Recommended Bands For Dream Theater Fans

[farsight]

Dredg is also great, they're basically Haken before Haken. El Cielo is one of the best albums of the last decade.

[hefdaddy42]

Oh, yeah, Dredg is amazing.

[tiagodon]

Animals as Leaders!   

[Riitasointi]

Animals as Leaders!   

This. So much.

[Xenon]

If you like DT
If you don't like DT
If you like music, you must at least give a try to:

Devin Townsend
Mastodon
Leprous

and all the others that were already mentioned

[kirksnosehair]

I'd be careful about pigeon-holing Circus Maximus as a DT clone.  Yes, their first album leans very heavily on the I&W-era of Dream Theater, but I think they really took off on their own direction with "Isolate" which sounds very, very different from "The First Chapter"  Then on "Nine" (their most recent album) they made another rather drastic change.  Honestly, they almost sound like three different bands with the same lead vocalist.


I forgot to mention a band that I think draws significant influence from Dream Theater but doesn't sound exactly like them is a group called Silent Memorial - they have an album called "Retrospective" which is pretty cool.  The vocalist is outstanding, he also sings for a band called Cloudscape.  I find their catalog to be a bit spotty, but their album "Global Drama" is pretty awesome.

[JPX]

Why do you hate Symphony X?

Oh god, your list. Nevermind.

I knew it! 

My hatred for Protest the Hero is no secret around here. Let's not go there though. I've gotten threads locked.

Lets go for another thread lock because I can give you 50 reasons why PTH are better than (current) DT and I LOVE DT.

PTH might just be the best band ever formed.

[JPX]

Oh, yeah, Dredg is amazing.

They USED to be amazing. Everything post El Cielo is blah.

[hefdaddy42]

Opinions

[Zook]

Why do you hate Symphony X?

Oh god, your list. Nevermind.

I knew it! 

My hatred for Protest the Hero is no secret around here. Let's not go there though. I've gotten threads locked.

Lets go for another thread lock because I can give you 50 reasons why PTH are better than (current) DT and I LOVE DT.

PTH might just be the best band ever formed.

OH NO YOU DI'INT!

[JPX]

OH NO YOU DI'INT!

[theaterdream]

I think Misunderstood is better on this album than SDOIT.  They removed all the wackiness at the end. I think Home was shortened too in a better way.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

....What?

[theaterdream]

In my travels of looking for other bands in the same genre as DT I have come across Seventh Wonder,  Circus Maximus and Nightwish. SW wonder is amazing except I grow tired of them easily. Their formula of guitar and drums seems so repetitive so after song. Lots of chugging and fast double bass. Like it doesn't fit the song or something. Circus Maximus's latest album Nine is beautiful. Mixing a lot of slower, poppier styles with progressive.  I like it. Nightwish is great. They have some pretty epic tracks. Lots of orchestra on various tracks. I just hate the songs where the guy grunts and screams. Ruins the music.

[Evermind]

SW wonder is amazing

So, what is Steven Wilson's wonder exactly?

[theaterdream]

SW wonder is amazing

So, what is Steven Wilson's wonder exactly?

Good catch Evermind. Meant to say SW is amazing.

[Dani Helios]

I would highly recommend Animals As Leaders. Also, 65Daysofstatic.
And, if you don't mind some screams in there, Opeth! Their instrumentals are very good. I'm not such a huge fan of their vocals though!

[EraVulgaris]

And, if you don't mind some screams in there, Opeth! Their instrumentals are very good. I'm not such a huge fan of their vocals though!

This. I would love Opeth if it wasn't for the screams. It would be amazing if they would find a balance between the old stuff (regarding the instrumentals) and the new stuff (meaning: No screams).

@Topic: Haken and Ayreon!

[WebRaider]

Sun Caged (particularly their album The Lotus Effect) 

[adamack]

And, if you don't mind some screams in there, Opeth! Their instrumentals are very good. I'm not such a huge fan of their vocals though!

This. I would love Opeth if it wasn't for the screams. It would be amazing if they would find a balance between the old stuff (regarding the instrumentals) and the new stuff (meaning: No screams).

@Topic: Haken and Ayreon!

Have you checked out Opeth's Damnation album?

It is my personal favorite (tied with Blackwater Park).

Damnation has no screams at all. It is a mellow, but very emotional album.

Here is a moment which I feel reflects the sound of Damnation:  https://youtu.be/9x6YclsLHN0?t=3m52s

[Vlasto]

bands already recommended, check them:

[erwinrafael]

So I took your advice and listened to some of the bands recommended.

I'm in love with Redemption now. Amazing.

[Tim van Duijn]

Check out The Aurora Project, it's a dutch progressive metal band who released 3 albums. Check out the latest album Selling The Agression which is by far the best imo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dDoEp5l2i4

[Dani Helios]

And, if you don't mind some screams in there, Opeth! Their instrumentals are very good. I'm not such a huge fan of their vocals though!

This. I would love Opeth if it wasn't for the screams. It would be amazing if they would find a balance between the old stuff (regarding the instrumentals) and the new stuff (meaning: No screams).

@Topic: Haken and Ayreon!

Have you checked out Opeth's Damnation album?

It is my personal favorite (tied with Blackwater Park).

Damnation has no screams at all. It is a mellow, but very emotional album.

Here is a moment which I feel reflects the sound of Damnation:  https://youtu.be/9x6YclsLHN0?t=3m52s

I'll check out damnation then. Thanks! (the albums that I have are Still Life & Watershed, I love the instrumentals on Still Life, but i'm just not a fan of the death metal screaming)

[adamack]

And, if you don't mind some screams in there, Opeth! Their instrumentals are very good. I'm not such a huge fan of their vocals though!

This. I would love Opeth if it wasn't for the screams. It would be amazing if they would find a balance between the old stuff (regarding the instrumentals) and the new stuff (meaning: No screams).

@Topic: Haken and Ayreon!

Have you checked out Opeth's Damnation album?

It is my personal favorite (tied with Blackwater Park).

Damnation has no screams at all. It is a mellow, but very emotional album.

Here is a moment which I feel reflects the sound of Damnation:  https://youtu.be/9x6YclsLHN0?t=3m52s

I'll check out damnation then. Thanks! (the albums that I have are Still Life & Watershed, I love the instrumentals on Still Life, but i'm just not a fan of the death metal screaming)

I know whatcha mean. At first, I could not stand death metal screaming. Nowadays, I like it in small doses.

But yeah man, Damnation is definitely my favorite Opeth album. It has a slower tempo, yet dark and emotional sound.

[Dani Helios]

Have Dominici disbanded after O3? What happened?