Twelve-step Suite
Encyclopedia
The Twelve-step Suite is a series of five songs by progressive metal
band Dream Theater
. One song has featured on each Dream Theater studio album from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
through to Black Clouds & Silver Linings
.
The lyrics to each song, written by drummer at the time Mike Portnoy
, deal with his experience of alcoholism
. Each song represents a certain number of the Twelve Steps
. Various lyrical and musical themes run through the Suite. It was written by the band with the intention of eventually playing it live as one piece.
's tour to promote Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
, former drummer Mike Portnoy
considered his alcoholism
and drug abuse
to have gone out of control:
Portnoy went through periods of taking other drugs, including marijuana
, prescription drug
s and cocaine
, though he considered alcohol to be his "drug of choice". Bandmate James LaBrie
noted that Portnoy was "drinking like a fish"; his drinking had become a source of tension within the band. Portnoy consumed his final alcoholic drink on April 20, 2000 after the final show on Dream Theater's Scenes from a Memory tour. He found the Alcoholics Anonymous
twelve-step program
(which he considers to have "saved his life"), and makes it a priority to attend meetings while touring.
Portnoy's struggle with alcohol was the subject of "The Mirror", a song from Dream Theater's Awake
, released in 1994. After he stopped drinking, Portnoy decided to write a suite of tracks describing the twelve-step program which would span several albums. He views the Suite as one concept album
, spread over five releases. Portnoy started with an initial lyrical idea for the entire Suite, but musically the band "approached it fresh" when writing each track. The Suite was planned as something which would eventually be performed live in its entirety. All songs are dedicated to "Bill W.
and his friends".
Portnoy described the process of writing the tracks as "very therapeutic". Upon finishing the Suite in 2009, he reflected that he had "dug [himself] into a hole with it. It was a nice idea seven years ago... After a while it became like an obligation hanging over my head, like a homework assignment." He said that he "didn't know if [he] would have done it" if he knew how big the Suite was going to be: "If I had realized what I was getting myself into five albums ago... I think maybe I would have written one song that encompassed all twelve steps."
and is the longest track of the "Twelve-step Suite". Rich Wilson (author of Dream Theater's official biography, Lifting Shadows
) describes the track as "a clattering mass of riffs and shredding that finds Dream Theater at their most grinding". The weekend before entering the studio to start work on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, John Petrucci
and Portnoy saw Pantera
perform at the Hammerstein Ballroom
, New York City
. This provided a great influence on the band when they started writing. Portnoy described the track as musically "this total Pantera-meets-Megadeth
, relentless ball of energy".
. Wilson describes the track as a lyrical and musical continuation of "The Glass Prison".
The song also contains some lyrical references to the song The Mirror, most obviously the line "Hello mirror, so glad to see you my friend, it's been a while". Also, the first section, titled "Reflections of Reality (Revisited)" reference the line "Reflections of reality are slowly coming into view". The line "Now it's time to stare the problem right between the eyes" is similar to the line from The Mirror "Let's stare the problem right in the eye". Part five ("Release") in this song features and starts with the same riff as part two ("Restoration") in "The Glass Prison".
and the shortest track in the Suite. Wilson considers it to be "an archetypal Dream Theater track, tidily mixing heavy riffs with some progressive moments."
. By this stage Portnoy had been sober for seven years. Portnoy stated that it was intentionally conceived as "a bit more of a breather", as the previous songs in the Suite had been "so aggressive and bombastic". He said that of all the tracks on Systematic Chaos, he was particularly proud of "Repentance" because it was "a moody, dark song, hypnotic, psychedelic... something that we’ve never done before". He described "Restitution" as having a "spacey, Pink Floyd
feel". James LaBrie
considered the challenge of "being able to really convey that message, but with the proper character" on "Repentance" to be the hardest part of his performance on Systematic Chaos. "I wanted it to come off sounding very somber, very serious, very... not cold, but a somber approach, you know", he said.
Portnoy described the ninth part of the Suite, "Restitution", as being "all about making amends to people you've harmed". When writing it, he did not want to write about his own personal life as it would have made the song "too specific" to himself, wanting to make the lyrics more general. He instead asked friends of the band to contribute spoken word apologies. Steve Hogarth
, Steven Wilson
, Jon Anderson
, Steve Vai
, Joe Satriani
, Mikael Åkerfeldt
, Corey Taylor
, Daniel Gildenlöw
, Neal Morse
, David Ellefson
and Chris Jericho
all contributed apologies which featured in the final track. Portnoy was disappointed that Dave Mustaine
, Geoff Tate
, Bruce Dickinson
and James Hetfield
declined his invitation, but was pleased with the final list of contributors.
