Dream Theater are creeping up on the release of their ambitious double album, The Astonishing. The record, a full blown rock opera, consists of two acts and 34 tracks with an immersive story arc set in the dystopian future. A website has been dedicated towards the launch of the album, slowly revealing pieces of the conceptual puzzle since the record's announcement. One of the remaining pieces has just been revealed: a trailer teasing the storyline and overall themes of The Astonishing.

"For generations, the great northern empires of the Americas remained unchallenged..." opens the trailer. Mentioning members of an elite aristocracy, the characters Faythe, Empress Arabelle and Emperor Nafaryus are shown and are said to have overseen an "illusion of comfort," which has led to an uprising in the lower classes as society begins to collapse.

"From the distant village of Ravenskill, a magnificent power threatens the false tranquility enforced by the ever-watchful NOMACs," giving hope and a beacon of light in an increasingly dark world. The catalyst for change comes as "a literal voice stirs the people in the heavens threatening the very deepest of slumbers with the awakening power of artistic expression." Touching on the ever-classic theme of good and evil, the trailer goes on to reveal a sense of potential doom lies within that beacon of hope, saying, "There is a fiery passion which could light the way toward a vibrant future if it doesn't engulf the world in flames."

The Astonishing will be out Jan. 29 on Roadrunner and the band will embark on a North American tour in April, playing the album in full.

In other news, Jordan Rudess has paid tribute to the late rock icon, David Bowie. The two musicians worked together in 2002 when Rudess guested on Bowie's Heathen album and, upon hearing the news of his death, the Dream Theater keyboardist sat behind his piano (video below) and recorded himself playing the classic "Space Oddity."

Watch Jordan Rudess Play David Bowie's "Space Oddity"

See Where Dream Theater's Image and Words Ranks Among the Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Albums of All Time

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