A View from the Top of the World

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A View from the Top of the World
File:Dream Theater - A View from the Top of the World.jpg
Cover art by Hugh Syme
Studio album by Dream Theater
Released October 22, 2021
Recorded October 2020 – March 2021
Studio DTHQ, Long Island, New York
Genre Progressive metal
Length 70:19
Label Inside Out
Producer John Petrucci
Dream Theater chronology
Distant Memories – Live in London
(2020)		 A View from the Top of the World
(2021)
Singles from A View from the Top of the World
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[1]
Blabbermouth.net 8/10[2]
Classic Rock 2.5/5 stars[3]
Consequence B+[4]
Metal Hammer 5.5/7 stars[5]
Metal Injection 8/10[6]
RockNLoad 9/10[7]

A View from the Top of the World is the fifteenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 22, 2021.[8] This is their first album to be recorded at their own studio, DTHQ (Dream Theater Headquarters), as well as their first since Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009) to include fewer than nine tracks, and the first since Dream Theater (2013) both to contain a track of at least ten minutes in length and to end with the longest track.

Background and production

The band began work on A View from the Top of the World about a year after the release of their then-latest album, Distance over Time (2019). Metal Addicts reported in April 2020 that Dream Theater (who had recently rescheduled and eventually cancelled their touring plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic) was planning to work on a new album in 2021.[9] On the direction of the album, guitarist John Petrucci stated in an August 2020 interview with Ultimate Guitar: "The eight-string project with Ernie Ball Music Man is something we are working on and hoping to have developed as this year goes on. I'm hoping that on the next Dream Theater record I'll be able to explore that."[10] Petrucci later confirmed, during an October 2020 interview with Revolver that, within the next few weeks, the band would be heading into DTHQ (the band's newly constructed studio) to get started on a new album.[11]

Four of the five members wrote together in-studio, while frontman James LaBrie instead contributed via Zoom meetings remotely from Canada, as not to risk any potential compromising of his voice. When asked in an interview about the album's progress, Petrucci said that the writing sessions were "off to a great start".[12] These sessions spanned over the next four months until March, after which LaBrie, at last, flew from Canada to meet them in New York to record vocals.[8] This recording session also marked Dream Theater's first collaboration with Andy Sneap, who mastered and mixed the album, having recently worked with Petrucci on his second solo album Terminal Velocity (2020).

Dream Theater teased the album on July 26, 2021, revealing the initials of each of the seven song's titles and their respective run-times.[13] Two days later, it was announced that the album was titled A View from the Top of the World, and was planned for release on October 22, 2021.[8] Two singles were released to support A View from the Top of the World: "The Alien" and "Invisible Monster", while music videos for tracks "Awaken the Master" and "Transcending Time" were released after the album release date.[14][15][16][17]

"The Alien" won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2022, giving the band their first Grammy win after having been nominated for the third time (they were nominated in 2012 for "On the Backs of Angels" and in 2014 with "The Enemy Inside").[18]

The front cover photo is of Kjeragbolten in Norway.[19][20]

Accolades

Publication Accolade Rank
Consequence Top 30 Metal & Hard Rock Albums
22[21]
Guitar World The 20 Best Guitar Albums of 2021
5[22]
Loudwire The 45 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2021
35[23]
Metal Hammer Top 10 Prog Metal Albums of 2021
6[24]
Prog Top 20 Albums of 2021
11[25]

Track listing

All music composed by John Petrucci, John Myung, Jordan Rudess, James LaBrie and Mike Mangini.

No. Title Length
1. "The Alien"   9:32
2. "Answering the Call"   7:35
3. "Invisible Monster"   6:31
4. "Sleeping Giant"   10:05
5. "Transcending Time"   6:25
6. "Awaken the Master"   9:47
7. "A View from the Top of the World"
  • "I. The Crowning Glory"
  • "II. Rapture of the Deep"
  • "III. The Driving Force"  
 20:24
Total length:
 70:19

Personnel

Dream Theater

Production

  • James "Jimmy T" Meslin – engineering, additional production[26]
  • Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering
  • Hugh Syme – art direction, illustration, design
  • Rayon Richards – band photos

Charts

Chart performance for A View from the Top of the World
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[27] 42
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[28] 5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 16
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[31] 32
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[32] 27
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[33] 3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[34] 1
French Albums (SNEP)[35] 30
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[36] 2
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[37] 11
Italian Albums (FIMI)[38] 9
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[39] 9
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[40] 8
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[41] 13
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[42] 6
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[43] 8
Scottish Albums (OCC)[44] 10
Slovak Albums (ČNS IFPI)[45] 62
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[46] 21
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[47] 21
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[48] 3
UK Albums (OCC)[49] 21
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[50] 2
US Billboard 200[51] 52
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[52] 8
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[53] 3
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[54] 10

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  28. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World" (in German). Hung Medien.
  29. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  30. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World" (in French). Hung Medien.
  31. ↑ "Dream Theater – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Dream Theater.
  32. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 202143 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data.
  33. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  34. ↑ "Dream Theater: A View from the Top of the World" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  35. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  36. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  37. ↑ "Top 40 album DVD és válogatáslemez-lista – 2021. 43. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ.
  38. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-11-01" (in Japanese). Oricon.
  41. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  42. ↑ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLIS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  43. ↑ "Portuguesecharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  44. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Note: On the chart page, select SK - Albums - Top 100 under the left field and "202144" on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data.
  46. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  47. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  48. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Dream Theater – A View from the Top of the World". Hung Medien.
  49. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  50. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  51. ↑ "Dream Theater – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Dream Theater.
  52. ↑ "Dream Theater – Chart history" Billboard Independent Albums for Dream Theater.
  53. ↑ "Dream Theater – Chart history" Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums for Dream Theater.
  54. ↑ "Dream Theater – Chart history" Billboard Top Rock Albums for Dream Theater.
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