Why do you like Dream Theater? (And Progessive Rock/Metal in general)

[Vajra]

The obvious answer is because "The music sounds good" but my question is, what is it about DT and the Prog Rock genre's music that draws you to it?

For me, the sound has a very unique, creative, and emotional edge. It doesn't just sound like some songs that were written for the sake of being catchy, they instead sound like a real piece of art (snobishness aside). With DT and prog, there's so much work and effort put into the songs, and it's just amazing to listen to it all. The genre never fails to deliver many different sounds, whether it be mellow, operatic, classical, etc, it's just fantastic.

Another reason would be, (no suprise here) I love long, complex structured songs. My favorite part about listening to music is when I have a chance to really embark on a musical voyage, and DT/Prog always provides it. I'm a very big fan of literature and film, so I'm naturally drawn to story-like songs.

And finally, for metal particularly, the power. The type of power and aggression you get from songs like The Glass Prison, or The Count of Tuscany is just incredible. I'm not an angry person in the slightest, but I'm really drawn to agression and power, things that I can head bang and go crazy to.


What about you guys?

[Zook]

The melodies, the metal, the non-metal, the rock, the melodies, the melodies, the melodies (lol dream theatre doesn't have melodies) the instrumental jams, THEY R TEH AWSUM! That goes for all the Prog bands I listen to. Not just DT.

[Adami]

Because I think for the most part they write good and interesting songs.

[Jamesman42]

Because I think for the most part they write good and interesting songs.

This. The genre gives the band room to write a good variety as well. They mostly do well.

[Vajra]

Because I think for the most part they write good and interesting songs.

Well, what about them do you find makes them good and interesting?

[jlandrus23]

I wish DT was a little heavier than they currently are.

[Adami]

Because I think for the most part they write good and interesting songs.

Well, what about them do you find makes them good and interesting?

They way they juxtapose mixolydian scales over diminished 7th chords. I have no idea man, it sounds pleasant to my ears.

[Vajra]

Because I think for the most part they write good and interesting songs.

Well, what about them do you find makes them good and interesting?

They way they juxtapose mixolydian scales over diminished 7th chords. I have no idea man, it sounds pleasant to my ears.

I gotchya

[setrataeso]

I can't say that there is one reason I can pin down for why I like Dream Theater. They do a lot of things that I find interesting. If anything, I like Dream Theater because they're a band with a long tail. There's a lot of re-listening value to them. Lots of things to notice each subsequent time you hear a song, plus the band themselves are so talented, it's just easy to admire their skill.

I think I like progressive music in general because it's such an open category. "Progressive", to me, just means a band is doing something different. And that's all I really want in music; something different. If I wanted copycat bands playing the same thing that bands 10 years ago were playing, then I would be listening to a much different selection of music. The progressive genre is the genre of music that continues to surprise me with the ideas and innovations that bands are coming up with every year.

[Jaffa]

There's a lot of room for variety in the genre.  That summarizes my feelings pretty well.

Like, I love In the Name of God, and I love Strange Deja vu, but I love them in completely different ways for completely different reasons. 

Variety.

[Vajra]

There's a lot of room for variety in the genre.  That summarizes my feelings pretty well.

Like, I love In the Name of God, and I love Strange Deja vu, but I love them in completely different ways for completely different reasons. 

Variety.

Dream Theater is easily one of the most diverse bands there is. The amount of styles they incoperate into their music is mind blowing. The only band I know of off the top of my head who is as diverse, if not more, would be Porcupine Tree.

[TheGreatPretender]

Because they're be best fucking band ever!!! 

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Because they're be best fucking band ever!!! 

[TheGreatPretender]

Dream Theater is easily one of the most diverse bands there is. The amount of styles they incoperate into their music is mind blowing.

In all honesty though, this is pretty much the reason. That, and their compositions. The long, progressive songs that are always changing, and sometimes aren't even recognizable by the end, other than some recurring melodies. It's essentially classical music with modern instruments.

[Nic35]

It's simple : DT is one of the few bands that are able to blend progressive and melodic music. That's what they do best.

They're progressive, but they are catchy as hell too. And that's remarkable.

[TheGreatPretender]

It's simple : DT is one of the few bands that are able to blend progressive and melodic music. That's what they do best.

They're progressive, but they are catchy as hell too. And that's remarkable.

BUT! They can also play heavier stuff, and bring some "balls" to it.

So basically, it's like the whole thing that DT said they wanted to be. They wanted to be melodic and progressive like Rush, but at the same time, they wanted to be heavier and more Metal, like Iron Maiden. So yeah, what they were "trying to be" completely succeeded.

