Lifting Shadows: The Authorized Biography Of Dream Theater (Rich Wilson)

An unlikely success story – with nobody’s blushes spared.

In the foreword to this hefty, 450-page official story of Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy, the band’s drummer, explains: “It’s not a typical biography filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll road stories.” This much was to be expected; Dream Theater, a ‘thinking man’s metal band’ formed by music college graduates, are no Mötley Crüe. But every rock fan – not just Dream Theater freaks – should read this book.

Their story is defined by what Portnoy calls “the fight for musical integrity”. The band has endured many battles in pursuit of a singular artistic vision, butting heads with record companies, managers, producers, the press and each other. As a result, Lifting Shadows is more than just the story of a great rock band – the finest progressive metal act since Rush – it is also an exposé of the harsh realities of the music business.

For author (and Classic Rock contributor) Rich Wilson, this book was a labour of love. But, unlike most authorised biographies, this is no whitewash. With the exception of original keyboard player Kevin Moore, who declined to be interviewed, all of the key figures in Dream Theater’s roller-coaster, 20-year career have told their side of the story with extraordinary candour.

The band’s first two singers, Chris Collins and Charlie Dominici, discuss their sackings with good humour and a little sadness. Portnoy reveals in depth the reasons why he almost quit the band in 1997. Record company A&R man Derek Oliver admits to foolishly trying to replace singer James LaBrie prior to the band recording their breakthrough album Images And Words. LaBrie himself sets the record straight about the period in 2002 when, once again, he came close to being fired: “I needed a reality check.”

Most amazing of all are the comments by David Prater, the producer of Images And Words, responding to Portnoy’s claim that his production made the album “unlistenable” (a bizarre accusation, given that the album is widely regarded as Dream Theater’s masterpiece). Dismissing Portnoy as an “ungrateful little girly-man”, Prater likens Dream Theater’s sound to “a Chinese fire drill”.

Few bands would include such a damning critique in their official biography. But then Dream Theater have always done things their way, whatever the consequences. As Mike Portnoy concludes, jokingly quoting Metallica: “Fuck it all and fuckin’ no regrets!”

Rating: 8 out of 10

—Paul Elliott