Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess Reveals Solo Album P…

The dudes in Dream Theater may be getting closer and closer to wrapping up work on their so far unnamed 16th studio effort, but that’s not the only new music coming out of that camp. Earlier today, keyboardist Jordan Rudess announced that his new solo album Permission To Fly will be released this coming September.

Described as an album that “epitomizes this ethos, delving into the complexities of human existence within our multifaceted world,” this new offering should be properly proggy. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long for a taste, as he dropped the album’s first single “The Alchemist.”

Speaking of the track, Rudess says both it and the album as a whole draws from current events.

“The essence of the album is deeply informed by the tumultuous events of 2023-2024, with motifs of peace and anti-violence woven throughout many of the songs.”

Unlike some of his past solo work, this album’s more collaborative in nature, as he’s got a group of musicians to help, including: That Joe Payne on vocals, Darby Todd (Devin Townsend) on drums & Steve Dadaian on guitar, as well as guest guitar solos from Bastian Martinez.

As for the lyrics, Rudess turned to the only person he could trust with such a passion project — his daughter.

“All the lyrics on the album were written by my daughter, Ariana. While I enjoy writing lyrics myself, my primary focus tends to be on the sonic quality of the words. For this album, I wanted to delve deeper and offer something that resonated on a more profound and cerebral level. Ari did an exceptional job.”

Permission To Fly will be released on September 6 via InsideOutMusic, but you can preorder your copy today.

Permission To Fly tracklist

1. The Final Threshold 04:08
2.  Into The Lair 09:31
3.  Haunted Reverie 05:14
4.  The Alchemist 08:36
5.  Embers 04:03
6.  Shadow of the Moon 05:29
7.  Eternal 08:53
8.  Footstep in the Snow 04:02
9. Dreamer 05:03
10. Incarnation 03:31 (Bonus Track)
11.  Chopin Fm 05:33 (Bonus Track)