Dream Theater's intention to work on their sixteenth studio album was first mentioned about six months after A View from the Top of the World, with keyboardist Jordan Rudess speaking to VW Music about the band's future plans: "After we get back from its last show of the European tour we have a bit of a break. And after I finish my solo shows, Dream Theater will continue on the road with some shows in Japan, South America, and more to be announced as we go. When that settles down, we'll be entering the studio again, and doing a new album, which will be awesome. So, yeah, stuff like that is on the horizon."[4][5]
In October 2022, guitarist John Petrucci stated that Dream Theater would begin recording their sixteenth studio album in late 2023.[6] Two months later, frontman James LaBrie said that he did not "see [the band] going into the studio until the beginning of '24", adding, "I don't think it would make sense to be in there before then. But don't quote me on that. Some things always change."[7]
On October 25, 2023, Dream Theater announced that drummer Mike Mangini had departed as they reunited with Mike Portnoy after thirteen years, a culmination of reconciliation between Portnoy, Petrucci, Myung, Rudess and LaBrie; LaBrie and Portnoy had not spoken for eleven years until their 2022 show in New York.[8] The band confirmed that it would record its first studio album with Portnoy in fifteen years.[9] Said Portnoy in an interview with Rolling Stone, "I don't want to be over-philosophical about it, but we're all getting older. Here we are in our 50s and 60s. You start to think of the reality of, 'How much time do we have left?' I would hate it if this were to become a Roger Waters–Pink Floyd or Peter Gabriel with Genesis situation where the fans want it, but it never happens."[8]
Progress on the follow-up to A View from the Top of the World had begun by February 2024, when Portnoy posted pictures from DTHQ on his Instagram account, revealing that the album was being recorded.[10][11] On April 2, 2024, Petrucci and Portnoy announced that all of the writing and the drum tracks were completed,[12] and further recording took place until July of that year.[13][14][15]
On October 10, 2024, Dream Theater released "Night Terror" as the first single for the album and announced the title, track list and release date.[2] A second single, "A Broken Man", was released on December 3, 2024.[3]
Reception
Parasomnia was highly anticipated, with both Loudwire and Ultimate Guitar naming it in their lists of the most anticipated albums of 2025.[16][17]