. Portnoy considers the track as the "grand finale" of the Suite, and "knew it would really be made up of all the musical and lyrical references from the past, and bring them all together to wrap it all up". Before starting to write the track, the band listened to all four of the previous tracks in the Suite, making notes on the progressions of the parts and the melodies they wanted to reprise.
Production
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...
. One song has featured on each Dream Theater studio album from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. It was released as a double-disc album on January 29, 2002 by Elektra Records...
through to 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...
.
The lyrics to each song, written by drummer at the time 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...
, deal with his experience of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Each song represents a certain number of the Twelve Steps
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
. Various lyrical and musical themes run through the Suite. It was written by the band with the intention of eventually playing it live as one piece.
Background
By the end of Dream TheaterDream 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...
's tour to promote Metropolis Pt. 2: 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...
, former drummer 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...
considered his alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
to have gone out of control:
Portnoy went through periods of taking other drugs, including marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
s and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, though he considered alcohol to be his "drug of choice". Bandmate James LaBrie
James 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:...
noted that Portnoy was "drinking like a fish"; his drinking had become a source of tension within the band. Portnoy consumed his final alcoholic drink on April 20, 2000 after the final show on Dream Theater's Scenes from a Memory tour. He found the Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
twelve-step program
Twelve-step program
A Twelve-Step Program is a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion, or other behavioral problems...
(which he considers to have "saved his life"), and makes it a priority to attend meetings while touring.
Portnoy's struggle with alcohol was the subject of "The Mirror", a song from Dream Theater's Awake
Awake (Dream Theater album)
Awake is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater, released on October 4, 1994 by East West Records. It was the last Dream Theater album to feature keyboardist Kevin Moore, who announced his decision to leave the band during the recording of the album.Much of the...
, released in 1994. After he stopped drinking, Portnoy decided to write a suite of tracks describing the twelve-step program which would span several albums. He views the Suite as one concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, spread over five releases. Portnoy started with an initial lyrical idea for the entire Suite, but musically the band "approached it fresh" when writing each track. The Suite was planned as something which would eventually be performed live in its entirety. All songs are dedicated to "Bill W.
Bill W.
William Griffith Wilson , also known as Bill Wilson or Bill W., was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous , an international mutual aid fellowship with over two million members belonging to 100,800 groups of alcoholics helping other alcoholics achieve and maintain sobriety...
and his friends".
Portnoy described the process of writing the tracks as "very therapeutic". Upon finishing the Suite in 2009, he reflected that he had "dug [himself] into a hole with it. It was a nice idea seven years ago... After a while it became like an obligation hanging over my head, like a homework assignment." He said that he "didn't know if [he] would have done it" if he knew how big the Suite was going to be: "If I had realized what I was getting myself into five albums ago... I think maybe I would have written one song that encompassed all twelve steps."
The Glass Prison
"The Glass Prison" contains the first three parts of the Suite ("Reflection", "Restoration" and "Revelation"). It is the first track on Six Degrees of Inner TurbulenceSix Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence is the sixth full-length studio album by progressive metal band Dream Theater. It was released as a double-disc album on January 29, 2002 by Elektra Records...
and is the longest track of the "Twelve-step Suite". Rich Wilson (author of Dream Theater's official 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...
) describes the track as "a clattering mass of riffs and shredding that finds Dream Theater at their most grinding". The weekend before entering the studio to start work on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 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 Portnoy saw Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
perform at the Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. This provided a great influence on the band when they started writing. Portnoy described the track as musically "this total Pantera-meets-Megadeth
Megadeth
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...
, relentless ball of energy".
This Dying Soul
"This Dying Soul" features parts four and five of the Suite ("Reflections of Reality (Revisited)" and "Release"). It is the second track on Train of ThoughtTrain of Thought (Dream Theater album)
-Chart performance:* Billboard 200: Train of Thought - #53* Billboard Top Internet Albums: Train of Thought - #53* UK Album Charts: Train of Thought - #146* Norwegian Album Charts: Train of Thought - #9-Personnel:* James LaBrie – lead vocals...
. Wilson describes the track as a lyrical and musical continuation of "The Glass Prison".
