A Rite of Passage is the second track and first single of Dream Theater's upcoming album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings. Mike Portnoy confirmed in an interview with Eddie Trunk that the version featured on the album is eight and a half minutes in length, but will be edited to five and a half for the video, which was shot in late March. In an interview, Jordan Rudess confirmed that the song's lyrics are based on Freemasonry. The song was released as a free download on Roadrunner Records webpage for 24 hours on May 5. The label has confirmed that A Rite of Passage will be made available for streaming on May 11.