John Petrucci: ultimate guitar interview

What lyrical topics do you touch upon on 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events'?

The running theme has to do with the title - 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events' - and so all the songs are about some sort of major event in the world that's happening now, that's happened in history. "Outcry" is about the uprising and revolutions going on in North Africa and the Middle East. "On The Backs Of Angels" is about the political unrest and divide in the US right now. "Lost And Forgotten" is about a Persian fighting force that died out. "Bridges In The Sky" is about somebody who's looking for a chance to be reunited with a lost part of their soul that's missing because of some dramatic event in their life. Those are just a few of them, but they're all about major events that've caused people to go through substantial changes in their lives basically.


"Fans enjoy analysing our music and looking at things under a microscope and stuff, and it shows the level of passion from the fans for what we do."
Has 'A Dramatic Turn Of Events'' album title been misinterpreted in certain quarters?
A lot of people automatically assume that it's referring to the band's situation - change of drummer - but the title came long after that happened. The title came as a result of writing the lyrics, and trying to figure out the common thread and common theme of the album. It doesn't refer to the band's personal situation, but refers to the dramatic events that are occurring in the world today. more