The Gift of Music

Tyler Lunde

Arizona State University

 Dream Theater is a band made up of gods of their craft. The band, originating from

Berklee of College of Music in the late 80s, took the world by storm and gave birth to a new

sub-genre of progressive music, progressive metal. Dream Theater employs new techniques,

complex rhythms, and odd time signatures that have never been prevalent in music before. They

are seen as a major influence to many great bands, but the deemed themselves as the most

majestic in the genre. Overall, Dream Theater is considered the mastermind behind progressive

metal, and a major influence of those to come.

Certain individuals consider Dream Theater, one of the oldest bands in progressive metal,

overrated. On many internet forums, blogs, and organized conversations, people often criticize

Dream Theater for their on-stage cockiness, how they the standard in the genre and how they

copy other bands riffs. Dream Theater could be recognized as mainstream in the genre, but

how could they not be when they are one of the original bands. The music they write includes

technicalities like almost uncountable time signatures, clean and incredibly technical solos and

drum rhythms, and are always written differently from one another.

Progressive music lives in multiple genres like metal, rock, and even jazz. The

progressive rock scene started in 1960s as a sub-genre forming out of the psychedelic rock

scene. Progressive rocks first stirrings were detectable in July 1965 and Bob Dylans Like A

Rolling Stone. (Blake, 2017) The scene saw its peak years in the early 70s with major bands
like Rush, Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and many more. It began to decline in the late 70s with

the hippie movement. Bands, such as Dream Theater, idolized these early groups, and how they

wrote, and turned it into their own style.

Dream Theater started in 1986 consisting of two members, John Petrucci and John

Myung arrived at Berklee in search of a drummer who was into progressive rock and metal.

(Berklee, 2007) After meeting Mike Portnoy, who shared similar musical interests, they started

to play together and cover various songs by Rush and Iron Maiden. The trio decided to form a

group, and call it Majesty. Based off of the Rush song, Bastille Day that has a majestic

ending.

Soon after dropping out of Berklee, the trio set off to find more members for Majesty.

With Petrucci on guitar, Myung on bass, and Portnoy on drums, they found Kevin Moore for

keyboard and Chris Collins for vocals. Majesty wrote and performed The Majesty Demos for a

few months until deciding to fire Collins due to creative differences. They then brought on board

Charlie Dominici, but soon ran into legal troubles for their name. After multiple considerable

names, Portnoys dad had suggested Dream Theater, the name of an old theater that shut down in

California, and it stuck.

Soon after losing Charlie Dominici, and adopting Kevin James Labrie on vocals, Images

and Words was released in 1992 which many still rate as their definitive work (Ling. D.

2016) The album featured the song Pull Me Under which was their claim to fame. It had blown

up in the world of music after being featured on a famous radio station. Petrucci said in an

interview with Blabbermouth all the things that were being played on the radio sounded

nothing like Dream Theater (Mineur, 2017) Pull Me Under was a song that had loud Rock
and Roll vocals, shredding guitar solos, odd timing transitions, and all wrapped up into eight

minutes and twelve seconds. The song was way ahead of the time and gave a taste of what

progressive metal had to offer. If it wasnt for Pull Me Under, we probably wouldnt be

standing in front of you guys right now. Said Labrie at the Chandler Center for Arts, during a

live concert on October 28th, 2017.

Metropolis Scene 1, released on Images and Words, is widely considered to be their

first technical song. Released over 25 years ago, the solo section is basically the world debut of

their complex abilities. The piece begins with a beautiful soft intro, which then leads into

alluring harmonies with Petrucci playing leads over a strong and held out chord. Taking a chord

in 25/16 then into 5/8 to 6/8 and 7/8 into a complex rhythm section. There are little breaks in the

song where each musician gives small solos and snippets of their talents. Metropolis Scene 1

can be seen as a revolutionary piece of music that could be the first form of progressive metal.

Dream Theater usually writes songs that are so uncommonly technical that you cannot

bang your head to the rhythms. Dance of Eternity is considerably their most difficult song. The

entire song features many off timed rhythms, 32nd note guitar arpeggios, and beautiful guitar and

piano melodies. The piece starts with the intro in 4/4, to 5/8, then 3/8, 7/16, 3/8, 7/16, 5/8, 7/16,

2/4, 5/8 then back into 4/4. The piece dominantly leads at 124 beats per a minute, but has a

ragtime styled section timed at 260 beats per a minute and leads from a sudden transition. Just a

small example of their technical abilities and creative masterpieces.

