Dream Theater recently announced A View from the Top of the World, their 15th studio album, and have now shared a music video for the opening track, "The Alien," which is the first single off the forthcoming record.

"It’s the first one we wrote together," said guitarist John Petrucci of the material on Dream Theater's first album since 2019's Distance Over Time. "It gives people a window into what it was like when we initially met up after all of those months off. It has the adventure, the untraditional structure, the heaviness, and the hooks. It really set the tone for the album," he explained.

"The Alien" opens rather forcefully with a cavalcade of percussion from the skillful hands and feet of drummer Mike Mangini and it's off to the prog races from there. Dream Theater perfectly establish the atmosphere with dizzying riffs juxtaposed by breathy, contemplative passages that speak directly to the lyrical matter.

"James [LaBrie] wrote the lyrics about the idea of terraforming and looking beyond our Earth for alternative settlements. Since we’re going beyond our planet, ‘The Alien’ turns out to be us. I thought it was a cool and creative lyric by James," detailed Petrucci.

Watch the video for "The Alien" at the bottom of the page and read the lyrics (via Genius) directly below.

A View From the Top of the World will be released on Oct. 22 on InsideOut Music (pre-order here) and a headlining tour with special guest Arch Echo will commence on Oct. 28 and a list of dates can be seen at this location.

Dream Theater, "The Alien" Lyrics

Look beyond the Earth, heading set for the stars
Interplanetary, some are near, some are far
Terraform a new world, survival for mankind
Options but a few, we are running out of time

Should you climb aboard
A voyage, the first of its kind
Ready to explore
All that you've known left behind

Our Holy Grail
Now redefined
Our purpose, a thread
Weaving through time
Now with the means to expand
Life beyond here, digital man

Alien, changed forever
New found world in the stars

Understand the meaning
Certain we'll extend the scale of consciousness
Woman, child and man
Multi planet species out amongst the stars
Not stuck in and around who and what we are
Time to climb aboard
Countdown to takeoff on time
Systems are online (5, 4, 3, 2)
Farewell to all humankind (1)

Our Holy Grail
Clearly defined
Our purpose, a thread
Weaving through time
Now with the means to expand
Life beyond here
Digital man

Alien, changed forever
New found world, here we are

Our Holy Grail
Clearly defined
Our purpose a thread
Weaving through time
Now with the means to expand

Our Holy Grail
Read between the lines
One purpose, one thread
Weaving throughout time
Now with the means to expand
I am the alien
Out here in the stars
We'll search till we find
No matter how far
A far better world
For all human race
And beyond

Dream Theater, "The Alien" Music Video

Dream Theater, A View From the Top of the World Album Cover + Track Listing

Dream Theater, 'A View From the Top of the World'
InsideOut Music
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1. "The Alien" (9:32)
2. "Answering the Call" (7:35)
3. "Invisible Monster" (6:31)
4. "Sleeping Giant" (10:05)
5. "Transcending Time" (6:25)
6. "Awaken the Master" (9:47)
7. "A View From the Top of the World" (20:24)

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