Dream Theater Guitarist John Petrucci on Distance Over Time, Re-Bonding with Bandmates, and More

Dream Theater recently returned with their 14th album, Distance Over Time, which earned a stellar review here at Heavy Consequence. The disc is more streamlined than their previous effort, the double-album The Astonishing, but still boasts the complex and impressive musicianship that has powered the prog-metal band for more than 30 years.

We sat down with guitarist John Petrucci to discuss the album, and more in a video interview. In Part 1 (watch below), Petrucci tells us about the band’s approach to recording Distance Over Time. For this album, the band decided to live together for an extended period of time, recapturing some of the magic of their early days.

“Our intent was to go away somewhere where we had no distractions,” Petrucci said of the band’s time together making the album. “I think what it did was that it made a really relaxed environment … and just sort of re-bonded us. Even though we spend so much time on the road and everything, you’d be surprised how little you actually hang out as friends, so it was really great for that, as well.”

As to keeping the album shorter than the band’s previous release, the guitarist told us, “We just came off a two-hours-plus record with The Astonishing, so we did talk about, ‘Let’s try to keep this to an hour’ … I love albums where you can have a workout session to the record or [it takes up] a train ride or a car ride.”

Petrucci also went on to detail the leadoff track “Untethered Angel”, which was the first song fans heard from the album, as well as “Paralyzed”, which is the album’s first official radio single. For more on those tracks, see Part 1 of our video interview with the acclaimed guitarist below:

Distance Over Time is out now, and available through various outlets and streaming services at this location. The band will be supporting the album, as well as celebrating the 20th anniversary of Metropolis 2: Scenes From a Memory, on a spring North American tour that kicks off March 20th in San Diego. Tickets are available here or at StubHub for shows that have sold out.

Dream Theater 2019 Tour Dates:
03/20 – San Diego, CA @ Balboa Theatre
03/21 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
03/22 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
03/24 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
03/26 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
03/28 – St. Paul, MN @ The Ordway
03/29 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
03/31 – Milwaukee, WI @ Miller Theater
04/02 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
04/04 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Centre
04/05 – Montreal, QC @ Place Des Arts – Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
04/06 – Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Capitole-Cabaret Du
04/08 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
04/09 – Oakdale, CT @ Toyota Presents Oakdale
04/10 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Center for the Arts
04/12 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
04/13 – Upper Darby, PA @ Tower Theater
04/15 – Washington, D.C. @ Warner Theatre
04/17 – Nashville, TN @ TPAC
04/22 – Charlotte, NC @Ovens Auditorium
04/23 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
04/26 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Mahaffey Theater
04/27 – Jacksonville, FL @ Moran Theater
04/29 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory
04/30 – Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
05/01 – Austin, TX @ Bass Concert Hall
05/04 – Mexico City, Mexico – @ Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez