Dream Theater – Rock Icons

Introduction

The technically skilled guitar playing of John Petrucci elevated Dream Theater to the upper echelons of modern heavy metal. While its schedule has actually constantly developed, the Long Island-based quintet has actually consistently delivered sharp-edged music. Dream Theater is understood for its high-energy show performances. While they have actually released numerous live albums-- Live at the Marquee, taped at the London club; Live in Japan, recorded throughout the New music in Progress tour in 1993; and a triple CD and DVD, Live Scenes from New York-- they continue to be one of heavy metal's most bootlegged bands.

Dream Theater: Early Years

Originally named Majesty by Berklee University of Music students Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and drummer Mike Portnoy, the band soon broadened with the addition of keyboard player Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. Releasing an eight-tune demo, Majesty Demo, as Majesty, the team offered 1,000 copies within 6 months. The departure of Collins in late 1986 left Majesty without a vocalist, and after a long period of auditioning possible replacements, the group chose Charlie Dominici in November 1987. Changing its name, the group agreed on "Dream Theater," motivated by a now-demolished California movie theater. Signing with Mechanic Records, the team began dealing with its very first full-length album. Delays caused by label mismanagement limited the group to executing at little clubs and bars. Irritated by its experiences with the label, Dream Theater finally severed its ties with Mechanic.

This was only one extreme modification in the band's course of action. Firing Dominici, the team spent the next couple years looking for a singer. The search ended in late 1991 when a demo tape from Canadian vocalist James LaBrie, formerly of Winter months Roѕe, showed up. After flying to New York City to audition, LaBrie was invited to join the band. Signing with Atco Atlantic (which came to be known as East West), Dream Theater released its second album, Images and Words, in 1992. One of three videos based upon songs from the album, "Pull Me Under," became an MTV hit. Although Theater showed considerable development with their 3rd studio album, Awake, recorded between May and July 1994, the team proceeded to be obstructed by workers changes. Prior to the album was mixed, keyboardist Moore left the group to focus on his solo profession. Worked with as a short-term replacement for the band's Waking Up the World trip, Derek Sherinian later became a long-lasting user. His very first recording with Dream Theater was a 23-minute epic, "A Change of Seasons," created in 1989 and released in September 1995 on the album of the very same name.

Dream Theater: Fix for '96

Following a mini trip, Fix for' 96, the members of Dream Theater separated for numerous months and came to be involved with a variety of outside projects. Petrucci was the busiest. In addition to enrolling with Portnoy and keyboard player Jordan Rudess in the Fluid Tension Experiment-- a group that consisted of influential bassist/stick player Tony Levin-- Petrucci played guitar with Trent Gardner's Explorers Club and made a guest appearance on Shadow Gallery's Tyranny album. Myung and Sherinian worked together with King's X vocalist Ty Tabor in the band Platypus. LaBrie dealt with Mull Muzzler, a team formed with Matt Guillory and Mike Mangini.

Dream Theater experienced yet an additional change when Rudess was tapped to change Sherinian, who had actually been fired in 1999. The band released the modern rock-heavy Scenes from a Memory that year, a conceptual piece that followed the tale of a 1928 murder of a young woman and just how a modern man is haunted by the crime. It was followed by Live Scenes from New York City in 2001, which suffered from an unintentional bout with arguing when its original cover featuring the metro of New York City in flames was pulled due to the parties of September 11. The team continued in the modern metal vein in 2002 with 6 Levels of Inner Turbulence, followed by the leaner Train of Thought in 2003 and Octavarium in 2005. The live album Score: XOX was released in 2006 and included the band backed by a 29-piece orchestra. It was followed a year later on by the brand-new studio album Systematic Mayhem, and in 2009 by Black Clouds and Silver Linings.

Sherinian went on to tape-record as a soloist and to play with a prog and jazz fusion band, Planet X. Petrucci released an eponymously titled solo album in 2003, including accompaniment by Dave LaRue of the Dixie Dregs and Boston-based drummer Dave DeCenso. In late 2010, Mike Mangini joined the group, replacing drummer Mike Portnoy, who left the band in September of that year.