Another noob here.
I'm an historian / policy analyst, and metalhead lifer. I first became a fan of DT when I saw the 'Pull Me Under' video on Muchmusic in 1993 or so, drifted away for years, but am now back in a big way.
In the intervening years, thanks in part to this band, I became interested in old school progressive rock like King Crimson, Gabriel-era Genesis, and Captain Beefheart as well as technical metal like Watchtower, Cynic, and Anacrusis. So in addition to liking DT's music, I also feel like I owe them something for this other stuff.