Dream Theaters music will only be as great as the members of course. The current

members of Dream Theater are John Petrucci, Mike Mangini, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and

James Labrie. After Kevin Moores, the keyboardist, departure in 1996, Rudess took over in

1999 and has made more of an impact to the band than Kevin could offer. Mangini was Portnoys
replacement after he departed the band in 2010, having left after 25 years of history. The

standing members are considered the greatest of their craft, but Petrucci and Portnoy were the

members with the most spotlight because of their more popular instruments.

John Petrucci, among the greats of guitarists, is a writer, producer, teacher, and

sometimes an engineer. (Reiff, 2013) Petrucci, a guitarist unlike any other, can write a piece of

music that surpasses the average musician, and maybe many expert musicians. Any song written

by him is always played to perfection, and never sloppy. Many pieces of music including some

of his best parts are, The Best of Times, Enigma Machine, Octavarium, and many more.

He possesses a vast understanding of music theory, counting and playing through complex time

signatures, and a vast knowledge of many other music styles. He also has an entire line of guitars

with Ernie Ball Music Man. In a review of the JP6 BFR, the author states The luthiers at Music

Man really went out of their way to make this one of the finest representations of their art and

skill possible, and it shows. (Wagner, 2009) His line of guitars has such an unmatched

playability, it makes them the guitars to want in the progressive world. Guitarists have looked up

to Petrucci and often modeled their techniques, style, and tone after his.

Mike Portnoy, the long-time drummer of Dream Theater and the youngest drummer hall

of fame inductee, was a very large influence on modern progressive metal. After being inducted,

many had to say, Mike joined an elite group of drumming legends (B, 2004) Portnoy may

not be the fastest drummer, but he has such a remarkable ability to write in these odd time

signatures with still great styled rhythms. Portnoy can put a drum fill that is rudimental, clean,

and on beat, over 17/16 just like he could for 4/4. That skill alone makes him a fantastic

drummer. Some of his greatest work can be heard in pieces such as Instrumedley, Ytse Jam,

The Best of Times, Dance of Eternity, and many more. Mike Portnoy mimics his playing
style from the legendary Neil Peart but throws his own spice into the music by making it his

own. Sabian Cymbals endorse Mike Portnoy and have given him his own line of splashes and his

signature Max Stax. Stacks have not been the most popular in music but really have made a

showing in progressive metal.

The remaining members, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and James Labrie, are all

incredibly talented as well. Rudess can give a lighting quick, melodic, and beautifully written

piano part that really gives Dream Theater that large sound they are known for. Also, Rudess can

play in perfect harmony with any Petrucci solo which they often do. Myung is a bass

mastermind. He can play his own solos that are not a typical bass groove, like the tap solo in

Metropolis Scene 1. They are fast, clean, and are irregular from the normal bass player. James

Labrie obtains the ability to nail a high note and even a low glam metal style note. A perfect

example of his high range ability, uncommon in metal music, is Pull Me Under.

Progressive metal may be a relatively new genre, but Dream Theater has been leading the

way. Newer artists such as Animals as Leaders, Between the Buried and Me, Periphery,

Polyphia, Jason Richardson, Jason Kui and so many other artists all have a hint of Dream

Theater influence. Between the Buried and me probably has the most obvious Dream Theater

influence. Listening to some of their songs such as Coma Machine feels like your listening to a

different version of Dream Theater. Animals as Leaders is showcased as very unique

instrumentally and are advanced beyond anyone else but use odd time signature like Dream

Theater made famous back in 1992 and still does today. Jason Richardson and Kui both use John

Petrucci signature guitars to write and perform their music. These are just a few small examples

of the influence Dream Theater has on new age artists, and the ones who have followed Dream

Theater. Dream Theater has been the starting factor of many progressive metal attributes like odd
timings, changing tempos, clean and complex guitar parts, melodic rhythms, and many other

factors. Dream Theater will always provide a unique influence for present and future musicians.

References

B. (2004, May 16). DREAM THEATER's PORTNOY Inducted Into MODERN DRUMMER

HALL OF FAME. Retrieved November 13, 2017, from

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dream-theater-s-portnoy-inducted-into-modern-

drummer-hall-of-fame/

Blake, M. (2017, April 29). From Sgt Pepper to Syd Barrett: the psychedelic birth of prog

rock. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-06-16/the-

story-of-psychedelia-and-progressive-rock

Mineur, G. (2017, July 17). JOHN PETRUCCI Says 'Pull Me Under' Is 'Probably' The Most

Important Song Of DREAM THEATER's Career. Retrieved November 6, 2017, from

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/john-petrucci-says-pull-me-under-is-probably-the-

most-important-song-of-dream-theaters-career/

Wagner, J. (2009, April 24). Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci BFR 6 Review. Retrieved

November 13, 2017, from

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Ernie_Ball_Music_Man_John_Petrucci_BFR_6_

Review