Which Aspect(s) of DT Music do you enjoy most? Prog, Metal, Rock/Pop...

[The Letter M]

Well, Dream Theater is usually qualified as a Progressive Metal band, and their roots go back to Rush, Iron Maiden, Yes, and Metallica, but they're also more influenced by other bands in the individual prog and metal genres, as well as bands in the rock/pop genres, like U2 and Journey.

Simple question here, so which aspect(s) of DT music do you enjoy most? I love all three, but for me, it's definitely the prog part. DT is my 2nd favorite band after Rush, and my other favorite artists are definitely more prog than metal or pop/rock (The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, Transatlantic, Porcupine Tree, Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd). They do some great epics and their instrumentation and arrangements are some of the proggiest I've ever heard!

Of course, I think many fans will say "All Three" as the sound of DT is a unique blend of all three sounds as every album contains major elements of all three, and even their compilation release showcases two of these three sides - Heavy, showing off their metal influences, and Light, showing off their classic rock and pop influences - while their epics and long songs flex their prog muscles even more!

-Marc.

[Ħ]

Prog and Rock/Pop

[wolven74]

I'd say I'm a fan of all three, but my absolute favorite part of Dream Theater is the metal/prog. For example: IMO albums like BC&SL and TOT as a whole are better than 8VM. However, 8VM as a song is amazing. One of the best songs of their career. As a whole though, I'd say the album 8VM is more pop than metal or prog. The same can be said for FII. Some heavy stuff, but aimed more at radio friendly, so not their best. The best albums have a great mix of both. That's why I love 6DoIT and ADTOE. They're all the aspects of DT that I love.

[YtseJamittaja]

All three in appropriate proportions.

[ResultsMayVary]

Prog and metal, without a doubt. But everything else is cool, too! 

[Bongasti]

Prog and all the melodic stuff. I'm not too much into the metal aspect.

[krands85]

Prog and metal, without a doubt. But everything else is cool, too! 

[Liberation]

Chose prog and metal though an "atmosphere" option would be perfect for me.

[7thHanyou]

This is hard to answer, and I probably won't vote in the poll just yet.  Strange as it seems, I haven't thought about it.

It's quite clear to me that post-SFaM, I prefer their "prog" stuff.  Octavarium is my favorite recent album.  I like about half of SDoIT (like, not love), and I consider ADToE a return to form in large part because it emphasizes the prog elements.  The song Octavarium might be the best thing modern Dream Theater has done.

By contrast, I can't stand a lot of their recent metal stuff.  Train of Thought, Systematic Chaos, BCSL...this all sounds like a mid-life crisis in music form.

But really, when Dream Theater was at its best, the prog and metal were inseparable.  Songs like A Fortune in Lies, Under a Glass Moon, Voices, New Millennium, and Home are not straightforward prog songs, though they may emphasize the prog over the metal just a bit.  It's the combination of elements that works, and with the exception of Home, I wouldn't change these songs one bit.  They're beautiful, awesome compositions.

So my answer varies depending on the era.  The sort of metal Dream Theater gravitates toward now does absolutely nothing for me, and it's pretty different than what you found in Under a Glass Moon.  The sort of metal Dream Theater plays now gravitates towards "headbanging" and maybe "jamming," but not much else worthwhile.  There's no beauty or grace in it from what I can tell.  The metal they played earlier?  Loved it.

As for rock/pop, they're fine.  Octavarium and Falling into Infinity place more of an emphasis on them than most DT albums, and they're both great.  Some of their accessible rock and pop songs, like Another Day, stand tall with their long, complex compositions.

In any case I'd much rather listen to Status Seeker than Constant Motion.

I may vote for Pop/Prog, because they're the most consistently decent, at least.  I'll still have to think about it.

EDIT: I have heard, even from metalheads, that DT's not that hot of a metal band. Might point toward prog being the priority, because to be honest I really do think they aren't that great at the type of metal they chose to zero in on recently.

