Dream Theater is an American Progressive Metal band, born in 1985. That year, three young boys from Boston's Berklee College of Music decide to form a musical band. Their names are John Peter Petrucci (guitarist), John Ro Myung (bassist) and Michael Stephen Portnoy (drummer). The three guys also invite Kevin Moore on keyboards and Chris Collins on vocals. The band's name is Majesty. It can be curious to know why they decide to choose this moniker. The choice comes from a comment to a song by Rush (great inspirators to Dream Theater), entitled Bastille Day and which one Portnoy defines "majestic". Later on, however, the five musicians are forced to change moniker, because a Jazz band with the same moniker already exists. The choice of the new moniker falls upon "Dream Theater", in honour of a cinema in Monterrey, California. The suggestion comes from Portnoy's father (R.I.P.). The famous symbol used by the band, instead, is the coat of arms of the ring used by Mary Stuart of Scotland. It represents her initial (the letter "M") and her husband's (Francis II of France) symbol (the greek phi). Mike says the symbol represents the initial letter of "Majesty". Meanwhile, the band also changes its singer, since Chris Collins is found in quarrel with his companions. So, Charlie Dominici joins in 1988.
The Ascent and Success
With Charlie Dominici, Dream Theater records When Dream and Day Unite (1989). The band goes on tour to support the album, but they are again forced to change singer. Looking for a new singer becomes very hard. The band can finally find him in a Canadian young guy called Kevin James LaBrie. After only an auction, satisfied by the Canadian's talent and voice, Dream Theater decides to join LaBrie in the band, when they are almost resigned to take the instrumental career. LaBrie's debut on vocals is in Images and Words (meanwhile, the band changes label, moving from Mechanic Records - by now failed - to Atlantic Records). The album, out in 1992, reveals itself as a clamorous outcome, carrying the band to fame and glory: Dream Theater becomes the symbol of 80's and 90's Progressive Metal. As soon as two years after (meanwhile, we have the first Dream Theater live album, out in 1993 and entitled Live at the Marquee), is the moment for Awake, which one shocks the fans, as they expected something similar to Images and Words. Nowadays, however, Awake is considered an authentic masterpiece.
Hard Times
Unfortunately, just at best of Dream Theater's career, Kevin Moore leaves the band. The keyboard player does not partecipate the tour in support of Awake and the band decides to contact Jordan Rudess, who also plays at concerts, but does not feel to enter the band. So, the choice falls upon Derek Sherinian, with whom Dream Theater records A Change of Seasons (1995). The EP contains the homonymous and famous suite lasting about 23 minutes.
With Falling into Infinity (1997), there is a change. It is a hard period for the band. Atlantic Records does not want to produce an album for DT anymore, because of Awake's failure in sales (!!!). The recording of Falling into Infinity, therefore, reveals complicated, full of compromises with the label and exclusion of many tracks (like Raise the Knife or Speak to Me, then released in a CD gift for the fan club) or the modification of other songs (like You Not Me and Burning My Soul). Dream Theater goes on tour, before the album outs, just with the attempt to demonstrate that fans are always ready to support. Despite this, Falling into Infinity collects negative criticism among the absolutist part of fans. From the tour in support of Falling into Infinity, there is a live album: Once in a LIVEtime (1998).
The Great Return
For a year, the band has been dedicating to solist plans (like John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy's Liquid Tension Experiment, with Tony Levin and… Jordan Rudess!). After this, Dream Theater again changes its keyboard player. In place of Derek Sherinian, Jordan Rudess himself joins the band, who rejected the offer years ago. With Jordan Rudess, the band records Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (in truth, Sherinian wrote something, then however remained in the album). Out in 1999, after a difficult period, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory reveals itself as a huge outcome, practically a return to the past. Actually, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is considered one of the greatest masterpiece of the band. The album is so extraordinary that it propels Dream Theater to record a triple live album. The live is more than three hours and contains the whole execution of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory: Live Scenes from New York (out in 2001 and recorded in August 30th, 2000, in occasion of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory tour's final show). Unfortunately, this live falls in a rather fatal coincidence. In fact, it outs in September 11th, 2001 and the cover art represents the Twin Towers wrapped by flames of the heart already present on Images and Words and Live at the Marquee's cover arts. In sign of respect, the album is immediately withdrawn and the cover art replaced. However, it appears in the VHS version, out a few months ago, in May.
A New Era
We have to wait three years to get a new Dream Theater studio album, after Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence outs in 2002 and shocks the fans. There's no return to the past. Dream Theater wants to astonish everyone. From Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Dream takes a road towards heavier sonorities, coming off from their roots. The route continues in Train of Thought (2003). From the tour in support of this one, we have another triple live album: Live at Budokan. In this way, Dream Theater realizes a great desire: playing at Budokan (Tokyo). The album outs in 2004 and the date of the concert is April 28th, 2004.
Two years after Train of Thought, the band agains surprises with Octavarium (2005). The album is an interesting "enigma" based on numbers 5 and 8, but it is also contested because of remindings to U2, Muse and Coldplay. Also from the tour in support of Octavarium, we have a triple live album. This time, the band wants to celebrate their 20th anniversary: Score (2006).
