Which Side of Dream Theater do You Connect Most With?

[Jay T]

I'm new here, so I apologize if this has been done before! I couldn't seem to find a thread/poll on it, but perhaps there is one. I know there is a huge mix in the DT fan community, and some prefer their heavier side, others the proggier side. I myself connect more with their progressive rock side; I grew up listening to Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Rush, Pink Floyd, Al Di Meola, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs etc. I didn't ever really get into too much metal, except for Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple (more hard rock I guess?). Later on I got into some Metallica and Megadeth, but that's about it. I don't generally listen to metal, and haven't kept up with the metal scene these days. I do feel that DT does a very nice job of blending progressive rock and metal though

[bosk1]

I kind of went the opposite route.  I was (and am) a metal guy.  DT was kind of my gateway to "progressive," and I have gotten into more progressive rock and progressive metal through them over the years since '92.

[Jay T]

I kind of went the opposite route.  I was (and am) a metal guy.  DT was kind of my gateway to "progressive," and I have gotten into more progressive rock and progressive metal through them over the years since '92.

That's cool! I also discovered them in '92!

[geeeemo]

I chose the Prog Rock option more for the epic, symphonic parts. I was first drawn to DT by their heavier music. But after 3 years now, I feel like I don't like the metal as much as the epic. Like many of the songs on ADToE. I also enjoyed TA. I find myself listening to TOT less than the others and the same for I&W.  With the new album, it seems like it is a nice mix of heavy and the Prog. I am not a big fan of Genesis or even Rush (even though that was my very 1st concert), DT has more of an edge than they do in most cases. I don't care for the "lighter" songs like TLG but somehow love TA, and some really heavy ones are my faves - ItNoG for example.

[MirrorMask]

I'm a metalhead through and through, and if progressive metal was our solar system, DT would be the sun of it: 98% of all of it. I dig some prog and I consider myself a fan of Symphony X and Ayreon for example, but DT is the first and foremost band that I associate with prog metal and with the years the interest they brought to the genre faded and now I'm oriented more toward the classic metal and the folk-ish stuff.

I was drawn by DT by James' voice, and the mix of complexity and yet accessibility of their songs. Stuff like Metropolis, with the incredible and not ordinary vocal lines, hooked me up and kept me on ever since. I still have a memory of me and my cousin singing along to Metropolis when we both were fairly new to the band (he introduced me actually) and giggling through the verses for how much awesome the song was, stuff we haven't heard yet in our exploration of music.

The spark for me happened with The Mirror, after months of hearing that song at the end of a cassette tap it finally clicked and it started the avalanche effect of exposing me to the whole catalog, and when the new album way back then, Scenes from a Memory, came along, well.... there was no turning back.

It's hard to vote because I like all sides of DT, both the melodic and the heavy, ironically being a metal guy the things that left me mildly disappointed in their discography was when the pedal was put TOO MUCH on the metal, but all in all every album has been at the very least quite good, with moments of awesomeness spread out through all their albums.

[TAC]

I myself connect more with their progressive rock side; I grew up listening to Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Al Di Meola, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs etc.

So, I didn't, nor am I into any of these bands. But I respect what they do. I'm a metal guy, so to me, DT at their best takes these bands and paints a Metal/Hard Rock face on them. I don't care for DT as a metal band. I can get my metal in many other places. I don't want or need that from them.

[lovethedrake]

Easily the more progressive side for me.   

[krands85]

I kind of went the opposite route.  I was (and am) a metal guy.  DT was kind of my gateway to "progressive," and I have gotten into more progressive rock and progressive metal through them over the years since '92.

Same here, except I discovered them around 14 or 15 years later!

Although I came into the band from a more metal background and still listen to plenty of it, I voted for the Progressive Rock / Epic / Symphonic / Orchestral option. That's what I find the band do best and where no other band comes consistently close to matching them. I still like there being a balance with plenty of metal in there, but the scales are tipped in favour of the prog/epic side. I would be really disappointed if they really toned down that part of their music and did a more straightforward metal/hard rock album. But I probably wouldn't mind so much if they did the opposite.

The mainstream and ballad side of things are nice to add a bit of a different flavour to things, but they're not anywhere near as important to me.

[pg1067]

If "both prog and metal" were an option, that's what I'd pick, but I voted for prog.  TAC's comments are pretty close to my feelings, except that I'm into a lot of the listed bands.

[Jay T]

I myself connect more with their progressive rock side; I grew up listening to Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Al Di Meola, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs etc.

So, I didn't, nor am I into any of these bands. But I respect what they do. I'm a metal guy, so to me, DT at their best takes these bands and paints a Metal/Hard Rock face on them. I don't care for DT as a metal band. I can get my metal in many other places. I don't want or need that from them.

