Dream Theater Vocalist James LaBrie Releases Devil In Drag, Opening Single For His Newest Solo Album

James LaBrie (Instagram @jameslabrie.dt)

JAKARTA - Dream Theater's vocalist James LaBrie will release his fourth solo album, titled Beautiful Shade Of Gray, on May 20 through InsideOut Music. The album's opening song as well as the album's first single, Devil In Drag has been released.

Produced by Wayne Joyner, the song's music video shows how LaBrie traverses personal maturity, loss, complex relationships and, most importantly, his burning passion for music.

On paper, the Canadian vocalist's latest studio album was first formed shortly after the global pandemic emerged. In reality, however, LaBrie had bonded with his fellow collaborator, Paul Logue nearly a decade earlier.

The two first met in 2011, when LaBrie would lend his voice to British melodic metal band Logue as bassist, Eden's Curse on the song No Holy Man. As time passed, the two kept in touch, sometimes turning down the idea of working together on other projects.

But when Dream Theater performed in Glasgow in late winter 2020, LaBrie and Logue met at the airport — once again they discussed the possibility of working together. But this time, armed with the knowledge that a drastic change in the world was imminent, LaBrie made the decision to start the partnership.

On LaBrie albums, Logue plays acoustic rhythm guitar (both six and twelve string) and acoustic bass, while guitarist Marco Sfogli, who has contributed to all of LaBrie's solo albums since Elements Of Persuasion (2005) handles the solo parts.

Logue recruited Eden's Curse keyboardist Christian Pulkkinen to lend his playing on the record. While the suggestion to recruit Labrie's son Chance to play drums also came from Paul.

Beautiful Shade Of Grey, as LaBrie describes it, is a title that came after he identified two of the album's core themes across his tracklist.

"Many of these lyrics have to do with human beauty, and a lot more have to do with the gray area between the two," LaBrie said. "You're not completely happy, but you're not completely sad either."

Here's the track list for Beautiful Shade Of Grey:

01. Devil In Drag02. SuperNova Girl03. Give And Take04. Sunset Ruin05. Hit Me Like A Brick06. Wildflower07. Conscience Calling08. What I Missed09. Am I Right10. Ramble On11. Devil In Drag (Electric Version)