| Parasomnia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Cover Art by Hugh Syme | ||||
| Studio album by Dream Theater | ||||
| Released | 7 February 2025 | |||
| Recorded | February - July 2024 at DTHQ | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal, progressive rock, symphonic metal, gothic metal | |||
| Length | 71:15 | |||
| Label | InsideOut Music | |||
| Producer | John Petrucci, James "Jimmy T." Meslin | |||
| Dream Theater studio albums chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Parasomnia | ||||
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Parasomnia is the sixteenth studio album by Dream Theater, released on February 7, 2025. The album was announced on October 10, 2024, following a week of cryptic teaser videos released on social media by the band. This album is Dream Theater's first with Mike Portnoy on drums since he initially left the band after the release of Black Clouds & Silver Linings in 2009. The album's first single, Night Terror, was released on October 10, 2024. The second single, A Broken Man, was released on December 3, 2024. The third single, Midnight Messiah, was released on January 22, 2025. The band has referred to Parasomnia as a "thematic concept album", while there is no overarching narrative between the songs all of the album's lyrics focus on different parasomnias
Personnel[]
- John Petrucci - guitars, production
- John Myung - bass
- Mike Portnoy - drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Jordan Rudess - piano, keyboards
- James LaBrie - vocals
- James "Jimmy T." Meslin - engineering, production
- Andy Sneap - mixing, mastering
Tracklist[]
| # | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | In the Arms of Morpheus | instrumental | 5:22 |
| 2 | Night Terror | Petrucci | 9:55 |
| 3 | A Broken Man | LaBrie | 8:30 |
| 4 | Dead Asleep | Petrucci | 11:06 |
| 5 | Midnight Messiah | Portnoy | 7:58 |
| 6 | Are We Dreaming? | interlude | 1:28 |
| 7 | Bend the Clock | LaBrie | 7:24 |
| 8 | The Shadow Man Incident | Petrucci | 19:32 |
Reception[]
Parasomnia has received mostly positive reviews. Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth.net gave the album a rating of nine out of ten, and wrote, "Dream Theater are back—despite, in truth, never going anywhere—and the magic that informed their early, timeless classics is plastered all over this absolute triumph of a recorded return."
MetalSucks rated the album 4 1/2 stars out of 5, stating: "Dream Theater never went away, but at the same time it feels like they're back, somehow. Parasomnia is full of renewed vigor, reflecting the palpable excitement of their dedicated fanbase. It's tasteful, technical when it needs to be but not overly so, making it accessible for just about anyone but still with plenty there for theory nerds to sit down and dissect. It's not just great progressive metal, it's great music, period, and anyone who appreciates music in any capacity will surely find something to enjoy about this album. If your average Joe tried to sit down and play it their fingers would probably fly off and explode, but it's not exhausting to listen to, either. Quite the opposite, in fact. It's a ton of fun, and hopefully a portent of many more great things to come."
Rating the album 3 out of 5, Classic Rock magazine's Hugh Felder said, "Although [Mike Portnoy's] stand-in Mike Mangini never really departed from the template that had already been laid down, there's a rejuvenated feel to this reunion album of the 'dream team', which is themed around the impact of sleep disruption from sleepwalking to nightmares."
Sputnikmusic gave a positive review stating that "Despite essentially sticking to the same formula they've been employing since bringing on Jordan Rudess, Parasomnia still feels like a breath of fresh air. Maybe it's because this is their darkest, most guitar-driven album since Train of Thought. Maybe it's the smattering of modern ideas or the way the songs manage to strike a perfect balance—structured enough to feel cohesive yet intricate enough to deliver the prog elements Dream Theater fans love. Maybe it's a little of everything. Of course, Mike Portnoy's return plays a major role, bringing his signature flair to both the drumming and songwriting. After nearly 15 years of middling releases, Parasomnia is a triumphant return to form—possibly their most creative, focused, and engaging work since Metropolis, Pt. 2."
Andy Thorley of Maximum Volume Music wrote in his review: "Parasomnia—[Dream Theater's] 16th record—is a journey into the dark, and there's little light at the end of the tunnel, fitting given that its title is a term for disruptive sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors—given the length of the songs, the album feels like a real descent into pain, before a funky section reminds us of their unbreakable spirit—And really, there was only one way this was going to end: a massive, winding 20-minute epic. Parasomnia delivers—yet again—utterly incredibly. You can pay it no higher a compliment than to say it's up there with A Change of Seasons."
