download the director's cut of God of War: Unearthing the Legend - a full-length documentary detailing the history of the God of War franchise. Fans will also be able to access an exclusive God of War Challenge Arena environment containing up to seven challenges, a limited edition art book, and a Kratos skin. The Ultimate Edition will retail for $99.99 USD (MSRP).
Spain’s The Crooked Step interviewed Dream Theatre guitarist John Petrucci on October 24, 2009, before a concert in Barcelona. The interview can be streamed below.
On November 18, Dream Theatre’s promotional video for “Wither” made its online debut. Footage for the video was shot during five different shows on the band’s recently completed European tour:
• Oct. 04 - Zenith - Paris, France • Oct. 06 - Zenith - Lille, France • Oct. 07 - Ahoy - Rotterdam, Netherlands • Oct. 09 - Apollo - Manchester, UK • Oct. 10 - Wembley - London, UK
The Wither EP was released via online retailers. The track listing is as follows:
01. Wither [Album Version] (5:25) 02. Wither [Piano Version] (5:07) 03. Wither [John Petrucci Vocal Demo] (5:24) 04. The Best of Times [Mike Portnoy Vocal Demo] (13:04)
Track 1 was taken from the album Black Clouds & Silver Linings, while tracks 2-4 were previously unreleased.
Black Clouds & Silver Linings, Dream Theatre’s tenth studio album, sold 40,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week of release, landing a position at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart. Dream Theatre’s last album, 2007’s Systematic Chaos, sold 36,000 opening units and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 19. In 2005, Octavarium launched with 27.000 copies and debuted at No. 36.
In addition to a standard-version CD, Black Clouds & Silver Lining was released as a vinyl LP as well as a three-disc, special edition CD that includes the full album and two bonus CDs: one of instrumental mixes of the album, another of six cover songs.
Just last week, Dream Theatre's drummer of twenty-five years, Mike Portnoy, announced his departure from the band. In a recent statement, vocalist James LaBrie commented on the band's current situation as well as its plans for the future:
