I've done DT for the last year - who next?

[wrighty]

So I've spent the last year listening to almost nothing else except Dream Theater, having bought all their records, to the extent that I've completely bored my entire family and friends talking about them etc.

Who should I listen to next?  I come from a background of classic rock - I was big into Rush and Queen, as well as Zeppelin, Dio, ACDC, and I'm also into shred guitar, particularly Vinnie Moore and Paul Gilbert.

Suggestions gratefully received to guide my next year of discovery.

[bosk1]

Based on what you like and your post in the other thread you started, you may like Redemption and Symphony X. 

Redemption is also a progressive metal band and one of the few that doesn't just sound like a Dream Theater clone.  Nick Van Dyk, guitarist and main songwriter is really talented as a songwriter and writes some very heavy yet melodic music.  Ray Alder, the singer from Fates Warning, is their vocalist.  Recommended album:  Snowfall on Judgment Day

Symphony X is more power metal, with progressive influences.  When they were recommended to me years ago, someone described their singer as "sort of a demented Dio."  So if you can imagine Dio doing heavier vocals over music that sounds like a combo of Yngwie, Dream Theater, and Megadeth, that's kind of what you get.  Recommended albums:  Underworld, The Odyssey, V (in that order)

[Podaar]

You mentioned in the other thread that "The Astonishing" was your gateway to full on DT hard on. For that reason, you may enjoy Savatage. Gutter Ballet, Streets, Edge of Thorns, Dead Winter Dead, in particular.

[Crow]

Pain of Salvation is definitely worth checking out, less technical than DT but more emotional. The Perfect Element and Remedy Lane are two classics in my book, either is great to start with.

[goo-goo]

Fates Warning - Theories of Flight

[Phoenix87x]

Fates Warning - Theories of Flight

I was literally just typing fates warning, but you beat me too it 

Theories of flight is great, and also I would recommend a pleasant shade of grey

[King Postwhore]

Doing DT FOR a year?!

You must be sore!

[rumborak]

You must be score!

FTFY

[mike099]

Wrighty, I have the same musical background as yourself and basically did the same as you with DT.  As noted above, try Redemption - Snowfall on Judgement Day and Fates Warning -  Theories of Flight.  Also listen to the latest from Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage.  Finally try Porcupine Tree and Mastadon

[TAC]

Wrighty, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?

[King Postwhore]

You must be score!

FTFY

 

Certainly did!

[Mister Gold]

Since everyone else has already suggested Fates Warning, Symphony X and Redemption, I'll make a few other suggestions:

- Witherfall - These guys are a brand new band with only one album out so far (it came out a couple months ago), but holy hell is it a great album. Very proggy with a thick gothic neoclassical flavor. They're heavy, but also quite melodic.

- Seventh Wonder - These guys are a great DT-esque prog metal band, albeit with a better singer at the helm (imo). A bit more of a Dio and Queen influence in the vocal melodies though.

- Circus Maximus - Like Seventh Wonder, these guys are very DT-esque in their music although there's also a thick dash of Queensryche and Kamelot going on vocally.

- Crimson Glory - These guys are an oldie band, but their first two albums (the self-titled debut and Transcendence) are classics in the prog metal genre. The deceased lead vocalist Midnight is fantastic, with a very silky Halford-meets-Tate voice.

[Estiui]

I'm surprised nobody suggested Haken, so I'll suggest Haken.

[twosuitsluke]

I'm surprised nobody suggested Haken, so I'll suggest Haken.

Yea, I'd second that 

[Mister Gold]

I'm surprised nobody suggested Haken, so I'll suggest Haken.

I mean, I like Haken- but idk if it'd be what wrighty is interested in. They're a bit more modern-sounding than the bands he's cited as a point of reference on his musical tastes. Maybe he'd enjoy their two most recent albums though?

[Fritzinger]

I'm surprised nobody suggested Haken, so I'll suggest Haken.

Yea, I'd second that 

Yeah, I'd third that!

[bundy]

Sieges Even and Enchant are a couple more you might like to check out.

[home]

I'm surprised nobody suggested Haken, so I'll suggest Haken.

Yea, I'd second that 

Yeah, I'd third that!

Fourth, Haken are amazing  They are definitely a bit more modern sounding, but are very much inspired by Dream Theater.

[hefdaddy42]

Just my opinion, but if I had done nothing but DT for a year, I would switch genres completely for a while, not jump into someone else that sounds more or less like DT.

[ErHaO]

My vote would be Arjen Lucassen, his Ayreon and Star One projects in particular. Start with The Human Equation to see if you can dig his music (James Labrie has a main vocal part in it).

Symphony X is also a good one.

[mike099]

Also, would help if we knew which DT the OP likes best.

[Mister Gold]

Also, would help if we knew which DT the OP likes best.

Going off of his other post in another thread, it seems his favorite DT album is Scenes from a Memory.

[wrighty]

Thanks for all the suggestions - will hit Amazon or iTunes later!

To answer the questions - I'm 47 years of age (I don't know if that is old or young to like DT - seemed about average at the recent show in Cardiff) and my favourite albums are Scenes through to Octavarium. I consider that period to be their high point. Of course there's great material on other records, but in my opinion at least it's patchier.

[OpenYourEyes311]

just read the OP's only two posts so far, and the rest of this thread... no mention of Neal Morse yet.