Pre-release[]
Parasomnia was highly anticipated, with Loudwire, Stereogum and Ultimate Guitar naming it in their lists of the most anticipated albums of 2025.
Artwork Controversy[]
Upon release, allegations quickly emerged of Parasomnia art director Hugh Syme potentially double-selling artwork, as a piece of artwork contained in the Parasomnia deluxe edition appeared identical to a piece of Syme's artwork used in Orion's The Lightbringers, released six months prior on August 16, 2024. Taking to social media on February 7, 2025, Orion's Ben Jones called out Syme in a Facebook post: "Is this for real?! A piece of artwork in the new Dream Theater deluxe edition is the EXACT same piece of artwork that was in The Lightbringers booklet for the song "The Ghosts Among Us" ... Hugh Syme did the artwork for my album and theirs, so I think I can see where this is going..." While Syme remained silent on the matter, Jones followed up: "I’ve never suggested plagiarism – in fact, I’ve repeatedly emphasized that Dream Theater are also victims of Hugh’s negligence." As Dream Theater's manager Frank Solomon reached out privately to Jones, Jones recalled: "We had a very amicable exchange ... Despite owing me nothing, Frank made a very kind offer, which I plan to accept. I want to be clear – Dream Theater committed no wrongdoing in this situation."
The Parasomnia artwork also raised questions regarding Syme's possible usage of generative artificial intelligence tools and the integrity of the album's visual representation. Some fans and reviewers criticized the album's artwork for containing many mistakes common with AI-generated imagery, such as hands with the incorrect number of fingers and errors in lighting and shadow directions. One reviewer at The Progressive Aspect called Syme's alleged use of AI-generated imagery "laziness" and "sloppiness". Syme was also scrutinized for his possible usage of AI-generated imagery for Rush's anniversary collection Rush 50 around the same time, which further fueled speculation. While artificial intelligence tools allow artists to augment creativity with AI, many criticisms surround artificial intelligence visual art, including ethical considerations and copyright and plagiarism concerns.
Tone and Lyrics[]
The album is dark, nightmarish and heavy, following the return of the original drummer Mike Portnoy. Out of the four tenets of Dream Theater's sound (progressive, metal, melodic and pop), the band heavily uses the metal sound, notable on songs such as "Dead Asleep" and "Midnight Messiah". "In the Arms of Morpheus", the overture of the album is seen as the cinematic opener and is focused on the progressive sounds. The progressive sounds are featured on the songs as well, such as "Night Terror", "A Broken Man", and "The Shadow Man Incident". "Bend the Clock" is the most pop-oriented song, though it is also the most melodic. Perhaps the most interesting is "Are We Dreaming?" which is an interlude and focuses on ambient music and whispering voices.
The lyrics deal with parasomnias, encompassing a wide range of unusual and undesirable experiences and behaviors people experience in their sleep, also known as disruptive sleep disorders: "Night Terror" describes the experience of the titular night terrors, "A Broken Man" deals with the psychological stress affecting sleep with PTSD, "Dead Asleep" is drawn from a real life incident where a Welshman named Brian Thomas in 2009 allegedly murdered his wife while sleepwalking, and "The Shadow Man Incident" is a story about a child experiencing sleep paralysis and witnessing a shadow person. "Midnight Messiah", written by Mike Portnoy, lyrically references other Dream Theater songs he wrote, including "Strange Deja Vu" and "Home" from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory, "This Dying Soul" from Train of Thought, and "Constant Motion" from Systematic Chaos.
Trivia[]
- According to Oxford Languages, the word "parasomnia" refers to "an undesirable physical or behavioural event that occurs during sleep or when waking up." This can include sleepwalking, sleep talking, crying, nightmares, bedwetting, sleep apnea, and nighttime seizures.
- According to Mike Portnoy in an interview, this album is said to "[pick] up right where 'Black Clouds' left off."
- The cover art could be seen as referencing that of Images and Words, as both covers feature a girl wearing a nightgown in a bedroom.
- This is the first album with Portnoy not to feature him as co-producer since Falling Into Infinity.
- Many lines in the song Midnight Messiah are direct callbacks to previous Dream Theater songs with lyrics written by Mike Portnoy.
"As you fall asleep, better keep a watchful eye. And maybe leave a light on tonight."
