Tried and True

Fans stay tuned as progressive Dream Theater keeps bucking rock trends

by Michael Mehle

No one can accuse Dream Theater of being the flavor of the week. The New York quintet has almost gone out of its way to eschew what’s hot on the rock horizon, sticking to a hard and heavy approach that went out with the Carter administration.

But as one of the lone practitioners of the technically meticulous and thematically ambitious prog-rock, Dream Theater also has enjoyed success and longevity few Nirvana-come lately grunge outfits can equal.

“It’s like an unwritten rule that we don’t chase trends,” guitarist John Petrucci said. “The music scene changes so often – what’s popular, what’s on top of the charts – that it’s best just to stay focused.”

And Dream Theater has focused complex, hard-driving opuses that combine the chops of AC/DC and Led Zeppelin with elements of Yes and Rush. The group (which plays at the Ogden Theatre Thursday) has tinkered with the formula over four albums, but never strayed too far from the original blueprint.

The group’s latest release, Falling Into Infinity, features a new recording approach. In the past, the process was like a conveyor belt: the drums for the entire album would be recorded at once, followed by the guitars, the bass and so forth. For Falling Into Infinity, the group – Petrucci, vocalist James LaBrie, bassist John Myung, drummer Mike Portnoy and keyboardist Derek Sherinian – completed one song at a time.

“The way we did it before, it was cool to a certain extent, but it didn’t give the songs different personalities,” Petrucci said.

It’s evident in the variety on Falling Into Infinity, which yaws from the hard rock of the opening New Millennium to the pop-leaning You Not Me to the showcase in virtuosity, Peruvian Skies.

Petrucci said the band’s technical prowess isn’t just for flexing on complex songs (such as the 1995 release, A Change of Seasons, which clocked in at 23-minutes.)

“I think that our abilities give us more to choose from,” he said. “Sometimes things don’t need to be done more complicated, but if we need to get more technical, we have that ability. When I listen to classical music, Beethoven or Chopin, it goes through so many moods, incarnations. The moments are so beautiful, they can bring tears to your eyes. Then some are so insanely technical you wonder how they can play it. But that sort of challenge drives me. If you can move someone with something simple or beautiful or play something so complex that it makes someone nervous – that’s the allure to me.”

That allure is echoed by a hardcore contingent of fans that keeps close track of the band’s concert setlists, recording schedules and personnel moves via the Internet. It was the fans, in fact, who demanded over the Internet that the band release the 23-minute version of A Change of Seasons.

If it doesn’t seem possible for a prog-rock band to boast such a fruitful following in the age of punk, ska and the Spice Girls, then you’re not thinking globally. The group has as many faithful fans in countries such as Japan (where FII has passed the 100,000 sales mark after just a few months), Holland, Germany and Italy.

“We’re a pretty heavy rock band, and it’s not out of style there,” Petrucci said. “The kids there are really into rock ‘n’ roll, the heavy stuff, and I don’t think success there is based as much on exposure you get on TV and radio and all. You don’t have to be on Letterman to fill an arena over there.”

Not that the band is complaining about its fate in the States. It’s label, Elektra, might want more hits, but its leaders seem to grasp the grassroots popularity of Dream Theater.

“There’s always pressure when you’re signed to a major label,” the guitarist said. “The reason that you’re there and they keep you there is because you have the potential to have a hit. They want to hear songs on the radio. But with our band there’s a little bit more of an understanding. We can go out and do real well without a lot of songs on the radio.”

“We have a lot of loyal fans that will buy the albums and go to the shows without the radio hits. We’re very lucky.”