Honestly, after I was caught up to date with DT, all I wanted was more of the same! So I looked for records that the DT guys were on, prog or not. I probably listen to something off this list more than DT at this point, but DT was the gateway to all this wonderful music. Here are the highlights:

Transatlantic (MP) -- very proggy band, long songs, etc. Neal Morse and MP are the stars (for me)
Neal Morse/Neal Morse Band (MP) -- Much like TA, this band is an all out progfest, but it's mostly all from the mind of Neal Morse
John Petrucci's Suspended Animation (JP) -- a great JP instrumental album
Liquid Tension Experiment (JP, MP, JR) -- a good gateway to other projects, as it has three of the main instrumentalists from DT
James LaBrie/Mullmuzzler (JLB, MM) -- The earlier MM albums feature Mangini and are much different than the later JLB albums, which are more metal focused. Cool different side of JLB.
Frameshift: Unweaving the Rainbow (JLB) -- Very good, experimental album with JLB on vocals, some GREAT tunes on here
Tim Donahue: Madmen & Sinners (JLB, MM) -- Good rocking album featuring JLB on vocals
The Winery Dogs (MP) -- Good if you like classic rock
Flying Colors (MP) -- Also good if you like classic rock
Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare (MP) -- Mainstream metal, if you're into that sort of thing
OSI (MP, KM) -- More Experimental stuff, almost an industrial feel. MP is on the first two records, but Kevin Moore is more or less the brain for all four.

[wrighty]

I've started with Symphony X, Redemption and Fates Warning.

Really liking Underworld, such that I'm now going to try the other SX suggestions. So far the other two haven't grabbed me as much, but I'll persist and see if they grow. I got 3 Redemption CDs for £10 of Amazon, which I thought was quite good value.

[jakepriest]

Meshuggah

[Sacul]

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet and Deadwing.

[mike099]

I've started with Symphony X, Redemption and Fates Warning.

Really liking Underworld, such that I'm now going to try the other SX suggestions. So far the other two haven't grabbed me as much, but I'll persist and see if they grow. I got 3 Redemption CDs for £10 of Amazon, which I thought was quite good value.

Which 3 redemption cds did you get and also Fates Warning?

[RoeDent]

Do what I did. Go from DT to Transatlantic, then off to each of the other parent bands of their members, Spock's Beard, Marillion and The Flower Kings. Then you can splinter off from there in all sorts of directions. Go down the prog route, man! We need more prog fans round here!*

(PS. I know there are a few, probably quite a few, but nowhere near enough. Big Big Train, IQ, The Tangent, Beardfish, Frost*, Marillion and tons of other great bands all need more love round these parts!)

[ytserush]

Doing DT FOR a year?!

You must be sore!

Imagine how they feel!

[wrighty]

The answer I was looking for was Haken.

A friend irl suggested them on learning about my DT obsession, so combined with the suggestions for them on here from a few months ago I got The Mountain and Visions. They've been played on a continuous loop for about a week now - I've found my new obsession! Can't wait to get to know their other 2.5 albums which I've just downloaded.

As a Brit, I recognise a bit of UK humour in their work, something not seen in DT - cockroach king for example (is that inspired by one of the Red Dwarf books perhaps?). I love the vocals - touches of Freddie and Queenesque harmonies from time to time - and the keys, which are less technical but for me more interesting than JR's.

Off now to continue 'the path' of discovery.

[Adami]

Sons of Apollo.

[The Silent Cody]

Sons of Apollo.

that's a good one 
Anyway, I'm saying Haken - even if their sound is more modern and they give a little bit of djenty sounds sometimes, You should like it. Only vocals may be a problem, but it's a matter of taste.
Second one, definitly Symphony X. Very solid prog/metal band with power influences and great vocals.
Third one, Circus Maximus, very similar to Symphony X, but different vocals and sometimes not so heavy
And for the top of that - You definitly should try EVERGREY 

[Sycsa]

I "did" DT for about 2-3 years, listening to them almost exclusively every single day. I haven't found a single band with such depth, versatility, and massive body of work before or since. For this reason, they're my all time favorite band.

It's really hard to find anything new that stirs up interest, most of the stuff mentioned here do absolutely nothing for me (Fates Warning, Haken, The Flower Kings, Pain of Salvation, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, Neil Morse, Porcupine Tree). My gripe with all these bands it's that the vocals and vocal melodies sound cheesy to me, and whatever they do instrumentally, it can't redeem it. The more I experiment with new music, the more I realize what an amazing singer JLB is (at least in the studio). He really deserves all the praise and nothing but.

The modern prog bands that clicked with me both have great, unique, and kickass vocals. Symphony X (Paradise Lost and especially Underworld - Russell Allen became my favorite vocalist) and Riverside (Anno Domini HD).

I've also had enormous fun with Children of Bodom (Hatebreeder, Follow the Reaper, Hate Crew Deathroll). They're so engaging and energetic, it's incredible. They wrote some of my all-time favorite melodies, and show amazing consistency on those 3 albums.

I'm looking forward to Sons of Apollo, seems like it has potential.

[Architeuthis]

Silent Assassins.. The bass player (Mike Lepond) from Symphony X did this as a side project and it is AWESOME!!! He wrote all the songs and did the rhythm guitar parts and bass lines. It's a melodic in your face metal album and very refreshing lo listen to.
 I also highly recommend Symphony X.