Dream Theater was formed under the nameMajesty by Petrucci, Myung and Portnoy—all fromLong Island,New York—while they attendedBerklee College of Music. They dropped out to concentrate on the band. Dream Theater has undergone various lineup changes, with Petrucci and Myung being the only constant members. Portnoy remained until 2010, when he was replaced byMike Mangini after deciding to leave to pursue other musical projects, before rejoining the band in October 2023. After a brief stint with Chris Collins, followed byCharlie Dominici (who was dismissed from Dream Theater shortly after the release of their 1989 debut albumWhen Dream and Day Unite), LaBrie was hired as the band's singer in 1991. Dream Theater's original keyboardist,Kevin Moore, left the band after three albums and was replaced byDerek Sherinian in 1995 after a period of touring. They recordedone album (andan EP) with Sherinian, who was replaced by current keyboardistJordan Rudess in 1999.
Dream Theater has released sixteen studio albums. The band's highest-selling release is their second albumImages and Words (1992), which reached No. 61 on theBillboard 200 chart.[1] Other albums such asAwake (1994) andSix Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002) also entered the charts at No. 32 and No. 46 respectively, and each received critical acclaim. Their fifth album,Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999), was ranked number 95 on the October 2006 issue ofGuitar World magazine's list of the greatest 100 guitar albums of all time.[2] It was also ranked as the 15th Greatest Concept Album in March 2003 byClassic Rock magazine.[3]
By 2018, Dream Theater had sold over 12 million records worldwide;[4][5] they have received fourGrammy Award nominations, including one win in 2022.[6][7][8][9] Along withQueensrÿche andFates Warning, the band has been referred to as one of the "big three" of the progressive metal genre, responsible for its development and popularization.[10] Additionally, the staff ofLoudwire named them the 38th best metal band of all time.[11]
Myung, Petrucci, and Portnoy agreed on the name Majesty for their newly formed group. According toThe Score So Far... documentary, they were waiting in line for tickets to a Rush concert at theBerklee Performance Center while listening to the band on a boom box. Portnoy commented that the ending of the song "Bastille Day" sounded "majestic".[12]
Petrucci asked his high school bandmateKevin Moore to play the keyboard, and another friend from home, Chris Collins, was recruited as lead vocalist after band members heard him sing a cover of "Queen of the Reich" byQueensrÿche.[13] During this time, Portnoy, Petrucci, and Myung's hectic schedules forced them to abandon their studies to concentrate on their music, as they did not feel they could learn more in college. Moore also left his college,SUNY Fredonia, to concentrate on the band.
The beginning months of 1986 were filled with various concert dates in and around the New York City area. During this time, the band recorded a collection of demos, titledThe Majesty Demos. The initial run of 1,000 sold out within six months, and dubbed copies of the cassette became popular within the progressive metal scene. TheMajesty Demos were later released officially on CD, through Portnoy's YtseJam Records (and on InsideOut in 2022, after YtseJam Records was shut down).
Chris Collins left the band in November 1986. After a year of trying to find a replacement,Charlie Dominici, who was far older and more experienced than anyone else in the band, successfully auditioned for the group.[14] With the stability that Dominici's appointment brought to Majesty, they began to increase the number of shows played in the New York City area, gaining a considerable amount of exposure.[citation needed]
Shortly after hiring Dominici, a Las Vegas group also named Majesty[15] threatened legal action forintellectual property infringement related to the use of their name. Various alternatives were proposed and tested, among them Glasser, Magus, and M1, which were all rejected, though the band did go as Glasser for about a week, with poor reactions from fans. Eventually, Portnoy's father suggested the name Dream Theater, the name of a small theater inMonterey, California, and the name stuck.[16]
With their new name and band stability, Dream Theater concentrated on writing more material while playing more concerts in New York and in neighboring states. This eventually attracted the attention of Mechanic Records, a division ofMCA. Dream Theater signed their first record contract with Mechanic on June 23, 1988,[17] and recorded their debut album at Kajem Victory Studios inGladwyne, Pennsylvania. Recording the basic tracks took about ten days, and the entire album was completed in about three weeks.[18]
When Dream and Day Unite was released in March 1989 to far less fanfare than the band had anticipated. Mechanic ended up breaking the majority of the financial promises they had made to Dream Theater before signing their contract, so the band was restricted to playing around New York City. The promotional tour for the album consisted of just five concerts, all of which were relatively local, with the first being at Sundance inBay Shore, New York opening forZebra.[19]
After the fourth show,Charlie Dominici was let go. The band wanted a singer likeBruce Dickinson orGeoff Tate, and they felt that Dominici's singing and stage presence was not what they wanted for a frontman. Shortly after, however,Marillion asked Dream Theater to open for them at a gig atthe Ritz in New York, so Dominici was allowed to perform one last time.[19]
Addition of James LaBrie andImages and Words (1991–1993)
James LaBrie has been the vocalist since January 1991.
Following Dominici's departure, Dream Theater fought successfully to be released from their contract with Mechanic. The band then auditioned over 200 singers, among them formerFates Warning frontmanJohn Arch. Arch ultimately decided that his commitments were more important and he opted not to join the band.[20] On June 9, 1990, at a gig at Sundance in Bay Shore, New York, Dream Theater introduced Steve Stone as their new singer after playing half the set as an instrumental band. Stone had successfully recorded demos with Dream Theater, but he was fired following a single, ill-fated live performance. According to Mike Portnoy, Stone moved around the stage in a rather odd manner, seemingly doing a bad impression ofBruce Dickinson. Additionally, he shouted "Scream for me Long Beach!" several times throughout the show (Dickinson can be heard saying this on Iron Maiden's live albumLive After Death), although they were performing in Bay Shore.[21] The audience was immediately turned off by the new singer. It was five months before Dream Theater played another show, this time all-instrumental under the name YtseJam. Until 1991, the band remained focused in an attempt to hire another singer and writing additional music.[19] It was during this period that they wrote the majority of what would becomeImages and Words (1992).
In January 1991, the band received a demo tape fromKevin James LaBrie, ofglam metal band Winter Rose,[22] just before committing to another singer. They were so impressed by his demo that he was flown from Canada to New York for an audition. LaBrie jammed on three songs with the band and was immediately hired to fill the vocalist position. Once recruited, LaBrie decided to drop his first name to avoid confusion with the other Kevin in the band. For the next few months, the band returned to playing live shows (still mostly around New York City), while working on vocal parts for the music written before acquiring LaBrie.Derek Shulman andATCO Records (nowEast West), a division ofElektra Records, signed Dream Theater to a seven-album contract based on a three-song demo (later made available as "The Atco Demos" through the Dream Theaterfan club).
The first album to be recorded under their new record contract wasImages and Words (1992). For promotion, the label released a CD single andvideo clip for the song "Another Day", but neither made significant commercial impact. The song "Pull Me Under", however, managed to garner a high level of radio airplay without any organized promotion from the band or their label. In response, ATCO produced a video clip for "Pull Me Under", which saw heavy rotation onMTV. A third video clip was produced for "Take the Time", but it was not nearly as successful as "Pull Me Under".
