Dream Theater sign with Roadrunner

Zapp Brannigan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FEBRUARY 8, 2007

WHEN DREAM THEATER
AND ROADRUNNER RECORDS UNITE!


BAND AND LABEL JOIN FORCES WITH NEW STUDIO ALBUM PLUS WORLD TOUR
TO FOLLOW

ROADRUNNER RECORDS is proud to announce the signing of progressive metal pioneers Dream Theater. A new studio album, Systematic Chaos is due in June. Dream Theater will hit the road in support of the album for a world tour, including major festival appearances in Europe.

Since their first studio release in 1989, this US based five-piece has notched up record and DVD sales in excess of six million and headlined to audiences of 20,000. Having undertaken seven world tours across 42 different countries, Dream Theater has established a live reputation that has swept them to arena-status around the globe. They have appeared alongside acts such as Deep Purple, Iron Maiden and Yes.

Recognized by peers and public alike for their advanced musical expertise, the band (Mike Portnoy, drums; John Petrucci, guitar; John Myung, bass; James LaBrie, vocals; Jordan Rudess, keyboards) has long held the ability to combine complex arrangements with unadulterated songwriting skills, the material often underpinned by riffs as heavy as anything in the Metallica repertoire.

“This album’s got all of the elements we’ve become known for,” reveals Portnoy. “The focus on musicianship, the skull-crushing riffs, the big progressive epics and the heart-wrenching melodies. We’ve got one of the strongest and most devoted fan bases in the world, and they should certainly be happy with the new material. By working closely with the label we hope to turn a great many new heads too.”

“Dream Theater and Roadrunner Records have led parallel careers on the cutting edge of metal for many years,” say A&R men, Derek Oliver & Dante Bonutto, “We’re thrilled to be working with a genuine market-leader, and when you add everything the guys bring to the table to the independent spirit and work ethic of the label, the results can only be exciting in the extreme!”

Prior to teaming up with Roadrunner, Dream Theater was signed to a seven-album deal with Warner Music Group worldwide. The deal commenced with the critically acclaimed and commercially successful Images And Words (1992), a Gold-certified US release, and concluded, in equal style, with Octavarium (2005), a Top 40 Billboard outing. In August of last year the band issued Score, a live album/DVD (recorded at Radio City Music Hall in New York), which went straight to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard DVD charts, knocking Pink Floyd from the top!

By the following month, the five were holed up at Avatar Studios in New York, working on the new album with veteran engineer/ mixer Paul Northfield (Rush, Queensrÿche, Porcupine Tree). As usual, Portnoy and Petrucci chose to co-produce the project, which features seven compositions (one a 25-minute epic), and word on the grapevine is that the Dream Theater/Roadrunner alliance looks all set to kick off with a classic.

Systematic Chaos, Dream Theater’s ninth studio release, arrives at a time when the band is casting a longer-than-ever shadow across the rock and metal landscape. Their influence is being acknowledged by an increasing number of contemporary, cutting-edge acts such as Stone Sour, Trivium, Shadows Fall, Opeth as their fan base continues to grow.

Touring plans will be announced shortly. Please visit www.roadrunnerrecords.com or www.dreamtheater.net for up to the minute information.

So new album, whooo! World tour, of course there'll be no Irish date :mad:

Owen

Slurms wrote:

So new album, whooo! World tour, of course there'll be no Irish date :mad:

If there was an Irish date, I could quite possibly take out a loan, and buy all the tickets. DT are, and have been my favourite band since the early 90's. Can't wait for a new Album!

Doctor J

So they left Warner to sign up with Roadrunner... who are owned by Warner. Ohhhkayyyyyy

Karl Hungus

Very excited about the new album, and even if they don't play in Ireland, I'd certainly travel to see them.

Don't really know what I think about the signing with Roadrunner though, but it didn't hurt Opeth so what's the worst that can happen?

Doctor J

I hope it's a step up from Octivarium. That album was a huge disappointment.

Somnus

Cant wait for the new album! And i hope they play here,I'd travel over to the UK though i suppose if i had to

Karl Hungus

Doctor J wrote:

I hope it's a step up from Octivarium. That album was a huge disappointment.

I was disapointed at first, but it really grew on my after a while.

Doctor J

It still does nothing other than annoy me. There are some tasty moments but, even for them, there's a surplus of cheese that would make the Laughing Cow weep into her beer.

Zapp Brannigan

Now that Opeth, DT and Porcupine Tree are all on the same label. Perhaps the Akerfeldt Portnoy Wilson project can actually happen.

Motley Crue

Doctor J wrote:

So they left Warner to sign up with Roadrunner... who are owned by Warner. Ohhhkayyyyyy

I think that was the reason they went to Roadrunner, so they could allign themselves with the proper label for their genre. You may see Nickelback going to Warner now, may not make sense, but theyre not really the right band for Roadrunner now are they?

Doctor J

Roadrunner hardly have a recent pedigree for prog like that. I recall they were giving out about Warner not knowing what to do with their music when they announced they would be leaving. Warners will do as they see fit with Roadrunner and the bands signed to Roadrunner, much the same as they did with Electra in the mid 90s (see what happened to Anthrax after the very successful Sound Of White Noise album). Risky move, potentially.

Karl Hungus

Doctor J wrote:

It still does nothing other than annoy me. There are some tasty moments but, even for them, there's a surplus of cheese that would make the Laughing Cow weep into her beer.

Don't get me wrong, Octavarium is not a patch on the likes of Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory. I'm just saying that while it's far from their best effort, it's not a bad album, and it did grow on me.

Slurms wrote:

Now that Opeth, DT and Porcupine Tree are all on the same label. Perhaps the Akerfeldt Portnoy Wilson project can actually happen.

Hmmm, now that is going to be incredible if it ever sees light.

Oral Slang

Here's hoping they play graspop this year..
Went to see them both nights in London the last time they played & they were amazing, but don't want to pay for both Graspop & London if possible!

h-street23

Octavarium is ok.Very very grim album.Their darkest.

OctavarIan

h-street23 wrote:

Octavarium is ok.Very very grim album.Their darkest.

I'm guessing you haven't heard Awake then.

h-street23

Awake is much more angry and varied, Octavarium is a very relentless listen.


All opinions though.