Elements of Persuasion
Elements of Persuasion, released March 29, 2005, is Dream Theater singer James LaBrie's first solo album under his name, and third solo project, his first two being "Keep It to Yourself" and "MullMuzzler 2", which were released under his band MullMuzzler. LaBrie hired new musicians, including guitarist Marco Sfogli from Italy and Richard Chycki as sound engineer. Despite the lineup change, the album is still based on the same general style used on the past two albums, although with a much heavier sound. This is the last of LaBrie's solo albums to feature drummer Mike  Mangini, who would join Dream Theater five years later. Concept and making. Elements of Persuasion was written over a period of two years primarily by James LaBrie and keyboardist Matt Guillory with production taking place any time LaBrie had "down time" from Dream Theater or other obligations. The pair would begin to construct songs together, then independently grow and evolve the works. This process was facilitated by the pair sending MP3s back and forth to one another. The pair knew that they wanted to produce a "very aggressive and heavy album" focused on vocal melodies and lyrics. The lyrics of  the songs discuss a range of issues from organized religion to dictatorial oppression. "LaBrie explains Elements of Persuasion as the things that guide us during our lifetime and how at each stage of life certain things become much more important than others". Influences. LaBrie cites several bands as influences for Elements of Persuasion, such as Mudvayne, Meshuggah, Linkin Park, and Sevendust, commenting "Those bands were saying something to us, and I like the way they were approaching their music. I thought it was refreshing, intelligently done and just had a feel of its own." The direct influences of these bands  can be seen in songs such as "Lost", with its jazz-fusion vibe or "Smashed" with its Bruce Hornsby inspired piano melody. Indirect influences include literature which LaBrie reads, social issues, personal observations, and integration within relationships. Confusion with "Octavarium". Dream Theater's eighth studio album, "Octavarium", and LaBrie's "Elements of Persuasion" were both released in 2005, with fans awaiting the release of each. "Elements of Persuasion" was leaked prior to release by an unknown source and intentionally mislabeled as "Octavarium". Due to the album featuring LaBrie's vocals, many fans believed the leak to be that of Dream  Theater, which subsequently led to confusion among some fans at concerts and even some DJs playing incorrectly labeled tracks.