The success of "Pull Me Under", combined with relentless touring throughout the U.S. andJapan, causedImages and Words to achieve gold record certification in the States and platinum status in Japan. A tour ofEurope followed in 1993, which included a show atLondon's famedMarquee Club. This show was recorded and released asLive at the Marquee, Dream Theater's first official live album. Additionally, a video compilation of their Japanese concerts (mixed in with documentary-style footage of the off-stage portion of the tour) was released asImages and Words: Live in Tokyo.
Eager to work on fresh material, Dream Theater retreated to the studio in May 1994.Awake, Dream Theater's third studio album, was released on October 4, 1994. Shortly before the album was mixed, Moore had announced to the rest of the band that he would be quitting Dream Theater to concentrate on his musical interests, since he was no longer interested in touring or the style of music which Dream Theater performed.[23] As a result, the band had to scramble to find a replacement keyboardist before a tour could be considered.
Jens Johansson was among the biggest names to audition, but the band members were eager to fill the position with keyboardistJordan Rudess. Portnoy and Petrucci had come across Rudess in Keyboard Magazine, where he was recognized as "best new talent" in the readers' poll. The two invited him to play a trial gig with the band at theConcreteFoundations Forum inBurbank, California.[19] Although the show was a success, and Rudess was asked to fill the keyboardist position permanently, he opted to tour with TheDixie Dregs instead since it granted him more personal latitude. Dream Theater hired fellow Berklee alumnusDerek Sherinian, who had previously toured and recorded withAlice Cooper andKiss, to fill in for theWaking Up the World Tour. By the conclusion of the tour, the band decided to take Sherinian on as Moore's full-time replacement.[12]
A Change of Seasons,Falling into Infinity (1995–1998)
Once again finding themselves with a new member, the band did not immediately start working on new material. Fans around the world, united on the YtseJamMailing List (the most popular form of communication between Dream Theater fans at that point), had begun to put pressure on the band to officially release the song "A Change of Seasons". This had been written in 1989 and was intended to be a part ofImages and Words, but at almost 17 minutes, it was deemed too long for studio placement. It had nevertheless been performed live by the band, who continued to revise it in the years leading up to 1995.
The petition was successful, and the group enteredBearTracks Studios in New York in May 1995 to rewrite and record the now 23-minute-long song with Sherinian contributing significantly to the final product. The band releasedA Change of Seasons as anEP along with a collection of cover songs from a live show recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London earlier that year.
After a brief run of small concerts and a short break, the band released a special Christmas CD through their official fan club, consisting of rare live tracks recorded during the band's early years. They continued releasing a new CD each Christmas until 2005.[24]
Meanwhile, there were several changes at East West, and Dream Theater's main contact within the label was fired. As a result, the new team at the company were unaccustomed to the relationship Dream Theater had with former East West personnel, and they pressured them to write an album that was more accessible. In mid-1997, they entered the studio to write their next album. In addition to pressuring the band to adopt a more mainstream sound, East West recruited writer/producerDesmond Child to work with Petrucci on polishing the lyrics to his song "You or Me". The whole band substantially reworked the song, and it appeared on the album as "You Not Me" with a chorus that bore little resemblance to the original. Child also had a noticeable impact on the album, with a shift towards less complex and more radio-friendly compositions.
The band wrote almost twoCDs worth of material, including a 20-minute-long follow-up to theImages and Words song "Metropolis–Part I: The Miracle and the Sleeper". The label, however, did not allow the release of a double album because it felt that a 140-minute record would not be well received by the general public. James LaBrie also felt that the CD should be a single disc.[25] The unused songs were later released in the YtseJam Records releaseThe Falling into Infinity Demos.[26]
The material that made it onto the album proper was released asFalling into Infinity, which received a mixed reception from fans who were more familiar with the band's earlier sound. While the album was moderately progressive-sounding, tracks such as "Hollow Years" and "You Not Me" prompted some to believe it was the dawn of a new, mainstream-sounding Dream Theater. Overall, the album was both a critical and commercial disappointment. Although Portnoy did not speak out publicly at the time, he later revealed in the 2004 DVD commentary for5 Years in a Livetime that he had been so discouraged during this period that he had considered disbanding Dream Theater altogether.
During the European leg of the Touring Into Infinity world tour, two shows were recorded for a live album titledOnce in a LIVEtime, inFrance and TheNetherlands. The album was released at around the same time as the video5 Years in a Livetime, which covered the years from Kevin Moore's departure to theFalling into Infinity promotional tour.
[27]===Derek Sherinian's termination, addition of Jordan Rudess, andMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999–2000)===In 1997,Magna Carta Records' Mike Varney invited Portnoy to assemble a progressive "supergroup" to work on an album, which would become the first in a long string of side-projects for the members of Dream Theater.[28] The lineup consisted of Portnoy on drums, Petrucci on guitar,Tony Levin on bass, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess, who had finished with the Dixie Dregs. The band assumed the nameLiquid Tension Experiment, and would act as a medium through which Portnoy and Petrucci could once again court Rudess to join Dream Theater. In 1999, he accepted an offer to become the third full-time Dream Theater keyboardist, replacing Sherinian.[12]
Dream Theater entered BearTracks Studio once again to write and record their next album. As a result of an ultimatum from Portnoy, the label gave the band complete creative control. The band began by revisiting the follow-up to "Metropolis–Part I", which had been partially written during theFalling into Infinity sessions but which had not been completed or used on that album. They decided to expand the 21-minute song into a completeconcept album, with a story revolving around themes such as reincarnation, murder and betrayal. To avoid stirring up the fan base, a tight veil of secrecy enveloped the writing and recording process. The only things fans were privy to before its release were a track list that had been leaked against the band's wishes, and a release date. In 1999,Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory was released to high critical acclaim, being lauded as the band's magnum opus, despite only reaching No. 73 on the US album chart.[1]
The album was mixed by David Bottrill, but only a few of his mixes made it on the final album. The bulk was remixed byKevin Shirley, who had producedFalling into Infinity. The rest of the mixes can be heard in the band's official bootlegThe Making of Scenes from a Memory.
The subsequent Metropolis 2000 world tour was by far their largest to date, and took over a year to complete. The concerts reflected the theatrical aspect of the album, with the first half of each show comprising the entireScenes From a Memory album accompanied by a film showing dramatized portions of the story projected onto a video screen behind the stage. For the last date of the North American leg, at theRoseland Ballroom in New York City, actors were hired to play characters in the story, and a gospel choir was enlisted to perform in some sections of the performance. The show was filmed and eventually released in early 2001 as the band's first DVD release,Metropolis 2000: Scenes from New York, which was certified Gold in the US on November 8, 2002.[29]
Since several songs from the second half of the four-hour show had to be cut from the DVD to save space, the band also released the full show on the live CDLive Scenes from New York. The original cover depicted one of Dream Theater's early logos (theImages and Words-era burning heart, modeled on theSacred Heart of Christ) modified to show an apple (as in "Big Apple") instead of the heart, and the New York skyline, including the twin towers of theWorld Trade Center, in the flame above it. Coincidentally, the album was released on the same date as theSeptember 11 attacks, leading to it being recalled and re-released with revised artwork later,[30] although the few copies which were sold with the original artwork have become rare collector's items.
Dream Theater once again entered BearTracks Studios to record their sixth studio album. Four years after they first petitioned East West to allow them to release a double album, they finally got their chance withSix Degrees of Inner Turbulence. The first disc consisted of five tracks of 7–13 minutes in length, and the second disc was devoted entirely to the 42-minute title track, which remains to date the longest song Dream Theater has written. Many of the song's melodies and musical themes originated in an instrumental piece written by Rudess, which would eventually become the song's "Overture". Those themes were then expanded by the rest of the band to form individual chapters in a complete story.[12]
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence was very well received by critics and the press. It was the most publicized of Dream Theater's albums sinceAwake, debuting on the Billboard charts at No. 46[31] and the Billboard Internet charts at No. 1.[32] The subsequent world tour included a select few special "album cover" gigs (seeCover songs section, below), in which they played Metallica'sMaster of Puppets and Iron Maiden'sThe Number of the Beast in their entirety.
In 2003, Dream Theater entered the studio to write and record another album. UnlikeScenes from a Memory, which had been written and recorded simultaneously in the studio, the band took a different approach by setting aside three weeks for writing prior to recording. In the middle of the recording sessions for the album, the band went on the "Escape from the Studio American tour", with Queensrÿche and Dream Theater as co-headlining acts and Fates Warning performing supporting act duties. As a finale for each concert, there was an extended encore in which both Dream Theater and Queensrÿche performed together on stage simultaneously, often playing cover songs.
After the tour, Dream Theater returned to the studio to finish the recording of their seventh album,Train of Thought. In contrast to the extended songs of their previous album, the band aimed to write a more song-oriented album, inspired in part by covering theMaster of Puppets andNumber of the Beast albums on their previous concert tour.[33] Although the album was a critical success, its more straightforward metal sound alienated many of the band's existing fans, who had been attracted by the band's roots inprogressive rock.[12] They also re-released their first two live videos for the first time on DVD, titled "Images and Words: Live in Tokyo/5 Years in a Livetime" on June 29, 2004, through Rhino Records. This release was certified Platinum on March 22, 2006.[29]
Another world tour followed, named the Train of Thought Tour. A North American tour was also completed in support ofYes, a band that had been a major influence on their own musical style. After this Dream Theater continued to tour the world with their "An Evening With Dream Theater" shows. The latter were captured in another live CD/DVD release, recorded at the famousNippon Budokan Hall inTokyo, Japan on theirTrain of Thought Tour.Live at Budokan was released on October 5, 2004, and was certified Platinum in the US on January 26, 2005.[29]
After theirTrain of Thought promotional tour, Dream Theater enteredthe Hit Factory studios in NYC to record their eighth album. They would become the final group to use the famous studio, which closed on April 1, 2005.[34]
Octavarium was released on June 7, 2005, and took the band's sound in yet another new direction. Its eight songs included a continuation of Portnoy's "Twelve-step" saga ("The Root of All Evil", steps 6–7 in the 12-step plan), as well as thetitle track, a musically versatile 24-minute epic rivaling "A Change of Seasons".Octavarium received mixed reviews from fans and has been the subject of spirited debate.Octavarium was the last album under their seven-album deal withElektra Records, which had inherited the contract upon its absorption ofEastWest Records.
Dream Theater later departed from Gigantour 2005 a few dates before it ended and continued on with their own series of concerts, several of which were recorded and released for the band's fanclubs. The 20th anniversary tour concluded with a show atRadio City Music Hall in New York City on April 1, 2006. Though the show had minimal promotion, it was sold out days after tickets were made available. This show, which was recorded for a CD/DVD calledScore released on August 29, 2006, throughRhino Records, featured songs from the band's entire history, as well a second half accompanied by a full symphony orchestra (the "Octavarium Orchestra"). This release was the band's third Live DVD release to be certified Platinum in the US on October 11, 2006.[29]
Systematic Chaos andGreatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) (2006–2008)
For the first time in their career, the band took the summer off after their show at Radio City Music Hall. In September 2006, Dream Theater entered Avatar Studios to record their follow-up toOctavarium with studio engineerPaul Northfield. Dream Theater's ninth studio album,Systematic Chaos, was released on June 5, 2007. The record marked their first with new labelRoadrunner Records, which in 2010 became a wholly owned subsidiary of the band's previous labelAtlantic Records. Roadrunner implemented increased promotion for the album andSystematic Chaos reached number 19 on theBillboard 200. It also oversaw the release of a video for "Constant Motion" on July 14, the band's first since "Hollow Years" in 1997. The album was bookended by the two parts of "In the Presence of Enemies", written and conceived as a single piece but split into two halves for the purposes of the album. The other six tracks included the most recent part of Portnoy's continuingTwelve-step Suite with the song "Repentance".
In 2007, the first version of Rich Wilson'sLifting Shadows, an authorized history of the band's first twenty years, was released.[35]
On April 1, 2008, a two-disccompilation album titledGreatest Hit (...and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) was released by the band. The title jokingly references the song "Pull Me Under", the band's only significantradio hit. It also includes three remixes fromImages and Words, five edited versions of previously released songs, and a track from a singleB-side. Unlike mostgreatest hits compilations, Dream Theater was actively involved with the album, coming up with the track listing that they felt best represented their musical careers.
After the release ofGreatest Hit, drummer Mike Portnoy organized a new tour calledProgressive Nation 2008. Unlike previous Dream Theater tours, performances were held in cities that they had not visited before (such asVancouver, British Columbia, Canada) or cities they had not played in for several years. This tour also marked the first time since the release ofImages and Words where the group performed in small venues and performance halls.
In September 2008, the band released a DVD set calledChaos in Motion 2007–2008, featuring songs recorded at several shows during theChaos in Motion tour.
On October 7, 2008, Dream Theater returned to Avatar Studios to begin work on their tenth album, resuming their relationship withPaul Northfield to engineer and mix the record. The album, titledBlack Clouds & Silver Linings, was released on June 23, 2009.[38] In addition to the standard CD, the album was made available on vinyl LP, as well as a 3-disc Special Edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs from artists such asQueen andRainbow. On July 1, 2009, the album debuted at No. 6 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, with first week sales totalling 40,285, making their highest entry on the chart.[39] The album featured "The Shattered Fortress", the last in Mike Portnoy'sseries of songs about his 12-step recovery from alcoholism, as well as the song "The Best of Times", described by Portnoy as "a real heavy personal subject about my dad who passed away during the making of the album ... He was battling cancer throughout its making."[40]
The band also embarked on a second Progressive Nation tour, including the tour's first performances in Europe.Opeth,Unexpect andBigelf supported Dream Theater in Europe, whileZappa Plays Zappa,Pain of Salvation, andBeardfish were slated to perform on the North American leg. However, Pain of Salvation and Beardfish were unable to tour with Dream Theater and Zappa Plays Zappa because of financial troubles within their respective record labels. The two new bands that filled the vacated slots for theProgressive Nation 2009 tour in North America wereBigelf andScale the Summit, with Bigelf performing on both European and North American legs.
