"One of the highlights of my career was flying to Miami to produce Yngwie, and the next day Al Di Meola - all for my record!"

The song "Axis Of Evil", (co-written with KISS drummer Eric Singer), has Zakk Wylde and Yngwie Malmsteen in a guitar duel.

Black Utopia was the beginning of an ongoing collaboration with drummer Brian Tichy, and album cover artist Mattias Noren.

[2] The title of the track "Nightmare Cinema" comes from an alternate name used by Dream Theater during the period when Sherinian was a member of the band.

Dream Theater would occasionally perform encores under that name, with each band member playing a different instrument then their primary one.