[Vajra]

Dream Theater is easily one of the most diverse bands there is. The amount of styles they incoperate into their music is mind blowing.

In all honesty though, this is pretty much the reason. That, and their compositions. The long, progressive songs that are always changing, and sometimes aren't even recognizable by the end, other than some recurring melodies. It's essentially classical music with modern instruments.

I wouldn't say DT is classical music with modern instruments, they're extreamly close, but not quite there. If you want a modern Prog Metal band who has done it, check out the first 3 minutes of Symphony X's "The Odyssey" and the opening track of Paradise Lost, "Oculus ex Inferni" Those two songs have the complexity and arrangement style of classical pieces, where as DT relies a little more on repitation. Usually in instrumental sections of DT the riffs/melodies repeat themselves a bit, before it shifts into a new piece, where as with classical music, it's constantly re-aranging itself.

[Vajra]

It's simple : DT is one of the few bands that are able to blend progressive and melodic music. That's what they do best.

They're progressive, but they are catchy as hell too. And that's remarkable.

Exactly. I love just about all Prog Metal bands, but very few songs by them are able to catch my attention like Dream Theater songs do. Dream Theater may not be Metallica catchy, but for a progessive metal band, they are the on top.

[TheGreatPretender]

I wouldn't say DT is classical music with modern instruments, they're extreamly close, but not quite there. If you want a modern Prog Metal band who has done it, check out the first 3 minutes of Symphony X's "The Odyssey" and the opening track of Paradise Lost, "Oculus ex Inferni" Those two songs have the complexity and arrangement style of classical pieces, where as DT relies a little more on repitation. Usually in instrumental sections of DT the riffs/melodies repeat themselves a bit, before it shifts into a new piece, where as with classical music, it's constantly re-aranging itself.

Yeah, but the point is, it's always changing and turning into something different.
It kinda sucks that Queen didn't end up going that way. Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the most progressive pieces of music ever fit into 6 minutes. And then, sadly, they started doing Radio Gaga.
It makes me kinda glad that DT didn't end up becoming a Mainstream band in the long run.

[rumborak]

Interestingly, I *really* like Dream Theater, but can't stand prog metal as a genre.

It kinda sucks that Queen didn't end up going that way. Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the most progressive pieces of music ever fit into 6 minutes. And then, sadly, they started doing Radio Gaga.

That's gotta be the narrowest view of Queen I have ever seen. Yes, they did Radio Gaga, but they also did Innuendo, Hammer to Fall and Good old-fashioned lover boy. Queen never stood still, and that's what made them great. They were way more prog than DT has been in the last 10 years.

rumborak

[TheGreatPretender]

That's gotta be the narrowest view of Queen I have ever seen. Yes, they did Radio Gaga, but they also did Innuendo, Hammer to Fall and Good old-fashioned lover boy.

I know that, I'm a fan of Queen. Still, they've never done any really epic pieces like Bohemian Rhapsody again. Innuendo kinda came close, but it was more along the lines of ABA format, rather than ABCDE format, where everything changes constantly.

Queen never stood still, and that's what made them great. They were way more prog than DT has been in the last 10 years.

rumborak

Well, that's not really true. Regardless of how you feel about DT's post 2000 work, pieces like 6 Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Octavarium as as Progressive as DT ever got, on part with the likes of A Change of Seasons and Learning to Live. So DT's always remained progressive.

Unless by Prog. you mean to have your music constantly change from album to album, in which case, I'd say DT and Queen have been on par. ESPECIALLY in the past 10 years, when every album DT puts out sounds completely different.

What I'm saying is, it's a pity Queen never went the Rush way of doing 20 minute epics with constant progression. Because they would've been amazing at it.

[KevShmev]

It's simple : DT is one of the few bands that are able to blend progressive and melodic music. That's what they do best.

They're progressive, but they are catchy as hell too. And that's remarkable.

That is a very good way to put it.

It kinda sucks that Queen didn't end up going that way. Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the most progressive pieces of music ever fit into 6 minutes. And then, sadly, they started doing Radio Gaga.
It makes me kinda glad that DT didn't end up becoming a Mainstream band in the long run.

Fail.  Radio Ga-Ga is a better song than any of the four singles from the last two DT albums. 

Interestingly, I *really* like Dream Theater, but can't stand prog metal as a genre.
 

Same here.  Almost all of the "prog" music I like is rock, not metal.