[BlobVanDam]

I enjoy DT for their melodic and their metal sides. I hate prog, so that's not what interests me, although DT actually do it well so I like whatever they do anyway.
But DT's strengths compared to other similar bands is that they know how to write memorable melodic music, and they write strong metal songs with great riffs.

But I love the vast majority of DT's music, so I don't generally dislike any songs that favour any particular area. But I do prefer the shorter ballady and metal songs over some of their longer proggier songs that others do, like ACOS and LTL which I find lack something.

[7thHanyou]

I enjoy DT for their melodic and their metal sides. I hate prog, so that's not what interests me, although DT actually do it well so I like whatever they do anyway.
But DT's strengths compared to other similar bands is that they know how to write memorable melodic music, and they write strong metal songs with great riffs.

But I love the vast majority of DT's music, so I don't generally dislike any songs that favour any particular area. But I do prefer the shorter ballady and metal songs over some of their longer proggier songs that others do, like ACOS and LTL which I find lack something.

I've owned Images and Words since 2005, and I didn't like Learning to Live until maybe 2009.  A Change of Seasons took about 1 to 2 years for me to appreciate.

Dream Theater's proggy songs often take a long, long while to "click" for me.  Some, like Take the Time and Octavarium, catch on immediately, but they're the exception, not the rule.

I know whether I like most of their metal and rock/pop songs almost immediately.

You may just need to give LTL more time.

[BlobVanDam]

I enjoy DT for their melodic and their metal sides. I hate prog, so that's not what interests me, although DT actually do it well so I like whatever they do anyway.
But DT's strengths compared to other similar bands is that they know how to write memorable melodic music, and they write strong metal songs with great riffs.

But I love the vast majority of DT's music, so I don't generally dislike any songs that favour any particular area. But I do prefer the shorter ballady and metal songs over some of their longer proggier songs that others do, like ACOS and LTL which I find lack something.

I've owned Images and Words since 2005, and I didn't like Learning to Live until maybe 2009.  A Change of Seasons took about 1 to 2 years for me to appreciate.

Dream Theater's proggy songs often take a long, long while to "click" for me.  Some, like Take the Time and Octavarium, catch on immediately, but they're the exception, not the rule.

I know whether I like most of their metal and rock/pop songs almost immediately.

You may just need to give LTL more time.

I've had the album for 8 years. It's had more than enough time, and I love the rest of the album.
I just don't think it's one of their better songs. It's good, but it has weak vocal melodies during the verses and chorus, and not a lot of focus on riffs etc.  It does have an amazing instrumental section though. As I said, some of their proggy stuff is just lacking. Listening to it more is not going to change that for me.

[serrano]

For me it is the balance, this is one of the reasons i'm enjoying ADTOE a lot.

[?]

Prog and metal of course

[hefdaddy42]

Prog and metal, but I like their prog better than their metal.

[XB0BX]

I'm really thankful I'm a metal fan, because it pains me to see people like that guy up there who hates metal and thus hates about half of the bands' catelogue. I can't imagine liking a band enough to post on a forum dedicated to them, and hating half of their stuff. Luckily, I love the heavier stuff, including SC. I love it, and don't understand people who think it's best feature is being a paper weight or coaster.

[theseoafs]

I'm a progger myself, but obviously I enjoy the other aspects. I wouldn't be here if I didn't.

Luckily, I love the heavier stuff, including SC. I love it, and don't understand people who think it's best feature is being a paper weight or coaster.

Though I do think SC's best feature is its coaster-readiness, this shouldn't have anything to do with how much I enjoy metal (and it doesn't). Analyzing DT's music along genre lines is kind of missing the point. I think SC has lacking music, rather than not having enough progginess or having too much metal.

[GunsOfThePatriots]

the AWAKE FORMULA

[mrjazzguitar]

the combination is what makes them DT