If you’re a prog metal fan and haven’t been living under a rock for the last few months, you know that Dream Theater’s John Petrucci has a new album out. Available on all digital platforms since August 28th, “Terminal Velocity” comes fifteen years after John’s first album, “Suspended Animation”, and consists of eight tracks which perfectly encapsulate his evolution as a guitar player and composer.
Recorded while the world was in “full on lockdown mode”, “Terminal Velocity” is not only an in-your-face display of guitar mastery, but also of drumming and bass excellence. John has enlisted his long-time collaborator Dave LaRue on bass, and after ten years, rekindled his musical partnership with formed Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. The excitement of the two of them working together has surely brought a lot of attention to the album, and the songs here more than deliver as promised. More than simply letting the guitar shine and take center stage, Dave and Mike add a lot to the table, and become protagonists of their own on many moments throughout the album.
While some of material in this release has hints of Petrucci’s work with Dream Theater (“The Oddfather”, “Temple of Circadia”), there’s a lot of new ground being covered, with new sides of his influence being in full display (“Out of the Blue,” “The Way Things Fall,” “Snake in My Boot”). It really is a feast for any prog metal fan’s ears, as mentioned in our review. Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to further expand his view of the album in a conversation with Petrucci, and they also spoke about what it was like to work with Mike Portnoy again, the current plans for Dream Theater, and much more. Find out their video chat in the link below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
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