DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Mangini will launch a brand new solo single, “Freak Of Nature”, this coming Friday, October 6. The observe will seem on Mangini‘s upcoming debut solo album which is ready to reach in late 2023 or early 2024.

In a newly launched video message, Mangini spoke concerning the lyrical inspiration for “Freak Of Nature”. He stated (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “The lyric to ‘Freak Of Nature’ happened fairly apparently. As I used to be researching issues I am fascinated by, like forces and legal guidelines of nature, and I got here throughout a hurricane and ‘pressure of nature’ hit me, but it surely did not sound excellent to me. Then, hastily, ‘freak of nature’ beamed in from someplace. And the attention-grabbing factor is that that is inherent all through the report; it simply permeates the entire thing the place there’s that means, however the sound was extra necessary to me, as a result of if it did not sound correct, I did not suppose anybody would wish to sing it, if that makes any sense. So, I used to be excited about different freaks of nature, like musicians and athletes and issues like that, and [American football player] Rob Gronkowski, who performed for the [New England] Patriots, got here to thoughts, as he was like an unstoppable pressure. And so these are simply a few the issues that weave their method into the tune. However primarily, I used to be involved concerning the sound, and fortuitously that phrase got here into my thoughts, freak of nature, and I favored it. So I primarily based all of the lyrics off of that.”

Final week, Mangini launched a separate video message through which he spoke concerning the “supply of the music” for “Freak Of Nature”. He stated: “One factor it is not is a recreation of any band I’ve ever been in. I imply, why would I do this? I am already working with, and have labored with, one of the best that do this. So it isn’t one thing I wanna do. Plus in DREAM THEATER, everybody’s solo album sounds completely different than the ultimate DREAM THEATER album.”

He continued: “Anyway, one of many sources for me got here from after I spent a dime ordering data from an organization known as Columbia Home and, like, 912 LPs confirmed up. One among them was LED ZEPPELIN ‘IV’. And after I put ‘Black Canine’ on, it did one thing to me. There was one thing about that riff. So over time, I wrote some songs. And when it got here time for this album, ‘Freak Of Nature’ was the primary [song] written. And it is a riff. The factor is I needed to learn to write lyrics and melodies over the riff. However that is one of many sources, in the event you’re .”

Mangini‘s solo album is predicted to function visitor appearances by Jen Majura (EVANESCENCE) and Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE).

Different tracks set to look on Mangini‘s solo LP embrace “Deep Inside”, “Invisible Indicators”, “Behavior To Change”, “Not Drowning”, “Saying Sorry”, “So Alive”, “Glamorous Shades”, “It is Noise”, “Search And Discover”, “Black Field” and “Let Me Shine”.

In a June 2023 interview with Heavy Debriefings, Mangini acknowledged about his long-awaited solo album: “There is a motive why it has been taking some time and has gone in steps. I wrote all the pieces. I am the chief producer, engineer with our DREAM THEATER man, Jimmy T [James Meslin] that is aware of my factor inside and outside. I wrote the songs, wrote all of the elements, wrote the lyrics, did all the pieces, after which discovered some fantastic individuals to replay my digital devices and most particularly to re-sing my horrific vocal guides. [Laughs]”

In July 2022, Mangini spoke in additional element about his strategy to creating a solo album throughout an look on the Sarah Hagan Backstage podcast. On the time, he stated partially: “It is necessary to me ‘explanation for the best way it sounds… I really write notes on a keyboard, as a result of that method I can talk to individuals… However for the solo album, I wrote completely each single be aware on the keyboard, digital devices or MIDI. I composed completely all the pieces and then at one level I turned it over to some gamers who took it in and infrequently would supply issues like, ‘Properly, that does not work on my instrument.’ I am, like, ‘I do know. I do know. It is a keyboard. Go forward and simply do it this fashion,’ or no matter.”

He continued: “This album is above and past extra me than something, as a result of it is me doing it… It is a very long time within the making. And that is the way it got here to be the place it isn’t finally simply totally completely me, ‘trigger Jimmy T‘s gotta put his little little bit of no matter in there. However working collectively for therefore lengthy, it is, like, ‘That is how I sound.’ After I hit the cymbal, I wanna hear it ringing two seconds later… With all the pieces else that I’ve carried out, you are working in a bunch. You are working with individuals. It’s a must to morph to the group. And when one thing’s out of your management, it is out of your management, which is why it sounds so completely different… The top end result morphs to the individual in cost. That is gonna occur each single time. So no matter that result’s morphs to that one who is making the decision. And typically that individual spreads the autonomy, and typically that individual takes it and does all the pieces that they wanna do. It simply relies on the state of affairs.”

Circling again to his solo LP, Mike stated: “I am excited when it comes out, ‘trigger it is a solo report, besides that now I am not the one enjoying each single instrument. However that is okay, ‘trigger it got here out higher than my digital devices. [Laughs]”

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 by way of a extensively publicized audition following the departure of Mike Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER greater than 30 years in the past. Mangini beat out six different of the world’s high drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day course of that was filmed for a documentary-style actuality present known as “The Spirit Carries On”.

Mangini made his title within the arduous rock world within the mid-Nineteen Nineties when he performed with EXTREME, earlier than touchdown the gig with guitar legend Steve Vai in 1996. Almost a decade later, Mangini took up a full-time instructing place on the world-renowned Berklee School Of Music.

DREAM THEATER gained its first-ever Grammy within the “Greatest Steel Efficiency” class within the pre-telecast ceremony on the sixty fourth annual Grammy Awards, which was held in April 2022 on the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas. DREAM THEATER was nominated for “The Alien”, a observe from its 2021 album “A View From The High Of The World”. DREAM THEATER‘s earlier Grammy nominations had been for the tune “On The Backs Of Angels”, from 2011’s “A Dramatic Flip Of Occasions” album, and the only “The Enemy Inside” from 2013’s “Dream Theater”.

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