Dream Theater vocalist LaBrie considering further solo material

James LaBrie
James LaBrie (Image credit: Getty)

Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie wants to return to the studio to record another solo album.

He released Impermanent Resonance in 2013 with keyboardist Matt Guillory, guitarist Marco Sfogli, bassist Ray Riendeau and drummer Peter Wildoer. And the singer says talks about a possible follow-up have already taken place.

LaBrie tells Carl Begai: “I think it’s just a matter of Matt, myself, and all the other guys making time to get together. It really is a band and me and Matt are really passionate about keeping the same players of the last 10 years.

“Matt and I have talked and we agree that we definitely have to do another one, we have to follow up Impermanent Resonance with an album that is just as killer. I think it’ll be better.

“It really is a matter of being able to sit down and put the time and focus into it that it deserves. I do believe there will be another one – I really want to do another solo album before I say, ‘I’m done, I don’t want to do this anymore’ or, ‘I don’t want to perform live anymore.’”

LaBrie toured Europe on the back of his 2005 album Elements Of Persuasion but after visa problems halted his plans to showcase 2010’s Static Impulse, he’s keen to revisit his solo material live again in the near future.

The singer continues: “I really want to take the solo band out because a lot of that material begs to be played live. I think it would be incredible to do that. I think it would be something where I’d be saying to the fans, ‘If you want to see it, you’d better come out because I can’t really guarantee it’s ever going to happen again.’

But LaBrie adds a note of caution. “It’s really hard to put a tour together for the solo albums because all those guys have careers, jobs, families,” he says. “So it’s not easy for them to say they’re going to be able to set aside four or five months to hit as many places around the world as possible.

“It’s easy enough for me to do because I just have to tell the Dream Theater guys that I’m not available for the next few months to do my solo thing when we have that downtime.”

Dream Theater are currently on tour in support of latest album The Astonishing, which was released earlier this year via Roadrunner Records.

Dream Theater remaining 2016 tour dates

Apr 18: Albany Palace Theatre, NY
Apr 19: Boston Orpheum Theater, MA
Apr 20: Wallingford Oakdale Theatre, CT
Apr 23: New York Radio City Music Hall, NY
Apr 26: Greensburg Palace Theatre, PA
Apr 27: Cincinnati Taft Theatre, OH
Apr 30: Chicago Theatre, IL
May 01: Minneapolis State Theatre, MN
May 03: Denver Paramount Theatre, CO
May 07: Los Angeles Wiltern, CA
May 10: Portland Schnitzer Auditorium, OR
May 11: Seattle Paramount Theatre, WA

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.