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Running head: THE GIFT OF MUSIC

The Gift of Music

Tyler Lunde

Arizona State University

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Abstract: The following essay is about the beginning of progressive metal and the most influential

band in the genre. Dream Theater, coming from the later 80s, took the world by storm with their released

single in 92. They have influenced many modern bands and have been the setting point for a lot of the

genres styling and technicality.

Keywords: Dream Theater, music, technicality, progressive, metal, influencer

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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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

Dream Theater-Saviors of Prog Metal (A History). (2006, July 31). Retrieved October 12, 2017,

from http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=26763

Ling, D. (2016, September 08). Dream Theater: Uniting Prog And Metal. Retrieved October 03,

2017, from http://teamrock.com/feature/2005-06-15/dream-theater-uniting-prog-and-

metal

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
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