After the Progressive Nation Tour, Dream Theater re-entered the studio to write and record a brand new instrumental track for inclusion on theGod of War III soundtrack EPGod of War: Blood & Metal. The track, titled "Raw Dog" (God (of) War reversed), marked the first time that the band has written and recorded an exclusive track for an outside project.[41] "Raw Dog" includes the first ever commercially recordedharpejji track, performed byJordan Rudess, as well as Dream Theater's final recorded performance withMike Portnoy on drums prior to his departure from the band in 2010. In December 2009, during theirBlack Clouds & Silver Linings tour whilst visiting Australia, Dream Theater appeared with Pain of Salvation.[42] In March 2010, they toured South America with Bigelf. Afterwards, during the summer of 2010, Dream Theater supportedIron Maiden on the US and Canadian legs of theirsummer tour, which were the last shows DT played during 2010.[43]
Mike Portnoy's departure and arrival of Mike Mangini (2010–2011)
DrummerMike Portnoy announced his departure on September 8, 2010, and was superseded byMike Mangini, who remained until Portnoy rejoined in 2023.
On September 8, 2010, drummerMike Portnoy announced that he would be leaving Dream Theater, citing better relationships in other projects, burnout, and his desire for a break as reasons.[44] Elaborating on the situation forMusicRadar,John Petrucci revealed that originally, Portnoy did not want to leave the band; he only wanted to take a five-year break.[45] He eventually dropped this number to around one year.[46] Only after the rest of the band rejected his proposal did Portnoy decide to quit.
After Portnoy left Dream Theater, relationships between him and his former bandmates became strained. In February 2011, Portnoy complained that no one from the band was returning his calls and e-mails.[47] However, later Portnoy commented that both Petrucci and Rudess were the only members that stayed in touch with him.[48] Tensions became especially high when Portnoy called James LaBrie "disrespectful" for comments LaBrie made during an interview,[49] stating that Dream Theater were "not sad at all" that Portnoy was no longer a band member. By July 2011, LaBrie had not remained in touch with Portnoy.[50] Portnoy later stated that he would rejoin the band in a heartbeat, stating: "They are the ones that have closed the door on it. I've only needed a break, and I've had that break. So I'm ready, willing and able. But I honestly don't think they ever will; they've closed their door on it and I think they're too headstrong in having to prove themselves without me. So I wouldn't count on it. But my door is always open."[51]
A little more than a month after Portnoy's departure, Dream Theater began auditioning for a new drummer in New York City. The drummers who auditioned wereMike Mangini,Derek Roddy,Thomas Lang,Virgil Donati,Marco Minnemann,Aquiles Priester, andPeter Wildoer.[52]Fates Warning drummerBobby Jarzombek was also invited to audition, but had to turn down the offer due to scheduling conflicts.[53] The candidates were notified whether they had been chosen on November 5;[54] however, the results of the audition were not made public until April 2011 via a three-partYouTube documentary series calledThe Spirit Carries On.[55] In the last episode of the series, it was revealed that Mangini was the drummer selected. Petrucci later explained that Portnoy approached them to rejoin, but by this time they had already hired Mangini, who left his job as a professor at Berklee and committed to Dream Theater full-time, so Portnoy's offer was rebuffed.[56]
Dream Theater entered Cove City Sound Studios to begin working on a new album on January 3, 2011.[57][58] Writing was completed on March 2 and done without Mangini.[59] On April 14, LaBrie began tracking vocals and by June 28, the album's mixing and mastering byAndy Wallace were finished.[60][61][62] Released worldwide on September 12 and in the United States on September 13,A Dramatic Turn of Events debuted at number one in some countries and attained the eighth position on theBillboard 200,[63] the band's second ever top ten debut position on that chart afterBlack Clouds & Silver Linings.[64] Although the album received mixed reviews,[65] it won numerous awards from music publications and its lead single, "On the Backs of Angels", was nominated forBest Hard Rock/Metal Performance at the2012 Grammy Awards,[6] representing the band's first ever Grammy nomination.
Dream Theater kicked off their tour in support ofA Dramatic Turn of Events on July 4, 2011, in Rome, Italy.[61][66] The second leg of the tour took place in North America, where the band headlined withTrivium.[67] After a short break to conclude 2011, the band returned to Europe withPeriphery,[68] to Asia withAndy McKee, to North America with Crimson Projekct and then to South America for the final leg of the tour.[69] On August 19 and 20, two shows were recorded atLuna Park inBuenos Aires,Argentina for a liveBlu-ray release by Over the Edge Productions.[70][71][72] After a six-month delay,Live at Luna Park was released on November 5, 2013, by Eagle Rock Entertainment.[73] The tour concluded on September 1, 2012, inBrasília,Brazil.
On December 25, 2013, at 06:00:00 EST, as a holiday gift to the fans, Dream Theater released a free electronic 2-CD set of live tracks that were not recorded forLive at Luna Park from their 2011–2012 tour inFLAC format viaBitTorrent.[74] The release date and time were an allusion to their 1994 song "6:00", the intro of which contains a repeated sample of the line "Six o'clock on a Christmas morning" as spoken by Helena Carroll inThe Dead.[75][76]
Writing for Dream Theater's twelfth studio album commenced on A Dramatic Tour of Events.[77] During soundchecks, the band would jam and record their ideas, and John Petrucci would bring in material he wrote independently. Following the conclusion of the tour, the band took a break but continued writing. They reconvened in early 2013 to enter the studio.[78]
In December 2012, Dream Theater re-signed with Roadrunner Records.[79] The band'sself-titled twelfth album was released on September 23, 2013, as part of the new agreement with Roadrunner. The album sold more than 34,000 copies in its first week and landed on theBillboard 200 chart at No. 7, the band's third consecutive top 10 album. In addition, the album cracked the top 10 in 24 countries including Japan, Germany, Argentina, The Netherlands, Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Australia and United Kingdom.[80] The single "The Enemy Inside" was nominated forBest Metal Performance at the2014 Grammy Awards, marking the band's second Grammy nomination.[81]
Dream Theater's seventh live album,Live at Luna Park, was released on November 5, 2013.
On September 30, 2014, Dream Theater released their eighth live album and film,Breaking the Fourth Wall, which was recorded live fromThe Boston Opera House on March 25, 2014. During this concert, the band were joined by the Berklee World Strings and the Berklee Concert Choir, directed by Eren Başbuğ, for the second half of the set.[83] The set list for the tour featured the entire second half ofAwake in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary, including the song "Space-Dye Vest", which had never been performed live. The set list closed with a performance of four songs fromMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory in celebration of the album's 15th anniversary.[84] The Along for the Ride Tour concluded on October 30, 2014.
The Astonishing andImages and Words anniversary tour (2015–2017)
On January 6, 2014, John Petrucci said that Dream Theater were already "planting seeds for album No. 13". He commented: "There are some song ideas and little things like that -- nothing really official, but the seeds just start to get planted. One of the great things about this career is that you have the opportunity every time to go in and start again with a blank slate and think, 'What can we do differently? How can we make this better? Where can we go from here?' Every album has a story, and to constantly have a fresh opportunity to do it is really satisfying."[85]
The band headed into the studio in February 2015 to record its thirteenth album.[86][87] The album, titledThe Astonishing was released on January 29, 2016. It is a concept album set in adystopian future society devoid of real music, centering on a conflict between a group of rebels and an oppressive empire.[88] Two singles, "The Gift of Music" and "Moment of Betrayal" were released on December 3, 2015, and January 22, 2016, respectively.
Throughout 2016, Dream Theater went on a tour titled The Astonishing Live to support the album. They played the album in its entirety, with an intermission between the two acts, only playing songs from earlier albums on occasions later in the tour. Their performance was accompanied by a visual representation of the story on background screens. The band also made it a point to play at indoor theater halls such asRadio City Music Hall. In 2017, Dream Theater went on another tour, titled Images, Words & Beyond, to commemorate the 25th anniversary ofImages and Words. Each night they performed the album in its entirety, as well as "A Change of Seasons", which was originally written during theImages and Words sessions, and other selections from their catalogue.
Distance Over Time andMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory anniversary tour (2017–2019)
In a May 2017 interview withRockbook, frontmanJames LaBrie talked about the style of the band's fourteenth studio album: "It's really important for us that the new album will be our best effort. It should be who we are at that particular moment. [...] But if along the way we feel that there is another album we should recognize once again, then we'll do it."[89] In December 2017, Dream Theater announced that they had signed a worldwide longterm deal withSony Music via Sony's progressive music label imprintInside Out, for the release of the album.[90]
The album was written in June and July 2018,[91][92] and features pieces written collectively and lyrics written by Petrucci, LaBrie, Myung and, for the first time ever, Mangini.[93] In anticipation of the album, the band launched a "treasure hunt" in the form of analternate reality game, where participants would search for various clues across the internet. The game ultimately led to a site revealing the title of the album to beDistance Over Time. The site also revealed the cover art for the album, its scheduled release date in February 2019, as well as dates for a tour in North America celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's fifth albumMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory.[94] On November 6, 2018, a press release from Inside Out officially announcedDistance Over Time, with a release date of February 22, 2019.[95] Upon release, the album received widespread critical acclaim.[96]
A View from the Top of the World andLost Not Forgotten Archives (2020–2023)
In April 2020, Metal Addicts reported that Dream Theater was expected to begin working on their fifteenth studio album in 2021.[97] About the direction of the album, guitaristJohn Petrucci stated in an August 2020 interview withUltimate Guitar: "The eight-string project with Ernie Ball Music Man is something we are working on and hoping to have developed as this year goes on. I'm hoping that on the next Dream Theater record I'll be able to explore that."[98] This would later be confirmed in an interview with Ultimate Guitar in February 2021.[99] Also in August 2020, Petrucci also told Spain'sMetal Hammer that the band would begin working on their new album in the fall.[100] Recording sessions started at DTHQ (the band's own studio) in October 2020.[101] The band was confirmed on November 27, 2020, to be writing the songs, while LaBrie was writing his parts back home in Canada. When asked in an interview, Petrucci said that the writing sessions were "off to a great start".[102]
Petrucci released his first solo album in fifteen years,Terminal Velocity, on August 28, 2020. The album was recorded at DTHQ earlier the same year. Its recording sessions marked the first time in ten years that Petrucci worked with his former Dream Theater bandmateMike Portnoy, who played drums on all tracks from the album.[103][104] This collaboration led to speculation of a Dream Theater reunion with Portnoy, which was denied by Petrucci, who toldMetal Hammer: "I understand where people are coming from with that. One of the concerns I had, a little bit – not musically at all – but about Mike, is I didn't want people to get the wrong idea."[105]
On November 27, 2020, Dream Theater released their ninth live album,Distant Memories – Live in London, recorded atHammersmith Apollo prior to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[106] On December 1, 2020, the band released the single "The Holiday Spirit Carries On", a medley of holiday songs played in a progressive metal style, exclusively throughBandcamp. The title references the fan-favorite song "The Spirit Carries On" fromScenes from a Memory. The proceeds from sales of the single benefited the band's road crew.[107] On January 30, 2021, Dream Theater held a special streaming event titledImages, Words & Beyond Live in Japan, an online broadcast of a concert from the band's 2017 tour, which was originally recorded for Japanese television.[108]
On May 5, 2021, Dream Theater announced a series of albums titled theLost Not Forgotten Archives, the first release of which is the second set of theImages, Words & Beyond Live in Japan concert. The band said that theLost Not Forgotten Archives will eventually include every YtseJam Records release on CD, vinyl and digital formats, along with previously unreleased archival material.[109]
Dream Theater performs live in 2023.
Dream Theater teased the new album on July 26, 2021, revealing that it would have seven songs, with more details to be released on July 28, 2021.[110] On July 28, it was announced that the album was titledA View from the Top of the World, and it was released on October 22, 2021. The album was supported by five singles, "The Alien", "Invisible Monster", "Awaken the Master", "Transcending Time" and "Answering the Call", and music videos were released for each of them.[111][112][113][114][115] The band promoted the album with a concert tour of Europe from April 20 to June 1, 2022.[112] They had previously announced a tour of North America from late October to mid-December 2021 on the same day as the album,[116] but announced on September 27 that it had been rescheduled to early 2022, due to safety concerns related to the COVID pandemic.[117] The rescheduled tour began on February 2, 2022, inMesa, Arizona, withArch Echo as a special guest.[118]
In February 2022, rumors emerged of James LaBrielip syncing during the North American leg of Dream Theater's Top of the World Tour as fan recordings from the tour were posted online.[119] Specifically, fans pointed to the post-chorus section of the song "Bridges In The Sky" as evidence of LaBrie lip syncing to a pre-recorded vocal track. LaBrie addressed the controversy onstage during the band's performance inHouston, Texas, on March 18, 2022, denying the allegations and claiming he has never lip synced.[120]
The band started the inaugural run of Dreamsonic, Dream Theater's own traveling progressive metal festival which also featuredDevin Townsend andAnimals as Leaders, on June 16, 2023.[123] As described by John Petrucci: "Dreamsonic promises to be a reoccurring musical event that will deliver history-making nights of amazing music for many years to come!"[123][124] The tour ended on July 26.[123]
Departure of Mike Mangini, return of Mike Portnoy andParasomnia (2023–present)
Original drummerMike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater in October 2023 after thirteen years out of the band.
In August 2023, John Petrucci said that studio time for their sixteenth album would begin in late 2023, though James LaBrie later said it would be more likely the beginning of 2024.[125][126] On October 25, 2023, Dream Theater announced the departure ofMike Mangini as they were reuniting withMike Portnoy.[127] The reunion resulted from years of gradual reconciliation between Portnoy and individual members of the band, as he disclosed in an interview withDrumeo:
"Starting with John Petrucci maybe five, six, seven years ago or so, we just reconnected—John decided he wanted to do a solo album and he asked me to play on it—So I played onJohn's solo album. And then a few months later, we did aLiquid Tension Experiment album with John and Jordan. So that brought the three of us back together—And then I think the final piece was me reconnecting with James LaBrie, 'cause James and I hadn't spoken for over a decade. I went to see Dream Theater play [at theBeacon Theatre] in New York, I guess around 2022, and that was my first time seeing James in over a decade. And literally, I'm not exaggerating, within five seconds of seeing each other, it was hugs, kisses and it was like any of the drama and bullshit that happened during all of those years of the split, it just melted away immediately."[128]
In a group interview withRolling Stone, James LaBrie addressed his and Portnoy's reconciliation at the 2022 show, stating: "Mike and I are both very emotional and passionate people. And I think that led to the reason for us not coming together until we did. But as soon as I saw him, like he said, I came out of my dressing room, I saw him, and I was like, 'Come here.' And I gave him a fucking hug. And that was it." Petrucci added in the interview that "When Mike left the band, it was traumatic for all of us. We had to figure out how we were going to move our career forward. And those years that went by, they were also healing years because you don’t just have something like that happen, and all of a sudden, you're all best buddies a week later. There's some trauma there that had to heal. Thirteen years was enough time for that to happen and be like, 'Hey, you know what, man? We love each other like we're brothers.'"[129]
Mangini spoke amicably about his departure: "my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor."[130][131] With Portnoy's return the band announced plans to record its first studio album with him in fifteen years.[132]
On November 17, 2023, the band announced former lead vocalistCharlie Dominici's death at the age of 72 that month from unspecified causes.[133]
In February 2024, Mike Portnoy posted pictures from DTHQ on his Instagram account, confirming that the new Dream Theater album was "officially underway".[134][135]
On April 2, 2024, John Petrucci and Portnoy announced that all of the writing and the drum tracks were completed.[136] John Petrucci later posted a video on YouTube on May 1, 2024, confirming that the guitar tracks were completed.[137] On June 26, 2024, Jordan Rudess announced on his Instagram that all the keyboards had been recorded.[138] On July 30, 2024, James LaBrie posted on his Instagram, a photo of himself in the studio with the caption "Vocals" with a green check mark, and the hashtag "DT16", signifying the vocals had been completed for the new album.[139]
On October 10, 2024, Dream Theater released "Night Terror" as the first single for their sixteenth studio albumParasomnia, which was released on February 7, 2025.[140] The album was highly anticipated, with several publications (includingLoudwire,Stereogum andUltimate Guitar) naming it in their lists of the most anticipated albums of 2025.[141][142][143]
Controversy surroundedParasomnia's visual art direction created by artistHugh Syme. Syme was accused of double-selling artwork, as a piece of artwork contained in theParasomnia deluxe edition appeared identical to a piece of Syme's artwork on Orion'sThe Lightbringers, released six months prior.[144][145][146] Additionally, theParasomnia artwork also raised questions regarding Syme's possible usage ofgenerative artificial intelligence tools and the integrity of the album's visual representation.[147] Some fans and reviewers criticized the album's artwork for containing many mistakes common with AI-generated imagery, such as hands with the incorrect number of fingers and errors in lighting and shadow directions.[148][149] Syme was also scrutinized for his possible usage of AI-generated imagery forRush's anniversary collectionRush 50 around the same time, which further fueled speculation.[150][151]
Nearly six months afterParasomnia's release, the band releasedParasomnia - The Graphic Album in partnership withZ2 Comics.[152] A companion book toParasomnia,Parasomnia - The Graphic Album features visual interpretations for all eight songs.[153]
Dream Theater were spotlighted on an episode ofErnie Ball's "Big Sound" released August 22, 2025. Filmed at DTHQ, the episode featured live, in-studio performances of three full-length songs: "Night Terror", "Panic Attack", and "Midnight Messiah".[154][155]
The Parasomnia Tour kicked off inReading, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2025.[156] In addition to performing theParasomnia album in its entirety, the band confirmed they would also perform the epic "A Change of Seasons" on the tour.[157] In an Instagram post, Mike Portnoy speculated this tour cycle would likely be the last time the band ever performed "A Change of Seasons".[158]
On November 7, 2025,Parasomnia's lead single "Night Terror" received a Grammy nomination forBest Metal Performance at the2026 Grammy Awards, marking the band's fourth career Grammy nomination and first ever Grammy nomination for Mike Portnoy.[159][160]
A new Dream Theater live album and Blu-ray, titledQuarantième: Live à Paris, was released on November 28, 2025. It was recorded live at theAdidas Arena inParis, France on November 23, 2024 during the band's 40th anniversary tour of Europe.[161] To mark the release, a special one-night showing ofQuarantième: Live à Paris ran atAMC Theatres in select cities on November 17, 2025.[162][163]
A week prior toQuarantième: Live à Paris, the band released two box sets, withThe Studio Albums 1992–2016 as a collection of CD reissues for all twelve of their studio albums fromImages and Words toThe Astonishing, whileDream Theater Vol. 3 serves as the final installment in the band's vinyl reissues series, containing reissues of all their studio albums fromBlack Clouds & Silver Linings toThe Astonishing on that format.[164]
Rudess and Petrucci duet inBuenos Aires, Argentina (2008).