  I'd say DT and Queen have been on par. ESPECIALLY in the past 10 years, when every album DT puts out sounds completely different.

Say what?  Every DT album sounds completely different?  You're not serious, are you?

[TheGreatPretender]

Say what?  Every DT album sounds completely different?  You're not serious, are you?

Why? Are you saying that Six Degrees sounds like Train of Thought sounds like Octavarium sounds like Systematic Chaos? Because I'd highly disagree.

[KevShmev]

There are differences, but on smaller levels.  At their core, they all still heavily feature the DT sound.  That is not a criticism, just the way it is.  DT by their own admission never strays too far out of their prog metal box, so while they move all around that box a lot, it is still somewhat of a narrow one. 

[TheGreatPretender]

There are differences, but on smaller levels.  At their core, they all still heavily feature the DT sound.  That is not a criticism, just the way it is.  DT by their own admission never strays too far out of their prog metal box, so while they move all around that box a lot, it is still somewhat of a narrow one. 

It's really not. The sheer genre of Prog Metal makes that box far bigger than that of say, Thrash Metal, or Power Metal, or any other subgenre of Metal you could think of.

And yeah, in terms of genre, Queen did migrate quite a bit, from hard rock, to Disco, back to Hard Rock, to soft rock, etc. And they ended up alienating a lot of fans that way. Not me, because I have dynamic tastes in music. Heck, I even like the little rap that Rush did on "Roll The Bones." But a lot of fans were turned off by Queen's temporary departure from Rock. I enjoyed it the way I would enjoy pop music. But I'm certainly not going to listen to Raido Gaga if I want to hear anything even close to "Rock".

But as far as Prog Metal goes, I mean, listen to The Answer Lies Within, and then listen to Honor Thy Father, and then tell me that it's a narrow box.

[slycordinator]

It's really not. The sheer genre of Prog Metal makes that box far bigger than that of say, Thrash Metal, or Power Metal, or any other subgenre of Metal you could think of.

Who was talking about whether DT is more varied than a thrash band?

But as far as Prog Metal goes, I mean, listen to The Answer Lies Within, and then listen to Honor Thy Father, and then tell me that it's a narrow box.

Guy A: I want to get married
Guy B: Most of them end in divorce and you lose half your stuff to the woman
Guy A: My mom and dad have been married for 40 years
Guy B: Exception that proves the rule

Most of the songs over the last several years have definitely sounded very "same-y" even if there are some exceptions, as would be expected.

[TheGreatPretender]

Who was talking about whether DT is more varied than a thrash band?

You said they never stay too far from the 'prog metal box' and that it was a narrow box. It's not. That's all I'm saying. Given any subgenre of music, Prog Metal is probably one of the most diverse ones out there. Hell, even multiple prog metal bands don't sound anything like one another. I mean, yeah, there's Queensryche. But if you consider the fact that Mastodon and Symphony X are considered Prog Metal bands, they don't sound anything like Queensryche or DT. And still, it's prog metal. So that's one diverse box.

Guy A: I want to get married
Guy B: Most of them end in divorce and you lose half your stuff to the woman
Guy A: My mom and dad have been married for 40 years
Guy B: Exception that proves the rule

Most of the songs over the last several years have definitely sounded very "same-y" even if there are some exceptions, as would be expected.

Well, then you need to rethink your definition of "Samey" because compared to the past 10 years of DT music, their 90's stuff sounded samey as well.

Every band sounds 'samey' on some level, and you learn that the more you listen to them. Hell, Queen is no exception. One Vision is pretty much a combination of Hammer To Fall and A King of Magic. Every band is samey on some level. Dream Theater is still one of the most diverse I've ever heard. The only thing that stayed consistent for the past 2 albums is that they were relatively heavier than their past stuff (ToT excluding).

[KevShmev]

 The sheer genre of Prog Metal makes that box far bigger than that of say, Thrash Metal, or Power Metal, or any other subgenre of Metal you could think of.

So?  Being less narrow than a very narrow genre doesn't make that genre not narrow, per se.

  Heck, I even like the little rap that Rush did on "Roll The Bones."  

I do, too!  Always have.

   But a lot of fans were turned off by Queen's temporary departure from Rock.  

I imagine I would have hurled at the time had I been a fan when Hot Space was released.

But even though The Works had Radio Ga-Ga (a fun pop which absolutely slayed live), it also Hammer to Fall, which rocked like a mother.

 
But as far as Prog Metal goes, I mean, listen to The Answer Lies Within, and then listen to Honor Thy Father, and then tell me that it's a narrow box.

