What has gone before... (in more ways than one!)

[GasparXR]

I'm not very familiar with Tool, but I don't really hear anything that sounds even mildly DEP or Meshuggah-influenced in any of DT's recent music.

I'm only familiar with Tool, out of those three, so I can tell you that parts of Home and The Great Debate are very Tool-inspired. As for Meshuggah, there is a part in The Dance of Eternity that MP coined as "the Meshuggah part" in the SFNY DVD.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

DEP DT mashup nao

[Scorpion]

When Whinery Dogs Are Acting As a Particle (feat. Mike P. on growls instead of Greg P.)

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

[Tomislav95]

DT had some Tool jam during SDOIT tour? I think I heard it on bootleg few years ago but I don't know if I have it now. I'll try to find it tomorrow.

[Scorpion]

When Whinery Dogs Are Acting As a Particle (feat. Mike P. on growls instead of Greg P.)

Even better: The Ministry of Lost Bets

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Dark Eternal Werewolf.

[Scorpion]

You're doing it wrong dawg there needs to be one common word

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

There was. It was "the".

Which I removed.

I tried "Endless Endings" + "Endless Sacrifice", but then you end up with.... Endless Endings or Endless Sacrifice.

[TheCountOfNYC]

The most obvious influence to me is Rush. You can hear their influence all over Dream Theater's music. I really like Rush and they were the first prog band I ever heard and as a musician, YYZ was the first "impossible" song I remember learning.

Iron Maiden is another band I really like, although not as much as I like Rush. I honestly don't hear their influence all that much, but I can certainly see why they have been cited as an influence.

Finally, I want to talk about Metallica. I absolutely love Metallica. They are my all time favorite band, and Cliff Burton is the person who inspired me to play bass. I would not be the musician I am today without Metallica. Their music is the biggest influence on MY writing and they will always be the most important band to me. With that said, since I started listening to Dream Theater and understanding what is going on in their songs, Metallica's music suddenly feels less exciting. Apart from James' rhythm playing, the musicianship is nowhere near the level of DT, and even the most difficult songs in their catalog like Dyers Eve or Fight Fire With Fire now sound simple after hearing songs like The Dance of Eternity and Metropolis. I hear their influence more in Dream Theater's heavier songs and to be honest, I prefer their proggier stuff.