A Dramatic Turn of Events
Encyclopedia
A Dramatic Turn of Events is the 11th studio album
by American
progressive metal
band Dream Theater
, released on September 13, 2011 through Roadrunner Records
. It is the band's first recording to feature drummer
Mike Mangini
, following the departure of founding member Mike Portnoy
in September 2010.
The album was written, recorded, mixed and mastered between January and June 2011 at Cove City Sound Studios in Long Island
, New York
. It was produced by John Petrucci
and mixed by Andy Wallace
. Its first single, "On the Backs of Angels
", was released via YouTube
on June 29. A critical and commercial success, the album moved 36,000 units in the United States in its debut week, eventually charting at number eight on the Billboard 200
. Currently, the band are touring North America in support of the album.
On November 30, 2011 it was announced that "On the Backs of Angels" has been nominated for a Grammy Award
in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category, the first Dream Theater song ever to do so.
Petrucci has called Portnoy's departure one of the hardest things Dream Theater has had to face. Speaking of when he first heard the news, Jordan Rudess
recounts, "You know, just to give you an idea of how deep this was to lose him, how difficult it was... after we got off the phone with him... I literally sat on the steps of my studio and cried. This is a guy who's a friend of mine, who we all love and admire. We didn't want to see it come crashing down."
, Derek Roddy
, Thomas Lang
, Virgil Donati
, Marco Minnemann
, Aquiles Priester
and Peter Wildoer
. Each candidate was given three songs to learn for the audition - "A Nightmare to Remember", "The Dance of Eternity" and "The Spirit Carries On" - and was given only a few weeks to prepare.
Each audition lasted for around three hours and included a jam session
, song test, and riff test where drummers were asked to play along with a selection of pre-written riffs, written specifically for the auditions. The candidates were notified whether they had been chosen on November 5; however, the results of the audition were not made public until April 2011 via a three part YouTube documentary series called "The Spirit Carries On". In the last episode of the series, it was revealed that Mike Mangini was the drummer selected.
In November, shortly after Mangini joined the band, Portnoy e-mailed them asking to rejoin, but his attempt was rebuffed.
and John Myung
each contributed more to the writing than they had in recent years.
On April 14, LaBrie began tracking vocals and by June 28, the album's mixing and mastering by Andy Wallace were finished. LaBrie recorded all the album's vocals in Canada with Richard Chycki. Originally, LaBrie planned to only record the album's first two songs away from New York City, but after flying there to finish the remainder of the vocals, decided to go back to Canada because "it just didn't feel right".
On June 8, 2011, the album's title, track listing and United States release date were revealed. Its cover art was shown several days later, done once again by longtime collaborator Hugh Syme
. On June 29, "On the Backs of Angels" was released as the album's first single. Leading up to the release of the album, Dream Theater released various one-minute long snippets of new songs, including "Bridges in the Sky", "Breaking All Illusions", "Beneath the Surface", "This Is the Life", "Lost Not Forgotten" and "Far from Heaven". On September 14, a music video for "On the Backs of Angels" was released.
Rudess has described the album's music as "heavy, Latin and devastating" with a wide variety of sounds. He has also made mention of the album's frequent use of piano. Speaking in an interview for The Mirror and Roadrunner Germany, John Petrucci mentioned that the album "tells a story... not literally but emotionally" and likened the experience to a "roller coaster ride". In that same interview, James LaBrie emphasized that the album was melodically driven.
In his review of A Dramatic Turn of Events, Rich Wilson (author of the official Dream Theater biography Lifting Shadows
) described the album's material as veering toward progressive rock
and being "spiritually reminiscent" of past albums like Images and Words
and Scenes from a Memory
. Some members of the band's fanbase have taken these comparisons a step further, asserting that many songs on A Dramatic Turn of Events are structurally similar to specific counterparts on Images and Words. Mike Portnoy has also commented on these supposed similarities.
, Trivium
, Opeth
and Machine Head
. The album has been declared the most anticipated of Dream Theater's career by some critics.
A Dramatic Turn of Events was released worldwide on September 12, 2011 and in the United States on September 13. The album debuted at number one in some countries, and attained the eighth position on the Billboard 200. It was the band's second highest debut position ever on that chart behind their previous album, 2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings
.
magazine, commenting specifically on Mike Mangini's performance, said that "Mangini demonstrates the physical prowess and agility of a racehorse, stretching to play at the top of his talents and reining himself in to allow his bandmates to do the same".
Negative reviews of the album have focused on its predictability. In a critical review for Popmatters
, Chris Conaton noted, "At this point it’s pretty clear that the band is comfortably ensconced in their lifestyle and content to just keep doing things the way they have been for years". Reporting for Oology, Brett Warner warned, "Fans expecting these obscenely talented Berklee graduates to turn over a new leaf with the addition of new drummer Mike Mangini... will be either disappointed or thrilled to hear more of the same".