Someone begins to think that Dream, after all these years, are changing. Effectively, many factors change. The band abandons Atlantic Records, moving to Roadrunner Records. Then, Systematic Chaos outs in 2007 (the album, however, was recorded months before, in September 2006). The tour in support of Systematic Chaos includes the execution of entire Images and Words studio album, in honor of its 15 years, in exclusively special evenings (like at Gods of Metal, June 3rd, 2007). Dream Theater seems to have found new life, conquering more fans... so, we get Dream Theater's first Greatest Hits, entitled Dream Theater' s Greatest Hit (… & 21 other pretty cool songs). The album from the tour in support of Systematic Chaos is Chaos in Motion 2007-2008. The live album conains songs played during many concerts, although there's nothing from Italy
The new Dream Theater studio album will out in June 2009, so stay tuned on Italian Voices for news!
The Ascent and Success
With Charlie Dominici, Dream Theater records When Dream and Day Unite (1989). The band goes on tour to support the album, but they are again forced to change singer. Looking for a new singer becomes very hard. The band can finally find him in a Canadian young guy called Kevin James LaBrie. After only an auction, satisfied by the Canadian's talent and voice, Dream Theater decides to join LaBrie in the band, when they are almost resigned to take the instrumental career. LaBrie's debut on vocals is in Images and Words (meanwhile, the band changes label, moving from Mechanic Records - by now failed - to Atlantic Records). The album, out in 1992, reveals itself as a clamorous outcome, carrying the band to fame and glory: Dream Theater becomes the symbol of 80's and 90's Progressive Metal. As soon as two years after (meanwhile, we have the first Dream Theater live album, out in 1993 and entitled Live at the Marquee), is the moment for Awake, which one shocks the fans, as they expected something similar to Images and Words. Nowadays, however, Awake is considered an authentic masterpiece.
Hard Times
Unfortunately, just at best of Dream Theater's career, Kevin Moore leaves the band. The keyboard player does not partecipate the tour in support of Awake and the band decides to contact Jordan Rudess, who also plays at concerts, but does not feel to enter the band. So, the choice falls upon Derek Sherinian, with whom Dream Theater records A Change of Seasons (1995). The EP contains the homonymous and famous suite lasting about 23 minutes.
With Falling into Infinity (1997), there is a change. It is a hard period for the band. Atlantic Records does not want to produce an album for DT anymore, because of Awake's failure in sales (!!!). The recording of Falling into Infinity, therefore, reveals complicated, full of compromises with the label and exclusion of many tracks (like Raise the Knife or Speak to Me, then released in a CD gift for the fan club) or the modification of other songs (like You Not Me and Burning My Soul). Dream Theater goes on tour, before the album outs, just with the attempt to demonstrate that fans are always ready to support. Despite this, Falling into Infinity collects negative criticism among the absolutist part of fans. From the tour in support of Falling into Infinity, there is a live album: Once in a LIVEtime (1998).
The Great Return
For a year, the band has been dedicating to solist plans (like John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy's Liquid Tension Experiment, with Tony Levin and… Jordan Rudess!). After this, Dream Theater again changes its keyboard player. In place of Derek Sherinian, Jordan Rudess himself joins the band, who rejected the offer years ago. With Jordan Rudess, the band records Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (in truth, Sherinian wrote something, then however remained in the album). Out in 1999, after a difficult period, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory reveals itself as a huge outcome, practically a return to the past. Actually, Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory is considered one of the greatest masterpiece of the band. The album is so extraordinary that it propels Dream Theater to record a triple live album. The live is more than three hours and contains the whole execution of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory: Live Scenes from New York (out in 2001 and recorded in August 30th, 2000, in occasion of Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory tour's final show). Unfortunately, this live falls in a rather fatal coincidence. In fact, it outs in September 11th, 2001 and the cover art represents the Twin Towers wrapped by flames of the heart already present on Images and Words and Live at the Marquee's cover arts. In sign of respect, the album is immediately withdrawn and the cover art replaced. However, it appears in the VHS version, out a few months ago, in May.
A New Era
We have to wait three years to get a new Dream Theater studio album, after Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence outs in 2002 and shocks the fans. There's no return to the past. Dream Theater wants to astonish everyone. From Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, Dream takes a road towards heavier sonorities, coming off from their roots. The route continues in Train of Thought (2003). From the tour in support of this one, we have another triple live album: Live at Budokan. In this way, Dream Theater realizes a great desire: playing at Budokan (Tokyo). The album outs in 2004 and the date of the concert is April 28th, 2004.
Two years after Train of Thought, the band agains surprises with Octavarium (2005). The album is an interesting "enigma" based on numbers 5 and 8, but it is also contested because of remindings to U2, Muse and Coldplay. Also from the tour in support of Octavarium, we have a triple live album. This time, the band wants to celebrate their 20th anniversary: Score (2006).
Someone begins to think that Dream, after all these years, are changing. Effectively, many factors change. The band abandons Atlantic Records, moving to Roadrunner Records. Then, Systematic Chaos outs in 2007 (the album, however, was recorded months before, in September 2006). The tour in support of Systematic Chaos includes the execution of entire Images and Words studio album, in honor of its 15 years, in exclusively special evenings (like at Gods of Metal, June 3rd, 2007). Dream Theater seems to have found new life, conquering more fans... so, we get Dream Theater's first Greatest Hits, entitled Dream Theater' s Greatest Hit (… & 21 other pretty cool songs). The album from the tour in support of Systematic Chaos is Chaos in Motion 2007-2008. The live album conains songs played during many concerts, although there's nothing from Italy
The new Dream Theater studio album will out in June 2009, so stay tuned on Italian Voices for news!