Scents from a Memory – A Look at the Signature Perfume from Dream Theater’s John Petrucci

Photo: Dara Night

With an anniversary world tour and new album just around the corner, much of the prog world is abuzz with what the reformed Dream Theater will sound like, or what the stage show will look like. Few folks, however, are asking perhaps the most important question–what will it smell like? 

If guitarist John Petrucci has anything to say about it? Pretty damn good, actually. The prog shredder released his own signature scent, Nebula, in July through indie grooming brand “Captain Fawcett,” and now joins a growing legion of heavy metal royalty who have loaned their names to bespoke fragrances in recent years.

The fragrance is described as “a symphonic cascade of scent” with a “crescendo of aromatic intensity”, in a flashy, yet surprisingly bog-standard bit of fragrance-marketing hyperbole. Reading through the press release, I was soon asking myself–how does it hold up? I pre-ordered my bottle early, eager to give it a spritz.

Photo: Dara Night, The packaging of Nebula

Upon arrival, I was surprised by the understatement of the whole affair–at least from first glance. The Eau de Parfum arrives in a simple “raw” cardboard box that suggests sustainability, with some basic printing on the side. Opening the package, however, I was treated to a veritable pop-up-book of commemorative pins, guitar picks, signed authenticity cards, and other assorted tchotchkes surrounding the guitar legend. As I extracted the bottle, I was treated to a gorgeous, heavy-bottomed, deep amethyst affair reminiscent of a fancy liqueur instead of cologne. Satisfyingly weighty, with a charming embossed and enameled Nebula label on the front, it’s an extremely handsome piece. 

Unfortunately, the presentation was let down by the very cheap-feeling plastic cap. For the price this fragrance commands, upwards of $120 for only 50mL, I hoped to at least get a metal cap with an indent, or better yet, a magnetic fit. No such luck, sadly. Note to the Captain–invest in some better caps! Diving deeper into the bottle, the atomizer was fairly standard, if a little lacklustre, but delivered a uniform and smooth cloud of fragrance with no spitting.

Diving into the ingredient list, I found an impressively layered combination, including plenty of natural Atlas vedar, bergamot, lavender, vanilla, and rose oil, among others. Additionally, there were a number of synthetic ingredients, including a healthy dose of “Iso E Super,” a nearly ubiquitous ingredient throughout fragrance and cosmetics that offers a nondescript “clean” and “woody” aroma akin to sandalwood and ambergris. Also noteworthy are the iris and violet accords present in the blend. Several of Nebula’s constituent ingredients are on various EU and global allergen lists, so individuals with eczema, sensitive skin, or scent allergies should research and patch-test with a sample before splashing out (no pun intended) for the full presentation. 

“But how does it smell?” I hear you ask. Good question! Fawcett describes the scent of Nebula as having top notes of bergamot and rosemary, mids of  “rockstar florals” and base notes of guaiac wood, ceder, and ambergris. Reading this description, one would expect to smell a standard fresh “blue” fragrance, but they would be quite wrong! To my nose, Nebula opens with a wallop of clove and spicy-fresh lavender, along with subdued citrus and herbs amongst a background of resinous ceder and smooth citronella. Tonka bean lurks underneath it all, to round off any sharp edges with sweetness. These notes work together to give a vaguely liquorice-anise scent to the opening, and I was often reminded of a strong, herbaceous, absinthe-soaked cocktail made with barrel-aged gin while wearing it. Admittedly, an intoxicating opening, and a welcome change from the usual citrus-sharp sting of many “freshies.”

Photo: Dara Night

This somewhat boozy, herbal opening lasts for around 15-20 minutes before the carrier alcohol fully vanishes and the citronella note calms down into something much more floral. The clove is now attenuated as well, and things shift considerably towards rose and geranium notes with lavender and spice woven throughout. Further into the dry down, Nebula delivers big woodsy notes, while a powdery iris accord emerges to stick around until the very end. I should note that while these floral notes are ample, Nebula doesn’t smell like a typical “elderly” floral fragrance, as the ceder, camphor and tonka notes prop it up perfectly. I found myself making comparisons to other fragrances during my two month test run, but nothing close enough to suggest that Nebula was copying any other fragrance.

Unfortunately, despite the seductive scent and sophisticated blending, Nebula fell woefully short in terms of projection and wear time. I found that the fragrance rarely lasted beyond two hours during normal office wear. Moreover, I was lucky to get 30-45 minutes of active projection or “scent bubble” before it died down to a skin scent (though quite a beautiful one). For reference, my usual go-to of Versace Dylan Blue will give 4-6 hours of wear and at least an hour of gentle projection in an office setting. For an indie/niche fragrance at its price point, at least six hours of wear and two hours of sillage would be ideal. If nothing else, plan to re-apply by the time Metropolis Pt I and II finish.

Who should wear Nebula? While some marketing has suggested it as unisex, it leans rather masculine. Understandable coming from a brand that deals in men’s grooming, but I wish it were a bit more gender neutral–perhaps opting for softer woods, or dialling back the lavender (typically associated with men’s Fougere “barber shop” scents). Still, anyone can wear any fragrance if done with confidence, and Nebula is no exception. While great for evenings and dates, I nevertheless recommend ordering a sample first to assess how it smells and performs with your skin chemistry.

Overall, Nebula strikes a fine balance between capitalizing on John Petrucci’s “star power” and the very lovely scent the Captain has blended. Future flankers would do well to improve on packaging (the cap!) and longevity. Still, while some foibles prevent Nebula from achieving immediate greatness, the foundation is there, with a few tweaks, for a truly astonishing scent.