It's funny you should say that, because I've never really considered them to be a full-on metal band. I know they have certain songs that fall under the metal category, but I've always thought of them to be a progressive rock band first and foremost. Having said that, one of my favorite things about them is how on most of their albums, from one song to the next, it's hard to believe it's the same band. I remember when I first listened to Images and Words when it came out, I couldn't believe Another Day was the same guys who played Pull Me Under, and I loved that.

Their versatility, the amount of styles they cover... to me, that's the essence of what it means to be "progressive". The odd time signatures, long instrumental sections with virtuosic soloing, etc... those are just characteristics they've become known for. But, those first 8 albums... each one was drastically different from the previous, and the next. I think for me, it was around Systematic Chaos where things started to sound "been there done that", and I could start to predict where each song was going. That's not to say that there aren't amazing moments on SC and BC&SL, but overall, I lost interest in the band's direction for a while. When MP announced he was leaving and the band announced Mangini as the new drummer, I became interested again, and have really enjoyed each album ever since.

[WilliamMunny]

The ballads and the proggy side for me - Six Degrees, FII, and Octavarium are my most listened to albums by far.

[bl5150]

Whatever side you reckon Images and Words best encompasses.   My favourite albums are the first 3 and the Mangini era - to me those albums are on the more melodic side but I still don't see them as progressive OR metal.   ToT is very metal but also very progressive so I have a hard time separating things into categories.

I related well to both of the quotes below:

I myself connect more with their progressive rock side; I grew up listening to Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Al Di Meola, Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs etc.

So, I didn't, nor am I into any of these bands. But I respect what they do. I'm a metal guy, so to me, DT at their best takes these bands and paints a Metal/Hard Rock face on them. I don't care for DT as a metal band. I can get my metal in many other places. I don't want or need that from them.

It's hard to vote because I like all sides of DT, both the melodic and the heavy, ironically being a metal guy the things that left me mildly disappointed in their discography was when the pedal was put TOO MUCH on the metal, but all in all every album has been at the very least quite good, with moments of awesomeness spread out through all their albums.

[The Letter M]

I went with the proggy side. I came into Dream Theater from being a fan of Rush. Around 2003, after having gotten into Rush for about a year, I was thirsty for more music like them, and after doing some research, a lot of fellow Rush fans pointed me towards Dream Theater, particularly their earlier works like WDADU, IAW and SFAM, so I checked those out and was blown away (I try to get a band's debut when I start out, and then their most beloved albums next). I was by no means a metalhead, and Rush was about the hardest hard rock I'd listened to at the time.

It didn't take long for me to get as many DT albums as I could throughout 2004. I remember being on Christmas vacation in California, visiting family, and I bought my Live At Budokan (either just the DVD, or the CD as well, I can't remember), and I was captivated. Train Of Thought was their most recent album at the time, and my excitement for Octavarium was through the roof, and being a mostly proggy guy, that album was everything I wanted and more (especially the title track).

Dream Theater really opened me up to heavier prog and prog metal, in a way that Rush, Genesis, Yes, or King Crimson did not quite achieve, but without those guys, I probably would not have ventured into Dream Theater with as much excitement and enthusiasm. They are my second favorite band after Rush, and I wouldn't change that for the world, but by far, I am in there for the prog - the metal is just made more awesome with the prog, and I'm okay with that as I have grown to love all their sides.

-Marc.

[DT1138]

Metal and hard rock for me, but I appreciate all the styles and talent of everyone in the band no matter what they play.

[KevShmev]

While I liked plenty of hard rock, I didn't like any metal till I heard Dream Theater in 1992, and I was more of a classic rock/prog rock guy at that point.  DT was my gateway to getting into metal, so I went with the progressive/etc. option, although I like all sides of the band.

[TheGreatPretender]

I really can't say there's one side or the other that I mostly gravitate to. I'm honestly trying to think of it, but I can't decide. Outside of DT, I'm definitely more of a Metal guy than a prog or pop guy, but I so also listen to a bit of classical music, soundtracks, some pop and some prog as well. DT in particular, I really love all of their different sides and facets. I love the melodic and piano-centric nature of The Astonishing as much as I love the heaviness of Train of Thought, and I love the accessible nature of songs like Forsaken, and I love the 20 minute long epics, and I honestly can't say there's any aspect of DT that I like more than another.

Honestly, if I had to choose a quality which made me gravitate to DT, I would say it's the cinematic nature of the music--that their music is very adventurous and evokes a great deal of mood. And while that sounds like the result of their proggy nature, it's the juxtaposition of their heaviness and their melodic sensibility that allows for a greater contrast, which makes it that much more effective.

[PixelDream]

I understand the question but the appeal for me lies in the combination of the heavy and soft, the metal and the progressive. It's what makes Dream Theater Dream Theater.

[a51502112]

I kind of went the opposite route.  I was (and am) a metal guy.  DT was kind of my gateway to "progressive," and I have gotten into more progressive rock and progressive metal through them over the years since '92.

Exactly my situation as well. I already liked "weird" music like Voivod and Steve Vai, but when I heard Metropolis, I thought, "how can music be played this way?"

[Indiscipline]

No available poll option for me, unless we add "The music I was longing for but didn't exist yet".

Never been an <insert genre> guy. When I discovered them in '92, I had already devoured my dad's rock/prog/jazz classics, my bro's heavy metal, and I was studying classical music. Everything had nuances I liked, but nothing could string them up together until Images and Words.

The Brahms sensibility/Mozart economy/Chopin proficiency in JP's melodies, MP and JM reinventng the rythm section as a dialogue between soloists, KM's glue guy work, James' world class abilty to pick the perfect tone and air percentage in every sillabe. The uncanny balance between virtuosity and rock impact I thought only Deep Purple had, the perfect frequencies chemistry I thought only Yes had, the anthemic strenght rooted in rigorous orchestration I thought only Maidens had, the emotional playing through aggressive precision I thought only Metallica had ... 

[Grappler]

Metal.  I want my Dream Theater to be heavy.   

[MirrorMask]

No available poll option for me, unless we add "The music I was longing for but didn't exist yet".

This is a nice way to describe the sensations you feel when listening to DT for the first time 

[jayvee3]

Where this is a tough question, is the very nature of progressive music - there really are no standard rules. So, while I like so much of their melody and symphonic side, so too do I enjoy moments where you can just rock out. Take “At Wits End” for example. The beginning riff is technical and fast, the ending riff is hauntingly beautiful. But in the second verse, the “deafening, deafening “ section is just so well placed and just rocks out with immense power and feeling. So I really think it is the fact that Dream Theater blend all of these elements so darn well 

[bosk1]

No available poll option for me, unless we add "The music I was longing for but didn't exist yet".

...Everything had nuances I liked, but nothing could string them up together until Images and Words.

Yeah, that's a good way to describe it for me as well, although when we get into the specifics, I may be coming at it from a different angle than you.  My first "hard rock" album was Van Halen I.  What initially drew me in was the guitar.  When I eventually heard Def Leppard's Pyromania album, that "raunchy Def Leppard guitar sound," as Joe Elliot referred to it, instantly had me make up my mind that anything with that heavy guitar sound was where it was at for me.  I gravitated toward other music that had that sound, whether it be Scorpions, Y&T, what have you.  I eventually also got into some heavier stuff with some of the more popular new thrash (Metallica, Megadeth, Testament) and some slightly more experimental music that still had that heavy guitar sound (Queensryche).  But at the same time, a large segment of my friend group was into new wave, and bands like Depeche Mode, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and Joy Division/New Order.  I also heard my dad's jazz around the house.  I always thought it would be awesome if a band could take that heavy guitar sound with soaring vocals and an aggressive rhythm sound that I loved and combine that with some solid keyboard parts and maybe infuse it with a bit of classical or jazz to do something more grand and epic.  And, yeah, a lot of the '80s hard rock and "heavy metal" bands started using keyboards.  But not in what I would consider the "right" way.  I didn't want keyboards added to just made the hard rock sound more accessible and "cheesey."  I wanted keyboard parts that were intricate, layered, and well thought out by keyboard players who really knew their instrument and came to play, like what you would hear in some of that new wave music that I loved. 

DT did all of that, and did so in a way that was better than what I could have imagined.  There are other bands I would discover later that, in a way, did what I thought I wanted in more of the way I was picturing.  For example, Lacuna Coil really melded that heavy guitar sound with the new wave keyboard sound on a lot of their albums to create a perfect goth metal feel.  But DT took the elements I was looking for and truly elevated them in a way that was unexpected.  Looking at the whole picture, THAT is what really drew me in.

[The Curious Orange]

No available poll option for me, unless we add "The music I was longing for but didn't exist yet".

Yeah, I always describe them as "What the music in my head sounds like".

I fell in love with DT in 1992 on hearing I&W. This was the height of grunge, so I was into Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, all those bands. I was also a metal guy, loved Maiden, Metallica, Guns n Roses. I also had a soft spot for a lot of prog, particularly Yes and Rush.

What I liked about DT was the fusion of so many styles on one album, hell, even in one song. They NEED to give that Back to Budokan show an official release soonest.

One thing I've not liked about DT is that the metal side seems to have taken over. They used to be a prog-fusion band with a metal edge, now they seem to be a metal band with some proggy songs. I can get good metal music anywhere, and the "everything louder than everything else" production style does them no favours.

The side of DT I connect most with is those fast, discordant, almost atonal Frank-Zappa inspired unison runs that sound like someone dropping the cutlery drawer down the stairs. They don't seem to do that enough any more.

As far as the poll goes -

Prog - yes, especially when fused with other styles,
Metal - yes, but not to excess,
Ballads - depends. DT tend to over produce their ballads, and I wish they'd strip them back a bit more. When they do, definitely.
Commercial - If you mean like I Walk Beside You, then no, but I do accept that they are a commercial band operating in a commercial environment and these things are sometimes a necessity.

[SeRoX]

First option is the closest one to my prefences.

[EPIC Outro]

Can I suggest an additional category? I most connect with their haunting / atmospheric side. Songs like Space Dye Vest, Lifting Shadows Off a Dream, and Disappear.

[Dream Team]

No available poll option for me, unless we add "The music I was longing for but didn't exist yet".

Never been an <insert genre> guy. When I discovered them in '92, I had already devoured my dad's rock/prog/jazz classics, my bro's heavy metal, and I was studying classical music. Everything had nuances I liked, but nothing could string them up together until Images and Words.

The Brahms sensibility/Mozart economy/Chopin proficiency in JP's melodies, MP and JM reinventng the rythm section as a dialogue between soloists, KM's glue guy work, James' world class abilty to pick the perfect tone and air percentage in every sillabe. The uncanny balance between virtuosity and rock impact I thought only Deep Purple had, the perfect frequencies chemistry I thought only Yes had, the anthemic strenght rooted in rigorous orchestration I thought only Maidens had, the emotional playing through aggressive precision I thought only Metallica had ...

👏

[Max Kuehnau]

I connect with the technical sections the most. It's my prime criteria about DT (and music in general)

[Nachtmerrie]

Tough choice but Prog and Epic for me.

I tend to prefer the albums and songs with a real progmetal approach like ToT.

[Jay T]

No votes for their mainstream stuff   

[TheGreatPretender]

No votes for their mainstream stuff   

Makes sense. I suspect in most cases, if a person is into mainstream music, one of two things can happen. They hear DT's technical songs and that's what makes them take notice, at which point, they can say that they're more connected to DT's technical or progressive side because that's what they're into.

Or, they hear DT's commercial hits and say, "This is cool, I want to hear more from them," and then they hear Dance of Eternity, or something else that's totally crazy and out there, and they just run away.

[Dedalus]

It's funny you should say that, because I've never really considered them to be a full-on metal band. I know they have certain songs that fall under the metal category, but I've always thought of them to be a progressive rock band first and foremost. Having said that, one of my favorite things about them is how on most of their albums, from one song to the next, it's hard to believe it's the same band. I remember when I first listened to Images and Words when it came out, I couldn't believe Another Day was the same guys who played Pull Me Under, and I loved that.

Their versatility, the amount of styles they cover... to me, that's the essence of what it means to be "progressive". The odd time signatures, long instrumental sections with virtuosic soloing, etc... those are just characteristics they've become known for. But, those first 8 albums... each one was drastically different from the previous, and the next. I think for me, it was around Systematic Chaos where things started to sound "been there done that", and I could start to predict where each song was going. That's not to say that there aren't amazing moments on SC and BC&SL, but overall, I lost interest in the band's direction for a while. When MP announced he was leaving and the band announced Mangini as the new drummer, I became interested again, and have really enjoyed each album ever since.

Oh, this! Especially the bold part.

Unfortunately, these characteristics have become dominant in people's understanding of the band. And because of DT's popularity, this became synonymous with progressive (at least in a prog metal context). This explains what the prog metal genre turned into (odd time signatures, long instumental sections, virtuosity, nothing more).

I completelly agree with you. Dream Theater is a really progressive "prog metal" band. A rarity, I would say.

[SleeperAwake]

Went with option 1. I got into DT already being a fan of metal and classic prog, so the attraction for me was how they combined the two.

Still, a lighter, proggy DT sounds more interesting than a heavier, more straightforward DT.

[Lax]

Super tough choice nowadays

When I discovered DT, I was leaving a black metal band (as a guitarist) and was deep into metal, from maiden/metallica to fear factory/pantera, plus arriving slipknot/SOAD etc...

A friend lent me SFAM and I&W, and it was instant love.
I proceeded to get every other albums.
Then SDOIT came out and I got both LTE albums.

All of this made something clear = I love prog and grooves

I kind of forgot about "metal" at this moment, and enjoyed the virtuosity, buying tab books and breathing dream theater all day long.

So, in the end, I nearly got disappointed when they released more straightforward metal songs rather than epics.

Nowadays, I'm still after grooves (like S2N gave me etc), but due to the modern era DT style, and after the astonishing, I feel like if the times of mindblowing 6 minutes I&W solo section are gone, then what sounds best are monster grooves like bridges in the sky.

So prog, but I'll take metal as a needed bonus.

[MirrorMask]

No votes for their mainstream stuff   

Well, but I still like their easy songs, they unite their ability to a more easy approach. Forsaken, I Walk Beside You, Wither and the likes are all fantastic songs.