Dream Theater

Dream Theater
Dream Theater
	Dream Theater in 2020. From left to right: John Petrucci, James LaBrie, Mike Mangini, Jordan Rudess and John Myung.
Background information
Also known as	Majesty (1985–1988)
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Genres	Progressive metal;
Years active	1985–present
Labels	Inside Out; Roadrunner; Warner Bros.; Atlantic; Elektra; East West; Atco; Mechanic; YtseJam;
Associated acts	Liquid Tension Experiment; Explorers Club; OSI; Platypus;
Website	www.dreamtheater.net
Members	John Myung; John Petrucci; Mike Portnoy; James LaBrie; Jordan Rudess;
Past members	Chris Collins; Kevin Moore; Charlie Dominici; Derek Sherinian; Mike Mangini;

Dream Theater (often called DT for short) is an American progressive metal band formed in the mid-1980s in the United States.

Band members

Current members

Previous members

Biography

The band was founded by John Myung, John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy, and as of 2024, they are all members of the band. They changed their singer twice in the late 1980s when Chris Collins was replaced by Charlie Dominici in 1987. Dominici left the band only three years later, in 1990, and James LaBrie joined and stayed until today. Dream Theater's keyboardist also changed three times. Kevin Moore played with the band from 1985 until 1995 when he left and Derek Sherinian took his position until 1999. Jordan Rudess is Dream Theater's Keyboardist now. He is known for his excellent technique and compositional skills. In September 2010, drummer Mike Portnoy left Dream Theater, and was replaced by Mike Mangini. Portnoy rejoined the band in 2023.

Influences

The members of Dream Theater are known for having excellent playing technique of their instruments, and for their songwriting. Their music is very complex and the songs are often long, their longest being Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence at 42 minutes in length.

Their songs contain a lot of instrumental sections, in which no vocals are heard and only the instruments play (these parts are called "instrumental passages") and also many solos. Another feature of their music is that during each song, the speed often changes, and occasionally style changes too.

They once said that other bands have trouble making long songs. They said they have trouble making "short" songs. Most of Dream Theater's music is very difficult to play because of the high speed it has to be played with and the complex rhythm.

Discography

Studio albums

When Dream and Day Unite (1989)
Images and Words (1992)
Awake (1994)
Falling into Infinity (1997)
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)
Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence (2002)
Train of Thought (2003)
Octavarium (2005)
Systematic Chaos (2007)
Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009)
A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011)
Dream Theater (2013)
The Astonishing (2016)
Distance Over Time (2019)
A View from the Top of the World (2021)
Parasomnia (2025)

Dream Theater Media

Dream Theater Logo
James LaBrie has been the vocalist since January 1991.
Dream Theater after a concert in Paris during the first European leg of their tour (2005). Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, James LaBrie, John Myung and Jordan Rudess
Dream Theater playing live March 8, 2008
Dream Theater performed at Hellfest in 2019.
Dream Theater performs live in 2023.
Original drummer Mike Portnoy rejoined Dream Theater in October 2023 after thirteen years out of the band.
Rudess and Petrucci duet in Buenos Aires, Argentina (2008).
Concert of the A Dramatic Tour of Events in 2012. LaBrie in the foreground; Myung and Rudess in the background.