Dream Theater

Hailing from Long Island in New York, Dream Theater has long served as the foremost representatives of progressive metal worldwide during the present century. Their knack for crafting concise yet melodically rich tracks packed with intricate musicianship, alongside expansive concept albums that weave together accessible hard-rock hooks, aggressive metal riffs, complex rhythmic prog patterns, and thoughtful lyrics, has positioned them as the benchmark against which peers are judged. The follow-up full-length from 1992, Images and Words, defined their core sound, whereas Awake from 1994 and Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory in 1999 secured their status among metal's elite. High-octane stage shows have become a hallmark, even as multiple live documents from the 2000s such as Live at the Marquee, Live in Japan, and Live Scenes from New York emerged; the group remains among the most heavily bootlegged acts in the style. For the sprawling 2016 dystopian sci-fi opera The Astonishing they enlisted the Prague Symphony Orchestra alongside three choirs. The seven-track set A View from the Top of the World appeared in 2021.

Initially operating under the moniker Majesty, drawn from a line in Rush's "Bastille Day," the outfit was assembled by Berklee College of Music attendees guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and drummer Mike Portnoy, who promptly added keyboardist Kevin Moore and singer Chris Collins. An eight-song demo issued as Majesty Demo under that earlier name moved a thousand units inside half a year. Collins's exit in late 1986 prompted an extended search that concluded with the November 1987 arrival of vocalist Charlie Dominici. The name Dream Theater, taken from a since-razed California cinema, was adopted at that point. A deal with Mechanic Records led to work on their debut album, though label disarray restricted early gigs to modest venues and bars, prompting an eventual split. Dominici was dismissed, triggering another vocalist hunt that wrapped in late 1991 upon receipt of a tape from former Winter Rose frontman James LaBrie; after an audition in New York he was welcomed aboard. (Charlie Dominici died on November 17, 2023, at the age of 72.) The Atco Atlantic imprint, later known as East West, issued Images & Words in 1992. Among three videos drawn from that record, the MTV favorite "Pull Me Under" stood out. Although Awake, tracked between May and July 1994, displayed further refinement, personnel flux persisted; Moore departed before mixing to pursue solo work. Derek Sherinian, initially a stand-in for the Waking Up the World tour, became a full member and debuted on the 23-minute 1989 composition "A Change of Seasons," released in September 1995.

After the brief Fix for '96 trek the members pursued separate endeavors. Petrucci proved especially active, forming the Liquid Tension Experiment with Portnoy, keyboardist Jordan Rudess, and influential bassist/stick player Tony Levin while also contributing to Trent Gardner's Explorers Club and appearing on Shadow Gallery's Tyranny. Myung and Sherinian joined King's X singer Ty Tabor in Platypus, and LaBrie launched Mull Muzzler alongside Matt Guillory and Mike Mangini. Sherinian's 1999 dismissal paved the way for Rudess's return; that year's Scenes from a Memory delivered a conceptual narrative centered on a 1928 murder and its modern-day repercussions. Live Scenes from New York followed in 2001, its original cover art depicting a flaming New York skyline withdrawn after the September 11 attacks. Further progressive-metal explorations arrived via Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence in 2002, the more streamlined Train of Thought in 2003, and Octavarium in 2005. The 2006 live package Score captured a performance backed by a 29-piece orchestra. Systematic Chaos surfaced in 2007 and Black Clouds & Silver Linings in 2009.

Sherinian later recorded solo and with the prog/jazz-fusion outfit Planet X. Petrucci issued a self-titled solo album in 2003 supported by Dixie Dregs bassist Dave LaRue and Boston drummer Dave DiCenso. Mangini replaced Portnoy, who exited in September 2010, late that same year. Amid heavy touring that integrated the new drummer, the group still managed studio time, previewing "On the Backs of Angels" via YouTube through Roadrunner in June 2011 ahead of the September release of A Dramatic Turn of Events. Following extensive global dates the members paused yet kept composing, reconvening in early 2013 for a self-titled studio album issued that September with Mangini fully engaged in writing, then issuing the Live at Luna Park concert document on CD and DVD that November from recordings made over two nights at Buenos Aires's soccer stadium during the prior tour. Breaking the Fourth Wall, taped at the Boston Opera House on March 24, 2014, arrived the next year. Late 2015 brought news of the 13th studio effort The Astonishing, a fully conceptual sci-fi work released in January 2016. After a world tour performing the album in full the band rested; they returned at the close of 2018 with the single and video "Untethered Angel" ahead of North American dates. Distance Over Time, the first collection in more than a decade clocking under an hour, emerged on Inside Out in early 2019 after an 18-day collaborative writing session emphasizing harder-edged material. A sold-out London Apollo performance from that cycle was preserved on the November 2020 release Distant Memories: Live in London, which also marked the 20th anniversary of Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. Seven extended pieces ranging from just over six to 20 minutes comprised the 2021 album A View from the Top of the World, presenting the first non-conceptual prog-metal statement in years.

October 2023 saw the announcement of founding drummer Mike Portnoy's return ahead of sessions for the 16th album, Parasomnia. Mangini's departure after years as a self-described temporary member occurred on cordial terms with mutual appreciation. Portnoy, whose prior recording with the group had been 2009's Black Clouds & Silver Linings, rejoined Petrucci and Myung, the trio that originated Dream Theater at Berklee College of Music in 1985; the current configuration also features vocalist James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess.