Last year’s self-titled album by Dream Theater was their best in years, but it doesn’t seem like the band wants to rest on their laurels. According to guitarist John Petrucci, they’re already looking to the next album. He told Billboard that the prog-metal band are coming up with song ideas for album #13.
Some initial conversations have already started,” he said. “There are some song ideas and little things like that — nothing really official, but the seeds just start to get planted. One of the great things about this career is that you have the opportunity every time to go in and start again with a blank slate and think, ‘What can we do differently? How can we make this better?’ Where can we go from here?’ Every album has a story, and to constantly have a fresh opportunity to do it is really satisfying.”
That won’t be until the band tours, which they’ll start doing behind the new album starting January 15th (the North American leg starts on March 20). Singer James LaBrie tells the magazine that this is the first time they’re touring in the manner they are, with time lapsing between the release of the album (which came out this past September 24), and the beginning of their tour:
“In the past we’ve been out touring before the actual album comes out,” LaBrie notes, “so maybe we’ll sneak one or two songs from it into the set. Over the last three to five years we’ve talked about how it would be great if we could start to make our cycle unfold so the albums are out at least a few months before we go hit the stage. That lets people digest the music so that when we want to play the new songs, they’re actually familiar with it.”
Even though they’re kicking around song ideas, the article suggests they’ll be on the road for the bulk of the year. They also promise “something cool in Boston” that they’ll be announcing soon, so if you’re a New England Dream Theater fan, this could be your year.
