David Halbe 
My intent was to start from the beginning, give the band’s whole catalogue a listen, that’s when I came across the ‘Official Bootleg Series’ and decided to give them a listen first. In less than a week I was hooked.
I’ve got to admit when Dream Theater first came out, I wasn’t impressed. I was so obsessed with death metal at the time and could hardly appreciate any music unveiled outside that genre. I vaguely recall a girl I was dating back in ’89 was really into When Dreams and Day Unite but I was too infatuated with Death’s Spiritual Healing to give these progressive masters a proper listen.
Dream Theater is from Boston, Massachusetts. They began as a progressive metal band called Majesty back in 1985 but had to change their name to Dream Theater due to another group with the same name threating legal action.
Although a debut effort was released in 1989, I don’t think Dream Theater really started reaching their full potential until they added James LaBrie on vocals. For that reason, I always think of Images and Words as the band’s first release.
My intent was to start from the beginning, give the band’s whole catalogue a listen, that’s when I came across the ‘Official Bootleg Series’ and decided to give them a listen first. In less than a week I was hooked.
The trek began with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), which in my mind is an all-time classic rock album and a curious selection for a progressive metal band. While I appreciated this rendition, I still think Voivod’s Floyd interpretation of “Astronomy Domine” from The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (1967) is the standard for anyone attempting to metalize Pink Floyd.
Next up was Metallica’s Master Of Puppets. I found myself listening to this offering more and more as time wore on. Honestly, it’s a shock to the ears. For many, these are the songs we all know by heart but in this case the expectations are different, the subtle surprises are what make this effort worthwhile.
The final bootleg was Iron Maiden’s Number Of The Beast. A classic metal album in its own right, I’ve always respected how Maiden’s music never seems to age. Their riffs make up the roots of metal’s tree. To cover their work is a homage few can pull off with the respect that this band truly deserves but Dream Theater managed to do it with a swager filled fire all their own.
Upon this writing I discovered a fourth bootleg of Deep Purple’s Made In Japan. Super excited to hear this performance, I’ve already ordered the CD (Thanks Amazon!) and am currently waiting for it to arrive. In the meantime, I’ve started revisiting Dream Theater’s 3rd full length effort, 1994’s Awake.
To summarize my findings, Dream Theater is a great band. How can you not applaud a group who perpetuates metal’s legacy, via their cover albums, while still creating original music all their own? In retrospect, I learned first impressions aren’t everything simply because we all mature, our tastes can expand and sometimes change. I don’t think my ears were sophisticated enough to appreciate this group as a reckless teenager back in 1989. I feel I rediscovered Dream Theater at the perfect time, right now. \m/
Dream Theater is:
- John Petrucci – Guitars
- John Myung – Bass
- Mike Portnoy – Drums
- James LaBrie – Vocals
- Jordan Rudess – Keyboards
