Album · 15 years old this year
A Dramatic Turn of Events
A Dramatic Turn of Events is the eleventh studio album by the American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in September 2011 on Roadrunner Records. It is the first record with drummer Mike Mangini, who arrived after founding member Mike Portnoy left in September 2010. John Petrucci produced it, Andy Wallace mixed it, and the whole thing was written and recorded at Cove City Sound Studios on Long Island between January and June 2011.
This is a band regrouping, and you can hear it. Petrucci, a main composer here, felt a duty to fans after Portnoy's exit, and the songs carry that sense of purpose. Some have likened the sound to Images and Words and Scenes From a Memory. The title comes from lyrics about dramatic shifts in history, including the Libyan Civil War. "On the Backs of Angels" earned the band their first Grammy nomination, and the album reached number eight on the US Billboard 200.
A Dramatic Turn of Events: tracklist, credits and charts
9 tracks · 1:17:01Tracklist
- Disc 1
- 1On the Backs of AngelsMyung, Petrucci, Rudess8:42
- 2Build Me Up, Break Me DownLaBrie, Myung, Petrucci, Rudess6:59
- 3Lost Not ForgottenLaBrie, Myung, Petrucci, Rudess10:11
- 4This Is the LifeJohn Petrucci and Jordan Rudess6:57
- Disc 2
- 1Bridges in the SkyMyung, Petrucci, Rudess11:01
- 2OutcryMyung, Petrucci, Rudess11:24
- 3Far From HeavenLaBrie, Petrucci, Rudess3:56
- 4Breaking All IllusionsMyung, Petrucci, Rudess12:25
- 5Beneath the SurfaceJohn Petrucci5:26
- Produced by
- John Petrucci
- Recorded at
- Cove City Sound Studios (Long Island), Mixland (Midhurst, Canada)
- Recorded
- January–May 2011
- Mixed by
- Paul Suarez, Andy Wallace
- Mixed at
- Soundtrack Studios
- Engineered by
- Richard Chycki, Paul Northfield
- Labels
- Roadrunner Records, Roadrunner
- Length
- 1:17:01
Line-up
- Mike Mangini · drums (drum set)
- John Myung · bass guitar
- John Petrucci · guitar
- Jordan Rudess · keyboard
- James LaBrie · vocals
- Paul Northfield · spoken vocals · guest
Singles
- “On the Backs of Angels” · 29 June 2011
- “Build Me Up, Break Me Down” · 26 January 2012
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · Suomen virallinen lista | 8 |
| UK Albums Chart · Suomen virallinen lista | 17 |
| UK Rock (OCC) · Suomen virallinen lista | 1 |
| US Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) · Suomen virallinen lista | 1 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) · 2011 | 2 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) · Suomen virallinen lista | 3 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) · Suomen virallinen lista | 3 |
| Swedish Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 3 |
| Austrian Albums · 2011 | 5 |
| Czech Albums · 2011 | 5 |
All 27 charts
| Norwegian Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 5 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) · Suomen virallinen lista | 6 |
| Swiss Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 6 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) · Suomen virallinen lista | 7 |
| Japanese Albums Chart (Oricon) · Suomen virallinen lista | 8 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) · 2011 | 9 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) · Suomen virallinen lista | 9 |
| Spanish Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 10 |
| Danish Albums · 2011 | 13 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2011 | 15 |
| French Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 16 |
| Scottish Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 16 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 2011 | 17 |
| New Zealand Albums · Suomen virallinen lista | 17 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2011 | 22 |
| Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico) · Suomen virallinen lista | 22 |
| Ireland 2 · Suomen virallinen lista | 36 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
67.5
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
1.9k
ListenBrainz listeners
42k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
24k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 12 September
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Full discography →
When Dream and Day Unite
1989
Images and Words
1992
Live at the Marquee
1993
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1994
A Change of Seasons
1995
Falling Into Infinity
1997
Once in a LIVEtime
1998
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1999
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2001
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2002
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2003
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2004
Octavarium
2005
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2006
Systematic Chaos
2007
Greatest Hit (…and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)
2008
Forsaken EP
2008
Chaos in Motion 2007–2008
2008
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
2009
Wither
2009
Dream Theater
2013
Live at Luna Park
2013
The Studio Albums 1992–2011
2014
Breaking the Fourth Wall: Live From the Boston Opera House
2014
The Astonishing
2016
Distance Over Time
2019
Distant Memories: Live in London
2020
A View From the Top of the World
2021
Parasomnia
2025
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2025
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 2011-09-12 vs 2011-08-25 (musicbrainz), 2011-09-13 (wikidata)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 25 August 2011 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 12 September 2011 | |
| Wikidata | 13 September 2011 | |
| Deezer | 25 August 2011 | |
| US release | 12 September 2011 | earliest US date |
10 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | DE | Roadrunner Records | 4024572507176 | other |
| 2011 | AR | Roadrunner Records | 016861776527 | other |
| 25 August 2011 | — | Roadrunner Records | 016861776503 | original |
| 7 September 2011 | JP | Roadrunner Records | 4943674109982 | deluxe |
| 9 September 2011 | DE | Roadrunner Records | 016861776558 | deluxe |
| 12 September 2011 | US | Roadrunner Records | 016861776558 | deluxe |
| 12 September 2011 | — | Roadrunner Records | 0016861776565 | other |
| 13 September 2011 | US | Roadrunner Records | 016861776527 | other |
| 13 September 2011 | US | Roadrunner Records | 0016861776534 | deluxe |
| 27 March 2026 | CA | Roadrunner Records | 603497807741 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |