Greatness returns to rock with Dream Theater

Look at the faces of the musicians in the picture. Do they look like musical geniuses? Like virtuosos? Do they look like they could make both the members of Rush and the members of Metallica green with envy... at the same time? They certainly don’t look any different than thousands of other musicians all over the world. Yet they are. The music these guys play will stop any musician dead in their tracks and cause them to take notice – not to mention the fans.

This is without a doubt one of the most creative, refreshingly well versed “rock” bands to emerge on the music scene in the last ten or more years. Take that to your CD player and stick it in.

As most of my readers will attest, I do not rave. I do give credit where credit is due and am usually very skeptical of the next big thing. Dream Theater may or may not be the next big thing, but with their debut, the world has been given a chance to once again sample some of what great bands are made of. Unless the band suffers some unforeseen change, I predict that they will continue to amaze fans for the next twenty years, if they can stick around that long.

Am I raving? You bet I am! Proudly. This band was first put together by Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci and John Myung while they attended the Berklee College Of Music. Old school friend Kevin Moore came in after a short spell. The band made a demo which received good press, but proved “fatal” to the band’s original name (Majesty) and their singer. Another year, another label deal and another singer later, Dream Theater was still in search for its perfect vocal counterpart.

More time went by as the band attempted to extricate themselves from their label. Meanwhile, 200 singers “bit the dust” at their auditions. The band’s frustrations even led them to consider an instrumental career until they realized the limitations that would have. After finally settling on a singer, current vocalist James LaBrie sent his tape, got the gig and is, along with the other 4 members, poised to create musical history. When the world catches up to this band... well let’s just say good things in today’s music are rare, great things are very few and far in between. If you can imagine a cross between Metallica and Rush with more musical sensibilities than either one (did I say that?), then you are close. Get their album “Images & Words” (Atco), see their shows... love this band!