Progressive metal band Dream Theater has confirmed it has begun working on a new album following the 2025 release of "Parasomnia." The band shared a photo of all five members at Ytse Jam Studios, captioning it with "#DT17 is underway." This marks the start of what the group has described as a gradual process of discussing the direction of the next album, with each member contributing ideas that are later evaluated for potential development.

According to band members, the primary focus currently remains on their world tour, which is scheduled to conclude in mid-May 2026. Following the tour, the band plans to take a break before beginning work on a new album, with writing and recording expected to start in late 2026 or early 2027. A full tour following the new album is anticipated in late 2027 or early 2028.

The follow-up to "Parasomnia" will be produced by John Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme is once again responsible for the cover art. The original "Parasomnia" album, released on February 7, 2025, is an eight-song, 71-minute record that includes several tracks over seven minutes, with the closing piece "The Shadow Man Incident" lasting nearly 20 minutes.

Dream Theater formed as Majesty in 1985 after meeting at Berklee College of Music. The band has released multiple studio albums, including "An Evening With Dream Theater," which featured a full performance of "Parasomnia" and "A Change Of Seasons" during a 2026 concert in Santiago, Chile, recorded for an upcoming Blu-ray release. The 2024 Paris concert, documented in "Quarantième: Live À Paris," also spans the band's full catalog of fan favorites.