Throughout their career, Dream Theater's live shows have gradually become bigger, longer and more diverse. Prior to Portnoy's departure, Dream Theater "rotated" its set lists to ensure that fans who attended multiple shows in the same area would see few, if any, songs repeated. Portnoy, who constructed the set lists, would take into account the set list from the last time the band was in a particular city for the benefit of fans who saw the band on successive tours.[165] The practice was abandoned with Portnoy away from the band, and the setlist remained static even after his return on the 40th anniversary tour, but Portnoy noted that the practice of rotating setlists would return eventually, and in July 2025 James LaBrie disclosed that it has been fully reinstated.[166][167]
The band's full world tours, sinceSix Degrees of Inner Turbulence, have predominantly been "Evening with..." tours, in which the band performs for at least three hours without an opening act. Until 2012, such tours did not contain an intermission, but every tour since the Along for the Ride Tour in 2013–2014 until the Distance Over Time Tour had. The show that was recorded forLive Scenes From New York was well over three hours in length, and resulted in Portnoy almost being hospitalized after acquiring severe food poisoning from the food he ate before the show.[168][169]
Dashes of humor, casualness, and improvisation are often attached to Dream Theater's concert. For example, the performance of "A Change of Seasons" onLive Scenes from New York features changes to a series of instrumental breaks, with Myung playing a baseball organ melody, Petrucci playing the opening theme toThe Simpsons, and Rudess playing theragtime section of "When the Water Breaks" fromLiquid Tension Experiment 2 (the latter is also heard on the albumLive at Budokan). Several songs included onOnce in a LIVETime include snippets of others' pieces, such asLynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird" andRimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee." Other quotations include "Mary Had a Little Lamb" during "Endless Sacrifice" on the Gigantour, a calliope-inspired break between verses of "Under a Glass Moon", a quote of "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina"'s main melody played by Petrucci while performing the intro solo of "Through Her Eyes" inBuenos Aires, the Turkish March at a concert inIstanbul, and the opening riff ofRush's "A Passage to Bangkok" at a show inBangkok,Thailand. On the "20th Anniversary World Tour", Rudess has even thrown in a short "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" theme in a break during "Endless Sacrifice," and during a concert in Israel he started a spontaneous "Hava Nagila", with the rest of the band later joining in. During the band's 2017 tour, a snippet ofMetallica's "Enter Sandman" was played during Dream Theater's own song "As I Am".[170]
Dream Theater's most unconventional live shows were performed during Derek Sherinian's time with the band. At selected shows the band members all swapped instruments and performed an encore as the fictitious band dubbed Nightmare Cinema. They usually performed a cover ofDeep Purple's "Perfect Strangers," and, on one occasion,Ozzy Osbourne's "Suicide Solution," At some shows, Sherinian, Petrucci and Portnoy would take the stage together under the name "Nicky Lemons and the Migraine Brothers." Sherinian, wearing a feather boa and novelty sunglasses, would perform a pop-punk song titled "I Don't Like You" with Petrucci and Portnoy backing. During the Chaos in Motion tour, in several concerts before "Trial of Tears," Portnoy and Petrucci would switch instruments.
Concert of theA Dramatic Tour of Events in 2012. LaBrie in the foreground; Myung and Rudess in the background.
In theScore andChaos in Motion DVDs, an animation has accompanied certain parts of the songs, showing the band playing along to the music as cartoon characters. On the Score DVD, during the songOctavarium, the band is seen performing in an octagonal shaped maze. As the animation continues Jordan Rudess spontaneously turns intoSanta Claus and John Petrucci catches fire.[171] In "The Dark Eternal Night" from the Chaos in Motion DVD, the band battles against a monster by shooting fireballs from guitars, throwing drum sticks, and screaming.[172]
Dream Theater's largest audience as a headlining act was 20,000 inSantiago, Chile on December 6, 2005.[173] The show was released on DVD through Portnoy's YtseJam Records.
In 2007, after their show in Salt Lake City on July 30, GovernorJon Huntsman, Jr. signed a proclamation officially marking July 30, 2007 asDream Theater Day in the state of Utah.
In 2008 Dream Theater started the Progressive Nation 2008 tour, along withOpeth,Between the Buried and Me, and3. The tour was the brainchild of Mike Portnoy, who stated, "I've been wanting to assemble a package tour like this for many years now. With all of the festivals and package tours that go through America, I've been talking with our manager and agent for over 10 years now about doing something that focuses on the more progressive, musician-oriented side of hard rock and metal. I decided it was time to stop talking the talk, lace up and finally walk the walk."[174]
On February 13, 2009, Dream Theater announced the official line up for their Progressive Nation 2009 tour. The tour was originally set to feature bands including Swedish bandsBeardfish andPain of Salvation, as well asZappa Plays Zappa. On June 22, 2009, Mike Portnoy announced that Pain of Salvation and Beardfish would not be touring the North American leg of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour because of record label complications. In the same announcement, Portnoy stated that the bandsScale the Summit andBigelf would replace Pain of Salvation and Beardfish on the tour.[175] This lineup change has putBigelf on both the North American and European legs of the Progressive Nation 2009 tour. The tour's North American leg ran throughout July and August 2009. On March 26, 2009, it was announced that Dream Theater would take the Progressive Nation tour to Europe for the first time alongside Opeth,Bigelf andUnexpect. The tour ran throughout September and October 2009.[176]
In June/July 2010 Dream Theater were the opening band for Iron Maiden during the first leg of theirFinal Frontier Tour which includedMadison Square Garden as one of the many venues. On December 7, 2010, Dream Theater announced on their website that they would be headlining the High Voltage Festival alongside Judas Priest in 2011. In July 2011 they started A Dramatic Tour of Events to promoteA Dramatic Turn of Events. In January 2014, they started the Along for the Ride Tour to promote theirself-titled album. On December 13, 2016, Dream Theater confirmed 5 UK tour dates for their Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour, starting in Birmingham on April 18, 2017.[177]
During the Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour, Dream Theater performed a cover ofSoundgarden's "Black Hole Sun" on May 20, 2017, inBucharest,Romania, to pay tribute to rock musicianChris Cornell who had died a few days prior. The cover featured only piano and vocals, with LaBrie forgetting a portion of the lyrics and instead singing "I forgot the fucking words" in line with the tune's melody.[178][179]
Dream Theater kicked off the "Distance Over Time Tour" in March 2019. In addition to promoting the titular new album, the band also performedMetropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory in its entirety to celebrate the album's 20th anniversary.[180]
On March 4, 2022,Mike Portnoy attended his first and only Dream Theater show as an audience member at theBeacon Theatre inNew York City, taking photos with the band and receiving a shoutout fromJames LaBrie during the show.[181] This attendance and backstage reconciliation with LaBrie ultimately led to Portnoy rejoining the band.[182]
On April 22, 2023, Dream Theater announced the first edition of Dreamsonic, their traveling progressive festival, taking place in North America throughout June and July and celebrating the summer's ultimate progressive metal line-up. As described by John Petrucci: "Dreamsonic promises to be a reoccurring musical event that will deliver history-making nights of amazing music for many years to come!"[123][124] Kicking off inCedar Park, Texas, on June 16, 2023, the band was joined by special guestsDevin Townsend andAnimals As Leaders. The tour ended on July 26, and was Mike Mangini's last tour with the band.[123] At the July 22 DREAMSONIC show inRedmond, Washington, John Myung performed sitting down with a large bandage on his head with no explanation, with James LaBrie telling the crowd the band nearly cancelled the show.[183] Myung later revealed in an interview he passed out at a border checkpoint due to dehydration and hit a metal post with his forehead that cut him open.[184]