The song also contains some lyrical references to the song The Mirror, most obviously the line "Hello mirror, so glad to see you my friend, it's been a while". Also, the first section, titled "Reflections of Reality (Revisited)" reference the line "Reflections of reality are slowly coming into view". The line "Now it's time to stare the problem right between the eyes" is similar to the line from The Mirror "Let's stare the problem right in the eye". Part five ("Release") in this song features and starts with the same riff as part two ("Restoration") in "The Glass Prison".
The Root of All Evil
"The Root of All Evil" consists of parts six and seven of the Suite ("Ready" and "Remove"). It is the opening track on OctavariumOctavarium (album)
Octavarium is the eighth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 7, 2005, it was the band's final release with Atlantic Records. Recorded between September 2004 and February 2005, the album holds the distinction of being the last album ever recorded at The...
and the shortest track in the Suite. Wilson considers it to be "an archetypal Dream Theater track, tidily mixing heavy riffs with some progressive moments."
Repentance
"Repentance" features parts eight and nine of the Suite ("Regret" and "Restitution"). It is the fifth track on Systematic ChaosSystematic Chaos
Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, Systematic Chaos was the band's first release through Roadrunner Records, which was sold to their previous label...
. By this stage Portnoy had been sober for seven years. Portnoy stated that it was intentionally conceived as "a bit more of a breather", as the previous songs in the Suite had been "so aggressive and bombastic". He said that of all the tracks on Systematic Chaos, he was particularly proud of "Repentance" because it was "a moody, dark song, hypnotic, psychedelic... something that we’ve never done before". He described "Restitution" as having a "spacey, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
feel". James LaBrie
James 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:...
considered the challenge of "being able to really convey that message, but with the proper character" on "Repentance" to be the hardest part of his performance on Systematic Chaos. "I wanted it to come off sounding very somber, very serious, very... not cold, but a somber approach, you know", he said.
Portnoy described the ninth part of the Suite, "Restitution", as being "all about making amends to people you've harmed". When writing it, he did not want to write about his own personal life as it would have made the song "too specific" to himself, wanting to make the lyrics more general. He instead asked friends of the band to contribute spoken word apologies. Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth
Steve Hogarth also known as "h", is the lead vocalist and occasional keyboardist/guitarist with the British rock band Marillion. Hogarth was formerly a keyboard player and co-lead vocalist with The Europeans and vocalist with How We Live...
, Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Steven John Wilson is an English musician, best known as the founder, lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of progressive rock band Porcupine Tree...
, Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
, Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, Mikael Åkerfeldt
Mikael Åkerfeldt
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician who achieved fame as the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth as well as the lead vocalist of death metal band Bloodbath. He was the vocalist and guitarist for the band Sörskogen and the guitarist of the band Steel...
, Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
, Daniel Gildenlöw
Daniel Gildenlöw
Daniel Gildenlöw is a Swedish musician and songwriter. He is best known as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist for Pain of Salvation, a Swedish progressive metal band. In the band, he is the main songwriter, lead guitar player, and the mastermind behind each album's concept...
, Neal Morse
Neal Morse
Neal Morse is an American multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock composer based in Nashville, Tennessee.-Background:...
, David Ellefson
David Ellefson
David Warren "Dave" Ellefson is a bassist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Megadeth. He also goes by "Junior." He currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona...
and Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine , better known by his ring name Chris Jericho, is an inactive Canadian-American professional wrestler, musician, songwriter, radio personality, television host, actor, author, and dancer...
all contributed apologies which featured in the final track. Portnoy was disappointed that Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
, Geoff Tate
Geoff Tate
Geoff Tate is an American singer and musician, who rose to fame in the 1980s with the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche...
, Bruce Dickinson
Bruce Dickinson
Paul Bruce Dickinson is an English singer, songwriter, airline pilot, fencer, broadcaster, author, screenwriter, actor and marketing director, best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden....
and James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
declined his invitation, but was pleased with the final list of contributors.
The Shattered Fortress
"The Shattered Fortress" concludes the Suite, featuring the last three parts ("Restraint", "Receive", "Responsible"). It is the fourth track on Black Clouds & Silver LiningsBlack 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...
. Portnoy considers the track as the "grand finale" of the Suite, and "knew it would really be made up of all the musical and lyrical references from the past, and bring them all together to wrap it all up". Before starting to write the track, the band listened to all four of the previous tracks in the Suite, making notes on the progressions of the parts and the melodies they wanted to reprise.
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 vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the... - 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.... - 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...
, backing vocals - Mike PortnoyMike PortnoyMichael 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...
– 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 ....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - 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...
Production
- John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy – producersRecord 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...
- Doug Oberkircher, 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:* * *...
– engineers