Metal Mad

Music School Grads Join Forces To Create Cerebral Metal Unit.

by Ken Springer

The heavy metal world can’t usually boast of musicians extensively schooled in the arts. But Majesty’s John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy met while all were attending the prestigious Berklee School of Music back in 1985. How they mended their way from such a traditional background to the wild and wacky world of rock and roll is a tale worthy of the pages of Power Metal.

“We all were attending Berklee, studying music theory, and we discovered that we shared a similar taste in music,” guitarist Petrucci said. “We were into the heavy side of rock, while the things we were studying in school were much more scholarly. In fact, most of our teachers would probably have looked down their noses at us. We wanted to find a way of combining our musical knowledge with our love for heavy metal – that’s where the idea for Majesty came from.”

As soon as the trio graduated from school they hooked up with vocalist Charlie Dominici and keyboardist Kevin Moore (himself a graduate of the Fredonia School Of Music), and began writing material for what they hoped would be their debut album. At first the going was slow; record execs who checked out the group’s live show weren’t convinced that their highbrow stylings and instrumental dexterity were in synch with the late ‘80s. The quintet persisted, however, gigging in and around their native New York until they finally landed a record deal. They soon ventured into Kajem Studios in Philadelphia to begin their debut LP, When Dream And Day Unite.

“We’re really happy with how the album turned out,” Petrucci said. “We stretch out on the tracks and show what we can do. There are eight songs on the album, but the LP runs for over fifty minutes. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that most of the tracks are pretty long – but we keep things interesting, that’s for sure.”

“It was great being in the studio for the first time,” Myung added. “After studying music theory for so long. It was wonderful to get away from the technical side of music and just play what was in our hearts. We’re real anxious to send a copy of the album to our teachers to know what they think of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of them didn’t have heart attacks when they hear it.”

Mixing influences as diverse as Rush, Led Zeppelin and classical music, When Dream And Day Unite is one of the more intriguing metal offerings of the new year. The band’s new songs brim with an energy and imagination rarely seen in metal and presage a long reign for Majesty in the rock field. Fame and fortune however, aren’t what motivate these musicians. Their main interest is creating music that bears the mark of distinction and style.

“If someone came up to me and said, ‘I’ll give you a million dollars to record a three-chord pop song,’ I admit I’d be tempted, but I don’t think I’d do it” Petrucci said. ‘We want to be successful – who doesn’t? But we want to do it with music we really believe in. We think Majesty is playing a very special kind of music – a kind that no other band in rock is doing at the moment. We’re not one of those groups that’s been cut out by a cookie-cutter, where we all look the same and sound the same. We’re proud of being different. because what makes us different is our talent.”

“We know there’s an audience out there for the kind of music we play.” Dominici added “There have always been bands in rock who’ve tried to push the boundaries of the form, and that’s what Majesty is doing now. All I can say is that if fans like their music heavy but with a lot of imagination and feeling, then Majesty is the band for you.”