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Legendary progressive metal masters Dream Theater’s latest album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings has taken the band to new heights.  The album debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart, with first week sales totaling 40,285.  Both numbers mark the highest ever first week figures for the band, who are enjoying the greatest success of their 25 year career.  12% of the week’s sales were digital, ranking Black Clouds & Silver Linings at #21 on the Digital Albums chart. 

Drummer Mike Portnoy had this to say, “This is truly amazing. After almost 25 years together, Dream Theater is still growing and progressing and doing bigger and better than ever. I can't think of many bands that can claim that. We are truly thankful to have this incredible support from fans who believe in the band as a musical force.”

Such a monumental debut places Dream Theater, a band known for lengthy epics and the true “album” format, in the cozy Top 10 company of Jonas Brothers, Black Eyed Peas and Regina Spektor, a truly remarkable feat.  Portnoy continues, “An album with four songs over 12 minutes in the US Top 10? Hell must've frozen over!  This is one small step for Dream Theater, and one giant leap for music in general.”

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the band’s tenth studio album and follow up to the band’s 2007 Roadrunner Records debut, Systematic Chaos. In addition to the standard version CD, the album is also available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc Special Edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs. A limited deluxe collector’s edition boxed set is also available. “This is as smart and well played as metal and hard rock gets, an album just humming with live possibilities and headphone trips waiting to happen,” wrote Dennis Cook in is 6/23/2009 review at Jambase.com, while Shawn S. Lealos said in his 6/16/09 review at 411Mania.com: “Dream Theater has created their masterpiece.”

Dream Theater is currently breaking records in Europe, playing to festival crowds of over 80,000 adoring fans.  The band made their debut appearance in Israel last month, rocking a crowd 10,000 strong to their knees.  The band’s own Progressive Nation tour returns stateside on July 24 in Miami, and will feature Dream Theater as headliner, Zappa Plays Zappa, Bigelf and Scale The Summit.  The tour—which marks the second incarnation of Progressive Nation--wraps on August 29^th in Los Angeles.

As only the 10^th Top 10 debut in Roadrunner’s 30 year history, Black Clouds & Silver Linings is landmark album for the label as well.

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