Album
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings is Dream Theater's tenth studio album, released on 23 June 2009 through Roadrunner Records. The American progressive metal band recorded it between October 2008 and March 2009 at Avatar Studios in New York City, the same studio that had hosted Falling Into Infinity and Systematic Chaos. John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy produced it together, with Paul Northfield engineering and mixing.
It matters in the band's story for a couple of reasons. It was the last record with founding drummer Portnoy until his return for Parasomnia in 2025, and it was the last one he and Petrucci produced as a pair. It also became Dream Theater's highest-charting album on the Billboard 200, reaching number six. For anyone who wants to hear the band in their heavier, long-form mode just before that line-up change, it makes a good place to start.
Black Clouds & Silver Linings: tracklist, credits and charts
6 tracks · 1:15:25Tracklist
- 1A Nightmare to RememberMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess16:10
- 2A Rite of PassageMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess8:36
- 3WitherJohn Petrucci5:25
- 4The Shattered FortressMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess12:49
- 5The Best of TimesMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess13:09
- 6The Count of TuscanyMyung, Petrucci, Portnoy, Rudess19:16
- Produced by
- Paul Northfield, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy
- Recorded at
- Power Station at BerkleeNYC, Avatar, New York City
- Recorded
- October 2008 – March 2009
- Mixed by
- Paul Northfield
- Mixed at
- Power Station at BerkleeNYC
- Engineered by
- Paul Northfield
- Labels
- Roadrunner Records, Roadrunner
- Length
- 1:15:25
Line-up
- John Myung · bass guitar
- John Petrucci · acoustic guitar, electric guitar, guitar, background vocals
- Mike Portnoy · drums (drum set), percussion, background vocals
- Jordan Rudess · keyboard, continuum
- James LaBrie · lead vocals
- Jerry Goodman · violin · guest
Singles
- “A Rite of Passage” · 11 May 2009
- “Wither” · 15 September 2009
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · Offizielle Top 100 | 6 |
| UK Albums Chart · Offizielle Top 100 | 23 |
| Europe (European Top 100 Albums) · 2009 | 1 |
| Finnish Albums · 2009 | 1 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) · Offizielle Top 100 | 1 |
| Dutch Albums · 2009 | 3 |
| Swedish Albums · Offizielle Top 100 | 3 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) · Offizielle Top 100 | 5 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) · 2009 | 6 |
| Mexican Albums (Top 100 Mexico) · Offizielle Top 100 | 7 |
All 24 charts
| Norwegian Albums · Offizielle Top 100 | 7 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · Offizielle Top 100 | 8 |
| French Albums · 2009 | 9 |
| Swiss Albums · Offizielle Top 100 | 9 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) · Offizielle Top 100 | 13 |
| Czech Albums · 2009 | 14 |
| Portuguese Albums · Offizielle Top 100 | 14 |
| Scottish Albums · Offizielle Top 100 | 15 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 2009 | 16 |
| Austrian Albums · 2009 | 18 |
| Danish Albums · 2009 | 26 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2009 | 34 |
| Belgian Albums (Flanders) · 2009 | 36 |
| Ireland 2 · Offizielle Top 100 | 91 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
70.1
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.4k
ListenBrainz listeners
46k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
27k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 23 June
Every year →
More from Dream Theater
Full discography →
When Dream and Day Unite
1989
Images and Words
1992
Live at the Marquee
1993
Awake
1994
A Change of Seasons
1995
Falling Into Infinity
1997
Once in a LIVEtime
1998
Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory
1999
Live Scenes From New York
2001
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2002
Train of Thought
2003
Live at Budokan
2004
Octavarium
2005
Score: 20th Anniversary World Tour
2006
Systematic Chaos
2007
Greatest Hit (…and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)
2008
Forsaken EP
2008
Chaos in Motion 2007–2008
2008
Wither
2009
A Dramatic Turn of Events
2011
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
The Studio Albums 1992–2016
2025
The best of 2009
All of 2009 →
21st Century Breakdown
Green Day · 2009
Invaders Must Die
The Prodigy · 2009
No Line on the Horizon
U2 · 2009
Liebe ist für alle da
Rammstein · 2009
Reckoning Spotify Sampler
R.E.M. · 2009
Backspacer
Pearl Jam · 2009
Save Me, San Francisco
Train · 2009
Black Gives Way to Blue
Alice in Chains · 2009
Crack the Skye
Mastodon · 2009
Raditude
Weezer · 2009
The High End of Low
Marilyn Manson · 2009
World Painted Blood
Slayer · 2009
More on Roadrunner Records
The label →
Slipknot
Slipknot · 1999
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Slipknot · 2004
All Hope Is Gone
Slipknot · 2008
Iowa
Slipknot · 2001
.5: The Gray Chapter
Slipknot · 2014
We Are Not Your Kind
Slipknot · 2019
Silver Side Up
Nickelback · 2001
All the Right Reasons
Nickelback · 2005
The End, So Far
Slipknot · 2022
Roots
Sepultura · 1996
The Long Road
Nickelback · 2003
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age · 1998
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 2009-06-19 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 19 June 2009 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 23 June 2009 | |
| Wikidata | 23 June 2009 | |
| US release | 23 June 2009 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 22 June 2009 | earliest UK or European date |
13 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | AR | Roadrunner Records | 016861788322 | other |
| 2009 | XE | Cargo Records | 4024572386115 | other |
| 2009 | CA | Roadrunner Records | 016861788353 | other |
| 19 June 2009 | AU | Warner Music Australia | 016861788353 | original |
| 19 June 2009 | XW | Roadrunner Records | 016861788391 | original |
| 22 June 2009 | DE | Roadrunner Records | 016861788353 | deluxe |
| 22 June 2009 | XE | Roadrunner Records | 016861788322 | other |
| 23 June 2009 | US | Roadrunner Records | 016861788353 | other |
| 23 June 2009 | US | Roadrunner Records | 016861788322 | other |
| 23 June 2009 | US | Roadrunner Records | 016861788384 | deluxe |
| 24 June 2009 | JP | Roadrunner Records | 4527583009283 | other |
| 24 June 2009 | JP | Roadrunner Records | 4527583009276 | other |
| 20 October 2013 | XW | Roadrunner Records | 016861788308 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1417x1428, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1417×1428 | upscaled: minor: best source 1417x1428, upscaled to 1500 (x1.06) |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |