Dream Theater songs where you can hear a clear influence of other bands?

[WildRanger]

These two songs come to my mind:
Octavarium - Pink Floyd
This Dying Soul - Metallica

Which songs would you mention?

[MirrorMask]

Funny that you mention Octavarium (the song) when on the very same album there's a song in the same style of another band, where you can almost sing the original chorus over it  (Never Enough / Stockholm Syndrome by Muse).

[Max Kuehnau]

Barstool Warrior: Yes and Genesis
Pale Blue Dot: Gentle Giant, Genesis and Frank Zappa (and Ennio Morricone)
A Life Left Behind: Yes
Viper King: Purple, VH, Led Zeppelin
FITL: Metallica, Megadeth and Ennio Morricone

(I mentioned bands here, because it's hard to pinpoint which piece, but the style of some bits in these DT songs clearly would be reminiscent)

[HOF]

It usually gets labeled as a Pink Floyd influence, but the intro to Peruvian Skies sounds a LOT like the intro to Rush’s The Necromancer (which I guess was probably influenced by Pink Floyd!).

Some others:

Take the Time - Kansas
Stream of Consciousness - King Crimson
I Walk Beside You - U2 (Lifting Shadows too)
Disappear - Radiohead
The Great Debate - Tool
Take Away My Pain - Genesis/Peter Gabriel in the verse, Journey in the guitar solo

[Max Kuehnau]

since you mentioned Journey: I guess Out Of Reach and Another Day are reminiscent of them too

[Peter Mc]

Repentance - Opeth
Panic Attack, Never Enough and Prophets of War - Muse
The Glass Prison - Metallica
Constant Motion - Megadeth
Forsaken - Evanescence

[Zydar]

The Looking Glass reminds me of Rush. At least the intro.

[hunnus2000]

Holy cow - where do you start!

Sacrificed Sons - the middle part - Rush
Panic Attack - Rush Driven
Count of Tuscany - beginning and ending - Rush
A Life Left Behind - Yes

Lordy - I could keep going on but one thing I love about DT is that they certainly embrace their influences and I love it! 

[Ben_Jamin]

Solitary Shell - Genesis (Like Never Enough is to Muse, This song is to Solsburry Hill by Genesis)
Home, The Great Debate - Tool (46&2, and the way they build up, like how Triad, Lateralus, and Pushit build up)

Beneath The Surface (Pop piano artists, and....Disney)

[HOF]

Solitary Shell - Genesis (Like Never Enough is to Muse, This song is to Solsburry Hill by Genesis)
Home, The Great Debate - Tool (46&2, and the way they build up, like how Triad, Lateralus, and Pushit build up)

Beneath The Surface (Pop piano artists, and....Disney)

Good call on the Solitary Soul/Solsbury Hill one. That’s Peter Gabriel solo though (not Genesis)!

[Max Kuehnau]

The Looking Glass reminds me of Rush. At least the intro.

yes, and it's not their only nod to Rush of course (as is Surrender To Reason on DT12, and some sections of Illu)

[TheCountOfNYC]

The Spirit Carries On-Pink Floyd
As I Am-Metallica
Never Enough-Muse (I mean it’s basically Stockholm Syndrome)
The Looking Glass-Rush (I mean it’s basically Limelight)

[Enigmachine]

Notable recent ones are Build Me Up Break Me Down to Red's Feed the Machine and Paralyzed to Breaking Benjamin's The Diary of Jane. I also feel like Honor Thy Father kinda has a bit of early Slipknot energy, while JP has mentioned that one of the main riffs of Metropolis (presumably the one that reappears after the first chorus of Home) was inspired by Queensryche. My first thought upon hearing the intro riff of The Enemy Inside was actually Nevermore as well, it's got that fast flurry of notes that probably wouldn't feel out of place in a song like Born.

[pg1067]

The Looking Glass reminds me of Rush. At least the intro.

I think that was overt and intentional.

Solitary Shell - Genesis (Like Never Enough is to Muse, This song is to Solsburry Hill by Genesis)
Home, The Great Debate - Tool (46&2, and the way they build up, like how Triad, Lateralus, and Pushit build up)

Beneath The Surface (Pop piano artists, and....Disney)

Good call on the Solitary Soul/Solsbury Hill one. That’s Peter Gabriel solo though (not Genesis)!

I've always felt like Solitary Shell was a nod to 90125 era Yes.

And the beginning of About to Crash (Reprise) sounds like it could have come right off of Paradise Theater by Styx.

[Volante99]

I’ll throw in a few:
When Dream and Day Unite = basically Fates Warning/Queensryche
Peruvian Skies = Pink Floyd + Metallica

6:00 - I get a bit of Living Colour vibes from some of the guitar work.

The first guitar solo in Surrender to Reason has strong Steve Rothery/Marillion vibes.


While not specific to one song; I feel like one influence that doesn’t seem to get mentioned is Al DiMeola/Chick Corea and Return to Forever on a lot of the guitar/keyboard unison work in DT music.

[Sebastián Pratesi]

I Walk Beside You - U2 (Lifting Shadows too)

I agree. The last chorus of "Lifting Shadows Off a Dream" reminds me of U2.

The intro, the bass prominence and the keyboards also remind me a bit of The Cure - their more melancholic songs in Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and Disintegration in particular. I don't remember reading The Cure being mentioned by DT as an influence, but I've always believed that JM might be a fan.

[HOF]

I Walk Beside You - U2 (Lifting Shadows too)

I agree. The last chorus of "Lifting Shadows Off a Dream" reminds me of U2.

The intro and the keyboards also remind me a bit of The Cure.

Speak To Me also has a bit of a The Cure vibe maybe.

[HOF]

The Looking Glass reminds me of Rush. At least the intro.

I think that was overt and intentional.

I've always felt like Solitary Shell was a nod to 90125 era Yes.

Interesting. Not sure I’ve ever picked up on that. Maybe the instrumental part a bit?

[Freeze]

Status Seeker - late 80’s Rush

[kirksnosehair]

These Walls is like a Muse cover

[kirksnosehair]

Also, I Walk Beside You sounds like a U2 song

[nobloodyname]

Forsaken - Evanescence
Prophets of War - Queen (in part)

[Max Kuehnau]

Lord Nafaryus is a bit Queen-esque here and there too.

[Enigmachine]

These Walls is like a Muse cover

I always thought it was Linkin Park inspired. Could've sworn I remembered someone doing a comparison vid to one of their songs with TW.

[Mladen]

It probably reminds you of From the inside. I've just now realized there is a similarity, yet I've known both songs for thirteen years.

[Ben_Jamin]

Forsaken - Evanescence

I'll add in Static-X to this...Mainly the song Cold, has that same rhythm in the verses.

[Setlist Scotty]

Here are some that come to my mind that I don't think have been listed yet:

Sacrificed Sons - the middle part - Rush

The end of SSons is totally the end of Diary of a Madman.

Endless Sacrifice reminds me of Metallica, with a melody very much like a Michael Jackson song, and during the instrumental section, there's part that is clearly influenced by Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name.

Trial of Tears instrumental section sounds like UK's In the Dead of Night, and the intro is very much like Rush's Xanadu meets Pink Floyd.

I've always associated Hollow Years with Sting.

The opening guitar riff in Forsaken always makes me think of Dio-era Sabbath.

As I Am is DT's version of Enter Sandman.

The guitar solo in These Walls is definitely influenced by Neal Schon (Journey).

There's a classical part towards the end of Stream of Consciousness that reminds me of a Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy track - can't remember which one.

[KevShmev]

I don't think this one has been mentioned yet, but:

The Best of Times - intro part sounds very similar to Elton John's Funeral for a Friend, and then when the intro picks up, the guitar lead is totally Rush's The Spirit of Radio.

[Max Kuehnau]

Here are some that come to my mind that I don't think have been listed yet:

Sacrificed Sons - the middle part - Rush

The end of SSons is totally the end of Diary of a Madman.

Endless Sacrifice reminds me of Metallica, with a melody very much like a Michael Jackson song, and during the instrumental section, there's part that is clearly influenced by Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name.

Trial of Tears instrumental section sounds like UK's In the Dead of Night, and the intro is very much like Rush's Xanadu meets Pink Floyd.

I've always associated Hollow Years with Sting.

The opening guitar riff in Forsaken always makes me think of Dio-era Sabbath.

As I Am is DT's version of Enter Sandman.

The guitar solo in These Walls is definitely influenced by Neal Schon (Journey).

There's a classical part towards the end of Stream of Consciousness that reminds me of a Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy track - can't remember which one.

IMHO the Sting and Michael Jackson references you mentioned would possibly be Shape Of My Heart and Give In To Me respectively. (although Sacrifice is much slower in its introductory section)

[Ben_Jamin]

The Looking Glass reminds me of Rush. At least the intro.

It is Dream Theaters Limelight, even the lyrics talk about a similar subject matter...The Looking Glass is putting the fame into modern times, by The Looking Glass being YouTube, and how people want fame through "The Looking Glass"

[the keyboard wizard]

Surrounded = Sugar Mice by Marillion, same pace, same type of guitar arpeggios. They even played an excerpt of it inside the song in 2007. Best version ever.

[Elite]

On the Backs of Angels sounds a lot like a Dream Theater song

[sylentman]

Like Setlist Scotty said: Endless Sacrifice -> Iron Maiden.

Also S2N -> Rush.

[WildRanger]

Also Panic Attack has a significant Muse influence (middle section).

[Stadler]

Surrounded = Sugar Mice by Marillion, same pace, same type of guitar arpeggios. They even played an excerpt of it inside the song in 2007. Best version ever.

And Sugar Mice is a sort of homage to Mother, by Pink Floyd (at least the solo).

I think Learning To Live is VERY Rush-like, in the instrumental parts.

Goodnight Kiss has a strong Queen vibe.