After rejoining Dream Theater, on April 8, 2024, the band announced their first tour with Mike Portnoy in fourteen years, titled the "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025", which began with a month-long European leg in the fall of 2024.[185] The reunion with Portnoy kicked off atThe O2 Arena inLondon,England on October 20, 2024. The show was described by the band as a very surreal and emotional experience, with LaBrie choking up and weeping onstage and had to briefly pause singing.[186]
On December 24, 2024, Dream Theater performed the Christmas classic "O Holy Night" for the first time in 26 years to close-out the South American leg of the "40th Anniversary Tour 2024 – 2025" inSantiago,Chile, on the second night of back-to-back shows.[187][188] On March 22, 2025, Dream Theater performed "The Best of Times" for the first time ever at their tour-closing concert atRadio City Music Hall inNew York City, with special guest Jonathan Dinklage on violin.[189]
The band began their Parasomnia Tour inReading, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 2025.[156] In addition to performing theParasomnia album in its entirety, the band confirmed they would also perform their song "A Change of Seasons" on the tour.[157] Mike Portnoy speculated that this tour cycle would likely be the last time the band would ever perform the song.[158]
Despite the band being forced to change their name, Dream Theater adopted a customlogo (known as theMajesty symbol) andwordmark, both of which have appeared on most of their promotional material. The Majesty symbol has been featured on the front cover of every Dream Theater studio album, while the wordmark appears on all exceptFalling into Infinity andDream Theater. The Majesty symbol is derived fromMary, Queen of Scots' mark,[194][195] which was re-worked byCharlie Dominici for use on the album artwork forWhen Dream and Day Unite.[196]
In September 2010, a fan of Dream Theater discovered that all of the letters of "DOMINICI" fit together perfectly into the Majesty symbol.[197] When Charlie discovered this, he laughed and mentioned that "it only took them 25 years to figure out the 'Dominici Code!'"[198] This has earlier also been discovered as shown on the comment section of DTFAQ[196] and in the DTNorway Podcast Episode 2 from 2008, with Charlie Dominici.[199]
AllMusic'sStephen Thomas Erlewine described Dream Theater's music as a "dense blend ofprogressive rock and post-Halenmetal". The band is well noted for being one of the early progenitors of theprogressive metal genre,[200] and they are considered a member of the so-called "big three" of the genre, along withQueensrÿche andFates Warning.[10] The original members, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci and John Myung, have strong influences from progressive rock bands such asRush,[201]Yes, andPink Floyd, heavy metal bands such asIron Maiden andJudas Priest, variousspeed metal bands, and even theglam metal of the day.[202] John Petrucci described Dream Theater's musical style as a blend of Rush,Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Yes, andMetallica,[203] while Mike Portnoy described their style as a blend of progressive rock and heavy metal. They encompass the progressive aspect, influenced by Rush, Yes, Pink Floyd, andGenesis, alongside the metal aspect influenced by Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, andBlack Sabbath. When combined, that's precisely what characterizes Dream Theater.[204] This synthesis created a unique metal that was not traditional of the day: it had distorted guitars and fast riffing, but the music focused more on technical proficiency and precise execution than on heavy metal riffs. The band's music has focused on three main elements: metal, melody, and progressive roots.[205] In the liner notes for the 2008Greatest Hit compilation, Mike Portnoy cited artists such asPeter Gabriel,U2, andJourney as inspirations for Dream Theater's softer songs.[206] Dream Theater's music has also been described asart rock.[207][208]
Chris Collins was the shortest-serving band member, having only been an official member for a few months; first joining them at the same time as Kevin Moore in the summer of 1986, but parting ways after they did some initial touring following recording their 6-track demo.[216]
In the wake of Charlie Dominici's departure from the band in October and November 1989[222][223] the band worked with several singers on a temporary basis before fully committing to James LaBrie; they first worked withJohn Arch, though he was not seriously considering joining the band, then John Hendricks, then Steve Stone (who had a one-off live appearance with the band),[224] then finally Chris Cintron, who they were ready to commit to and officially welcome into the band before LaBrie's audition arrived.[225][226]
During the 1997–1998 world tour, the band would switch their instruments around for brief "Nightmare Cinema" interludes in the concerts; John Myung played the keyboard, Derek Sherinian played the guitar, John Petrucci played the drums, and Mike Portnoy played the bass. They would often cover "Perfect Strangers" by Deep Purple during these segments.[227]
In 2004, Charlie Dominici and Derek Sherinian joined the band as a one-off on stage during the encore of the March 6th show as guests, to celebrate the 15th anniversary ofWhen Dream and Day Unite.[228] This was documented onWhen Dream And Day Reunite.
Dream Theater have released a series of official bootlegs, demos, and other rarities through YtseJam Records, at the time headed by Portnoy.[229] Starting in 2021, the band announced The Lost Not Forgotten Archives in collaboration with InsideOut, which will reissue all the titles mentioned below along with adding in previously unreleased archival material.[230]
In 2007 Jordan Rudess was awarded "Best Keyboards Player of the Year."
In 2011,A Dramatic Turn of Events won Best Album and Best Front Cover, while John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess won Best Guitarist and Best Keyboardist, respectively.[232]
On July 25, 2011, Dream Theater were placed on the list"The Best Prog Rock Bands of All Time", chosen by the Rolling Stone Magazine's readers poll.[237]
The MusicRadar readers poll placed Dream Theater amongst"The 30 greatest live acts in the world today" (as of 2010), peaking at No. 5 on the list, .[238]
John Myung, from August through September 2010, was voted the greatest bassist of all time. In the same time frame, Mike Portnoy was voted the second best drummer ever, losing out toJoey Jordison. In December 2010, James LaBrie was voted the 15th best frontman of all time (withAxl Rose coming first andFreddie Mercury in second). Jordan Rudess was voted the best keyboardist of all time in a poll conducted from June to July this year, with John Petrucci coming second in a shred-guitarist poll conducted in May this year (losing out toAl Di Meola).
John Petrucci was listed as "Best Prog Rock Guitarist in the World" in 2020 by MusicRadar.[45][239]
On July 13, 2015,The Prog Report rankedImages and Words at number 1 on their "Top Prog Albums of the Last 25 Years". Four other Dream Theater albums made the list;Scenes from a Memory placed at number 3,Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence at number 14,Awake at number 18, andTrain of Thought at number 38.[242]
^"Earplugs Required". Earplugs Required. Archived from the original on February 12, 2003. RetrievedJanuary 30, 2016.
^Ola Englund (November 19, 2024)."Coffee with John Petrucci & Mike Portnoy" – via YouTube.We'll get back to that eventually, but right now the setlist is static for two reasons: First of all it's a fucking great set list [...] the other reason is, we haven't toured together in almost 14 years [...] so we wanted to get our tour legs back and get comfortable again.
^Greatest Hit (...And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) booklet liner notes.
^Pete Prown, Harvey P. Newquist.Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists.Dream Theater carved a niche for themselves as an art-rock band with few peers
^Britannica Educational Publishing.Disco, Punk, New Wave, Heavy Metal, and More: Music in the 1970s and 1980s.Dream Theater also explored a number of stylistic features earlier associated with art rock.
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