. In January, the band will tour Europe with Periphery
.
Production
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
, released on September 13, 2011 through Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
. It is the band's first recording to feature drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Mike Mangini
Mike Mangini
Mike Mangini is an American drummer, and the current drummer for the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has played for Annihilator, Extreme, James LaBrie, and Steve Vai, among others. He lectured at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is also known for his work as a session musician...
, following the departure of founding member Mike Portnoy
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...
in September 2010.
The album was written, recorded, mixed and mastered between January and June 2011 at Cove City Sound Studios in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It was produced by John Petrucci
John Petrucci
John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
and mixed by Andy Wallace
Andy Wallace (producer)
Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
. Its first single, "On the Backs of Angels
On the Backs of Angels
"On the Backs of Angels" is a song by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, featured on their 11th studio album A Dramatic Turn of Events. The song was written by the band's guitarist and producer John Petrucci, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and bassist John Myung...
", was released via YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
on June 29. A critical and commercial success, the album moved 36,000 units in the United States in its debut week, eventually charting at number eight on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Currently, the band are touring North America in support of the album.
On November 30, 2011 it was announced that "On the Backs of Angels" has been nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category, the first Dream Theater song ever to do so.
Departure of Mike Portnoy
On September 8, 2010, Mike Portnoy announced that he would be leaving Dream Theater, citing better relationships in other projects, burnout, and his desire for a break as reasons. Elaborating on the situation for MusicRadar, John Petrucci revealed that originally, Portnoy did not want to leave the band; he only wanted to take a five-year break. Only after the rest of the band rejected his proposal did Portnoy decide to quit.Petrucci has called Portnoy's departure one of the hardest things Dream Theater has had to face. Speaking of when he first heard the news, Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess
Jordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
recounts, "You know, just to give you an idea of how deep this was to lose him, how difficult it was... after we got off the phone with him... I literally sat on the steps of my studio and cried. This is a guy who's a friend of mine, who we all love and admire. We didn't want to see it come crashing down."
Search for a new drummer
A little more than a month after Mike Portnoy's departure, Dream Theater began auditioning for a new drummer in New York City. The drummers invited to audition were Mike ManginiMike Mangini
Mike Mangini is an American drummer, and the current drummer for the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has played for Annihilator, Extreme, James LaBrie, and Steve Vai, among others. He lectured at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is also known for his work as a session musician...
, Derek Roddy
Derek Roddy
Derek Roddy is an American drummer and snake breeder, originally from South Carolina. His ability to record entire drum tracks in one or two takes earned him the nickname "One Take"....
, Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang
Thomas Lang is an Austrian drummer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and record producer. He is the founding member of the Los Angeles-based progressive/avant garde metal trio, stOrk.Lang took up drumming at the age of 5...
, Virgil Donati
Virgil Donati
Virgil Donati is an Australian drummer, frequent drum clinician and a producer. He is currently playing with the band Planet X and Seven the Hardway among other projects. Virgil is perhaps most well known for his fast, highly technical drumming skills...
, Marco Minnemann
Marco Minnemann
Marco Minnemann is a German-born drummer, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He lives in Lake Elsinore, California.-Biography:...
, Aquiles Priester
Aquiles Priester
Aquiles Priester is the drummer of the Brazilian power metal band Hangar. In 2006, Aquiles participated in Fábio Laguna's Freakeys project. He is a former member of Angra.-Biography:Aquiles Priester was born in Otjo, South Africa...
and Peter Wildoer
Peter Wildoer
Karl Peter Wildoer is a Swedish drummer in the bands Darkane, Electrocution 250 & Grimmark. He has also drummed for the bands Armageddon, Majestic, Pestilence, Silver Seraph, Arch Enemy, Time Requiem, Gardens of Obscurity and Dawn of Oblivion amongst others. He has been tagged to perform sessions...
. Each candidate was given three songs to learn for the audition - "A Nightmare to Remember", "The Dance of Eternity" and "The Spirit Carries On" - and was given only a few weeks to prepare.
Each audition lasted for around three hours and included a jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
, song test, and riff test where drummers were asked to play along with a selection of pre-written riffs, written specifically for the auditions. The candidates were notified whether they had been chosen on November 5; however, the results of the audition were not made public until April 2011 via a three part YouTube documentary series called "The Spirit Carries On". In the last episode of the series, it was revealed that Mike Mangini was the drummer selected.
In November, shortly after Mangini joined the band, Portnoy e-mailed them asking to rejoin, but his attempt was rebuffed.