See what slycordinator said (since he said it well).

[KevShmev]

Who was talking about whether DT is more varied than a thrash band?

You said they never stay too far from the 'prog metal box' and that it was a narrow box. It's not. That's all I'm saying. Given any subgenre of music, Prog Metal is probably one of the most diverse ones out there. Hell, even multiple prog metal bands don't sound anything like one another. I mean, yeah, there's Queensryche. But if you consider the fact that Mastodon and Symphony X are considered Prog Metal bands, they don't sound anything like Queensryche or DT. And still, it's prog metal. So that's one diverse box.

Prog rock is far more diverse than prog metal.

[TheGreatPretender]

  The sheer genre of Prog Metal makes that box far bigger than that of say, Thrash Metal, or Power Metal, or any other subgenre of Metal you could think of.

So?  Being less narrow than a very narrow genre doesn't make that genre not narrow, per se.

   Heck, I even like the little rap that Rush did on "Roll The Bones." 

I do, too!  Always have.

    But a lot of fans were turned off by Queen's temporary departure from Rock. 

I imagine I would have hurled at the time had I been a fan when Hot Space was released.

But even though The Works had Radio Ga-Ga (a fun pop which absolutely slayed live), it also Hammer to Fall, which rocked like a mother.

 
But as far as Prog Metal goes, I mean, listen to The Answer Lies Within, and then listen to Honor Thy Father, and then tell me that it's a narrow box.

See what slycordinator said (since he said it well).

Baah, I just pretty much addressed all of these things above.

Prog rock is far more diverse than prog metal.

I disagree. But I really don't wanna have a big discussion on Prog Metal vs. Prog Rock. So let's just leave it at that, please.

[setrataeso]

The term "prog" doesn't really hold water like it used to Great Pretender. It's a fancy word that is used to categorize a different style of music, to put it simply. Yeah bands like Mastodon and Symphony X and Opeth are all different and all have the "prog metal" label slapped on them, but I really think that's just another term, and one that should be taken with a grain of salt. Given how broad the term "prog" has become, there's very little "in-box" cohesion happening.

[TheGreatPretender]

The term "prog" doesn't really hold water like it used to Great Pretender. It's a fancy word that is used to categorize a different style of music, to put it simply. Yeah bands like Mastodon and Symphony X and Opeth are all different and all have the "prog metal" label slapped on them, but I really think that's just another term, and one that should be taken with a grain of salt. Given how broad the term "prog" has become, there's very little "in-box" cohesion happening.

That's my whole point. These days Prog isn't tied down by any specific type of sound, so there are so many places to go. So even though a lot of Dream Theater's sound still comes inspired by the Prog Rock of old, they're still one of the most diverse bands out there. You have Six Degrees, and that's a solid Prog Metal album, with even songs like Solitary Shell, which is, yeah, borderline pop.
Then you have an album like Train of Thought, and it's completely different, it's super heavy throughout, only having one really mellow piece which is only 2 minutes long.
Then it goes back to Octavarium which, apart from a couple of songs, was pretty much softer than Six Degrees.
Then from that to a melodic, but still very heavy album like Systematic Chaos. That's diverse, man.


Read the reasons why some of the above people like DT:

Because I think for the most part they write good and interesting songs.

This. The genre gives the band room to write a good variety as well. They mostly do well.

There's a lot of room for variety in the genre.  That summarizes my feelings pretty well.

Like, I love In the Name of God, and I love Strange Deja vu, but I love them in completely different ways for completely different reasons. 

Variety.

Dream Theater is easily one of the most diverse bands there is. The amount of styles they incoperate into their music is mind blowing. The only band I know of off the top of my head who is as diverse, if not more, would be Porcupine Tree.

So yeah, clearly DT is one of the most diverse bands out there, I don't see why this is a point of argument. And no, that fact had not changed in the past 10 years. I'm sorry if people don't enjoy their more recent albums as much, but lack of 'variety' is not the reason.

[Obfuscation]

Because of the great big variety of sound or music lets say that this genre has alone. Also because of the creativity and imagination that has to go into each song. Also the complexity of the songs and how hard sometimes they are to play into their respective instruments. Also because DT is just fucking awesome and so is every other good prog band out there.

[TheGreatPretender]

Because of the great big variety of sound or music lets say that this genre has alone. Also because of the creativity and imagination that has to go into each song. Also the complexity of the songs and how hard sometimes they are to play into their respective instruments. Also because DT is just fucking awesome and so is every other good prog band out there.

Variety! 

[?]

Variety and talent!