Writing, recording and promotion
On January 3, 2011, Dream Theater entered Cove City Sound Studios to begin working on a new album. According to John Petrucci, the band entered the studio with the goal of writing something "on a grand scale" that was "sonically interesting". Although Petrucci brought in some demos, riffs and songs from home, the album was mostly written in the studio. Writing was completed on March 2 and done without Mike Mangini. The band made demos for all the songs with drums already programmed, then sent them to Mangini who learned the parts and "added his own stuff". Reflecting on the writing process for Rock Your Life, Jordan Rudess explained that the band's approach was more open to his keyboards than in the past, and that after Mike Portnoy's departure, he and Petrucci "became, like, free". James LaBrieJames LaBrie
Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...
and John Myung
John Myung
John Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
each contributed more to the writing than they had in recent years.
On April 14, LaBrie began tracking vocals and by June 28, the album's mixing and mastering by Andy Wallace were finished. LaBrie recorded all the album's vocals in Canada with Richard Chycki. Originally, LaBrie planned to only record the album's first two songs away from New York City, but after flying there to finish the remainder of the vocals, decided to go back to Canada because "it just didn't feel right".
On June 8, 2011, the album's title, track listing and United States release date were revealed. Its cover art was shown several days later, done once again by longtime collaborator Hugh Syme
Hugh Syme
Hugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared in some Rush songs as a keyboard player. Syme is notably responsible for all of Rush's album cover art since 1975's Caress...
. On June 29, "On the Backs of Angels" was released as the album's first single. Leading up to the release of the album, Dream Theater released various one-minute long snippets of new songs, including "Bridges in the Sky", "Breaking All Illusions", "Beneath the Surface", "This Is the Life", "Lost Not Forgotten" and "Far from Heaven". On September 14, a music video for "On the Backs of Angels" was released.
Musical style
A Dramatic Turn of Events is 77:05 minutes long, filling the entire disc as many of Dream Theater's past albums have. Amidst speculation that the album's title was a vague reference to the departure of Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess stressed that it is in no way a reference to anyone; rather, the title references the album's recurring themes of dramatic changes such as mental, physical and religious/spiritual. Rudess has also gone on record as saying that for the album, the band underwent a musical change, re-evaluating and restructuring "who we are and what we do".Rudess has described the album's music as "heavy, Latin and devastating" with a wide variety of sounds. He has also made mention of the album's frequent use of piano. Speaking in an interview for The Mirror and Roadrunner Germany, John Petrucci mentioned that the album "tells a story... not literally but emotionally" and likened the experience to a "roller coaster ride". In that same interview, James LaBrie emphasized that the album was melodically driven.
In his review of A Dramatic Turn of Events, Rich Wilson (author of the official Dream Theater biography Lifting Shadows
Lifting Shadows
Lifting Shadows is a biography book detailing the complete story of progressive metal band Dream Theater, written by Rich Wilson and published by Essential Works...
) described the album's material as veering toward progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
and being "spiritually reminiscent" of past albums like Images and Words
Images and Words
Images and Words is currently ranked #2 on Digital Dream Door's list of the top 100 progressive metal albums of all time. Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes the album at number 8, just after Fear Factory's Demanufacture and before Sepultura's Roots, in his classification of the best metal albums...
and Scenes from a Memory
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is the fifth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released in 1999. It is a concept album that deals with the story of a man named Nicholas and the discovery of his past life, which involves love, murder, and infidelity as Victoria Page...
. Some members of the band's fanbase have taken these comparisons a step further, asserting that many songs on A Dramatic Turn of Events are structurally similar to specific counterparts on Images and Words. Mike Portnoy has also commented on these supposed similarities.
Release
In July 2011, A Dramatic Turn of Events was voted Roadrunner Records' most anticipated album of Q4 2011, receiving 67% of the vote and beating such artists as MegadethMegadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, Trivium
Trivium (band)
Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
, Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
and Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
. The album has been declared the most anticipated of Dream Theater's career by some critics.
A Dramatic Turn of Events was released worldwide on September 12, 2011 and in the United States on September 13. The album debuted at number one in some countries, and attained the eighth position on the Billboard 200. It was the band's second highest debut position ever on that chart behind their previous album, 2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the tenth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on June 23, 2009 through Roadrunner Records. It is the band's last album to feature drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy before his departure on September 8, 2010. The album was...
.
Reception
A Dramatic Turn of Events has received generally positive reviews. Writing one of the first reviews for the album, Rich Wilson called it "fresh and frankly stunning"; however, he warned that the album was not immediately gratifying and that it "requires several listens in order to fully grasp what the band have achieved here." Sea of Tranquility reviewer Murat Batmaz praised the album, highlighting Rudess' role in the compositions, saying Rudess "expands the songs' chordal parameters and no longer strictly functions as Petrucci's shadow, coming to the fore prominently both during the choruses and solo passages. He also avoids using his more eclectic synth patches and tones as he plays to the strength of the compositions." In another early review, Dave Roberts of The AU Review awarded the album a perfect score and described it as a "masterpiece". In a review for Rock Sins, Jamie Giberti also praised the album, although he criticized it for lacking stand-out tracks. DrumheadDrumhead (magazine)
- Drumhead :Drumhead is an American percussion magazine. Hitting stands in January 2007, Drumhead expanded its distribution to Pacific Rim countries including New Zealand, Australia and New South Wales in 2011...
magazine, commenting specifically on Mike Mangini's performance, said that "Mangini demonstrates the physical prowess and agility of a racehorse, stretching to play at the top of his talents and reining himself in to allow his bandmates to do the same".
Negative reviews of the album have focused on its predictability. In a critical review for Popmatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
, Chris Conaton noted, "At this point it’s pretty clear that the band is comfortably ensconced in their lifestyle and content to just keep doing things the way they have been for years". Reporting for Oology, Brett Warner warned, "Fans expecting these obscenely talented Berklee graduates to turn over a new leaf with the addition of new drummer Mike Mangini... will be either disappointed or thrilled to hear more of the same".
Supporting tour
Dream Theater has recently finished touring Europe in support of A Dramatic Turn of Events. Their first show of the leg took place in Rome, Italy on July 4, 2011 and their last show took place in Székesfehérvár, Hungary on August 4. The band are currently on a North American headlining tour with TriviumTrivium (band)
Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
. In January, the band will tour Europe with Periphery
Periphery (band)
Periphery is an American metal band from Bethesda, Maryland , formed in 2005.- Formation and lineup changes :Periphery was formed by guitarist Misha Mansoor in 2005...
.
Track listing
Personnel
Dream Theater- James LaBrieJames LaBrieKevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater.-Early life:...
– lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - John PetrucciJohn PetrucciJohn Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(uncredited) - Jordan RudessJordan RudessJordan Rudess is an American keyboardist best known as a member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.-Biography:...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, ContinuumContinuum (instrument)The Continuum Fingerboard or Haken Continuum is a music performance controller developed by Lippold Haken, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, and sold by Haken Audio, located in Champaign, Illinois....
(uncredited), MorphWiz (uncredited) - John MyungJohn MyungJohn Ro Myung is an American bassist, Chapman Stick player and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater. He is considered a virtuoso player who is widely recognized for his technical proficiency....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mike ManginiMike ManginiMike Mangini is an American drummer, and the current drummer for the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He has played for Annihilator, Extreme, James LaBrie, and Steve Vai, among others. He lectured at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and is also known for his work as a session musician...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(uncredited)
Production
- John PetrucciJohn PetrucciJohn Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Along with his former bandmate Mike Portnoy, he has produced all Dream Theater albums since their 1999 release, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory...
– productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Paul NorthfieldPaul NorthfieldPaul Northfield is a prolific record producer and sound engineer, who has worked on albums by bands like Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Rush and Suicidal Tendencies.-Selected discography:-External links:* * *...
– engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including... - Joe Maniscalco – assistant engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Andy WallaceAndy Wallace (producer)Andy Wallace is a Grammy Award-winning music studio engineer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the 1986 production of the Run-DMC/Aerosmith collaboration on "Walk This Way" with Rick Rubin...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Hugh SymeHugh SymeHugh Syme is a Canadian Juno Award-winning graphic artist who is best known for his artwork and cover concepts for rock and metal bands. He is also a musician and has appeared in some Rush songs as a keyboard player. Syme is notably responsible for all of Rush's album cover art since 1975's Caress...
– cover artCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e... - Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
17 |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
9 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
2 |
| Finnish Albums Chart | 1 |
| Hungarian Albums Chart Mahasz Mahasz is the Hungarian music industry association, founded in 1992. Mahasz hands out the Hungarian Music Awards and maintains the music charts for Hungary.... |
6 |
| Polish Albums Chart OLiS OLiS is the official list of the highest selling music albums in Poland. The list exists since October 23, 2000 and is provided by ZPAV.... |
7 |
| Portuguese Albums Chart | 9 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
17 |
| UK Rock Chart UK Rock Chart The UK Rock Chart usually refers to the Top 40 Rock Singles and the Top 40 Rock Albums Chart compiled by the Official Charts Company from physical record sales in British retail outlets with larger than average genrespecific sales.... |
1 |
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... US Chart |
8 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 3 |
| Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Tastemaker Albums |
1 |